Simple Gourmet

Check out a most recent camp video!

2010-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

The kids were channeling Celebrity Chef favorites like Giada, Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray. Another week of great food and tons of fun!

Summer Kids Camp Week 2

2010-07-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Week 1 of this Summer Kid's Camp

2010-07-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Video from our first week of Kid's camp this summer. This year we started ”Iron Chef Fridays” where the kids teamed up for little competition complete with a secret ingredient! The kids were awesome and the food came out great!!

Simple Gourmet's: Life Changing Cooking Tips: Cutting Scallions

2010-06-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Simple Gourmet's Life Changing Cooking Tips: Cutting Avocados

2010-05-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Almond Bread

2010-04-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

We had a request for the healthy Blueberry-Almond Bread we made last week from the Moosewood Cookbook. Here it is!

make in a 9-inch cake pan

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar or unrefined cane sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 cup applesauce

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground rolled oats (pulse in a food processor or blender until

finely ground)

1/2 cup ground almond (almond meal)

1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray.

Whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs and almond extract -- whisk until creamy.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry to the west ingredients and stir. Add the blueberries and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

NOTE: This bread freezes well. I cut the leftovers into wedges and froze in small baggies. Then I just microwaved it for 30 seconds for a quick breakfast on the run alongside a smoothie.

Whole Grain Waffles

2010-04-15T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've been experimenting with baking lately, substituting whole grain flour and ground flax seed for white flour. Here's the waffles I came up with this morning (could also be made into pancakes). They are fluffy thanks to plenty of baking powder and have a nice crunch from the sunflower seeds. A drizzle of real maple syrup, a handful of fresh blueberries and breakfast is served!

Whole Grain Waffles
Makes about 10

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tbl ground flax seed (optional)

1/4 cup light brown sugar (or raw cane sugar)

4 tbl baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk (lowfat or regular or soy milk)

3 tbl melted butter (or olive oil)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Maple syrup

Fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, flax seed, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the eggs, milk, butter and sunflower seeds.
Heat a waffle iron and pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the iron per waffle. Remove waffles when golden and puffed. Serve immediately with maple syrup and fresh blueberries

Do you know the trick to making flank steak tender?

2010-04-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

We love flank steak for it's flavor and because it's great for feeding a crowd.

Here's our secrets:

1. Let the steak come to room temp. A cold steal doesn't cook evenly.

2. Season it well! We like to do a wet rub for flavor (cumin, smoked paprika, grated garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil).

3. Grill on both sides over high heat and then place in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. This seals in juices and prevents it from over-cooking.

4. Let rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle.

5. Slice thinly against the grain.

This is an important part -- slicing against creates a more tender piece of meat. Enjoy!!

Turkey Schnitzel

2010-03-30T16:51:00.001-07:00

We heard, if you ask anyone in Israel to name a holy Israeli dish: the answer will be turkey schnitzel. Here is a flourless version of this favorite comfort food kosher for Passover.

Kids love this.

Serves 4
* 4 large slices of turkey breast, less than 1 cm (about ½ inch) thick
* salt and pepper
* 2 eggs lightly beaten with a tablespoon of water matzo meal oil for frying
* 1 lemon, sliced into rings

If the turkey slices are not thin enough, butterfly them or pound between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Season the slices with salt and pepper. Dip in the beaten eggs, and dredge in the matzo meal. Fry in sizzling medium hot oil, about for about 4–5 minutes on either side, until lightly browned. serve with lemon slices.

Chef Jet Tila was in the house!

2010-03-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last night we packed our kitchen with a sold out crowd and watched Chef Jet Tila whip up a very tasty Pan Asian menu. Not only is Jet a talented chef but he also puts on a great show. Time went too quickly for all us as he led us through 5 recipes. His Panang Curry is the best and that Misoyaki Black Cod just melted in your mouth. Of course he showed us the ever impressive pineapple fried rice (picture).

Thanks Jet for teaching in our kitchen. We hope you come back soon!!

A Side of Something Good!

2010-03-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Picked up some blood oranges from Trader Joes today and was inspired to make margaritas. They were so delicious -- perfect blend of sweet and tart!

Here's what we did (Requires squeezing lots of citrus, but it's worth it!!):

makes two drinks
4 oz silver tequila (Patron or Milagra are my favorite)
3 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz fresh blood orange juice
3 oz water agave syrup to taste
The key to great margaritas is to shake them vigorously over plenty of ice.

*What's your favorite cocktail?

2010-03-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

Today I did a demonstration for the Designs for Dining Fundraiser in Palos Verdes. The subject was Simple Elegant Appetizers. It was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy the menu. Here are the recipes:

Poached Apricots

Makes 2 cups

2 cups dried apricots
2 cups Muscat wine
½ cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange, zested & juiced

Preparation:
Combine the apricots, wine, honey, cinnamon stick, orange juice &
zest in a pot over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced and apricots are coated.

Let cool. Serve with cheese and crackers.

White Wine & Fennel Poached Salmon on Endive with Dill Sauce

Makes 24 pieces, 2 cups sauce

For the Salmon:
1 bulb fennel, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 lemon, halved
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
1 lb salmon

For the Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ cup sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped watercress
24 leaves endive
Snipped chives, for garnish

Preparation:
In a large-bottomed pot, combine the fennel, garlic, peppercorns, lemon, wine and water. Bring to a boil.

Place the salmon in a baking dish with high sides. Pour over the hot liquid and seal tightly with foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove salmon from the liquid.

Stir together all of the sauce ingredients. Season as needed.

Divide the endive into leaves.

To assemble: place a dollop of the sauce onto each endive leaf, top with a chunk of salmon and sprinkle with chives.

Roasted Potatoes with Romesco Sauce and Crumbled Feta

Makes 24 pieces, 1 ½ cups sauce

12 small red potatoes, cut in half length-wise & trimmed so they sit flat (cut side up)
1 red bell pepper
¼ cup blanched or slivered almonds – not toasted
¼ cup parsley leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper as needed
½ cup crumbled feta

Preparation:
Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400° until golden and tender. Remove and let cool.

Use a melon-baller to scoop out a small well in the center of each potato.

Roast the red pepper over a live flame until charred. Let cool. Rub off charred skin and remove seeds and stem. Pat roasted peppers dry.

Combine the pepper, almonds, parsley, garlic, vinegar and oil in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Fill each potato with a scoop of sauce and top with crumbled feta. Serve cold or room temperature.

Simple Gourmet's Life Changing Cooking Tips: Onion Dicing

2010-03-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Serious Pizza Eaters

2010-02-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

While pizza dough is easier and easier to find at the store these days (Trader Joes makes a good one!), a truly fantastic homemade pizza starts with homemade dough. It may sound like an impossibly hard task, but homemade dough is actually really easy.

Our pizzas are the most requested items on our catering menu, so we wanted to share our secret to the perfect dough:

(Note: This makes 2 medium-sized pizzas or 1 large pizza.)

In the bowl of standing mixer, stir together 1 1/2 cups warm water, 2 1/4 tsp yeast (or one package), 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and mix, using a dough hook attachment, on medium speed for about 3-5 minutes until glossy and smooth.

If you don't have a standing mixer, you can stir together the ingredients and then knead on a floured counter for about 5-8 minutes. It's a good arm work-out!!

Place the dough in a oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let sit in a warm space for an hour. Roll or press it out and it's ready to go. We like grilling our dough at this point and THEN topping it with any mixture of sauce and cheese and baking until bubbly.

Once you've done this dough, you may never order take-out again :)

Carrot-Lentil Salad

2010-02-19T16:27:00.001-08:00

We are forever trying to dream up new ways to bring together veggies and legumes in delicious dishes. Two things most of us don't eat enough of! Our latest recipe features French lentils, caramelized carrots and a burst of red chili flake for heat. The trick is cooking the carrots over high heat so they brown a bit -- this brings out their natural flavor and makes them sing in this salad.

Carrot-Lentil Salad serves 6

1 cup De Puy French Lentils (or the already-cooked lentils available at Trader Joes)

olive oil

2 shallots sliced

3 cups sliced carrots

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

2 lemons juiced

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook until tender -- about 20 minutes. Rinse and drain well and put in a large bowl. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the shallots and carrots. Cook for about 10 minutes until the veggies are browned in placed. Add the chili flakes and stir for a few seconds. Add the veggies to the lentils. Add the scallions, dill, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, the feta and some salt and pepper to taste.

It's delicious served warm or cold!

Easy Veggie Dinner

2010-02-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

If you're trying to eat veggies for dinner and aren't in the mood for salad, try a quick soup instead. We pulled together a quick purred soup that is packed with veggies and flavor. Give this one a try -- even the kids will love it!! The trick is some really great cheese stirred in at the end -- a little goes a long way! Go for aged cheddar and good-quality Parmesan.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup serves about 6

olive oil

1 shallot chopped

4 cups chopped broccoli

4 cups chopped cauliflower

2 cloves garlic

8 cups chicken stock (or water)

1/3 cup fresh dill

1/2 cup grated aged cheddar

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are very soft. Blend the soup with the dill in a blender until smooth (only fill your blender half-full to avoid the hot liquid overflowing). Stir cheeses into blended soup and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Saffron Couscous Lentil Salad

2010-02-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at the GirlTalk Expo in Torrance yesterday doing cooking demonstrations and handing out samples of our food. The favorite was hands-down our Saffron Couscous and Lentil Salad. This is so easy to make and it the perfect hearty vegetarian salad to add to your next dinner party.

Saffron Couscous Lentil Salad

Serves 6-8

1 cup couscous

A Pinch saffron

2 cups cooked lentils (find these at Trader Joes)

1/2 cup sliced dried apricots

1/2 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup chopped mint or parsley or basil

2 oranges

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil. Combine the couscous and the saffron in a bowl and pour the hot water over, covering for about 1/4-inch. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

In large bowl, fluff the couscous and add the lentils, apricots, scallions and herbs.

For the oranges, cut the top and bottom off and then "peel" the orange with your knife, cutting away all of the skin and pit. You'll be left with a perfectly peeled orange. At this point you can either cut it into thin rings OR take a smaller knife and cut in between each membrane to remove each segment. Add these segments or circles to the salad, along with any residual juice from the cutting board.

Add the vinegar and the olive oil. Season very well with salt and pepper. Toss and serve!

(NOTE: About the lentils -- if you can't find cooked ones, add about 1 cup hard lentils to 4 cups boiling water and let cook (like pasta), until they are just tender. Drain and rinse. Then proceed with the recipe.)

Tasty Appetizer

2010-02-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

We love doing fritattas as appetizers!

They are essentially a baked omlette that you can fill with anything. Our favorite: Potato Chorizo and Goat Cheese topped with Parsley-Lemon Pesto.

Potato-Chorizo Fritatta:

1 11x17-inch pan

1 lb chorizo

4 Yukon Gold Potatos

olive oil

12 extra large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

10 oz goat cheese for the pesto

2 cups parsley leaves

1 lemon, zested

1 garlic clove salt and pepper

Sauté the chorizo in a large skillet until cooked. Let cool slightly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Slice potatoes with olive oil and place on a baking sheet

Roast until golden

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour, baking soda and crumbled cheese

Stir in chorizo and potatoes

Spray a 11x17-inch baking sheet with non-stik spray and pour in mixture

Bake for 20 minutes until set

Let cool

In a food processor, combine parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil. Blend until smooth

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to The Simple Gourmet Kitchen!!

2010-02-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Yes it has been one year since we converted the local pizzeria to our cooking class and catering kitchen. The timing was perfect; Simple Gourmet was in it's 6^th year and ready for more! By opening our own kitchen we were able to offer more cooking classes, host guest chefs, offer cooking camps for kids, start our food to-go program, and have a successful food drive. We thank you all for supporting us!!

Time to Try Kale & Chard

2010-02-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Chard and Kale have a bad rap. Most people think they are bitter and hard to cook. But they are in sesason now and we have a recipe that will change your mind! Chard and Kale are both leafy greens that are not only an AMAZING superfood, but are packed full of flavor. While kale has firmer leaves than chard, you can generally use the two interchangably.
Here's a one-dish meal that is so delicious and hearty. Inspired, once again, by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks, we are using (our favorite) Greek yogurt to make a creamy baked pasta. The kale and sun-dried tomatoes as a depth of flavor and salty feta cheese brings the whole thing together. Enjoy!

Creamy Baked Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale
makes 1 9x13-inch casserole dish

1 lb whole wheat penne, (look for 100% farro pasta -- it tastes the best!)
salt and pepper
3 tbl butter
1 white onions, thinly sliced
2 tbl chopped garlic
1 bunch dino kale (or other kale), stems cut into thin slices, leaves roughly chopped
1 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups greek yogurt
1 egg
3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 1/2 cup crumbled feta
chopped basil, for garnish

*** Preparation ****
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a small handful of salt. Add the pasta and stir. Cook according to the
package instructions -- be sure to cook until just tender. Drain and rinse.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until very soft and
beginning to golden. Add the garlic and the kale stems. Cook for a couple minutes. Add the kale leaves and cook until
just beginning to wilt. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and remove from the heat. Season well with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt and the egg. Add the pasta, veggies and the almonds and toss to combine.
Fill a casserole dish with the pasta and top with feta cheese.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Serve topped with fresh basil.

Reading Fruit Labels

2010-01-27T17:04:00.001-08:00

I noticed that more and more fruit have little round labels on them. I thought they were skn codes for registers for pricing. I learned last night that those codes have more meaning!

If the label has 4 digits and starts with a “4” it is a Conventional Fruit Label.

If a label has 5 digits and starts with a “9” it is Organic Fruit.

In 1992 they stated labeling fruit that was Genetically Modified starting with the number “8”. Thankfully no one wanted to buy GMO fruit so it was never adopted. As of today there is no GMO fruit sold to our fresh markets!! Whew!

Also note that the term “organic” has a dollar sign behind it. You could be eating conventional rruit from farms applying “organic” practices but they just don’t have the money to get the organic stamp. It is always best to know where you are buying your fruit from! (ie: farmer’s markets – you can talk to the farmer directly, local produce shops).

Superbowl!

2010-01-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

Superbowl Sunday is the biggest eating holiday behind Thanksgiving! In our latest Kid’s Cooking Class we taught them how to make the prefect Superbowl menu. Check out the video!

Simple Gourmet's Life Changing Cooking Tips: Slicing Oranges

2010-01-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

We are making a commitment to whole grains this year!!!

2010-01-05T07:02:00.001-08:00

What better way than making some homemade bread? They taste is so much better than store-bought wheat bread. This is a spin on a recipe we found on Heidi Swanson's website, www.101cookbooks.com . The best part is that it's easy and requires no yeast -- it's a version of Irish Soda Bread.

It's so moist it doesn't need butter!

Irish Brown Bread: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cups unbleached bread flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 oz butter, melted 2 cups buttermilk 1 egg 1 tablespoon honey Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and dust with flour. Whisk together the flours, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the warm butter, buttermilk, egg and honey. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture should be wet like a thick brownie batter. Scoop into loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes. When you tap the top of the bread it should sound hollow and the top should be deeply golden. Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely on a rack.

Healthy Lunch

2010-01-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

The new year is here and so are our resolutions to eat better. In an effort to eat a decent lunch, we came up with this alternative to tuna salad that is packed with protein. Our "ah-ha" moment was using some Greek yogurt instead of mayo -- lower in fat and packed with protein. Tons of fresh dill and keep the flavor bright.

Give it a try: White Bean and Tuna Salad 1 can tuna, drained 1 can white beans, rinsed and drain 3 scallion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 1/3 cup lowfat Greek yogurt splash white wine vinegar tons of black pepper and salt. Mix everything together. Taste and season with salt as needed. Remember to add plenty of black pepper. If the flavor is flat, add another splash of vinegar.

New Year's Simple Party Idea

2009-12-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Get ready for New Year's Eve with this simple cheese and wine party idea. No hours in the kitchen required to be the perfect host!

For the cheeses --

Get a selection of 5-6 cheeses. We like a variety of soft, semi-soft and hards. One of our favorite places in the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop (cheesestorebh.com). They have a White Truffle Camembert right now that is supposed to be divine!!!! The staff there are knowledgeable and helpful and will give you plenty of tastes to help you make decisions. Pair your cheese with a selection of breads and crackers, olives, toasted nuts, piles of dried apricots and figs. And if you're feeling adventurous, make our Parmesan Chili-Thyme Shortbread to serve, too. (recipe below).

For the sparkling wine bar --

Get some French champagne, California sparkling wine and Italian Prosecco

and serve in ice tubs next to plenty of champagne glasses.

Get some liqueurs to serve, too, like Limoncello, Cassis, Pernod, Grand

Marnier. Encourage your guests add a splash of their favorite to the

sparkling wine of their choice.

Low maintenance and sure to be a hit!! Happy New Year!!

Savory Parmesan-Thyme-Chili Shortbread Cookies

makes 24 cookies

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbl. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

2 tbl. sugar

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

*** Preparation ****

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the flour, cheese, salt, thyme, chili flakes

and sugar. Pulse to combine.

Add the butter and pulse until dough comes together. Dump dough onto a floured surface and gather into a ball.

Divide in half and roll into about a 12-inch log.

Cut 1-inch pieces from each log and roll into ball.

Place each ball onto parchment-lined baking sheets and press into a disk (should be about 2-inches).

Place sheets into the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Let cookies cool completely before serving or packaging.

What's Your Resolution?

2009-12-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

It’s almost resolution time.

Have you thought about yours yet? Resolutions can be a funny thing — sometimes they inspire confidence to start a new project of commitment, and sometimes they can just be another cross to bear. While so many resolutions have to do with food and dieting, we thought we’d give you a gently nudge in a healthy direction (minus any diet fads!) by giving you our top reasons for getting back in the kitchen.

10 Reasons & Ways to Cook More in 2010

1. You have the control!! Only when you cook at home do you have complete control over what goes into your food. This is critical to eating in a way that’s healthy for your body and the planet.

2. It’s a great activity to do with the kids. Not only will you have spent some quality time with your kids while doing an everyday task, but as an added bonus, they are more likely to eat foods outside of their comfort zone if they’ve had a hand in making it.

3. Pick a cookbook off your shelf that you’ve been meaning to cook from more and pledge to cook one recipe a week out of it for a month. This is a great way to keep it interesting in the kitchen (and at the dinner table) and you’ll soon have some new everyday recipes as part of your weekly repertoire.

4. Cooking at home gives you an opportunity to experiment with some healthy twists like: substituting stevia or agave for white sugar, using a whole grain instead of rice or white potatoes as a side dish, cooking with a leaner cut of meat, incorporating more vegetables into your cooking.

5. The only way to make cooking easier is to learn to do it more efficiently and quickly. And this only happens by spending more time at your cutting board.

6. Start the year by restocking your pantry with essentials. Weeknight cooking becomes fast and easy when you have the right stuff on hand for quick dinners.

7. Cooking for your family, or even just for yourself, is one of the best things you can do. A meal cooked with love is more satisfying than any restaurant meal!

8. Feeding yourself good food and knowing where that food comes from is the single best thing you can do for your health!

9. Whatever you do, don’t stress over your meal! Remember that it’s just food and there is more than one right way to make every dish.

10. Join us for a cooking class so we can help hone your skills and make you a better home cook!

Kid's Camp

2009-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Check our video from our Holiday kids camp. They left camp armed with recipes and techniques to make a Christmas and Chanukah dinner. Great job kids!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2009-12-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

2009-12-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Our friend and cook book author , the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, Amelia Saltsman has some great gift ideas this season.

1. Give books. Hot off the press, EAT: Los Angeles 2010! Our second edition is even better than the first, with over 1,100 listings of the resources every food lover in L.A. County needs. Other new and recent faves: The New American Olive Oil by Fran Gage, Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Everyday, and Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich. And, of course, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook.

2. Give cooking tools no kitchen should be without. For instance: a digital kitchen scale, canning supplies for next summer's harvest, or an inexpensive Japanese mandolin that instantly makes beautiful shaved salads and paper-thin roasted vegetables.

3. Give cooking classes. Thank heavens we're heading back into the kitchen, but that means we want lessons. Give a certificate for a basics, baking, or even butchery class. Two new schools opened recently in SoCal: Venice Cooking School, founded by veteran cookbook authors Martha Rose Shulman and Clifford Wright, and Simple Gourmet, Melanie Barsuk and Taji Marie, proprietors.

(Thank you Amelia for mentioning us!!)

4. Give a farmers' market tour. Starting in March, I will be offering seasonal walking tours of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Please e-mail me if you are interested. Dates will be posted on my website in January.

5. Give perfect seasonal produce. A box of carefully chosen mandarins, new harvest nuts, wild rice...whatever your regional specialties are, give a taste of the best.

6. Give a membership to a local CSA. Support your local farmers and give a season's or year's subscription to healthy eating. It's an effective way to get more folks on the seasonal bandwagon). Two California farms with strong Community Supported Agriculture programs: McGrath Family Farms and Rutiz Family Farms.

7. Give back to your farmers' market. Sign up to volunteer at your market for the coming year. Sure, you spend your food dollars there, but farmers' markets need reliable help to run smoothly. L.A. Westsiders: the Santa Monica Farmers' Market needs dependable volunteers. Contact: darra.adler@smgov.net.

8. Give food literacy. Make a donation to edible education programs in your community. And make a new year's resolution to get your hands dirty helping out in the garden.
Feed families in need. Purchase "food baskets" in friends' names to organizations that aid families in need. Your financial support will feed a family for a week. Then, donate your time to pack and hand out the baskets. Since the days when my children were quite young, our family has been helping One Voice do just that.

9. Give a gift that grows. Trees, that is, to heal the planet. Dedicate them to your friends, and make a date to help a local urban renewal group, such as Tree People, re-green your community.

Best Ever Pound Cake

2009-12-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in our Gifts from the Kitchen classes this week. One of the favorite items was this beautiful pound cake. It makes such a lovely gift when baked in those decorative papers, and it's super moist thanks to the addition of ricotta cheese in the batter. The secret flavor-booster is the Orange Blossom Water-- a very fragrant, floral essence. You can find it at BevMo!

Orange Blossom Pound Cake

makes 1 loaf (9x5x3-inch pan)
For the Cake
1 1/2 cup cake flour
2 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp orange blossom water
1 orange, zested
For the Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp orange blossom water
3 tbl. fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

*** Preparation ****

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray (or 3 mini loaf pans). In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the butter, ricotta and sugar.

Mix with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix to combine.

Add the vanilla, orange blossom water and orange zest.

Mix to combine.

Add the flour and mix until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan(s) and bake for about 45 minutes for a full loaf pan or about 20-25 minutes for smaller pans. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange blossom water and orange juice until smooth. When cakes have cooled about 10 minutes, drizzle with glaze and top with almonds.

Let cool completely before serving.

Los Angeles Food Bank

2009-12-15T09:30:00.001-08:00

We are passionate about food and love that we can share my passion through company Simple Gourmet. It breaks our hearts to see so much hunger right here in our community. This year we wanted to do something about it!!

We are thrilled to hold our First Annual Food Drive for the Los Angeles Food Bank. This has been a very tough year for food banks and every single can or box of food makes a difference. We hope you'll work with us to make a difference in our community. Our goal is to collect 200 items by January 15th! With every item you donate, you'll be entered into a raffle to win a spot in a Simple Gourmet Cooking Class.

WHEN: December 5th, 2009 - January 15th, 2010

WHERE: The Simple Gourmet Kitchen
443-A South Pacific Coast Highway

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

WHEN TO DROP: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Monday – Friday

(alternatively you can leave donations in Zachary and Jenna’s cubby and I can take them into our kitchen!!

Please make sure you leave your name and phone number with your donation so we can enter you in our raffle!)

WHAT TO DROP:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Canned tuna
Peanut butter and jelly
Dry milk
Canned soup & stews
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Bars of soap

Gingerbread House Decorating

2009-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Check our videos from our Gingerbread House Decorating Workshops this year.

Kids of all ages came, decorated and ate lots of candy!!

Simple Gourmet's: Life Changing Cooking Tips: Cutting a Tomato for SALSA

2009-12-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Simple Gourmet's Thanksgiving Kids Camp

2009-12-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

Melanie and Taji's Favorite Things (aka: The Wish List)

2009-12-02T00:49:00.000-08:00

All year we talk about and cook with our favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
These items will make your cooking experience a more efficient and enjoyable one!
Here are our choices for 2009!

Melanie and Taji will be available to help your significant others to shop for YOU!

Come join us tonight: Wednesday December 2, 2009
6:30-8:30 pm

Cookin’ Stuff, Torrance
22217 Palos Verdes Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505-2016
(310) 371-2220 www.cookinstuff.com

Happy Shopping, Happy Holidays
Melanie and Taji

2009 Wish List:
Santoku Chef Knife – any good quality brand
8 inch Chef Knife, 9”serrated knife, paring knife
Shun Ultimate Utility Knife
Analon 14 inch sauté pan
Rice Cooker
Heavy bottom Stainless pots and pans (We like All Clad but Kirkland has a great stainless set too)
Cuisinart Food Processor
Cuisinart Mini Prep
Kitchen Aid standing mixer
Le Creuset Cast Iron Grill Pan
Le Creuset Dutch Oven – 5 qt
Le Creuset Tea Kettle
Screwpull Wine opener
Screwpull Champagne opener!!!!
Vita Mix
Epicurean Cutting boards
Heavy duty sheet pans with sides
Kyocera ceramic slicer
Messimeister serrated potato peeler
Ricer – for perfect mashed potatoes – buy the smaller one
Silicone spatulas and spoonulas
Silpat (make sure you get the size that fits your sheet pans)
10" spring form pan
10” tart pan with removable bottom
Lemon and lime squeezer
Locking Tongs – get 2
Fish Spatula
Flexible metal spatula (love the one by Chef'n)
Off-set spreaders - large and small
Microplane Zester _ loving the larger one these days!
Dual Remote Meat Thermometer –
Large white platters
Cake stand (no lid) - large and small
Ceramic serving dishes that go from oven to table (Emile Henry, Le Creuset, Target brand)
Chef’s Choice Electric Knife sharpener

Favorite Books:
Pure Desserts by Alice Medrich
Baking by Dorie Greenspan
Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson
The Food you Crave by Ellie Kreiger
Wine Country Cooking by Joanne Weir
From Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir
Any books by Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa
Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook
Tyler's Ultimate, by Tyler Florence
The Santa Monica’s Farmer’s market Cookbook, By Amelia Saltsman
Food Lover’s Companion

2009-11-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

We are thankful we found a way to share our passion for food everyday!
We are thankful to you for supporting us!
We wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Eat well.
Melanie and Taji

Simple Gourmet's Life Changing Cooking Tips: Cutting a Pepper

2009-11-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

Perfect Thanksgiving Drink

2009-11-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Beverages are often a forgotten piece of the Thanksgiving feast -- you've got the rest of the meal to think about after all! Here's an easy drink that features Rose wine (a fantastic accompaniment to turkey), seasonal apples and best of all, can be made the day before and kept in the fridge in pitchers until you're ready to serve.

Rose Sangria with Strawberries and Apples

makes about 12 servings

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise pod

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 orange, zested in big strips

3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 Fuji apples, diced

1 750-mililiter bottle rose wine

1/3 cup ruby port

1/3 cup Cointreau

1/3 cup cranberry juice

ice, for serving

*** Preparation ****

In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, peppercorns and orange zest. Heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit for at least one hour in the fridge to chill.

In a large pitcher, combine the strawberries, apples, wine, port, Cointreau, cranberry juice and about half of the syrup.

Stir and taste. Add more syrup as desired.

Serve very cold or over plenty of ice.

Life Changing Gravy Tip

2009-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

Life Changing Gravy Tip

The turkey may be the star at the holiday table, but gravy is truly the most important supporting role. But the perfect gravy is just thick enough to coat all the other sides. Rich and flavorful is often one of the most challenging parts of the meal. Here's the secret: there is a simple formula that ALWAYS leads to perfect gravy. And here's how it goes:

1 tablespoon fat (butter OR the turkey fat from your roasting pan)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup liquid (any mix of stock, turkey pan juices, brandy, white wine, beer, hard apple cider)

If you use this ratio and follow these simple tips, your gravy will be flawless every time.

1. Cook the butter (or other fat) and flour in a hot pan, stirring constantly until it turns golden. If you rush this step, your gravy will taste like flour.

2. Whisk in the liquid a little at a time, being sure each addition is lump-free before adding more liquid. Do this off the heat to avoid bubbling and splattering.

3. Bring the mixture back up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. This is the critical step that most people miss. Cooking for these 15 minutes allows any leftover flour flavor to cook out, any alcohol flavor to cook out and the whole thing to reduce to become the perfect consistency.

Good luck and happy whisking!!

3 Great Recipes to know!

2009-11-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight Cookin' Stuff , the local South Bay cooking store, hosted a Teacher Appreciation Night. We were asked us to come and serve appetizers to those fabulous teachers!!!

We chose to serve them a fun “mocktail” and 2 simple appetizers. It was a very fun evening. We loved that we could support our teachers.

Here are the recipes from this evening.

Sparkling Ginger-Cranberry Lemonade
Makes 1 quart

½ c. sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
6 lemons, zested and juiced
2 ½ c. cranberry juice
½ c. club soda

Preparation:
Mix together sugar, ginger, cinnamon sticks, lemon zest and juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberry juice and club soda. Serve Chilled

Moroccan Cauliflower with Saffron-Caper Aioli
Serves 8-10

For the Cauliflower:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
¼ c. olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

For the Aioli:
½ c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 large pinch saffron in 1 tsp warm water
½ lemon, juiced

Preparation:
For the Cauliflower:
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt. Toss cauliflower in the spice mixture. Spread out onto a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes until tender. Let cool to room temperature.

For the Aioli:
Mix together until combined.

To serve, top cauliflower with a dollop of aioli.

Spiced Palmiers with Apples
Makes 36

For the Palmiers:
2 sheets puff pastry
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
Pinch salt

For the Apples:
1 tbsp butter
1 large granny smith apple, diced small
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Preparation:
For the Palmiers:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix together the sugar, cardamom and salt. Lay the puff pastry on a clean counter and press lots of the sugar mixture onto both sides.

Cut the sheet into two long, equal strips. Roll both of the long sides of the dough towards each other to create a double-sided log. Repeat with the other dough strip. Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cut logs into ¼-inch slices and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with more sugar. Bake until golden. Let cool.

For the Apples:
Sautee apples in the butter and spices over medium heat until soft. Remove and let cool at room temperature.

To serve, top cooled Palmiers with apple mixture.

More Gingerbread House Decorating!

2009-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our Favorite Cranberry Sauces

2009-10-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Cranberry sauce is one of our favorite parts of the Thanksgiving table. It's sweet, tangy and bright against the rich (and somewhat brown) plate of holiday foods. Each year we come up with a new cranberry sauce recipe, trying to top last year. This year we're doing a Balsamic-Honey Cranberry and Pear Relish in our Perfecting Thanksgiving Class -- the sweet and savory quality of it is sure to be a hit!

In honor of Thanksgivings past and our love of this little berry that only makes an appearance a couple months out of the year, we are sharing some of our other favorite cranberry sauce recipes from the last few years. Make one or make them all! (And don't forget to buy a can of that famous solid cranberry sauce just for good measure -- no Thanksgiving table would be complete without it!)

Cranberry Sauce with Port and Winter Spices makes about 3 cups

This is a classic cooked cranberry sauce with plenty of sweetness that uses Fall spices to create a complex flavor.
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup port wine
1 fuji apple, peeled, cored and diced small
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
pinch nutmeg
pinch allspice
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring often, until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15-25 minutes or until fruit is soft and mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. NOTE: mixture will thicken more as it cools.

Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce with Kumquats and Cardamom makes about 3 cups
This sauce uses brown sugar and results in a more savory than sweet sauce. The sour quality of the kumquats and the almost raspberry flavor of the pomegranate is a prefect background to the cranberries. And there's a bit of heady, fragrant cardamom to invoke the Fall season.

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sliced kumquats, skin on, seeds removed
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pomegranate seeds

In a non-reactive pot, combine the cranberries, kumquat slices, pomegranate juice, cardamom, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and the liquid is thickened and reduced. (NOTE: The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
Remove from heat and let cool slightly before covering and cooling in the fridge. Before serving, stir in the fresh pomegranate seeds.

Cranberry-Tangerine Relish with Molasses and Ginger makes about 3 cups
We love raw cranberry relishes. They are tart, sweet, have a great texture and are truly the shining star on the next day's turkey sandwich. This one is a take-off on the classic tangerine-cranberry-sugar relish. The molasses mellows the sugar and makes for a more savory dish.

2 tangerines (satsumas are the best – get thin-skinned ones)
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Cut the tangerine into quarters (with the peel left on!) and remove seeds. Place in a food processor with the cranberries, sugar, molasses and ginger. Process until very well chopped. (This is best done in two batches to chop evenly.) Remove into bowl at let sit for at least 1 hour before serving.

Simple Gourmet's Life Changing Cooking Tips : Cutting Boards

2009-10-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

2009-10-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Check out this quick video of our Haunted Gingerbread House Decorating. Yesterday, kids ranging from 4–18 years of age decorated pre-made houses using orange and black icing and enough candy to fill a candy store! It was pretty impressive to watch these kids create Halloween masterpieces!

We are offering more decorating on October 23^rd and 24^th.

Here is the link to register online:

http://www.cookingschoolsofamerica.com/simplegourmet/index.php?flag_menu_index=calendar_php

2009-10-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Las Candalistas hosted an event with theme “Entertaining for the Holidays". They asked us to do a cooking demonstration on great Holiday appetizers. Below are the recipes for the 3 we presented:

Roasted Potato Coins with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Our famous Spicy Shrimp on Cucumber Rounds

Brioche Toasts with Brie and Apple Thyme Jam

For more appetizer ideas please join us in December for one of our Holiday Appetizers cooking classes.

Roasted Potato Coins with Goat Cheese and Tapenade

makes about 24 pieces

Ingredients

6-8 baby golden potatoes

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 peeled garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley leaves
olive oil
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
4 oz soft goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds. Toss generously with olive oil. Spread out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast until golden and tender. Season with salt and pepper when removed from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the olives, parsley, garlic and red chili flakes and pulse to chop. Add olive oil to create chunky pesto-like consistency.

Top cooled coins with some goat cheese and some of the tapenade.

Spicy Shrimp

makes 40 pieces

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sirracha, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chives, finely minced
1 lime, juiced
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
1 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled and chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, sirracha, sesame seeds, sesame oil, chives and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add more sirracha for a spicier mix. Mix in the chopped shrimp.

Glazed Apple-Thyme Jam

makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 large granny smith apples, diced small (leave the peel on!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Add the butter to a skillet and place over medium heat. When melted, add the thyme and cinnamon stick. Cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add the apples and the sugar and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the sugar is glazing the apples and the apples still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and add the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION -
Toast brioche until golden and cut into small squares or triangles. Top with a small wedge of brie and some of the jam. Serve at room temperature.

Simple Gourmet's LIFE CHANGING COOKING TIPS: Knives

2009-10-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Cooking with Beer

2009-09-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Beer is a fantastic cooking ingredient. It brings complex flavors of bitterness and sweetness to braises and sauces. We use it in place of wine to braise pork and beef and even vegetables. Here's our most recent favorite beer dish, pairing together all good German ingredients: beer, mustard and pork. Enjoy!

Beer & Dijon Braised Pork
serves 6 people

olive oil
4-5 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed of big pieces of fat and cut into 3-inch chunks
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/3 cup grainy Dijon mustard
1 bottle beer, (use an Amber Ale or Lager for best results)
1 cup chicken stock, as needed
2 bay leaves
1 white onion, peeled and cut into quarters

*** Preparation ****
Place a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Toss
the pork with flour and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dust of the excess flour and place into the hot pan,
browned all of the pork on all sides. Remove pork from the pot.
Add the dijon and beer. Stir, scrapping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the pork back to the pot,
along with the bay leaves and large onion pieces. Add stock to just cover the meat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour or until meat is fork-tender.
Serve the meat shredded, topped with the sauce.
Copyright

Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Fresh Berries

2009-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

We’ve had requests for one of our favorite desserts: Lemon Pudding Cakes. This recipe is easy and the perfect way to feature one of Winter’s best ingredients: citrus. It’s tangy, light and delicious! And it’s a great example of the magical chemistry of baking. It goes into the oven looking like a consistent batter and comes out with two distinct layers: one luscious, creamy pudding and one light and fluffy cake. Enjoy!

Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Fresh Berries

makes 6-8 individual servings

2/3 cups of sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/4 tablespoon salt

3 large egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

cooking spray

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoon powdered sugar

fresh blueberries, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup sugar and flour. Add the lemon zest, juice, buttermilk, butter beaten eggs and salt.

In another bowl, whip up the egg whites until frothy. Add 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the lemony mixture until batter is smooth.

Spray 6 individual ramekins. Divide the batter among the ramekins. Place a paper towel onto the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the ramekins into the casserole dish. Add warm water about half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Place dish into the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes – tops should be beginning to brown and cracked, but centers will be a bit wobbly. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Whip the cream until soft peaks hold, adding the powdered sugar while whipping.

To serve, invert cakes onto individual plates, top with a dollop of cream and fresh berries.

Old School Potato Salad

2009-09-07T22:23:00.001-07:00

Everyone has their favorite version of this Summer picnic classic. There are so many great kinds! German-style, spicy-creole-style, grilled, with extra veggies, with different color potatoes.....its hard to choose. But with with all this talk of ribs, we've got old-school potato salad on the mind. The kind your mom used to bring to family picnics, topped with a rust-colored dusting of paprika. Here's our tips for the perfect old-fashioned potato salad:

Use russet potatoes -- cut into large dice and boil until JUST soft and drain. Add a couple eggs to the potato cooking water so that they will hard-boil in the time it takes the potatoes to cook (about 10-15 minutes).

Rinse the potatoes until just slightly warm. Peel and crush the eggs and add to the potatoes.

Add lots of diced celery, dill pickle and red onion.

Use Best Foods mayo -- don't be stingy!!

Toss all together while the potatoes are just a little warm. Season with salt and pepper and let sit 30 minutes before serving.

Don't forget the paprika just before serving.

Live footage of TAJI at work at the COOK OFF

2009-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Come see Taji at work cooking a fantastic meal in less than 25 mins.

Our very own Taji doing a Cook Off

2009-08-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

Simple Gourmet's Evening Cooking Classes

2009-08-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

We have been teaching cooking classes for the last 5 years but know you can see it in action on the video below.

This is a video form one of our 'Friday Nights with Friends' class. It is part demo, part hands-on. At the end it's all feast!!

We have a good time in the kitchen.
You can register for one of our classes from our website.

Ethnic Pantry Part 1: Latin Flavors

2009-08-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Building up your pantry with basic go-to ingredients is the secret to fast, easy and economical cooking at home. Chances are you've got some pasta, canned tomato sauce and olive oil in the pantry right now. And while you may have the art of the quick pasta dinner mastered, we're here to encourage you to think outside the Italian box. It's just as easy to pull together a quick Latin-inspired meal, if you just have the right ingredients on hand. Here's a quick list of Latin ingredients we recommend having in your pantry, fridge or freezer at all times.

canned black beans
canned pinto beans
tortillas (corn, whole wheat or flour -- they keep longer in the freezer!)
canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (keep the leftovers in your freezer)
canned fire-roasted green chilies
dried spices (cumin, corriander, chili powder, oregano)
limes and oranges (citrus keeps for weeks in the fridge)
beer (light or dark -- great for braising meats)
chicken stock (the quintessential staple of the world)
tortilla chips
white onions and garlic
fresh chilies (jalapenos and poblanos are our favorites -- and keep for weeks in the crisper drawer of your fridge)
bacon (keep some slices in your freezer at all times for flavoring dishes)

Here's an easy black bean dish that's made completely from pantry ingredients and can transform into many quick meals.

Chipotle Quick-Braised Black Beans
makes about 4 cups

1-2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chilies
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon honey

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and onions and garlic. Cook until bacon is rendered and onions are soft. Add the beans, chilies, stock, cumin and honey. Simmer for about 30 minutes until liquid is reduced and beans and very soft. Mash mixture slightly with the back of a spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Use these beans to make quick bean and cheese burritos OR top chips with beans and cheese and broil for easy nachos OR top beans with a couple of fried eggs for a weekday "huevos rancheros" breakfast.

Join us for our Mexican Favorites at Home cooking class for more great recipes and tips.

No-Cook Tomato Sauce

2009-08-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes and Olive Oil....two of our favorite ingredients made even better when we learned that the lycopene in tomatoes (they healthy stuff that's inside a tomato) is more easily absorbed by your body if you eat them with olive oil. Great news!! Thought we'd celebrate by sharing our favorite no-cook tomato sauce that's just the kind of thing you want to be NOT cooking in this late Summer heat. Have it on pasta, as a condiment on fish or meat.....or just loaded on top of crusty bread. Anyway you have it, you'd better have it now -- Summer is at it's end and this is when tomatoes are at their best. Enjoy!

No-Cook Late Summer Tomato Sauce

makes about 4 cups

1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes (beefsteak are best, but any tomato will work)
1 garlic clove, grated (use a Microplane)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
splash sherry vinegar
handful fresh herbs (dill, basil, parsley....any soft herb will work)

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and place into a non-reactive bowl. Add the garlic, salt, olive oil and vinegar. Use the back of a spoon to mash together the ingredients and release some of the tomatoes' natural juices. Let sit at room temp for 10 minutes. (Don't skip this step -- something magical happens in those 10 minutes when all the flavors some together.) Add the herbs and taste -- season with more salt and pepper as desired.

Frying Cheese for Breakfast

2009-08-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Nigella Lawson is one of our favorite cooks. She's passionate about cooking and has such great quick tips up her sleeve -- all based in eating "real" food. This morning I was inspired to actually cook breakfast thanks to her (something I often skip, settling for some yogurt, fruit or cereal instead of a hot meal). It all started with her easy recipe for Sausage and Halloumi Bake -- a quick combo of spicy sausage, peppers and cheese. Halloumi may sound exotic, but it's just a firm mozzarella-like cheese that holds it's shape when cooked.
On a recent trip to Trader Joes, I picked up some Frying Cheese (their version of halloumi) and Mango Chicken Sausage. This morning, those ingredients came together, inspired by Nigella, to make a Sausage and Cheese Sautee for breakfast. Here's what we did:

serves 2

olive oil
1 pepper, cut into small pieces (I used a leftover poblano from a recent Farmer's Market trip. But even jarred roasted red peppers would work)
2 fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (mango, chipotle, sun-dried tomato.....whatever you like)
2 oz Frying Cheese, cubed (or Halloumi)
pinch red chili flakes

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and the pepper. Cook for a minute. Add the sausage and cheese and chili flakes. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until everything is browned. Eat hot!!

Simple Gourmet's Kids Cooking Camp Week 5

2009-08-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Julia Child's Birthday!

2009-08-15T06:05:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Julia!

Julia Child’s birthday is today. She would have been 97 years old. I had the pleasure of meeting Julia about 8 years ago. The picture to the left is my memory of that special moment when I got to meet a true A merican icon. A s the movie accurately portrays her, she was very funny, very friendly and full of life. Her voice and inflection of tone was so distinct.

If you saw the movie Julie and Julia, you leave wanting to make her Beef Bourguignon but I have to say my personal favorite is her Coq au Vin. For those of you that know Julia’s recipes, this one call for a surprisingly small amount of butter (but it does call for a chunk of bacon fat – oh well!)

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Coq au Vin is chicken in red wine with small braised onions, mushrooms, and lardons of pork-Ingredients

· 1/2 cup lardons (4 ounces -- 1-by-1/4-inch strips of blanched slab bacon or salt pork - see Special Note below)
· 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces
· 2 tbs. butter
· 1 tbs. olive oil (or good cooking oil)
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
· 1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, pureed
· 1 imported bay leaf
· 1/4 tsp or so thyme
· 1 large ripe red unpeeled tomato, chopped, (or 1/3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes)
· 3 cups young red wine (Zinfandel, Macon or Chianti type)
· 1 cup chicken stock (or more)
· Beurre manie, for the sauce (1 1/2 tbs. each flour softened butter blended to a paste)
· Fresh parsley sprigs (or chopped parsley)
· 1/3 cup good brandy (optional)
· 12 to 16 small brown-braised white onions
· 3 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, quartered and sautéed
Cooking Directions

Browning and simmering the chicken. Before browning the chicken, sauté the blanched bacon or salt pork and remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the chicken in the pork fat, adding a little olive oil, if needed. Flame the chicken with the brandy, if you wish -- it does give its own special flavor, besides being fun to do. Then proceed to simmer the chicken in the wine, stock, tomatoes and seasoning as directed in the master recipe.
Finishing the dish. Strain, degrease, and finish the sauce, also as described. Strew the braised onions and sautéed mushrooms over the chicken, baste with the sauce, and simmer a few minutes, basting, to rewarm the chicken and to blend flavors.

Special note: To blanch bacon or salt pork: When you use bacon or salt pork in cooking, you want to remove its salt as well as its smoky flavor, which would permeate the rest of the food. To do so, you blanch it -- meaning, you drop it into a saucepan of cold water to cover it by 2 to 3 inches, bring it to the boil, and simmer 5 to 8 minutes; the drain, refresh in cold water, and pat dry in paper towels.

Simple Gourmet's Kids Camp Week 4

2009-08-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

Please check out our video from our 4th week of Kids Camp. We had 19
fantastic chefs making America Favorites last week. The kids got so into
Farmer's Market Thursday that we ended up cooking "off the menu" and making
new dishes from our purchases. It was impressive and delicious.

No-Bake Double Raspberry Coconut Tart

2009-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's Summer, it's hot and you want an impressive dessert without turning on your oven, right? We have the perfect dessert for you! The recipe has it all: it feature's a seasonal ingredient (one of our favorites: raspberries), it uses only 5 ingredients, it comes together in about 20 minutes, and it looks incredibly impressive. One note: it's best to use a removable-bottom tart pan so you can take it out of the pan before serving. But if you don't have one, just make it in a traditional pie dish and serve it directly from the pie tin -- it will feel more homemade, but what's wrong with that?

Double Raspberry Coconut Tart

makes 1 9-inch tart

2 cups sweetened coconut, shredded
4 tblspns butter, melted
1 cup raspberry jam
2 half-pint packages fresh raspberries
powdered sugar, for dusting

*** Preparation ****
Add the coconut to a large skillet and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until coconut is toasted. Remove
from pan and let sit until just cool enough to touch.
Stir together the coconut and the melted butter.
Press the coconut into the bottom and sides of a 8 or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the coconut in very well -- it may not reach
the top of the sides of the pan. Once pressed in firmly, refrigerate the crust for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and pour the jam into the bottom of the crust. Arrange the raspberries on top of the jam, upside
down, in tight circles until the entire tart is covered.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipes from Living Without Gluten Class

2009-07-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

We had such a great class last night making these recipes! Some people in class were following a strict gluten-free diet and others just came to learn some delicious, healthy recipes. Inspired by the hot weather we've been having, we decide to grill the peaches instead of pan-roasting them. What a good idea! They were grill-marked, smokey and sweet. We hope you'll try these at home!

Spicy Chickpea Patties in Butter Lettuce Leaves with Red Onion Raita
This recipe is kind of like a falafel, but with much more flavor. The patties are easy to make and "batter" can hold in the fridge for up to 5 days. The raita is a great basic recipe to have up your sleeve -- it's a savory yogurt sauce that's great on all kinds of meat and seafood. The trick is to let the onions sit in the salt and then rinse them VERY well.

makes about 12 small patties

for the patties:
2 1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained very well
1 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped chiptole chilies
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 eggs
1 cup sunflower or broccoli sprouts, top parts only
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs or cornmeal
1 tsp salt
olive oil

for the raita:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
salt, as needed
2 cups plain yogurt

to serve:
12 leaves butter lettuce leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

*** Preparation ****
For the patties:
In a food processor, combine the drained garbanzos, shallots, chipotle, lemon zest & juice and eggs. Pulse until a
chunky paste. Remove into a bowl and stir in the cilantro, sprouts, salt and the breadcrumbs. Let sit for 5 minutes.
To cook, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Form 1 1/2-inch patties
and place into the oil. Cook on both sides until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
For the raita:
Thinly slice the red onion and place into a strainer. Sprinkle very liberally with salt -- use about 2 tablespoons total. Let
sit for 10 minutes. Rinse very well and pat dry. Combine the dried onions with the yogurt and season with some pepper.
To serve:
Serve the patties in butter lettuce leaves with some of the tomato and cilantro and a dollop of the raita.

Warm Basmati Rice Salad with Lots of Herbs
We love this salad! It's beautiful and full of flavor. The rice gets a lovely yellow hue from the saffron and HUGE flavor from the herbs, vinegar and cheese. Even if you always have trouble making perfect rice -- try this recipe! If you follow our instructions for the amount of liquid and cooking time, you'll get it right every time.

serves about 6

1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
chicken stock, (or water for a vegetarian option)
pinch saffron
2 cups chopped arugula
1/2 cup chopped mint
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts, (or other toasted nut)
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup crumbled feta, optional

*** Preparation ****
Place the rice in a small pot and add stock (or water) until the rice is covered by one inch. Add the saffron and stir.
Cover with a lid and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Check to see all the
liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
While the rice is still warm, toss together the rice, arugula, mint, parsley, shallots, pinenuts and vinegar. Moisten with
olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add feta is desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Peaches with Vanilla Bean Yogurt
We threw this recipe in not only for it's gluten-free status, but because it's summer and time to eat peaches while they are here. This is a study in simplicity....and the absolute perfect dessert to eat right now.

serves 6
For the peaches:
3 ripe peaches or nectarines, halved and pitted
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
1 tbl butter, (or olive oil)
2 tbl honey
pinch salt

For the yogurt:
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 pod whole vanilla bean
1 orange, zested
honey, to taste

*** Preparation ****
For the peaches:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat an oven-safe skillet over high heat. Add the butter (or oil) and cinnamon stick. Add the peaches and cook for lightly
golden on the bottom. Drizzle with honey and place into the oven -- cook for 5-15 minutes, until fruit is softened. Remove
and let sit to cool slightly.
For the yogurt:
Place the yogurt in a bowl. Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds from one side. Add the seeds to the
bowl. Wrap the seeds in plastic and save for another use. Add the zest and whisk until combined. Add honey to taste.
Serve the peaches warm, topped with the yogurt.

Simple Gourmet's Kids Camp Week 3

2009-07-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

We just finished our 3rd week of Kids camp. The kids were Cooking Around the World this week. Check out our video that captures all the fun we had!

Umami Burgers are amazing!

2009-07-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

We made time for some amazing burgers at Umami Burger today. This little gem keeps it simple with a handful of burgers on the menu, fries and onion rings. And they are proof that simple is better! House- made mayo, ketchup and cheese are all there to compliment the star: the burger. Perfectly cooked, just the right size, on a soft and tasty bun....this burger has it all.

Wondering what this "umami" is all about? It's a Japanese word that refers to the fifth taste (joining salty, sour, sweet and bitter). it's not a sublet ingredient, but rather a taste that brings together the perfect balance of all tastes -- it's savory, earthy and most importantly, satisfying. While the "umami burger" is true to it's name, we loved the Hatch Burger (just roasted chilies, cheese and meat on the bun). It brings to light a sixith taste: spicy! Last but not least, let's talk about the onion rings. Malt-battered so a hint of that yummy beer taste lingers in your mouth....and perfectly seasoned. They are our new "problem food."

Simple Gourmet Kid's Cooking Camp week 2

2009-07-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Check out how talented our Simple Gourmet Summer Camp Kids are!
2 short videos that highlight the fun we had last week cooking up American
Favorites.

Kid's Camp is a success!

2009-07-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our camp kids loved that they made our Facebook page yesterday. I couldn't resist adding them again today. This is such a great picture from our trip to the farmer's market today. We bought beautiful summer squash and gorgeous tomatoes. I had the best peach and nectarine so far this season. You can see that corn is in it's height of sweetness and plums are making their way in. We bought a habanera infused honey that was delish!!

There is nothing better than shopping the local Farmer's Markets!

Cooking American favorites is the theme this week in our Kids Cooking Camp

2009-07-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Monday we made a 4th of July Feast, Tuesday was American comfort Food favorites (they made the best turkey meatloaf) and today was Carnival day (yep, they made homemade corndogs).

Tomorrow we walk to the Farmer's Market to pick up our ingredients for Southern Comfort menu. On Friday we round off the week with a Thanksgiving menu.

The kids are working hard and eating well this week.

It is so much fun!

Apricots!!

2009-07-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last summer we had an incredible blueberry season. This summer it is APRICOTS!!!! Apricots always make be think of my sister. She is the non-cook but makes 2 things fabulously, one of which is the Austrian apricot dessert we grew up on. Our grandmother would wrap an apricot half with pastry dough made from ricotta, flour and egg. She would boil them then toss them in a warm cinnamon, butter. A lot of work but delicious!

Here is a Simple Gourmet Fruit Crisp recipe we like to use with any season fruit. This would be great with all apricots or mix of apricots and other seasonal stone fruit.

Seasonal Fruit Crisp
Toss 4 cups of fruit with
- the juice of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon and place into a baking dish.

Make topping by mixing
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stick of butter with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed.

Top fruit with topping and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and hot.
Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

Simple French Summer Menu for Bastille Day

2009-07-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Bastille Day! So maybe you're not taking the day off to celebrate France's Independence Day, but we've got some great recipes from our last wine pairing class to share with you. It's all about simple cooking that celebrates French ingredients and flavors....and it makes for the perfect summer entertaining menu. So pop open some French champagne or a bottle of Bandol Rose and Bon Appetite!

Start with this easy appetizer full of Provencal flavors.

Provencale Olive & Tomato Baguette
makes 1 baguette

1 soft baguette
1 tbl butter
1 white onion, diced
3 cups baby tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon herbs de provence (check out our Facebook page for more info)
1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place baguette directly onto the rack in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When melted, add the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes
until browned. Add the tomatoes, herbs de provence and olives. Cook for another 5 minutes or until tomatoes have
broken down and released their juices.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, cut baguette, lengthwise and top with the tomato mixture. Cut into pieces and serve.

For the main course, serve this impressive whole side of salmon with two very different sauces.

Lemon & Sea Salt Roasted Side of Salmon
8-10 servings

3 lemons, thinly sliced
fresh thyme sprigs, handful
1 side fresh salmon fillet
olive oil
ground black pepper
sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange the lemon slices in the bottom of a large baking dish, overlapping slightly. Scatter over the thyme sprigs.
Place the salmon on top of the lemon and rub the top with olive oil.
Roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until done to your likeness.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with pepper and sea salt.
Serve warm or chilled

Fig & Black Pepper Marmalade
about 2 cups

1 white onion, diced
1 tbl butter
1 cup chopped dried figs
4 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt
*** Preparation ****
Preheat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and onions and thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes until
onions are soft. Add the figs, thyme, orange zest and juice, honey and pepper. Stir together and cook for another 10
minutes over medium-low heat. Add a bit of water is there is not enough liquid in the pot.
Cook until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool. Season with salt as needed.

Caper Cucumber Salsa Verde
makes 4 cups

2 cups finely diced cucumber
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup capers, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature.

And for the perfect starch-meets-salad side dish, whip up this easy potato salad.

French-Style Hericot Vert, Potato and Tomato Salad
serves 6-8

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb hericot vert (French green beans), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups baby tomatoes, halved
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a small handful of salt.
Add the potatoes and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until just tender (don't cook until mushy!). Remove with a slotted
spoon and add the green beans to the hot water. Cook for 1 minute and drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the shallots, mustard and vinegar. Add the hot potatoes and beans to the bowl
and toss.
Add the olive oil, tomatoes, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss and taste. Add more salt and pepper as
needed.
This salad is best served slightly warm.

Simple Gourmet Kids - Cooking Camp

2009-06-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

We just finished our first week of Kids Cooking Camp.
We are teaching kids ages 8-14 the culinary basics so they are able to recreate healthy delicious meals at home. It is a full hands-on experience for them from start to finish. On Thursdays we take a walk to the Redondo Beach Farmer’s market where they will select and purchase our ingredients for the day!
Check out our video and see these kids in action!

Melon with an Elegant Twist

2009-06-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

One of this season's great pairings is ripe, juicy melon with salty, rich prosciutto. We've taken this classic combo and elevated it to a simple, elegant appetizer. This is the perfect appetizer for any Summer dinner party. The sweetness of ripe melon, with salt prosciutto, crunchy bread and creamy brie -- this one is a keeper!

Brioche with Prosciutto, Brie and Melon Salsa

makes about 24 pieces

6 slices brioche bread
olive oil
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
4 oz brie
1 cup finely diced honeydew or cantelope
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the crust from the bread slices and then each slice into four squares. Brush with olive oil and place onto a baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden. Cool completely.

Top each cooled toast with a little square of cheese and a bit of prosciutto.

In a small bowl, stir together the melon, chives, mint and lemon. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Top the toasts with the melon salsa.

Serve immediately.

Private party in The Simple Gourmet Kitchen

2009-06-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun way to entertain your clients? Check out one of our events in our own kitchen in Redondo Beach.
Collaboratively we made an Italian Summer Dinner and brought in owner/sommelier Brian Doolittle from Bacchus Wines, Manhattan Beach to pair 5 spectacular Italians wines with the menu.
Good food, good wine. Lots of fun!!
Thank you Team One for putting this video together!!
Melanie and Taji

Perfectly Grilled Fish

2009-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Are you scared to grill fish? Worried that it will stick to the grill or fall apart? You are not alone! The good news is that if you follow these basic rules, you'll have perfectly grilled fish every time.

1. Pick the right fish! Avoid flaky, thin fillets like snapper, catfish, tilapia and some kind of cod. Instead, go for thick, meaty options like salmon, halibut, swordfish or tuna.

2. Let the fish sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking and pat very dry with a paper towel.

3. Season the fish well with salt and pepper.

4. Don't oil the grill! Instead, brush the fish liberally with olive oil.

5. To avoid sticking: Get the grill VERY hot. Place the fish on the grill and leave in one place until dark grill marks form and the fillet is easy to turn.

6. Most fish only needs about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Grilled Salmon with Kalamata Olive & Greek Yogurt Sauce
serves 6

6 salmon fillets
salt and pepper
olive oil

for the sauce:
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 cup greek yogurt
2 scallions, chopped, whites & greens

*** Preparation ****

Preheat a grill to high (or indoor grill pan). Pat the salmon dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. Rub salmon fillets with plenty of olive oil (don't skimp!).
Place the salmon on the grill and leave alone for about 2-3 minutes or until dark grill marks have formed and salmon can be easily turned.
Turn and cook salmon on the second side.

For the sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together all of the sauce ingredients. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with the cold yogurt sauce.

Enjoy!!

Passover - Matzo Ball Soup

2009-04-04T23:03:00.001-07:00

Matzo Ball soup has always been one of the main attractions at the Passover dinner table. My mom, being from Germany, always made her matzo balls with matzo as the base and matzo meal as the binder. It wasn’t until I was married did I realize that this was unusual. Most of America was eating a matzo meal ball. It took some time for me to get used to eating the fluffy version versus the dense herbed, version I grew up on but given the challenge by my husband, I was determined to find the perfect recipe! I am thrilled to say I think I found it. There are 2 things that make these balls light and fluffy: whipped egg whites and club soda. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Makes about 8 matzo balls

2 egg yolks
¼ cup club soda
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup matzo meal
2 egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks

Beat egg yolks with a whisk. Add in club soda, salt, pepper and matzo meal.
Stir in ½ of whipped egg whites to moisten the batter. Fold in remaining egg whites.
Cover and refrigerate over night.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using an ice cream scoop, dip the scoop into the boiling water then scoop from matzo ball batter. Drop into boiling water and repeat the step. Lower heat to medium, cover and allow the matzo balls to cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from water and add to your chicken stock.

What's in an Egg??

2009-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

These days an egg is no longer just an egg. Standing in front of the egg case at the grocery store can be overwhelming. Is organic better than free-range? Is a brown egg healthier than a white one? Are Omega-enhanced eggs worth the extra charge? What is Omega, anyway? Here's a helpful guide to your Easter egg shopping:

ORGANIC EGGS are from hens that are fed certified organic grains.

CAGE-FREE EGGS are from hens that are allowed to walk around their barn and are not confined to cages (for at least part of their life).

FREE-RANGE EGGS are similar to cage-free, but the hens also have access to the outdoors.

OMEGA-3 ENHANCED EGGS are from hens that are fed a special diet of flax seeds and fish oils -- two things that are particularly high in Omega-3 fatty acids. The eggs from these hens are filled with Omega-3 -- one of the "healthy fats" that is reported to reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, ADHD, joint pain and certain skin ailments. Talk about nature at work!!

And what about those different shell colors? The color of the egg shells (brown, beige, white or yellow) is based on the breed of the hen. Brown eggs are not necessarily more healthy or nutritious than white ones.

Perfect Strawberry Shortcake

2009-04-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Is there another dessert that epitomizes Spring better than Strawberry Shortcake? It's the perfect way to feature the season's best berries. The trick is bringing together a sweet and moist biscuit, slightly sweetened cream and super ripe berries. Here's our favorite version:

Perfect Strawberry Shortcake

makes 4-6 servings

for the biscuits:

4 cups flour

2 tbl baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

for the toppings:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

sugar, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture is sandy. Add the cream and pulse just until the dough is moistened. Dump the mixture onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Press into a flat disk -- about 1 1/2-inches tall. Cut into desired size and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until golden on the top and bottom.

Meanwhile, combine the berries with sugar to taste and set aside.

Whip the cream with an electric mixer until slightly thickened. Add the powdered sugar and mix for just another few seconds.

Serve the biscuits slightly warm filled with berries and cream.

2009-02-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

The Easy Reader Best Of is here.

Simple Gourmet would love to be voted:

“Best Cooking Class”and / or“Best Caterer”

If you feel we offer the best cooking classes in the South Bay or love our catering services …

please send an email to (or just click on this link):

easyreader@easyreader.info

In the subject line, write:

Nomination for Best of Survey: Best Cooking Class and Best Caterer

In the text area please write something along the lines of….

Simple Gourmet Cooking Classes are the best in the Southbay.

Please nominate them for Best Cooking Class, they deserve it!

Simple Gourmet Catering offers delicious food and great service

specializing in small intimate gatherings.

They deserve to be nominated as Best Boutique Caterer.

Nominations need to be in by February 9th!

Rustic Canyon Wine Bar

2009-02-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

I had dinner at the Rustic Canyon Wine Bar last night.
What a great dining experience and the food was fantastic! I chose the restaurant because Taji and I had collaborated on an event with the pastry chef Zoe. She and her husband (they just got married last month) are just adorable and Zoe’s talent for pastry is quite impressive. I knew all about their restaurant located on 11th and Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica and couldn’t wait for the first opportunity to check it out.
My husband was so excited to see the impressive list of imported beers with much higher alcohol content than our American versions. I enjoyed selecting from the list of imported wines, settling on a beautiful red from Italy.
If you go, which I recommend you do, make sure that you get the homemade pasta filled with a roasted cauliflower puree and the short ribs. Those were my 2 favorites of the evening. I only wish I had left-overs to enjoy today!
All the desserts were delicious but I knew that was going to be the case!!

The Simple Gourmet Kitchen

2009-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

We are back!! So sorry for the lapse in blog entries.
Despite the economic woes of our country, December was quite a busy month for us and we spent most of January getting ready to share our big news…

We just opened: The Simple Gourmet Kitchen, in Redondo Beach!!

Now the home of our catering division and cooking classes, we are happy to say we have a space of our own.
For those of you that know us for a teambuilding – we are still renting kitchens all over Los Angeles for corporate events so not to worry. Our new kitchen is just another venue available for us to use and get creative!
Go to our website to check out our monthly cooking classes.
Hope to cook with you soon.

2008-11-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you for being such faithful blog readers!

We wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

From, Taji, Melanie and the Simple Gourmet Team

The Best Looking Knife for the Job

2008-11-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of http://newwestknifeworks.com

Thanksgiving is around the corner and (hopefully) you're ready. You've got a stack of recipes -- some old favorites and new experiments. You've got your shopping list made and the small items delegated to family guests. But there's one more task that you're dreading: carving the turkey. You're hoping that you can leave it to your Dad, your Husband or Brother. But the truth is that even they don't really know what their doing and usually make a mess of it! Not to worry -- we have a step-by-step tutorial that will help!

We've always been a big believer in carving the bird in the kitchen. It's a messy job that's not really fit for the table. But wherever you decide to break apart your bird on the big day, there are some simple steps to follow that will get you through. (And once you master this, carving a roast chicken for week-night dinners will be forever easy!!). For this instruction, we're doing double-duty by referring you to the New West Knife Works website. They are a small knife company that blends together superior knives with beautiful wood carving. We've given these knives as gifts and think they are the perfect holiday offering for the foodie in your life. I love their Fusionwood line and have the 8-inch Chef's Knife. But the even the smaller styles like the Chopper and Mini Chopper would be a welcome (and beautiful) addition to any knife block.

So check of New West for a carving tutorial AND an inspired gift idea for upcoming season.

posted by Taji :)

One Tasty Hostess Gift

2008-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

, c

It was Sunday morning and I had just a little over an hour to whip up a quick dessert to bring to a friend’s house. I’d gotten a last-minute invite for lunch and was told to bring “something sweet.” My first thought was that I would just buy something at the store on the way. But I’ve been getting that holiday-nostalgia feeling about baking lately and really wanted to throw together something homemade. The question was, what? So I did what I always do when I have a baking block – turn to Dorrie Greenspan. This seasoned baker always has a good idea for these kinds of moments.

As I was thumbing through her Baking cookbook, I was going through my mental Rolodex of what was in my pantry. Did I have chocolate? Was there any molasses in the house? Did I ever refill that empty sugar canister? As I leafed through the “Bundt cake” section of the book, I came across her Brown Sugar Bundt Cake. I just bought a big bag of brown sugar -- this would work!

As I began to assemble ingredients I realized I didn’t have all of the items….so I made some adjustments. I used cranberries instead of apples; crumbled almond paste instead of dried fruit; added some spice to the batter (to fulfill my holiday baking need); and used a spring-form pan instead of a bundt pan (because it would bake faster). In the end, I had a completely new cake -- inspired by Dorrie's recipe, it was my own little virtue out of necessity. Thanks, Dorrie!

The best part was that it turned out amazing! I’ve already made it twice and decided that it’s the perfect cake to bring as a hostess gift through the holiday season. It’s easy to make and results in a not-to-sweet treat that would be good for brunch or dessert. So if you’re headed to a friend’s for Thanksgiving and looking for something other than wine to bring. Try this cake. It will be a great morning-after breakfast with a cup of coffee. Or make mini versions using pretty baking paper and box them up as holiday gifts.

Cranberry-Almond Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (cinnamon would also be good here!)
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, add about 1 tsp fresh lemon juice to regular milk)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 1/2 a bag)
3.5 oz almond paste (about 1/2 a log)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, whip the butter and sugar until sugar is incorporated and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 15 seconds between each egg. Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate. Add a third of the dry mixture into the butter and beat until just mixed. Add half of the buttermilk and beat until just mixed. Repeat with the dry, the buttermilk, and the dry again until everything is added and gently mixed.

Spoon half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cranberries over the top. Crumble the almond paste and sprinkle over the cranberries. Spoon the rest of the batter over the cranberries, being sure to cover all of the cranberries and almond paste.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cook for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

posted by Taji :)

Everything's Better with Gravy

2008-11-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table is the gravy. I usually load up my plate and then pour it all over everything. And I don’t think I’m alone. It’s usually the first thing to go! But here, again, is a part of the meal that can stress out even the most composed host. For some reason, gravy has a reputation as a difficult dish. The truth is, it’s very simple. As it’s most basic, it’s nothing more than a liquid thickened with some butter and flour. Here’s a basic recipe with a list of options to make it your own:

Basic Thanksgiving Gravy
makes 4 cups

4 tbl butter
4 tbl flour
4 cups turkey or chicken stock, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper

Heat a large sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When melted, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes – do not allow the flour to brown. Whisk in the room-temperature stock slowly. Add the thyme. Allow to come up to a boil, whisking often. Cook at a simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Gravy Tip and Tricks

1. For Thanksgiving, we love using some of the turkey drippings from the roasting pan. To do this, remove the cooked turkey from the pan and then strain the contents of the pan into a Fat Separator. This cool device has a spout that pours form the bottom, which means that once it’s had a chance to sit for a few minutes, you’ll be able to pour out the juice and leave the fat behind.

2. Be sure the liquid is at room temperature – this will help ensure no lumps.

3. Use a flat whisk if possible – it helps get to the edges of the pan.

4. If you really love hot gravy, pour the finished product into a coffee thermos. It’s not as pretty on the table, but it ensure a hot plate of food. Or if you're a true hot gravy lover, try the new Deni Gravy Boat and Warmer (pictured above) that blends the form and function.

5. If your gravy is simmering but there are still lumps you can’t whisk out, pour the gravy into a blender and blend smooth. Return to pot and all will be well. (Remember to blend hot liquid in batches to avoid an exploding blender.)

6. If your gravy is simmering but still too thin, try this: In a small bowl mash together 2 tbl soft butter and 2 tbl flour. Once it’s completely mashed together, whisk the mixture into the gravy a little at a time – you may only need some of it to thicken the gravy.

Variations

For the butter –
You can replace the butter in the recipe with some of the fat from the bottom of the turkey roasting pan, bacon rendering or olive oil.

For the liquid –
You can replace the stock with a combination of any kind of wine, brandy, apple cider, pear nectar or heavy cream. These ingredients should only replace about 1/2 cup of the stock. For instance, add 1/4 cup brandy, 3 1/2 cups stock and 1/4 cup cream -- your total liquid should still be 4 cups.

For the thyme –
You can use chopped sage, rosemary or marjoram.

Extras –
If you like a chunky gravy with bits of shallots, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, etc., here’s what to do:
Melt the butter and then add in your “extra ingredient”. Sautee over medium heat until the ingredient is softened. Add the flour and continue with the recipe as written.

Here’s to a stress-free holiday with endless boats of gravy!

Turkey 101

2008-11-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

It’s time to talk turkey. While the turkey is the main star of most Thanksgiving tables, it is also the thing that gives hosts the most stress and panic. We are here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT!! In truth, it’s no harder than roasting a chicken – just takes longer. Here are some basic tips to get you started:

• Get fresh! Frozen birds tend to dry out quicker during cooking. Organic, Free-Range and Kosher turkeys are all great – but the most important thing is that it’s fresh. There are a number of wild, heritage birds available now – they are delicious, but remember they have a stronger “dark” meat flavor. If you're after a special turkey, consider ordering it ahead of time at a local Whole Foods Market.
• If you do get frozen, defrost for 4 days in the refrigerator.
• When buying a turkey, plan of 1 pound per person – this leaves ample leftovers.
• Don’t cook a bird over 18 pounds – it takes too long! If you need more turkey for a larger crowd, buy an additional turkey breast (or two) and a couple turkey legs. These will roast in about 1 – 2 hours and can be done the day before – roast them and let rest and cool; then refrigerate until the next day. Let them come back to room temperature and then carve the breast and place in a pan with a little bit of turkey stock and cover with foil. Reheat at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
• The ONLY way to tell for sure if your turkey is done is to use a meat thermometer – don’t trust the red “pop-up” buttons! Remove your turkey from the oven when the white meat is at 165 degrees and the dark meat is at 175 degrees. Our favorite thermometer is the Remote Wireless Meat Thermometer at Sur La Table. Don’t be scared of this high-tech tool. It’s a must-have for turkeys and other roasts.
• Approximate roasting times for un-stuffed turkeys at 325 degrees:
o 10 – 12 lbs – 3 hours
o 12 – 14 lbs – 3 – 3 ½ hours
o 14 – 18 lbs – 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours
o 18 – 20 lbs – 4 ½ - 4 ¾ hours

Now that you have the basics, here’s a step-by-step guide to the Perfect Roast Turkey – it’s a basic recipe, so don’t be afraid to add other vegetables and seasonings to suit your taste. This method assumes you are using a fresh turkey.

1. Remove the turkey from the packaging and remove the bag of giblets and neck from the cavity. If you’re interested in making your own turkey stock, keep these guys – otherwise, throw them away. Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. (NOTE: remember to wash your sink out with cleanser when you are done with this process – raw poultry juices left on the counter and sink can lead to cross-contamination and sickness!)

2. Cut 1 onion, 4 celery stalk, 1 apple and 1 orange into big wedges. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and then fill with these pieces of vegetables and fruit. These won’t be eaten – they are just there for flavor.

3. Place the turkey into a roasting pan with a rack. If you don’t have a rack, we like the Cuisipro Roasting Rack (it’s non-stick, which means easy to clean!)

4. If you don’t want to buy a rack, here’s another option: Cut an additional onion, apple, orange and some celery stalks. Spread out the chunks on the bottom of the roasting pan and place the turkey on top. This will create extra flavor for the drippings and create just enough air to circulate under the turkey for it to roast properly.

5. Fill the bottom of the pan with 1 1/2 cups liquid – your choice of: apple cider, beer, white wine, chicken stock, water.

6. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 stick softened butter, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning. Mash together using a fork. Use your hands to gently ease away the skin of the turkey on the breasts and fill that area with the butter. The butter will sit between the skin and flesh of the breast and will keep the meat juicy and flavorful.

7. At this point, you can either continue and cook the turkey OR you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Then all you can to do Thanksgiving morning is remove from the oven, let sit on the counter for 1 hour and then continue as directed.

8. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Once hot, place the turkey into the oven, uncovered. If you’re using an oven-safe instant meat thermometer, insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast (don’t allow it to touch bone) and close the oven door, keeping the other end of the thermometer on the counter outside the oven.

9. Roast for about 45 minutes or until the turkey is golden brown. Avoid opening up the oven – just use the oven light.

10. Once golden, cover the turkey loosely with foil, reduce oven to 400 degrees and continue to cook until the thermometer reads 165 degrees.

posted by Taji :)

Thanksgiving Do-Ahead Tips

2008-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us – the one meal of the year that sends even those most seasoned cooks into a frenzy. Fear not, Simple Gourmet is here to help! From now to Thanksgiving, we’ll post a number of blogs to help you organize yourself, cook the tastiest food and (hopefully) be thankful for a relaxed and joyful holiday.

Today is all about Do-Ahead Tips. If you do nothing else, print out these tips and use them as a guide. The single best way to ensure a stress-free Thanksgiving day is to get as much done the day(s) before. Here are our favorite tips on getting ahead of the game:

1. Up to a week before, write a menu and a list of things you can do-ahead and post it on the fridge. This will help keep you on track (and nothing feels as satisfying as checking things off a list!)

2. Set your table 1-2 days before and lay out all of the serving trays and utensils you’ll need. Use Post-It notes to designate each tray for a particular dish.

3. Cranberry Sauce is one of the best make-ahead dishes – it actually gets better over time! Whether you’re making a raw or cooked sauce, make it 2 days before and refrigerate until 30 minutes before dinner. You can even refrigerate it in a nice serving bowl – one more thing done!

4. Stuffing/Dressing is another great thing to get done the day before. If you plan on stuffing your turkey, even better to get the stuffing all made the day before – it needs to be cold when it goes into the turkey anyway! And if you’re making a dressing that will be baked on the side, assemble the dressing and fill a nice oven-to-table casserole dish. Then you’ll just have to bake for about 45 minutes on the big day!

5. Vegetables and Salads are some of my favorite parts of the meal. However, they sometimes play second-fiddle simply because you’re so busy in that last hour before dinner. The first solution is to prep out everything you need for the veggie dishes the day before (i.e., trim the green beans, peel and cut the carrots, slice the shallots and garlic). Secondly, consider making a salad instead of a hot vegetable. Then you can chop and prepare all of the salad elements the day before and refrigerate. Make the dressing the day before, too, and all you’ll need to do is toss together at dinner-time.

6. Appetizers and Desserts are my favorite things to delegate to guests for Thanksgiving. Ask friends and family to bring their favorite dips, snacks, pies and cakes. Then you can just focus on the Main Event.

7. The turkey can also be prepared and ready for the oven the day before. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog on Turkey Basics.

posted by Taji :)

Olive Oil: The (healthy) heartbeat of the Mediterranean

2008-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

No conference on Mediterreanean cooking would be complete without a workshop on olive oil. So on our last day, we went to an olive oil tasting. What a treat to be in a classroom at one of the best culinary schools, tasting oils from around the world! We each had a tray of 8 oils that the panel had selected as some of their favorites, along with a tray of foods to taste with the oils. The workshop was approached like a wine tasting – after each oil was tasted, we discussed the flavor nuances and characteristics. Some oils tasted like almonds, some like tomato leaf, some like green olives and some like ripe olives. Some were more peppery and some more grassy in flavor.

The best “Aha” moment we had was in tasting a fresh oil (2 weeks old) and an old oil (from last year). Wow!!! The fresh oil was so green and peppery, we all started to cough! The older one was still tasty, but very mild.

The key thing to remember is this: The enemies to olive oil are age, heat, light and air. So here are some tips to selecting the best olive oil and keeping it fresh.

Olive oil has a harvest every year in the early Fall. So your best chance to buy fresh oils is in October – December. Check out the label to see when the oil was produced and buy the freshest possible.
Look on the labels and try to find oils that are “single estate” – this means the olives used all came from the same estate and the taste is more consistent.
Keep your oil in a dark bottle or can (most are sold this way now), away from the heat (NOT above or below your stove). Avoid any environment that is hot.
Smell your oil before you use it – it should smell green and complex (like wine). If it smells bitter, it is probably rancid.

We are always getting questions about the best olive oil to buy. The truth is, it’s kind of like wine – there are good cheap bottles and good expensive bottles. And it mostly has to do with personal taste. Remember that you need a large bottle of inexpensive oil for cooking (once olive oil is heated for cooking, it looses a lot of it’s flavor characteristics), and a nicer, more expensive bottle for finishing dishes (drizzling on cooked vegetables, salad, pastas, etc.). We Trader Joe’s California Extra Virgin Olive Oil (in the black bottle) is a good all-purpose oil. A nice high-end olive oil is another Californian oil that we tried at the tasting: McEvoy Olio Nuovo 2008. It has an amazing almondy, buttery taste and it should be available now in gourmet markets and stores. Stores like Sur La Table, Surfas or William Sonoma let you taste the oils, and pick one you like. Happy Tasting!!

Posted by Taji :)

Eating the Mediterranean Way

2008-11-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of emphasis at the World of Flavors Conference on eating the healthy Mediterranean way. What makes this eating so healthy?? In part, it’s the focus on “good fats” – primarily in the form of olive oil, slathered in copious amounts on everything!! And in part, it’s the great balance of proteins they enjoy – they do not focus so much on red meat and, instead, have a lot of seafood in their meals. But perhaps the best part of the “diet” is the emphasis on grains and legumes (beans, etc.). After spending a few days eating this way, its really clear to us that this is the piece that is missing from the America diet. We eat bread, pasta and potatoes as our carbs instead of whole grains and legumes. There’s nothing wrong with our carbs, but we tend to over-eat them and they just do not pack the nutritional punch that whole grains do. There are so many grains that are high in protein, fiber and vitamins that we are missing out on.

In one of the workshops, we learned more about these kinds of grains. Some of them, like quinoa, is slowly making it’s way into American food. But did you know there is white, red AND black quinoa? Each color offers a different texture, and the darker ones are really beautiful! This little grain is truly a “superfood” – it’s a perfect balance of 8 essential amino acids and is high in protein. You could live on this stuff!!

From top left to right: white quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa, kamut, amaranth, Israeli or pearl couscous

Of the other grain power-houses we were introduced to, Kamut was also really tasty. It has the texture of farro or wheat berries and a pleasant, nutty taste. The instructor made a pilaf with caramelized onions, butternut squash and cranberry chutney. Yum! What a great idea for any whole grain (brown rice, wheat berries, farrot, wild rice, etc…..)

The thing to remember about these grains is to cook them like pasta, NOT rice. Get a large pot of water boiling and stir in the grain. Cook until tender (for quinoa, it’s about 15 minutes, for farro or kamut, it’s about 30 minutes) and then drain. At this point, you can sauté them for a pilaf or make them into a cold salad. This way, you avoid having to get the water-to-grain ration perfect and you can control the tenderness of the grain.

Our favorite dish was an easy one to re-create at home – it’s an amazing blend of bulghur (cracked wheat) and lentils. This ancient combination is a perfect protein, full of vitamins and fiber. Here’s our version of this easy recipe. Remember you can try with this any grain, so pick up something unusual next time you’re at the store.

Sauted Bulghur and Lentils

Serves 4

Olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 cup cooked bulghur (cook in boiling water until tender; drain and rinse)

1 cup cooked lentils (buy pre-cooked at Trader Joes OR cook in boiling water until tender, drain and rinse)

salt and pepper

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the onions and cook until golden – about 10 minutes – stirring often.

Add the tomato paste and chili flakes.

Cook for about a minute.

Add the bulghur and lentils to the pan, along with a bit more olive oil.

Stir until everything is coated and warm – add more olive oil as needed to adjust the consistency.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve warm.

Posted by Taji :)

Bread: It's good for you!

2008-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

At the recent World of Foods Conference at the Culinary Institute of America, we were lucky enough to attend workshops from Mediterranean experts from around the world. One of our favorites was the bread workshop with Mark Furstenberg, one of the premier bread bakers in America and an expert on bread as a traditional food around the world.

For the workshop, we were led outside to the CIA’s wood-burning hearth oven. We were huddled around this huge brick oven with a cornucopia of breads laid out before us – beautiful! But this was not a “bread baking” course – it was a workshop on the many ways that bread is used in the Mediterranean. Mark was particularly interested in how bread is an intricate part of the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. Perhaps bread is not such an evil carb after all!

We tasted tasting hunks of bread slathered in olive oil imported from Puglia, a bread “pie” filled with caramelized onions and olives and perhaps the best focaccia we’ve ever had – all baked right there in the hearth. It was amazing to see the diverse ways the bread was used. First, as fresh slices on the dinner table. Then, as hard bread that is torn into hunks and tossed with fresh, juicy tomatoes to re-hydrate and create a salad. And even as part of a chickpea casserole where breadcrumbs were used as a thickener.

So remember to get whole grain breads at the store, market or bakery. And the next time you end up with half a loaf that is too old to make a decent sandwich, cut the loaf into chunks and pulse it in the food processor to make breadcrumbs. Keep them in the freezer and you’ll find all kids of uses: coating for chicken breasts, thickener for soups, topping for gratins. As Mark said, “Bread never dies. It always has another use.”

Worlds of Flavor!

2008-11-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

Melanie and I are currently writing to you from the Culinary Institute of America campus in St Helena! We are at the Worlds of Flavor conference which so far, has been like watching the food network live, all day long!

Although we are in Napa County, we might as well be in Spain! The theme of the conference is Mediterranean foods, and we are completely immersed in foods from Spain, Israel, Morocco.....the list goes on and on!

Today's lunch was all about Greece. We began with a plate of small "mezze" dishes like warm spinach and orange salad, stewed fava beans and eggplant pastries. Then we walked out in the front of the school and were met by an outdoor Greek barbeque -- lamb roasting on a spit, huge grilled prawns and octopus legs. Yum!
This conference has brought together the best culinary talent from around the world -- chefs, cookbook authors and culinary innovators. As you know, we love Mediterranean food! And I'm particularly thrilled to be part of this
conversation about the diversity of this food. It's not just about Italian pasta dishes! It's about Turkish bean dishes, Greek seafood, Moroccan pasta, Sicilian pastries....there is just such a wealth of flavor, ingredients and techniques in this cooking. And we are excited to bring home new ideas for our menus......how does olive oil poached prawns sound? And how about crispy chickpeas. Yum!

Stay tuned for more recipes, inspirations and stories from our culinary travels!

Posted by Taji :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2008-10-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

So to continue on with our pumpkin theme, we are posting a super tasty Simple Gourmet Holiday Pumpkin Spice Cupcake recipe with light frosting. These are a great idea for any time of day and as people are constantly dropping by over the holiday season, it's a good idea to have some of these on-hand for an impromptu afternoon tea!

Photo source: www.wholefoodsmarket.com

And if you are feeling inspired for Halloween, you can decorate them with your favorite Halloween jimmies... spooky!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

12 large cupcakes

Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups solid-packed pumpkin

3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3 large eggs

for the frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tbl butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

PreparationFor the cakePut oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake papers.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into the cupcake papers. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake.For the frostingCombine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip together. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.

To serve, let the cupcakes cool completely before topping with the frosting.

Posted by Sophie :)

Oktoberfest Event

2008-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

October 18 will never be the same for some of our Simple Gourmet staff. For our first ever Oktoberfest party, we dressed up in themed costume! It was the client's request, of course...

The event was complete with Beer Braised Brats (see our recipe in a previous post), giant pretzels and an oom-pa-pa band that kept everyone dancing well into the night!

meandgoji.com

2008-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ever been annoyed in the cereal aisle? No-one stocks the cereal combination that pleases your taste-buds? Thanks to the Thrillist, we've been introduced to meandgoji.com, a website where you can customize your breakfast!

You can create (and name) your very own cereal mix from their 30+ ingredients, Your order is then hand mixed in New England, and sent to you in a special cereal capsule! It almost sounds extra-terrestrial...

All jokes aside, I was so intrigued, I did it (I love gimmicks). I have, in fact, made my own cereal, aptly named "Sophie's Choice", and I just received an email notification telling me that the capsule is on its way! Think flakes of oat bran, berries of different varieties and coconut, masterfully finished (by me when it arrives) with some light chocolate soy milk. I'm sensing a Breakfast Revolution!

Posted by Sophie :)

Pumpkin carving

2008-10-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's pumpkin time! Welcome to the season where Americans celebrate pumpkins by eating, decorating and carving these enormous vegetables! But before we talk 'recipes', let's talk about carving...

Ever nearly cut off your finger with a sharp knife when trying to perfect that ghoulish face for your Halloween lantern? Well, we have the perfect solution. Make carving your pumpkin easier with this battery operated pumpkin carver tool, made especially for this purpose!

The best price we found was at the McClendon Complete Hardware store online for the bargain price of $7.95. And it comes complete with batteries.

If you want some fun facts about pumpkin carving, choosing the right pumpkin and how to carve using stencils, check out Pumpkin Carving 101!

Posted by Sophie :)