When you live in the Southwest it’s hard not to love Mexican food. Not the drive-through stuff; I’m talking about homemade. My favorite dish is chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce. It’s what I used to order at Mexican restaurants until I created my own healthy and tasty recipe. Now I always make them at home.

A nice thing about this recipe is that you can roast the chicken and prepare the sauce a day or two ahead, then assemble your enchiladas and bake when you are ready for dinner.

For the chicken, roast, cool then shred the meat. For the sauce I use fresh diced tomatillos, diced onions and spices simmered for 20-30 minutes.  A staple in Mexican cuisine, fresh tomatillos look like green tomatoes covered with a papery husk and have a tart flavor. Buy bright green firm fruit. Remove the husks and rinse off the light sticky film.

When assembling my enchiladas I add sweet corn kernels for more texture and flavor. Frozen corn works just fine, and I use roasted corn when I can find it.

While corn tortillas are traditional for enchiladas, I’ve experimented with different types. Most recently I discovered a fantastic uncooked corn tortilla that you cook for just 60 seconds in a hot pan. They are fresh tasting with wonderful flavor and a light, handmade texture.

Made by Tortilla Land, these corn tortillas are a new product being sold in select Costco stores. I hope they will be expanding distribution soon because it’s a terrific product everyone would love. I was fortunate to get my hands on a bag for a cooking segment I did for the TV show San Diego Living. I still have one precious package in my refrigerator. If you’d like to see the TV cooking segment, click here.

If you can’t get Tortilla Land uncooked corn tortillas, try another brand. I’ve used some that are a blend of corn and wheat.  I’ve even used whole wheat, low carb, high fiber tortillas for my carb-conscious clients with great success.

Next time you feel like good Mexican food, look no further than your own kitchen!

Roast Chicken and Corn Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

This is a client and family favorite recipe. You can do it in steps by roasting the chicken breast and shredding the meat a day ahead. Make the sauce a day ahead as well. Before dinner, just assemble and bake. Alternatively, purchase a store rotisserie chicken, remove skin, and shred the meat.

Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

Yield: 10 enchiladas, about 5-6 servings

4-5 cups tomatillo sauce (recipe below)

2 3/4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup corn frozen kernels, thawed (roasted if you can get them)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish if desired

1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish if desired

10 corn tortillas (preferably Tortilla Land tortillas)

16 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend (low fat or regular)

Light sour cream for garnish

1) Roast the chicken. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until chicken reaches 160-165 degrees, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.  If you are going to complete the enchiladas now, turn oven down to 350 degrees. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and discard. Shred meat by hand. You should have about 3 1/2 cups. Save any extra for chicken salad or soft tacos.

2) Make the filling. In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, corn, cilantro, green onions and about ½ cup of the tomatillo. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3) Ready a large glass or ceramic baking dish by placing a just enough sauce over the bottom to lightly coat. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium high and cook tortillas according to package directions. Remove to a plate as they are cooked.

4) Assemble the enchiladas. Place one cooked tortilla on a plate. Top with 1 tablespoon of tomatillo sauce, then about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture on top, then sprinkle with cheese. Roll enchilada and place in the prepared baking dish seam side down. Complete with the rest of the tortillas. Top the enchiladas with sauce (you may not need it all) and sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate or freeze extra sauce after dinner.

5) Bake enchiladas covered with foil for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot throughout.  Take the foil off the last few minutes. To serve, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro if desired.

Tomatillo Sauce

Yield – about 6 cups

3 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed, diced medium

1 1/2 cups diced onion

1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced fine

3 garlic cloves, minced fine

1 1/4 cups water

1-2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1)    Combine tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic, water, oregano and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring almost to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover with a lid and cook until tomatillos are broken down and saucy, about 20-30 minutes.

2)   Sauce can be used chunky or briefly pureed in a blender to make it a little smoother. If blending hot liquids, take precaution. Fill blender only half full, place lid on top and a towel on top of the lid. Blend on low speed for a few seconds. Do in two batches for safety.

3)   Use tomatillo sauce immediately or refrigerate after cool for a few days.

The first time I remember eating steamed clams was at Gladstone’s on the beach in Malibu. The sun was sparkling off the blue pacific and the air was briny and clean. A galvanized pail arrived like I’d used as a kid to make sand castles on the beach. It was filled with fresh steamed clams and nothing more. With my face over the pail, I breathed in the heavenly aroma. It smelled like the ocean. I’ve been a fan of steamed clams ever since.

Recently I picked up a netted bag of beautiful little manila clams at the Santa Monica Famers Market. They were from Carlsbad Aquafarm in Carlsbad, CA. With a craving for linguine with clams I couldn’t wait to cook them for dinner.

Clams should have a fresh, clean ocean scent when you buy them, not a strong or fishy smell. The shells should be clean, unbroken and tightly closed or close when tapped (as they are alive). I purchase one pound per person.

In addition to tasting wonderful, cooking clams is fast and easy. You can have dinner on the table in just minutes with a few basic ingredients you probably have in your pantry. They are steamed in white wine with a little oil and herbs. As soon as they pop open they are ready to enjoy.

I poured our clams over a bowl of hand made spinach linguine and added garlic toast to soak up the flavorful juices. A fast and simple dinner so good, we had it again a few days later.

I often wing a recipe like this, but If you’ve never made it, a good recipe is on the Fine Cooking website. To start, it has a little extra step of making a tasty lemon-garlic oil.

The recipe calls for 2 pounds of clams for four people. I figure at least one pound of clams per person if I’m making this as an entree. My little bag of clams was almost two and a half pounds and we ate them all! For cooking, I use a stainless steel fry pan with a glass lid I can see through to watch the clams pop, and pop they do. I’m ready for more linguine with clams.

Linguine with Clams & Lemon-Garlic Oil

From Fine Cooking October, 2003 by Tony Rosenfeld (with my notes)

Servings: 4  (for me it was 2)

Ingredients

1 lemon
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I did not use it all. Refrigerate any extra)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 lb. dried linguine (plan on 2 ounces of dried pasta per person, I weigh mine for accuracy and portion control)
1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes (I used just a sprinkle)
2 lb. small clams, rinsed and scrubbed to remove grit (he likes littlenecks; I like manilas)
1/3 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; more for garnish (and try other fresh herbs too)

Directions

1) Put a large pot of salted water on to boil (for your pasta).

2) Peel five 1-inch-wide strips of zest from the lemon with a peeler. Cut the lemon in half for juicing later. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon strips and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the garlic starts to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat and use a fork to pick out and discard the lemon strips. Transfer a little more than 1/4 cup of the oil (without the garlic) to a small bowl.

3) Put the pasta in the water and set your timer. Raise the heat under the skillet to high and add the chile flakes and the clams. Cook the clams for 1 minute, shaking the pan. Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the clam shells open, 3 to 5 minutes.

Finish cooking the linguine until it’s just tender, about 10 minutes total. Drain and add to the clams. Raise the heat to high and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing gently. Stir in the 1/2 cup parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 Tbs.). Add more salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste. Serve immediatly, topped with a drizzle of the reserved lemon-garlic oil and more parsley.

In spite of the early hour and two hour drive, I was headed to the famous Santa Monica Farmers Market for an insiders shopping lesson. Friend Kristine Kidd, former food editor of Bon Appétit Magazine for twenty years, offered to show me the market from her experienced eyes.

A veteran farmers market shopper, Kristine has been shopping Santa Monica for many years.Who better to learn about the best stands from than Kristine. Between writing her sixth cookbook, working with Williams-Sonoma, launching her own food blog plus a busy speaking schedule, I was delighted at the opportunity.

Everywhere you turn the market is a feast for the senses. It’s easy to be mesmerized by the heady smell of fresh flowers, vibrantly colored vegetables, fruit and berries, bakery items and more. The array of what is available is amazing.  I was the proverbial kid in the candy store. If you love to cook, it’s grocery shopping heaven. You want to take everything home! And I almost did.

With an ice chest in the car for safely hauling my treasure home, we worked our way up and down the crowded aisles pausing here and there to smell, chat, ask questions of the farmers and pay for our purchases.

With a fresh free-range chicken and a bouquet of fragrant roses from Lily’s, stone fruit from Fair Hills Farms, a bottle of unfiltered California Manzanilla olive oil from Adam’s Ranch, freshly dug multi-colored pee wee potatoes and sweet onions from Weiser Farms, and garlic and shallots from Shaner Farms, my huge straw basket grew heavy quickly. I off loaded to the car and happily shopped on, listening to Kristine’s expert advice.

To my growing stash I added a heavy loaf of hazelnut bread from Röckenwagner Bakery, a bag of tiny, icy cold sunburst manila clams from Carlsbad Aquafarm, intensely sweet organic Gaviota strawberries from Harry’s Berries, boxes of red and golden raspberries and blackberries, a huge, smooth skinned Reed avocado, fresh purple curly leaf basil and Berggarten sage plants from Hay Ground, and an artichoke the size of softball on steroids.

Experienced shoppers, including Kristine, maneuver Hook and Go folding carts to hang their bags on making shopping a lot easier. I’ve got to get one of these. We ended our shopping trip with a late breakfast at Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe and a plate of their green eggs and ham on thick but tender homemade English muffins. What a fantastic morning!

Whether searching for farm fresh, seasonal basics or exotics that you can’t find in a standard grocer, the Santa Monica Farmers Market is truly a treasure trove of agricultural diversity. No matter where you live, shop your farmers market. As for those beautiful clams? Next post – what I did with them for dinner.

Farmers markets tips:

- Take plenty of cash

- Take a cooler with ice packs for warm weather shopping

- Consider a Hook and Go cart for easier shopping

- Think outside the store; try new things and be inquisitive

- Talk with the farmers, get to know them and learn about what they offer

- Go early before the best products are gone

- If parking is difficult, plan ahead. For Santa Monica we found a parking garage at 3rd and Arizona with a reasonable rate.

Strolling happily into my favorite grocery store, I was drawn as if magnetically to a display of beautiful nectarines. I instinctively picked one up, held it to my nose and took a deep breath. The smell was ripe and richly sweet, reminiscent of its cousin the peach. Like big baseballs of burgundy, red and gold, their skin was smooth and soft. Who could resist. I had to bring a few pounds home.

Besides eating one out of hand, I love to make nectarine chutney. For me, it’s one of the pleasures of summer cooking. Nectarine chutney is a quick and delicious accompaniment to sautéed or grilled chicken and grilled or roast pork tenderloin.  Spread a thick layer on a turkey sandwich for a fantastic twist. Plop some on a plate next to skewers of sizzling grilled shrimp.

So what is chutney? According to The New Food Lovers Companion (a must have reference book for any food lover), chutney is a spicy condiment that contains fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices with textures ranging from smooth to chunky and from mild to hot in terms of spice.

The recipe I use is from the July 2001 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It calls for apple cider vinegar, which works fine and is always in the pantry.  If you want to try something different, and I think better, try Sun-Dried Apricot Vinegar from Cuisine Perel. It’s usually available from Gourmet Country and other online gourmet suppliers. Treat yourself to a bottle. While you are at it, you may want to try the blood orange or spicy pecan flavored vinegars. Both have wonderful flavors. After you’ve made your chutney, make sun-dried apricot vinaigrette for a tossed green salad with nectarine slices.

As many chutney recipes do, this recipe uses curry powder. Like chili powder, curry powder is a blend of spices. These aromatic blends range from mild and sweet to pungent and hot. I like sweet curry powder from Penzeys which has little heat.  It’s a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Penzeys offers eight others blends for you to choose from so check out their website. If you are unsure of cooking with curry powder in terms of flavor, the sweet curry powder is a good one to start with.

For a simple vinaigrette, whisk together three parts oil to one part vinegar.  Layer nectarine slices on a plate and top with cool, crisp Arugula or Mache leaves, then drizzle with your vinaigrette. Add glazed pecans and blue cheese crumbles. The richness of the blue cheese and pecans is wonderful against the sweetness of the fresh nectarines. The flavors work beautifully together and the colors are a treat for the eye.

At the end of last summer I promised myself I’d make some of this wonderful chutney and can a few jars to enjoy during the winter and give as Christmas gifts. A new 10-quart pressure canner is waiting in my cupboard. I’d better get busy before they are gone, leaving me longing for next summer’s crop.

Nectarine Chutney (original recipe Gourmet Magazine, July 2001)

Yield: 4-6 side servings

This is my version of the Gourmet Magazine recipe which was accompanied by chicken breasts. The original is a bit more chunky. I love to use sun-dried apricot vinegar versus the apple cider vinegar, but either will work. You can also try spicy pecan vinegar or the blood orange. Here is the link to the original recipe if you are interested.

Ingredients

1 lb ripe, firm nectarines, skinned, flesh cut from the pit and diced small

2 Roma tomatoes, quartered, gutted and diced small

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced fine

1/4 cup sun-dried apricot vinegar, cider vinegar, blood orange or spicy pecan vinegar

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Penzeys Sweet Curry Powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Finely chopped cilantro, flat leaf parsley or chives for garnish (optional)

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan simmer nectarines, tomato, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, curry powder, and salt, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still saucy, about 20 minutes. Serve warm, room temperature or cooled. What you don’t use will keep for a few days refrigerated.

Sun-Dried Apricot Vinaigrette

Yield: ½ cup

For a clean, bright tasting vinaigrette all you need is good quality, fruity olive oil and the sun-dried apricot vinegar plus salt and pepper. Simple! Sometimes I add a little finely minced shallot, but the apricot is more pronounced without the shallot. Try it both ways. On oil, you can also use grapeseed oil. It has a light, neutral flavor, which really allows flavored vinegars to shine through.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons good quality olive oil

2 tablespoons sun-dried apricot vinegar (or blood orange, spicy pecan or apple cider vinegar)

Salt and pepper, to taste.

1 teaspoon finely minced shallot, optional

In a small bowl whisk all together until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Always seeming to be on the run, the first half of the year went by in a blink. With trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico and Washington DC, then the Chef Challenge I didn’t have time to write about one of the most fun things we did in the first half of the year – the Food Styling and Photography Workshop.

Offered by Food Fanatics, the dynamic duo of Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan taught the food styling side of the workshop. Denise and Cindie, both professionally trained chefs and incredibly experienced food stylists, are also authors of several books. The talented and tattooed twosome of Matt Armendariz and Adam Pearson, professional photographer and blogger and professional food stylist, taught the food photography side of the workshop with more insight on food styling.  Getting the opportunity to learn from such top-notch professionals was fantastic! Gathered were a great group of fellow food bloggers and photographers eager to learn.  We had a fun and information packed two days.

The workshop took place at Matt and Adam’s studio in Long Beach, California. It’s a loft space with a kitchen to prepare food, lots of space for tables to set up and a place for Adam’s incredible collection of props, dishes, antique bread boards, fabrics, and more.  Yes, it’s prop heaven for food photography.

Day One – Making Food Camera Ready

Our first day focused on food styling tips and making food ready for the camera. We learned that food styling is about control. Denise and Cindie taught about color and movement in food that is going to be photographed. What your eye sees is not what the camera sees. I’ve learned this working with Kent shooting food for my blog. It’s amazing how looking through the lens changes everything.

Because your eye moves but a camera lens is still you have to create the movement. It’s hard to make food look good for the camera.  For each beautiful, enticing, mouth-watering food picture you see in glossy magazine you can bet a hundred, possibly hundreds, of photos were taken to get that one perfect shot.

Professional chefs are trained to get food to the table, to a waiting client, while its hot.  The reverse is true for most food photography: cold food works better. It’s different with food styling and that has been been a tough mindset to change…but I’ve now learned this. And after shooting food for several hours you are not going to eat it. After being poked, moved, “painted”, sprayed and messed with, most of the time it won’t be appetizing and it won’t be safe to eat. You just have to get over it. Food stylists are paid to make food look beautiful, not edible.

As I am an avid note-taker (my mother swears I was born with a note pad and pencil in hand) I have great notes from the workshop.   A few tips from the teachers:

• Pick good subjects for the camera in terms of shape and color
• Food must be identifiable to the camera
• Consider contrast, elevation and texture
• Think about your garnishes
• Keep props simple, remembering that utensils create movement
• Every picture tells a story, so decide on the story you are trying to tell
• Please yourself and develop your own style
• Shoot “tethered”, which means with a cable attached between your camera and a computer monitor so you can see the results of shooting instantly. We do this and it saves us a lot of time.
• Use a tripod

Cindie shared the professional food stylists tricks for making pancakes, salmon and hamburgers look beautiful to the camera and how to make bowls of pasta look perfect. Amazing!

A big part of food styling is about having the right tools. Cindie and Denise definitely had their bags of tricks, an amazing collection from years of experience. In their bags were all manner of spray and squeeze bottles, paint brushes, Scotchguard, measuring cups, Pam spray, cosmetic sponges, heat guns, Karo syrup and Kitchen Bouquet, Crisco, rubbing alcohol, poly grip, Windex, paper towels, plates, plastic cups and spoons – even a charcoal starter to enhance those fancy grill marks we all love.

I’m still building my own bag of tools, a Husky tool tote from Home Depot.  I was lucky enough to snag a fancy set of tweezers from Denise to help me along the path of food styling enlightenment.  Thanks Denise!

Day Two – Every Picture Tells a Story, Don’t it?

Day two of the workshop was about putting teaching into action. The fantastic teaching team of Matt, Adam, Cindie and Denise were ready to guide us through a day of food styling, shooting and implementing what we had learned day one.

Professional photographer and author of highly the acclaimed food, photography and travel blog, MattBites.com, Matt Armendariz kicked off day two teaching us about food photography.  Matt then worked with each of us hands on through the day helping to make our food photographs professional quality.

One of the neat things about the studio is that it had a rollup metal garage door. When up, it acts like a giant window and floods the studio with natural light, perfect for “available light” food photography.  A gauzy panel stretched on a wood frame the size of the door acted as a giant diffuser. It was a great setup and made us want to build a studio!

The Apple of My Eye

At the end of day one we were challenged to come up with a dish we wanted to shoot as our project.  With salmon just coming into season, I chose my pistachio crusted salmon recipe. Everyone arrived early armed with groceries to prepare then shoot their chosen project.

Some students did their own food photography. Several of us had our partners in crime (photographer husbands) in tow. Luckily, Kent was with me. Although I have a good eye, I’ll stick with preparing the food and styling and let Kent do the shooting.

Our worktables were large boards covered with heavy felt on sawhorses.  An ironing board and steamer were ready to press linens as we set our scenes. Food was prepared in the studio kitchen and we had the privilege of choosing from Adam’s huge prop collection.

Matt explained what makes for a great food photograph and what we had to consider: light direction, light quality, how to diffuse, how to change the light. Light, light, light. It’s ALL about the light. The right light makes all of the difference in the world between an average photo and a breathtaking one. Matt also discussed the importance of the food subject, choosing the best lens, camera angle, and more.

Most students had digital SLR cameras from Canon and Nikon. One student came armed with a point and shoot and got beautiful photos, proving you can get great photos with any kind of camera. It’s not necessarily the camera: it’s what you do with it. That’s part of what we were learning.

Part of the fun and education of the second day was watching as every student’s project came to life. The food was plated on specially chosen plates or boards to compliment the story being told. Linens and utensil were selected. Plates were set down, viewed from behind the lens, and the tweaking started.

As each project was a work in progress, we gathered to listen to Matt, Adam, Cindie and Denise coach us through the small changes that would eventually result in a professional looking food photograph. It was exciting and educational to watch each student’s project from beginning to end and the beautiful photographic result.

In regards to the salmon recipe, I adapted it from two other recipes and made my own version. As my husband’s family grows 10 acres of pistachios in central California, I wanted to create a recipe with those beautiful green and tasty nuts. What’s not to love about pistachios! This recipe is easy and has great flavor and texture. While salmon is in season, take advantage of it and try this recipe.

We were really pleased with how our project came out and learned a lot of valuable information. If you’ve thought about taking a food styling and photography hands-on class, this was a fantastic experience. I definitely plan to continue my food styling education. So Denise, where is that next workshop? Maybe I should camp out on Matt and Adams’ doorstep and beg to apprentice.

And this post would not be complete without a mention of the soon-to-be-released book by Denise entitled The Food Stylists Handbook. You can pre-order it on Amazon. I’ve already order my copy. Can’t wait to receive it!

Pistachio-Crusted Roast Salmon

This recipe was adapted from two others: the first a Bon Appetit recipe for halibut in October 2007 and the other from another USPCA Personal Chef, Judi Eidam.  The crunchy pistachio and herb crust works well with the richness of salmon. Out of the oven, finish your salmon with a drizzle of good olive oil or pistachio oil. A note on roasting time for the salmon. My salmon filets were 1 1/4″ thick. I did them for 12 minutes in a convection oven at 375 degrees and they were perfect. For slightly rare salmon roast 11 minutes. The more you do this, the more you will develop your feel for roasting salmon and how you prefer to enjoy it. Don’t be afraid! It will be great!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ½ – 2 pounds salmon, preferably fresh wild, skinned

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted and finely chopped (if you use salted pistachios you may need less salt when seasoning your salmon)

1/4 cup Japanese Panko crumbs or unseasoned breadcrumbs, toasted

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or pistachio oil to drizzle at end

Directions

1)   Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees (375 convection)

2)   Carefully turn the salmon skinned side up and with a very sharp, thin knife (like a filet knife) trim out any dark purple areas. This is the salmon’s blood line and it can be strong tasting.  If you don’t mind that, you can skip the trimming.  Portion the filet into four pieces. Place filets on a foil covered rimmed baking sheet.

3)   In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard, butter and honey into a smooth paste. Set aside.

4)   In a small bowl, mix the pistachios, crumbs, parsley and chives.

5)   Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper to taste. Spread a little of the butter mixture on top of the filets. Coat the top of the filets with some of the nut-crumb-herb mix patting lightly. If you have extra of the herb crust mix it keeps for a few days refrigerated.

6)   Place the salmon in the oven and roast for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets.

7)   Serve with lemon wedges

If you’ve been following my posts on the Sears Chef Challenge, it’s now time to vote! Click this link and then click on the big orange button. Voting started June 26 and ends on July 10, which is next Saturday. The voting has been fiercely competitive and I need your votes each day to win and bless the two charitable organizations I am competing for – The Saddleback Church Food Pantry and The Sheepfold.

This is an amazing opportunity to bring essential funds and resources to The Saddleback Church Food Pantry and The Sheepfold Women’s Shelter. The food pantry supports more than 450 families per month and the number is rising in these difficult economic times. The Sheepfold has been helping abused women and their children to turn their lives around for more than thirty years.  Both are incredible organizations worthy of everyones support.

Casting your vote for me is easy. Just log on to searschefchallenge.com. Please vote once a day now through July 10^th. There is big competition for this challenge, so remember to come back daily to cast your votes and help me raise big donations for charity. Every vote counts, so tell your friends, family and post it on your FaceBook and Twitter accounts!

Competing in the Sears Chef Challenge has been a great experience. Doing all four in-store cooking demonstrations was a blast! I was recently featured in an article in the Orange County Register newspaper talking about the challenge, my background and business. Click here to read the article. I was also interviewed on Restaurant Radio by Dane Neal and Tom Reboletti. What great guys! They were so much fun to talk with. The show is syndicated across America. Here is the link to listen. It takes just a few minutes.  Click here to listen to the interview: Restaurant Radio Interview. If you have not seen my cooking video segment with my recipe for  Grilled Jalapeno-Mint Shrimp with Hominy Succotash click here. If the link takes you to the general Sears Chef Challenge site and not right to my video, you can click at the right where it says June 5th demo. The recipe is in a previous post.

Please vote each day, once a day, from how ever many emails you have, such as business and personal. Any single emails that look as if they have been entered more than once a day will be removed via validation at the end of the voting period. The four city winners will be announced Monday July 12. Then the winners move on to Chicago for a head-to-head cooking competition. At stake is up to $20,000 in cash donations as well as a full suite of brand new Kenmore kitchen appliances and a $20,000 kitchen makeover.

Thanks for your support everyone! I’m working on posts for pistachio crusted salmon and several people have written and asked for my meatloaf recipe.  Will do!

Hard to believe that today was the last and final event in the Sears Chef Challenge!  It’s been great fun and an incredible experience.  Best of all, I’m competing for two wonderful charitable causes – the  Saddleback Church Food Pantry and The Sheepfold. Individual videos of each chef are being created from event 3 for voting, which begins on June 26 through July 10. Please, vote for me daily and help me win for these two giving and caring organizations!

Today we were at the Sears in Buena Park, CA. It’s so close to Knott’s Berry Farm that you can see the roller coasters.  My roots go back to Buena Park as my family lived there until I was five. My dad’s first church was the little white Church of the Reflection in Knott’s, long before it was an amusement park. Walter Knott himself agreed to allow my dad to hold services there if he would also hold a service for employees on Sunday before the park opened.  My history with Knott’s is still to this day why I am completely crazy about boysenberries! But today we are talking about salmon.  In season right now, what could be better (not to mention good for you) than fresh, wild salmon.

Our recipe today came courtesy of Chef Rachelle Boucher of Drawn to the Kitchen With Chef Rachelle. Have fun reading her terrific blog. She’s always up to something special! Chef Rachelle created a simple and colorful Asian-inspired salmon entrée and side dish of gingered Chinese long beans.

When I tested the recipe earlier this week the salmon was beautiful but the Chinese long beans were either non-existent or looked terrible at the market. When this happens to you – an ingredient is not available or not up to standards – find a logical substitute. Rather than driving out of the way to an Asian grocer I opted to use baby green beans. You’ll also find them labeled by their French name, haricot vert. Haricot vert, or baby green beans, are one of my favorite vegetables. They cook quickly, are tender to the bite and very versatile. Baby green beans work beautifully as a warm side dish and chilled as a green bean salad, nice as we anticipate hot summer weather.

To get the green beans ready ahead of time for today’s demonstration, I blanched them in boiling salted water  for 4 minutes, then “shocked” them in a bowl of ice water. Shocking in ice water stops the cooking process and sets the bright green color of the beans.  After chilling down, the beans can be drained and held refrigerated until needed. All you need to do is heat them up and finish with a sauce, in this case tossing with soy sauce and a little brown sugar.

To finish the green beans, heat up a sauté pan, fry pan or skillet. Cook the garlic, ginger and the white portion of the green onions in a little oil for a minute or two. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the green beans, stir together and heat through. Remove the green beans from the heat and add soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to coat the beans and season with salt and pepper, to taste. You can use kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper, but I have another suggestion – roasted Szechuan pepper salt from Penzeys. Lightly spicy, aromatic Szechuan peppercorns are roasted then ground with flake salt to a fine powder. It’s a fantastic, almost floral-smelling pepper and salt blend that is a natural for Asian recipes. I’m hooked on it and use it for all kinds of seasoning needs.

For the salmon I mixed both black and white sesame seeds for a striking presentation. Marinate the salmon about 30 minutes at room temperature in oil and orange zest. To coat the salmon in the sesame seeds place the seeds in a pie plate or other shallow rimmed dish. Place salmon presentation side (opposite side of the skin) down into the seeds and press gently so the seeds adhere. Gently turn the salmon filets over keeping as much of the sesame coating intact as possible.  If a few seeds fall off, sprinkle extra seeds on to cover the spot. Cook in a hot non-stick fry or sauté pan, sesame seed side down, until the sesame crust is crisp and the white seeds are becoming golden. Turn salmon over and lower heat; cook salmon to completion.

This dish can be enjoyed two ways – either warm or cool. For the cool presentation, cook the salmon and set aside or even chill in the refrigerator. Fill a dinner-sized plate with crisp salad greens of your choice. I used organic baby arugula which has a lightly peppery flavor. Top the greens with the green beans. Top with the salmon. Spoon orange segments around the salad plate and drizzle the greens with the sauce as a dressing. Sprinkle with sliced green onions if desired for garnish.

For the warm presentation I change the sauce a bit. Heat a non-stick sauté or fry pan over medium heat. Pour the orange sauce in the pan and cook briefly until it gets bubbly. Add 1-2 tablespoons orange liqueur such as Grand Mariner or Cointreau and cook for 1-2 minutes. If you’d like the sauce thickened add 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch slurry (equal amounts of cornstarch and cold water stirred together). Whisk into the orange sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Place hot green beans on a warmed dinner plate and top with the warm salmon.  Pour the orange sauce around the green beans and serve. Steamed brown rice or black Chinese Forbidden Rice would be a beautiful accompaniment. Forbidden rice is one of my favorite rices. It has an incredible deep purple-black color, nutty flavor and cooks perfectly in 30 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions.

A few more notes on preparing these recipes. Use a microplane zester to get fine zest from the oranges and the fresh ginger root. Start by preparing the sauce, then move on to the salmon and green beans. I’ve arranged the recipe so you read it that way and made a few edits. Considered a vegetable oil, I use grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil has a clean, light neutral flavor and a high smoke point. This means the oil can reach a high temperature before burning, making it great for sautéing and stir-frying. If you are not familiar with grapeseed oil, give it a try.

Orange-Sesame Crusted Salmon with Gingered Chinese Long Beans

Recipe Courtesy Chef Rachelle Boucher

Serves 4

Sauce Ingredients

2 oranges, peeled and segmented (zest oranges before segmenting and reserve for salmon)

2 teaspoons natural rice vinegar

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon good quality mustard (like Dijon)

Salt & pepper to taste

Salmon Ingredients

4 salmon fillets (6-8 oz each), skinned, pin bones removed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup good quality white or black sesame seeds (combination of two is best visually)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for pan searing

Gingered Chinese Long Beans Ingredients

1 large bunch Chinese long beans, cut into 1 1/2” pieces, stem ends removed (or baby green beans, see above)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

6 green onions, thinly sliced white and pale green parts only (green tops thinly sliced, reserved for

garnish)

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water (not needed if using baby green beans)

1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1) For the sauce – stir together orange segments, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and mustard. Season to taste. Set aside.

2) For the salmon – in a medium bowl stir together 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons orange zest. Place salmon in the bowl and gently turn to coat. Remove salmon to a plate and season both sides with salt and pepper. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3) On a clean plate sprinkle approximately 1/4 cup sesame seeds and place a salmon fillet on top of seeds presentation side down. Press gently so the seeds adhere. Gently remove salmon to a clean plate or piece of waxed paper. Coat remaining fillets and set aside, adding seeds as necessary. Discard any unused seeds that have touched raw salmon.

4) Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat and add vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add fillets and cook on medium for approximately four minutes on each side. You may need to cook for a minute more depending on the thickness of fillets. Remove fish to a plate just before desired doneness and let rest for 5 minutes to come up to finished temperature.

5) For the beans: Wipe out non-stick pan with a paper towel and place on medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame oil. When oil is hot, add long beans and stir-fry for two minutes. Add stock or water and reduce heat to medium, cook until beans are al dente and liquid is evaporated, add more liquid if needed. Add chopped garlic, ginger and the white portion of the green onions and stir-fry for one to two minutes. Remove from heat and add soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to coat the beans and season with salt and pepper. Alternatively – follow my directions above for using baby green beans.

The third of four events in the Sears Chef Challenge took place this weekend. I was cooking and teaching at the Sears store in Orange, California. Another terrific day, thanks to Linda Cooper and the Sears team. We were fortunate to have the vivacious Chef Rachelle Boucher in attendance. So good to finally meet her face to face as she definitely added her own special spice to things!

This was a market basket event where the chefs were given three ingredients and asked to create their own unique recipe. The three ingredients were shrimp, jalapenos and hominy. I love working with shrimp and was thrilled that the shrimp basket won the vote on the Sears Chef Challenge website.

The Beauty of Shrimp

Shrimp are:

• Endlessly versatile – they can be prepared by many different cooking methods from grilled to broiled, pan roasted to sauteed, steamed, boiled, baked, fried or poached. Shrimp can be used as an appetizer or a main course, in soups, stews, salads, as fajitas, risotto, tossed with pasta, rolled into rice paper wrappers, and of course skewered for brochettes, just to name a few! Every cuisine from around the world offers shrimp dishes with their unique ingredients and flavors.

• Fast and easy to cook – what other ingredient tells you when it’s ready? When shrimp turn pink they are done, and it usually takes just a few minutes.

• Available year round – as most shrimp are frozen they are available year round. Even when you see them thawed and ready to go at the market, they usually arrive frozen and the store thaws them. Shrimp are sold by the count and come in many sizes from tiny bay shrimp to extra colossal shrimp weighing in at 2-3 ounces each. If you are not familiar preparing shrimp, visit What’s Cooking America for helpful information on buying and cooking shrimp.

Creating the Recipe – Shrimp, Hominy and Jalapenos

Notepad in hand I sat down and brainstormed ideas and ingredients for a dish with shrimp, jalapeno chiles and hominy. I wanted to create a recipe that was simple yet elegant, with ingredients that are easily available, and easily do-able for a home chef. A southwestern, “fresh-western” pattern began to emerge. I quickly had an idea what I wanted to do. Shrimp with a mixed vegetable side dish – hominy succotash.

Hominy is made from corn kernels where the bran and germ layers have been removed. The kernels are dried, boiled, then soaked in lime until the kernels are plump. Available in both white and golden colors, hominy looks like puffy corn. Commonplace usages for hominy include grits in the South Eastern US and in Mexican dishes like Pozole and Menudo.

Traditionally succotash is a dish of corn and beans plus cream or milk and maybe butter to make it creamy and saucy. Many people think of succotash as corn and lima beans, although there are many variations. The term succotash has become a loose term for a mixed vegetable side dish. Historically it’s a Native American dish which was taught to newly arriving colonial settlers.

A few years ago I created a version of a succotash to go with my spiced apple-glazed pork tenderloin recipe. It included sweet red bell peppers, roasted corn kernels and edamame (soy beans), shallots, garlic, herbs and crisp crumbled bacon. All I had to do was switch the roasted corn to hominy for a new and different twist!

Plain shrimp would never be able to compete with the talented chefs recipes in the Sears Chef Challenge, so I decided to marinate them in a versatile vinaigrette I created to go with a seared Ahi appetizer. This vinaigrette has bright citrus flavors, jalapeno chile, fresh mint, a touch of honey for sweetness and a little Dijon mustard to help it emulsify. After marinating the shrimp just 30 minutes then grilling them, the shrimp were delicious to taste and a beautiful golden-pink color. The vinaigrette even works as a finishing sauce for the dish. I had my recipes for event three!

Love In Action – The Saddleback Church Food Pantry

From today’s videotaping by Penny McLean of Small Potatoes Productions, a short compilation will be created and put on the Sears Chef Challenge website on June 26. Starting that day until July 10 you can go to the Sears Chef Challenge website and vote for your favorite chef (hopefully me!) each day.

If I win the Los Angeles semi-final round the Saddleback Church Food Pantry will receive a $5000 donation. That will help put food on the tables of hundreds of families in need in Orange County.

In May the one year old food pantry had a record number of guests serving 453 families and almost 1700 people. There is a large and growing need as so many people are out of work. That donation would buy a lot of food to help support hungry families.

As well, I would win an appliance of choice to donate to the The Sheepfold, an organization who helps abused women and their children get a new start in life.

This is why I want to win. It’s not for me. These organizations can win only if you vote and tell everyone you know to go online and vote as well!

Please enjoy these recipes, from my kitchen to yours. The flavors are fresh and bright. It’s easy to prepare and wonderful going into summer. Try the shrimp without the succotash as a chilled appetizer and use the jalapeno-mint vinaigrette as the dipping sauce. The shrimp also make a great picnic dish packed right and kept chilled, and try the vinaigrette on salad greens, grilled or roast vegetables. It even works over cooked potatoes as in a potato salad.

For more photos of this weekends Sears Chef Challenge event or the Saddleback Church Food Pantry please click these links:

http://kentcameron.com/Food/Sears-Chef-Challenge-Orange/12461442_RVGgp/

http://kentcameron.com/Food/Saddleback-Church-Food-Pantry/12461933_A6dQG/

Grilled Jalapeno-Mint Shrimp with Hominy Succotash

Use large shrimp for this recipe, approximately 12-16 pieces per pound. The hominy succotash, a twist on the traditional dish, is a colorful accompaniment and also works well with pork tenderloin and chicken. Serve a side salad and drizzle with additional jalapeno-mint vinaigrette for a complete dinner.  Look for hominy in the Mexican products aisle of your grocer.  If you like smoky flavors like I do, finish this with smoked black pepper!

Serves:  4

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 ½ pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail section intact

¾ cup jalapeno-mint vinaigrette (see recipe)

Succotash

3 slices bacon

1 large shallot, sliced thin crosswise, rings separated

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice

1 cup (6 ounces) shelled edamame (soy beans), fresh or frozen, thawed

1½ cups (8 ounces) canned hominy, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, plus extra for optional garnish

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives or green onion

Fresh ground black pepper*, to taste

½ cup jalapeno-mint vinaigrette (see recipe)

Optional Garnish

1 medium jalapeno thinly sliced crosswise into rings

1 lime, cut into quarters

Directions:

1. Prepare the jalapeno-mint vinaigrette
2. Place shrimp in a ziploc bag and add 3/4 cup of the marinade. Turn shrimp to coat and allow to stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. While shrimp marinate, start the succotash.
3. In a medium fry pan over medium heat cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Crumble or chop bacon and set aside. Drain bacon fat from pan leaving 1 tablespoon to cook shallots.
4. Add shallot to pan and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add edamame and hominy and heat through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring all ingredients to heat thoroughly.
5. Remove pan from heat. Add herbs and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Heat a grill pan* over medium heat.  Remove shrimp from bag and discard marinade. Place shrimp in hot grill pan. Cook just until one side of shrimp are pink with grilled edges. Turn shrimp over and cook 1 minute more until just pink on second side. Remove from heat and keep warm.
7. To serve, mound succotash in center of the plate, place shrimp on top and drizzle reserved vinaigrette over top and around edges of the plate.  Serve extra vinaigrette as a sauce on the side.
8. For garnish sprinkle extra chopped cilantro and a few thinly sliced jalapeno pieces around the edge. Add a lime quarter to each plate.

*Note – If you don’t have a grill pan you can cook the shrimp on an outdoor grill, under the broiler, or in a fry pan over medium heat.  If you enjoy smoky flavors, try smoked black pepper. It adds wonderful flavor to this dish.

Jalapeno-Mint Vinaigrette

Yield: about 2 cups

This brightly flavored and versatile vinaigrette is a true multi-tasker in the kitchen. Great on fresh salad greens, it also works well as a marinade or a sauce. Try it with fish, shellfish and chicken or toss it with roasted or grilled vegetables for additional flavor.  The heat level in this recipe is mild. If you like things spicy, add more jalapeno to your taste preference or use chiles with a higher heat rating.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice, about 1 large orange

4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice, about 2-3 limes

4 tablespoons finely minced shallots

1 large pinch kosher or sea salt, plus more to season at end

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced fine

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix together orange juice, lime juice, shallots and salt. Allow to stand for 10 minutes for shallots to soften.
2. Stir in mustard, honey, mint, garlic and jalapeno.
3. Add the olive oil to the bowl in a slow stream whisking to blend until emulsified.
4. Taste and season with additional salt and fresh ground pepper as desired

Vinaigrette can be made ahead and refrigerated. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Will keep for  a day or two in the refrigerator but it’s best when the herbs are fresh.

I have fond memories of making homemade ice cream during the summer as a kid. Mom placed the noisy electric ice cream maker (an upgrade from the hand crank model which you had to fill with rock salt) outside the kitchen door on the patio, filled it with creamy strawberry ice cream base and turned it on.  When we heard the noise of that motor cranking away we knew that a special treat was awaiting us after dinner. We waited with anticipation for the cold, pink, creamy sweetness of homemade strawberry ice cream. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Bakersfield Beauties

Visiting family in Bakersfield this weekend we decided to pick up some fresh local strawberries.  Bakersfield is the southern end of the great central valley, the vast agricultural heartland of California. My father-in-law had been telling me about a local farmer who grew the best strawberries, so we decided to go get berries in the morning as they sell out later in the day.  The stand is on Snow Road near Old Farm Road. Just look for cars pulled over at the little green and white shack.

As soon as I opened the car door I was flooded with the incredible smell of fresh strawberries being warmed by the sun. Their fragrance was thick and sweet in the morning air. The open window to the stand was filled with basket upon basket of rich red strawberries. The berries were smaller and nicer than at the stands around our house and although the sign out front did not say organic, I figured they were.

Wanting to know more about these berries we wandered around back and found the grower, Chai Saechao, holding pails piled high with just picked strawberries. His family has been farming strawberries in the area since 1988.We talked with Chai about his beautiful strawberries.  The small red ones were Chandlers. He was also growing a few rows of the Albion variety. Chai picked a huge Albion strawberry right off the plant and handed it to me. Warm from the sun, this huge perfect strawberry was amazingly sweet and juicy. The flavor was incredible. He said the Chandlers were even juicier! And yes, Chai’s berries were organic. Truly, these were the sweetest strawberries I’ve ever tasted, like they were dipped in sugar syrup.

You can find conventionally grown strawberries everywhere during the growing season but organic strawberries are more difficult to come by. Why go the extra mile for organic strawberries? Because the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit group focused on public health, lists strawberries as number three on their “Dirty Dozen” list. If you are not familiar with this list, it helps consumers make healthier food choices in regards to pesticides when grocery shopping. Check out the link and print a copy for yourself to take shopping. Even more, make time to read through EWG’s website for more helpful information.

Strawberries – Baked and Frozen

With a half flat of sweet red treasure in my arms we headed back to the house. I planned to take these berries home with me later but couldn’t wait to do something with them. With soup already made for lunch I thought about a quick batch of strawberry muffins. I turned to the web and found a quick, simple strawberry muffin recipe. Heavenly aromas filled the house as they were baking. Warm from the oven and flecked with diced strawberries just hours from the field they were light, tender and not too sweet. Perfect after lunch and equally good for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

At home, I made a batch of easy double strawberry ice cream for dessert,  a sweet end to our Memorial Day dinner of grilled baby back ribs, macaroni salad and deviled eggs.  With strawberries this sweet, no additional sugar was needed. Just two ingredients made for wondeful ice cream - strawberries and sweetened condensed milk. Try this simple recipe and freeze extra berries for strawberry ice cream all summer long.

Strawberry Muffins

Recipe by  Carol Pellegrinelli, Desserts and Baking Guide at www.about.com

Yield: 6-7 huge, 9 large or 11-12 regular size muffins. I used muffin cup liners rather than greasing the muffin cups. Try using coarse sugar for the topping. It adds extra sparkle and crunch

Ingredients

2 cups flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (check the expiration date)

1/2 teaspoon salt (table salt)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 egg

1 cup milk (whole milk)

1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted cooled butter (I used butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12-cup muffin pan (or use paper muffin cup liners). Combine dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar with a wire whisk. In a seperate bowl, combine wet ingredients, egg, oil and extract. Add strawberries. Combine wet and dry ingredients only until moistened. Spoon batter* into muffin cups. Combine remaining sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

*For huge muffins only fill 6 to 7 muffin cups.
For large muffins fill only 9 muffin cups.
For regular to small muffins fill all 12 cups.
Please be sure to half-fill empty muffin cups with water to ensure even baking.

For extra special muffins, top each with a strawberry slice or a few blueberries for the red, white and blue touch for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

Simple Double Strawberry Ice Cream

If strawberries are ripe and very sweet, no additional sugar is needed to make terrific ice cream. Let the flavor of the berries shine. This recipe has just two ingredients!

Yield: about 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, stemmed, washed and quartered, about 4 cups

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

6 ounces fresh strawberries, stemmed, washed and diced small, about 1 cup

Directions

1) Puree 4 cups of strawberries in a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade. Add sweetened condensed milk and puree together to make the ice cream base. Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and pour the ice cream base into the sieve. With a large ladle push the ice cream base through the sieve to remove the strawberry seeds and refine the base.

2) Chill the base until very cold. Process the ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Towards the end of the freezing process, add 1 cup of diced strawberries or fold in by hand. Ice cream will be soft when finished. Place ice cream in the freezer for several hours to firm up.

Spring in Washington DC is lovely and the blooming of the famous cherry trees makes it a special time to visit this great American city. We had a busy week visiting family, seeing the sites, enjoying great food and of course taking lots of photos of the beautiful pink cherry trees blooming in all of their glory. Our timing was perfect as we hit peak bloom weekend.

With so much to do in the Washington DC-Virginia area and only nine days we had to pick and choose what we wanted see. Crowds limited what we could do (no museum visits) without spending all day in lines, but we had our list of monuments and famous sites to visit. For dining, between my sisters research, Washingtonian Magazine, Gayot and Open Table we had lots of options for the week.

We took the metro into the city just to walk around a bit. Lunch was at a favorite east coast seafood restaurant – Legal Seafood. Dinner was at a friends. But before then we stopped at a terrific wine shop, The Wine Cabinet in Reston, VA. They had a great selection of wines, cheeses and goodies, even locally made French macarons. That made me think of Laduree’s In Paris, world famous for their light French confections. These small, round cookie-cakes are crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle. If you’ve never had a French macaron, you must try them! We could not resist taking a favorite Chardonnay, wonderful cheese and macarons to the hostess.

Easter Morning at The Jefferson

Easter morning we got up at 5:00 AM, painful as it was, and headed into the city. We wanted to get photos of the Jefferson Memorial at sunrise across the tidal basin through the cherry trees. If we did not get there before the crowds we would not get the shots we wanted.  One thing I’ve learned about photography is that the best shots are done at sunrise and sunset. Not always convenient, but worth it when you look back at the photographs.

As the sun rose and the light warmed to a beautiful Easter morning we were glad we had crawled out of our warm beds. Hymns wafted across the morning air from another park area. Crowds gathered on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial for worship and prayer. Starbucks in hand, we enjoyed the cool early morning air and got our shots before the crowds arrived.

The rest of Easter Sunday we relaxed, napped, and watched Saddleback Church’s 30^th anniversary service on the web. For dinner we roasted fresh spring halibut with a nut-herb crust and opened a nice bottle of Chardonnay to celebrate the most important day in the world together.

Arlington National Cemetery

Monday we started the day at Arlington National Cemetery and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the changing of the guard. It’s been guarded around the clock every day, rain or shine since the 1930’s. Watching the precision of the guard in perfect dress uniform execute their duties was solemn, respectful and impressive.  Walking the grounds surrounded by thousands of white crosses across rolling green hillsides was a powerful reminder of the cost of freedom and human sacrifice.

A Family Affair – Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday afternoon family came for dinner. I wanted to do something easy that everyone would love and you couldn’t go wrong with. That would be my version of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and baby green beans. Considered an American classic, meatloaf is something many of us grew up with. My mom made meatloaf regularly and I always got my hands dirty helping mix the ingredients.

With it’s origins in German, Belgian and Dutch cuisines, it’s a cousin to the Italian meatball. American meatloaf has its origins in a Pennsylvania Dutch dish called scrapple, and that was my mom’s background. It’s traditionally a mixture of ground meat and breadcrumbs often topped with ketchup.  Recipe to follow.

Many of my clients wrinkle up their faces at the mention of meatloaf, but I guarantee my recipe is not your mother’s meatloaf. It’s moist, flavorful and combines lean ground sirloin with ground turkey for a good base. And yes it sounds strange but I add finely diced Granny Smith apple to the mix, which adds moisture and healthy fiber that you will never know is there. Trust me! Add Dijon mustard, horseradish and a few other ingredients and you’ll have a terrific meatloaf for dinner, and if you are lucky a sandwich the next day.  Instead of the traditional ketchup I top mine with a spiced apple-barbecue glaze. You can use your favorite barbecue sauce as is or thinned down to use as a glaze.

Dinner was a hit and we had a wonderful time talking, sharing stories and looking at old family photographs. It was more than it sounds. For the group that gathered, it was bringing together the pieces to a puzzle we never thought would come together, yet it did after more than 50 years.  Food, family, fellowship, what is more important and satisfying.

Something Out of Harry Potter

We headed to Old Town in historic Alexandria. We spent the afternoon enjoying the shops along Kings Street, walking the streets of Colonial style townhomes with brick and stone facades and colorful shutters. We had lunch at a cute little French place with good pate for an appetizer but saved room for rich, creamy homemade ice cream at The Creamery. Walking off our ice cream we came across an old apothecary.

The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary opened in 1792 and closed during the Great Depression. One day the owners locked the doors and walked away. This untouched piece of history was turned into a museum in 1939. For $5 you can take a guided tour. The first floor is interesting enough, but when the guide takes you behind the scenes to the closed off second level it’s like  entering the world of Harry Potter. Totally preserved and untouched, it feels like stepping back in time with old boxes of Dragons Blood and Unicorn Root in a musty, dim room where you expect a wizard to greet you. We could have spent all day there it was so interesting.

The National Cathedral and Great Pizza

Visiting the Washington National Cathedral was on our list. Wherever you are driving in Washington DC, the monumental visage of the National Cathedral looms on the horizon. From miles away it looks enormous, and it is. It’s the sixth largest cathedral in the world. We expect to see great Gothic style cathedrals in Europe, not in the US, but yes, we have one in our nation’s capitol. The foundation stone was laid in 1907 and construction completed in 1990. This spectacular house of worship was 83 years in the making. We could have spent all day there, basking in the multi-colored light that shown through the brilliant stained glass windows, but our tummies were growling.

A short walk from the cathedral was 2 Amy’s Neapolitan Pizza. With black and white checked floors and pale buttery yellow walls, it’s a neighborhood kind of place. It was also a busy place and we were too hungry to wait, so we opted to sit at the bar and order lunch.

2 Amy’s makes authentic, thin-crusted Neapolitan pizza from a wood-burning oven. According to Italian law, only soft-grain flour, fresh yeast, water, and sea salt may be used for the dough, and only Italian plum tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil or dried oregano may be used for the toppings. No wonder it was so incredible; just terrific pizza.  The next day we were still thinking about the pizza, wishing it was not such a long drive or we would have gone for more!

Restaurant Eve and PX Speakeasy

The most anticipated dinner of the week was a reservation at the top rated Restaurant Eve in Alexandria. Reservations were made months in advance to get us into the Chef’s Tasting Room.

With the kitchen headed by acclaimed Chef/owner Cathal Armstrong, a Food & Wine Hall of Fame 50 Best new Chefs recipient and the front of the house run by the boss, his wife Meshelle, we knew we were in for a special dining experience. Using only the freshest ingredients from local farms and markets, the menu changes frequently. Sipping a glass of Champagne we mused over the menu options, knowing it was going to be a very hard decision. We opted for the five-course menu. I loved the way the menu was divided into Creation, Ocean, Earth & Sky, Age and Eden for first through dessert courses. Very creative and inventive.

Deciding to go all out for the evening to see what this kitchen could do we started with the Foie Gras en Croute with Preserved Troigo Orchard Peach Jam and Peach-Sauternes Jelly for our Creation course. Normally I’m not a big fan of rich Foie Gras, but here I had to try it. This tiny box of pastry arrived, beautifully and artfully plated. The pastry was warm and the Foie Gras melted in your mouth. The fruity peach jam and glistening jelly were a perfect complement to the richness of the “fat liver” and golden buttery pastry.

For the Ocean course we enjoyed the Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Heirloom Carrots, Ginger and Micro Cilantro. It too was fantastic. Every dish arrived on beautiful plates looking like an edible work of art.  We were going to try and take pictures, but it was too difficult. Sometimes you have to put the cameras down and just enjoy!

The Earth and Sky course was venison and Korubuta pork. Each course was paired with its own wine, so we had the pleasure of tasting many fantastic wine selections over the course of the evening, each a beautiful compliment to the individual dish. Todd Thrasher, General Manager, Sommelier and partner, took care of us for the evening for our wine pairings explaining each selection and sometimes even providing tastes of two different wines so we could understand the differences between them with the dish.  We finished off our evening with a cheese selection and a little dessert.  Restaurant Eve definitely lived up to our expectations and it’s much heralded reviews. It was a wonderful evening.

Afterwards we walked down the block and around the corner to a door with a blue light glowing. No sign. Just a blue light. We knocked at the door. A small window opened, checked us out and quickly closed. The door opened. We were ushered up a narrow stairway into the PX Lounge, a new age speakeasy! Shrouded in secrecy due to their illegal serving of alcoholic beverages, speakeasies came to be during the Prohibition-era of the 1920’s-1930’s. Decorated in art deco style, PX is a hip little jewel box hidden inside a historic building.

Owned by Restaurant Eve, PX is the hot place to go for a hand crafted cocktail. Now I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, but we had heard so much about the trend setting cocktails made at PX that we just had to go for a nightcap. PX specializes in creating incredible artisan cocktails like you’ve never had using the freshest ingredients like painstakingly house made bitters and hand squeezed juices. Again at the helm, acclaimed and talented spirits Wizard of Oz Todd Thrasher, who executes magic taking a chef’s approach to the bar with whimsical cocktails like the Plight of the Honey Bee, the Black Bass and I Cuddah Binnah Contendah. The cocktails were amazing!

After getting home at an hour I had not seen in many years, we slept in Saturday and finished the day at sunset, shooting again at the Lincoln and Korean War Memorials to end our trip to Washington DC. We drove past the tidal basin and the Jefferson Memorial one last time, and the beautiful but short-lived pink hues of the cherry trees had already turned to green, gone until next spring.

Where next?  Hmm, maybe Italy in the fall.