On our trip last weekend to a local farmer’s market in Campbell, California, we were lucky enough to find some organic Moro blood oranges. With their fantastic crimson coloring (caused by the addition of anthocyanin, a pigment common in flowers, but uncommon in citrus fruit) this orange, often described as a cross between a pomelo and a tangerine, makes a wonderful cocktail mixer. Using a combination of Portland Oregon’s House Spirits Distillery gin and aquavit (yes, aquavit) and a garnish of candied fennel and blood orange, we created The Red Letter.

for The Red Letter
1 1/2 oz Aviation Gin
1/2 oz Krogstad Aquavit
1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed blood orange juice
splash of soda
In a pint mixing glass add all ingredients then ice. Stir and strain over fresh ice.
Garnish with a candied blood orange slice and candied fennel.

for candied blood orange slices and candied fennel
1 fennel bulb, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 blood orange, halved and sliced 1/4″ thick
orange zest
sugar for dusting
simple syrup

Preheat oven to 200°
Blanch both the fennel and the orange slices (separately to retain color).
Coat the fennel in simple syrup, lightly zest with lemon peel, and place on a greased baking sheet. Coat the orange slices in the syrup, dust with sugar, and arrange on the baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until dry, about 2 hours.

I know it is not everyday that friends show up for dinner with an entire Jamón Ibérico de Bellota from Ibierico, Spain, but you might want to find some friends who will. This dry cured ham leg produced from the certo negro (black pig), fed a diet of acorns, is a true delicacy. With a higher fat content than Jamón Serrano, the flavor is richer, with a more complex finish. And with this, we had to come up with a couple of tapas to showcase this crown jewel of Spanish ham. Keep in mind, that in addition to the tapas, we had plates of the thinly sliced ham drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, three different varieties of Spanish cheese and Marcona almonds.

for the Garlic-Prawn Crostini
makes 12 pieces
12 medium Prawns, peeled and deveined
for marinade
2 tbls Spanish paprika
2 tbls cumin
whole clove garlic, peeled
whole shallot
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

for the Roasted Garlic Aioli
whole bulb of garlic
2 egg yolks
1 cup of olive oil
lemon juice to taste
1/2 tsp sea salt

for the Red Pepper-Crushed Almond Vinaigrette
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 whole shallot
10 small Pompano peppers
2 tbls chopped parsley
1 handful of Marcona almonds

12 slices of Serrano Ham
1 French Baguette

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Peel and devein the prawns. Combine the paprika, cumin, garlic, shallot and olive oil in a bowl and marinade the prawns for 30 min.
3. Roast the garlic by peeling away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Coat generously with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden.
4. To make the aioli, mash the roasted garlic cloves with a pinch of sea salt into paste using a mortar and pestle. Stir in the egg yolks, and then add olive oil drop by drop at first, increasing to a thin stream while stirring constantly until a thick paste is formed. + a hand whisk may be used in place of the mortar and pestle.
5. To make the vinaigrette, finely chop the peppers, parsley, shallot, and almonds and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, parsley, shallot, and peppers. Save the almonds for plating at the end.
6. Slice the baguette into thin diagonal slices and place on a nonstick baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and crouton-like.
+ you can also grill the bread which adds a smokey touch
7. In an oven-safe skillet, roast the prawns in the oven for 5-7 minutes until pink and done. + you can also grill or saute’ them.
8. Assemble the tapas by spreading the roasted garlic aioli on the toast, followed by a slice of ham and a prawn. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, season with sea salt and garnish with almonds.

for the ‘Scotch’ Egg
makes 12 pieces
6 eggs
2 cups sliced Jamón Ibérico Ham (Serrano can be substituted)
2 cups flour, for breading
3 eggs, beaten for breading
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup picked parsley leaves
2 whole shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
pinch of sugar

1. Boil 6 eggs for 6 min in water on the stove. Remove them from the heat and cool in iced water, this will stop the cooking and keep the yolk a medium texture.
2. In a sauce pan bring water, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Once this happens you are going to pour the hot liquid over your thinly sliced shallots in a bowl and let them sit in the fridge until cool.
3. When the eggs have cooled down, peel them under running water. Bread them by placing them in flour, eggs, and then panko in that order. In a sauce pan, with canola oil at 350°, fry the eggs until golden brown. This should only take 1 to 2 min.
4. For plating, cut the eggs in half and season with sea salt and pepper. In a bowl place your ham, pickled shallots and parsley together – toss in extra virgin olive oil – and place on top of the egg and serve.

Wine Suggestions
Dry Sherry (Jerez) from Southern Spain. Palomino grapes produce this slightly oxidized and nutty, dry sherry. Fino is the most common, Manzanilla is a light style of Fino , Amontillado is bit darker, and richer.
Albariño from Northwest Spain (Galicia). Aromatic, with hints of almonds or almond paste, apples, peaches, citrus, and flowers or grass, racy acidity and an inherent tartness.
Garnacha (Grenache) from Catalonia and Rioja. These wines can be rustic, with fleshy fruit flavors of black currant and blackberry. Oak aging brings about a smoky, toasted quality with hints of vanilla, tar, tobacco, dried apricot and cigar box.

February and March is Mussel Madness time. No this is not a National holiday, or a California Oktoberfest, but it is an opportunity to spend an afternoon at some of the most scenic coastline in the world, sampling sweet, plump mussels. From the rock, to the steamer, to the table. During these latter Winter months, the tides at Pescadero State Beach (between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay) become low enough that the typically submerged mollusca are easily accessible for picking…with a license of course.

The early batches came out of the steaming pot drenched in a classic garlic-shallot-white wine-butter-tarragon broth, but as the afternoon saw the sun begin to head West, lemongrass, basil and chili began to fill the air.

The other phenomenon that takes place when you have a confluence of food industry people, is the high ratio of quality side dishes. In the case of this party, the side of choice is cheese. Lots of cheese of all different origins. From sheep’s milk to cow’s, to goat’s. From soft, smooth and creamy, to firm, grainy and pungent. I will have to say however, that this Norwegian Brunost (brown cheese) called Gudbrandsdalsost, from Gudbrandsdalen, was something that I have never come across, and was the one that required the most attention. Primarily produced from goat’s milk, this is a rich cheese that derives its distinctive caramel flavor, brown color, and fudge-like texture from a slow simmering process that gradually caramelizes the milk sugars.

And so it goes, at the end of March, the tide will recede again and the chefs will descend on the beach, rain or shine, kettles in tow.

I will have to admit, as a veteran in the restaurant business...Valentine's Day is challenging. Now this is not because of the popularity of the event, or the amount of pressure placed on an establishment to get everything right, or even that inevitable fact that you cannot please everybody. But mostly because, for the last 20 or so years, I have missed out. I have only been able to participate as a spectator...or as an orchestrator, if you factor in that I spend the evening making sure that everyone is enjoying their evening. There is some redemption in this, however. People in the industry have learned to be creative with the day. The most obvious way, and one that I particularly embrace, is to prepare something at home, something personal, and something that shows that you care. We can at least help with the dessert course…

for the Pots de Crème
makes 3 12oz pots/ramekins, serving 6

4 1/2 oz (about 9 Tbls) raw cocoa powder
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) heavy cream
8 Tbls sugar
pinch sea salt
2 Tbls vanilla extract
shot of espresso (one ounce of strong brewed coffee can substitute)
4 egg yolks
whipped cream
orange zest
pistachios, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°. Place a water bath on a centered rack in the oven. Put cocoa in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, vanilla, espresso, and a pinch of salt to a light boil in a small heavy saucepan, then pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Be careful not to whisk too fast or hard, as you do not want to incorporate too much air into the mixture. Whisk together yolks and sugar in another bowl. Temper the egg mixture by whisking in a ladle of the heated chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs. Whisk back into the chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Divide custard evenly among 3 ramekins, then bake custards in a hot water bath pan, covered tightly with foil, until custards are set around edges but still slightly wobbly in the centers – 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, uncovered – about 1 hour. (Custards will set as they cool.) Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with chopped pistachios and orange zest.
A chocolate decadence for someone special…

for the Recession Proof
up or rocks
2 oz Vodka
dash absinthe
lemon twist

Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain in chilled martini cocktail glass. Squeeze oil from lemon peel onto the drink, and garnish.

The key to the proper flavor of this soup is the caramelization of the onions. Patience is needed to allow the onions to reach their proper golden color without burning.

for the Onion Soup
serves 6

3 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise, evenly and thinly
1/4 cup unsalted butter
32 oz of chicken stock (you can substitute water)
1/2 bottle of dry red or white wine
sliced Gruyère cheese
sour baguette, sliced
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
grated nutmeg (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400˚. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with a splash of Canola oil, which will help keep the butter from browning and the onions from burning. Add the onions, and cook gently until they are soft and have a golden brown color. Add the wine and reduce to almost dry. Add the stock or water, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg, if desired. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the baguette slices under the broiler to brown a bit and dry out. Pour the soup into 6 oven safe bowls. Place the sliced Gruyère onto the baguette slice and place it on top of the soup. Put the bowls into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and begins to brown on top. Remove and garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Maybe it was my upbringing in Los Angeles, surrounded by the film industry, but I really haven’t had much of the starstruck excitement that follows celebrity day to day. I don’t have any autographs, watch very little television, and get more excitement over watching a documentary than a feature in the movie theater. I will say, though, that I more than jumped at the opportunity to be a guest at a small luncheon in Sausalito, CA with Lidia Bastianich. This isn’t a celebrity, this is an icon, at least in the food world, and everyone at the table knew it. While we were given Lidia’s new book “Lidia Cooks From The Heart Of Italy” (we highly recommend this, by the way) as a parting gift, the lunch at Poggio was really to taste the Bastianich wines from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Tuscany.

Lidia and her son Joseph founded their Friulian winery, Bastianich, in 1997 featuring grapes native to the area such as Friulano, Refosco, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Picolit, Merlot and Pignolo. The wines of Bastianich are created to speak as much about the history as the place, while demonstrating the power and finesse capable in modern wine making.

In 2000, the two teamed up with partner Mario Batali to start a Maremma, Tuscany winery, to much acclaim, called La Mozza. 45 minutes Southwest of Montalcino, the Maremma is mostly known for Morellino di Scanzano a local version of Sangiovese. While La Mozza produces an especially juicy, supple version, they are also pushing the boundaries of the area with their Sangiovese/Syrah/Alicante/Carignan blend, Aragone (a particular favorite at La Pastaia Ristorante & Enoteca)

As with all good things, our lunch had to come to an end so that Lidia could go on to a book signing at Emporio Rulli ,and then off to a wine dinner. Only an icon could handle such a celebrity schedule with such grace, generosity and poise.

One of the more popular dishes that we serve at La Pastaia Ristorante & Enoteca is Pollo alle Castagne, a great winter dish of chicken paillard, sweet roasted chestnuts, and a savory reduction of stock, fresh herbs and wine. The chestnuts are sweet and moist, and balance the dish perfectly. My affection for chestnuts didn’t begin in New York, or traveling in Italy, but rather with the fact that the nut must be hot in order to get the shell off…there is work involved, and the payoff is worth the price paid. Curtis came up with this beverage for the holidays, and it is a treat. We used a chocolate with an 85% cocoa content, which we thought was great when mixed with the naturally sweet chestnut mousse, but we know that bitter chocolate is not for everybody, so feel free to substitute either a more sweetened chocolate, or add sugar to the beverage, as you would a cup of coffee.

makes about 8 cups

for the Chestnut Mousse

1/2 lb chestnuts (about 2 cups peeled), scored and roasted
2 cinnamon sticks
1 clove
1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated
1/2 gallon of milk
1/2 pint of heavy cream
pinch of sugar
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 425°. Score the round side of the chestnuts with an x-shape, cutting through the shell to the meat. On a baking sheet, lay out the chestnuts, sprinkle with a little olive oil and sea salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, but take care not to over roast. Remove from the oven and crack off the skins while hot by wrapping the nut in a towel and squeezing until the shell breaks off, cleaning the meat of any fragments. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, sea salt, cinnamon sticks, clove and chestnuts to a simmer for about 20 minutes, until milk is reduced by half and chestnuts are soft. Remove the cinnamon sticks and clove, and purée the mixture until very smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and refrigerate for an hour.

In a bowl combine the cream, sugar, nutmeg and whip to soft peeks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chestnut mixture. Chill for 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

for the Hot Cocoa
7 oz chocolate (we used Green & Blacks Organic 85% cocoa
cream
pinch sea salt
1/2 gallon of milk
sugar to taste (optional)

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, sea salt and a splash of cream. In another sauce pan, heat the milk on a low heat. Combine the chocolate and the heated milk in a blender, and give it a quick pulse or two so that the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is light and airy.

Assemble the drink by pouring the hot cocoa into a cup or mug. Place a dollop of the chestnut mousse on the top. Garnish with a bit of orange zest and cocoa nibs if available.

for the Crab Cake
makes 8 large crab cakes
2 lbs of cooked, cracked, and picked Dungeness crab meat (other types can be substituted)
1/2 cup onion, small dice
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1 cup red bell pepper, small dice
palmful parsley, fine chop
palmful tarragon, fine chop
zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 egg yolks for custard
3 egg yolks for breading
1 pint heavy cream for custard
2-3 cups Panko bread crumbs for both binding and breading
2 shakes of a vinegar based hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 cup of all purpose flour for coating
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
butter

Carefully clean crab meat of any shells or cartilage. In a large bowl, combine the crab, onion, celery, bell pepper, parsley, tarragon, lemon zest, mustard, hot sauce, and season well with salt and pepper (you will be seasoning the entire dish here, so don’t be shy). In a heavy bottom sauce pan, reduce the cream by 1/2 on medium heat. Beat the three egg yolks and set them aside. When the cream has reached the 1/2 way point, add a couple of tablespoons to the egg yolks and whisk. This is a “tempering” process where you are getting the eggs up to the temperature of the cream before you combine the two. Lower the heat of the cream to almost off, whisk in the egg mixture, and continue to whisk until thickened. Combine the cream mixture (yes, you just made a custard) with the the crab mixture and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Once the mixture has cooled, slowly stir in breadcrumbs, you may need more or less, but what you are looking for is slightly gluey texture, just enough to hold a shape.

In order to form and bread the cakes, prepare a dish of lightly seasoned flour, a dish of beaten egg yolks, and a dish of bread crumbs. Begin by forming the crab mixture into a round disk about 1 1/2″ tall and 4″ in diameter (really you can make them whatever size you like, but this is the size we made) and then in sequence, coat in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. In a saute pan on medium heat, heat half a stick of butter and tablespoon of cooking oil. Slowly fry the crab cakes on each side, about four minutes a side, until they become golden brown.

Serve with drizzled Buerre Blanc and garnish with the Fennel-Apple Slaw.

for the Buerre Blanc
2 sticks of unsalted butter (8 oz), room temperature, cut into cubes
2 shallots, rough cut
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon heavy cream
pinch of peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 fennel stalk sliced
juice of 1 Meyer lemon

Put all of the ingredients (except the butter, cream and lemon juice) into a sauce pan and reduce on low heat until almost dry. Whisk in the cream and the butter, a little at a time until melted and emulsified. Whisk in the lemon juice, season to taste, strain the mixture and set aside.

for the Fennel-Apple Slaw
1 apple, matchstick chop (we used a local Heirloom)
1 fennel bulb, matchstick chop
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
pinch of tarragon, chopped
pinch of parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

The French tart, isn’t just dessert… I have to admit, that Curtis made this as the final course for our Thanksgiving dinner, but in all fairness, I finished it during breakfast for the week to follow. Something about the fresh persimmons, vanilla, orange, lavender and perfect crust, paired with a cup of French press Kenya Nyeri Karindundu from Barefoot Coffee… well, can you blame me?

+ use this recipe as a base, and substitute another seasonal fruit.

for the Persimmon Tart
pastry crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup of water

Crème Pâtissière / pastry cream
makes about 2 cups
2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1 egg
6 tbs granulated white sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
+ 1 orange, zest and juice
+ 1 bay leaf

glaze
simple syrup
1 sprig of lavender
peel of 1/4 orange
1 bay leaf

pastry crust
Preheat oven to 400°. In a bowl, whisk or sift together the flour and salt, and set aside. In a mixer, beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Gradually add the water and beat until just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix and cause separation. Add the flour mixture and mix into a ball, again, do not overwork the dough. Flatten the dough into a square, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Grease an 8-9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry dough to a 1/8 of an inch thick circle about 12 inches. You want the dough to be uniform in thickness and an inch larger than the tart pan. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and gently lay over the tart pan and lightly press pastry into bottom and up the sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of any excess pastry. Roll the rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten. Line the unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper and fill the tart pan with pie weights, rice or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface. Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove weights and cool crust before filling.

pastry cream
Set aside 2/3 of a cup of milk and bring the rest to a light boil with the vanilla, bay leaf, orange peel and salt. In a mixing bowl, add the flour and beat in egg yolks, whole egg and sugar. Gradually stir in the reserved milk. When the mixture has become smooth and creamy, stir in the strained, boiled milk and return the mixture to the saucepan. On a low heat, cook, stirring constantly until the cream is thick. Remove from heat and chill.

assemble the tart
Quarter and mandolin (or thinly slice), removing the cores, 4-5 persimmons. Remove the tart shell from the pan by placing your hand under the pan, touching only the removable bottom not the sides. Gently push the tart straight up, away from the sides. Spread the pastry cream into the tart, filling about 3/4 full. Smooth off with a spatula. Arrange the fruit on the tart either randomly or in concentric overlapping circles, starting at the outside edge. Try to cover the surface completely with the fruit so that no pastry cream is showing through. Glaze the top of the tart by brushing the infused simple syrup over the surface, avoiding the tart shell and, do not over glaze. Garnish with a bit of picked lavender.