Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

A few months ago a co-worker told me about the blog Chow which features San Francisco area restaurants and well as recipe suggestions. A couple of days ago the recipe which arrived in my InBox from Chow was a Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad . Since I had all of the ingredients for it on hand and since I was still in search of summer, I decided to give it a try (truth be told, I substituted frozen corn since I didn't have fresh corn on the cob). Again, this salad was a hit and just what I needed on a cool July day. Of course it's hard to go wrong with any salad which starts out with a 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil! I loved the freshness of this salad and the combination of the sweet corn and tomatoes with the basil. It also couldn't have been any easier.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

July has been an extremely gray, foggy, and cool month here in the Bay area. San Francisco's high one day recently was a new record at only 56 degrees, and there was a couple of days this week that I used my space heater in my Berkeley office. Needless to say, I've been longing for the "feel" of summer! This just isn't what this Midwestern boy who spent the last 11 years in Southern California is used to for a time called "summer"! I was able to get a bit of the summer feel with this Cucumber Tomato Salad. After Steve's first bite he even explained "this tastes like summer". This quick and easy salad tasted extremely fresh and healthy. The addition of the feta cheese and optional olives provided a nice contrast to the balsamic vinegar. Every summer while growing up my dad always had a much bigger than necessary garden. Lots of varieties of tomatoes were in abundance each year since they are his favorite veggie. One of my mother's favorites were the cucumbers which she would used to produce a couple varieties of popular pickles. This salad conjured up some nice summer memories of the Kansas farm (and some not so nice like the hours of pulling weeds in the heat and humidity!).

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Our neighbor's lemon tree has produced a bountiful crop this year and they recently told us we could take what we'd like. They didn't have to tell me twice! In search of a new recipe to try which featured fresh lemon, I thought a pound cake might be fun to try. The second cookbook I pulled off my shelf had just what I was looking for...Lemon Yogurt Cake. While it didn't have the usual richness from butter like a typical pound cake, it was wonderfully moist with a great flavor. In addition to the lemon zest providing a fresh flavor to the cake, the lemon syrup and lemon icing both delivered an amazing taste while not being too in-your-face with lemon. On my first attempt I simply poured the lemon syrup over the freshly baked cake as the directions indicated, but I ended up with too much of it saturating the top center of the cake and leaving it with a gooey under baked appearance (as you can see in the photo). My second attempt at this recipe produced better results and it was warmly received at the office. This time instead of pouring the syrup over it, I used a pastry brush and basted each of the sides and ends of the loaf several times to more evenly distribute the sweet lemon wonderfulness. The combination of sweet, tart, and rich moistness really make the cake outstanding!

Summer Green Beans with Sweet Onion, Bacon & Sea Salt

Oh, the smell of sizzling bacon. What a wonderful aroma. As it was frying the tantalizing scent immediately made we think of being in a country farm house on a cold winter morning. Or, perhaps a crowded diner for Sunday brunch. Instead, I was frying it up to make some fresh green beans a bit more interesting for dinner (and perhaps a little less healthy). I also caramelized a sweet onion and tossed it with the beans and allowed them to cook until somewhat tender. I finished this side dish with a sprinkling of sea salt and I must say, they went quickly and were rather delightful. The smoky, crisp bacon and surprising sweetness of the onion were a pleasant addition.

Nantes Carrots with Balsamic Glaze

After almost 11 years in the dry arid environment of Southern California, it's exciting to be in the lush, green Bay Area. The close proximately to Napa, Sonoma and other fertile farming areas like the Central Valley have quickly expanded our access to an abundance of organic fruits and vegetables. We recently signed up for a bi-monthly delivery of organic fruits and veggies to our home from Farm Fresh to You, which is a farm founded by a woman and her then-husband following her degrees from UC-Riverside and UC-Davis. Our recent delivery included Nantes Carrots, which are sweet, mild carrots that were about 4-6" long. After sautéing them in a butter/olive oil combination, I finished them in Balsamic Vinegar and allowed it to slightly thicken into a sweet and sour glaze. The carrots were tender on the outside while having just enough crispness hiding within to provide a bit of resistance to the bite. The freshness of the carrots left me longing in anticipation of the other yet-to-be-delivered summer goodies.

Lemon & Blueberry Coffee Cake

Now that we're out of our tiny temporary condo and into our Bay Area home, I've been itching to do some baking. The house next door has a large lemon tree in the backyard which was just too tempting since the home has been empty. The new buyers haven't moved in yet, so I couldn't resist this weekend by picking a few. Of all the wonderful options for fresh lemons, what to choose? Since we also had fresh organic blueberries, I set out to find the perfect combination for the fresh tartness of the lemons and the subtle sweetness of the blueberries. This Lemon & Blueberry Coffee Cake from Cooking Light magazine did the trick. Not only did I get my baking fix, but it went quickly at the office. As expected, the lemon and blueberry were an excellent pairing. Plus, the almond paste helped to produce an extremely moist texture while also adding an additional layer of flavor. I also enjoyed the crunchy texture of the sliced almond and cinnamon topping.

Roasted Veggies with Organic Mixed Greens & Herbs

As I mentioned previously, I enjoy roasted vegetables--they are easy to prepare and provide a more intensified flavor due to being caramelized. I cubed a peeled sweet potato several carrots, and an onion, and then tossed them in olive oil, salt, pepper, whole grain Dijon mustard, and garlic. They were roasted at 425 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. After slightly cooling, I used them to top off a salad of organic mixed greens with fresh herbs including dill, cilantro, and Italian parsley. A light drizzling of honey mustard dressing was the perfect pairing with the sweetness of the roasted vegetables.

Gnocchi Nicoise and Roasted Asparagus

This was my first attempt at Gnocchi Nicoise and I must say that it was one of the most flavorable dishes I have ever made! I was thoroughly pleased with the robust and well-rounded flavors produced by the bacon, orange peel, carrots, nicoise olives, shallots, and brandy. It was also a quick and easy recipe to prepare. For a side I roasted asparagus with salt, pepper, and olive oil, (400 degrees for 10 minutes) and then added grated Parmesan and heated for an additional two minutes. I love roasting vegetables due to the way it intensifies their flavors, and the rich saltiness of the Parmesan finished off the asparagus quite well.

Black & White Chili with Beer Bread

Prior to our move, I spent a few minutes during my lunch break one day browsing the magazine section in UCSD's campus bookstore. As usual, I eventually gravitated to the food and cooking themed section. The cover of Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers from America's Test Kitchen caught my eye. While giving it a quick flip through I couldn't help but be intrigued by their Black & White Chili. I immediately liked the flavor so much I've now made it a couple of times. I even took a crock pot full to work for a potluck lunch (where it was a big hit). It's a very fresh and light brothy chili compared to what most of us think of when we hear chili (not a heavy thick tomato based concoction). It was especially enjoyable paired with a slice of hot from-the-oven beer bread made which I'd prepared from a mix purchased at Trader Joe's. Now that it's been a few weeks, I am ready for another bowl of it!

Wine Brownies

A few months ago I discovered Irvine's Marche Noir bakery which incorporates "wine flour" into pasta and baked items. I hadn't previously heard of wine flour, so I was intrigued and decided to check out their selection. According to their web site, when grapes are squeezed during the wine making process, the skins and seeds (known as pomace) "not only imparts flavor to the wine, but also gains flavor in the process", and "if dried and milled properly, it becomes a nutritious fragrant flour. High in iron, fiber, and Res-V as well as antioxidants."

I was able to easily order from their web site a sampling of each their brownies: Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Currant & Cherry. The brownies offered a rich chocolate complexity (like any good brownie), while also providing a unique undertone from the wine flour. The brownies went fast, so I'll be curious to try some of their other products soon.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Shitake Mushrooms & Chicken

I'm really embarrassed by how long it's been since my last posting. We spent much of March packing for the big move from San Diego to the Bay Area. Since our arrival on April 1st, most of my time has been spent acclimating to the new job (at Cal Berkeley) and surroundings. Since we're also in a one bedroom rental condo until the closing of our house on May 21st, there hasn't been much of an opportunity to cook with the limited resources of the kitchen.

I love almost any pasta dish, especially those with a cream sauce, which I try to avoid due to the fat and calories. This dish was my attempt at a creamy white sauce that was a bit more guilt-free. I sauteed an onion with chicken, garlic and shitake mushrooms, then added sour cream and a can of cream of mushroom soup (thinned slightly with the pasta water). Garnished with Italian parsley and freshly grated Parmesan, it was satisfying, delicious, and pretty simple to throw together.

Cheddar Dill Cornbread

A nice bowl of hot soup or spicy chili is always that much better with Cheddar Dill Cornbread. I'm not sure how you can ever go wrong with cheese and bread together, and the dill sent this to a whole new level. While the amount of flour versus cornmeal in this recipe produces more of a "bread" consistency than the typical texture of cornbread, it otherwise was a wonderful compliment and I'll be craving a piece tonight.

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Grilled Chicken

I love almost any pasta dish. Since we're in the process of packing to move from San Diego to Berkeley, recently we were again looking for an easy dinner which wouldn't dirty up a lot of dishes. I grabbed a bag of lemon pepper pasta (from Trader Joe's), tossed it with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and grilled chicken. I then garnished it with freshly grated parmesan and Italian parsley. It was a very nice deviation from pasta with the usual red sauce. The lemon and pepper were a delightful combination and the freshness of the lemon juice imparted a refreshing and healthy nuance to the dish. My sister Anita enjoys making pasta, so I wonder if she's tried the lemon and pepper combo.

Turkey Meatball Subs with Spicy Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Now who wouldn't like this as a quick and easy dinner, Turkey Meatball Subs with Spicy Red Bell Pepper Sauce? I simply took some frozen turkey meatballs which I had from Trader Joes and combined them with a jar of pasta sauce from Safeway, Spicy Red Bell Pepper Sauce. I added them to a sourdough roll and toasted it with freshly grated parmesan, and it was a very tasty and easy weeknight dinner. The meal was rounded-out with a black eyed pea and veggie salad from Costco.

Extraordinary Desserts

We went yesterday afternoon to Extraordinary Desserts to celebrate the sale of our home, since we'll be moving next month from San Diego to the Bay Area. Karen Krasne and her staff do an amazing job at both of their locations (Little Italy and Balboa Park). I wish my photography skills were up to par with their unbelievable dessert presentation abilities. Every one of their desserts are simply irresistible and the quality is always off the chart! We enjoyed immensely the Chocolate Macadamia Torte and the Roasted Coconut Cream Cake, but perhaps next time I'll try the Lemon Bars or Chocolate Truffle Loaf (also pictured here). I read once that Karen grew up in San Diego and since she was an avid surfer she picked Hawaii for her college destination. After completing a degree in nutrition she eventually made her way to France for culinary studies (obviously in pastries). Whatever her background, I'm so glad she's been able to share her remarkable talents with San Diego.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Zesty Slaw

During one of my recent episodes of channel surfing between my usual favorites (two channels of HGTV, one of DIY, and two of the FoodNetwork), I landed on The Neely's making Pulled Pork Tacos with Zesty Slaw. The pulled pork was very nicely flavored and I loved having it featured as a taco. The citrus and chili powder were a nice compliment to one another. While their Zesty Slaw was anything but zesty, it was at least a healthy and fresh side. I will look forward to again making these tacos.

My Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Since I wear contacts I can chop onions by the bag without tears, but nevertheless, I love using my Alligator. During a cooking class as part of a staff retreat last year at Great News Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach, I was introduced to the Alligator. While I've been known to love kitchen gadgets (and probably have many more than I need), I most frequently use the Alligator to quickly and uniformly chop onions. Since I love onions and they are a staple in so many recipes I make, the Alligator makes chopping them a breeze! Give it a try.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

I recently was battling a cold and sore throat. When you're under the weather and you can't have mom's chicken soup, why not kick it up a notch to something even better? I revisited another winning recipe from one of my favorite chefs, The Barefoot Contessa, with her Chicken Stew with Biscuits. It's a hearty casserole that is the ultimate challenge to even the toughest cold. I roasted the chicken breasts the night before which made it more manageable with the clock, although it is not a difficult recipe. This recipe also make for great leftovers which were easily reheated in the oven. I'll definitely be making this dish again, although I think next time I'll try sauteing the pearl onions with the chopped onions in hopes of mellowing out the stronger than desired flavor they provided.

Pumpkin Pancakes

As my family members can confirm, I'm known for loving dishes containing pumpkin. Is there a better way to start the weekend than Pumpkin Pancakes? The blend of spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves were the perfect complement to the pumpkin. This recipe is a keeper!

TJ Dog with TJ Corn

San Diego's border city, Tijuana, is known for their TJ (Tijuana) Dogs which are sold by street vendors. A Friday night seemed the perfect time to try the two newest menus items at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Lucha Libre. Their TJ Dog is a bacon wrapped hot dog (and if that's not good enough by itself!), piled with grilled red and green bell peppers and onions. A hit of mustard, mayo, and spices topped off this delectable combination. I left Lucha Libre wondering why I had only ordered one, it was that amazing! Their Mexican-inspired TJ Corn was also a pleasant medley of flavors. The sweet yellow corn was enhanced by the queso enchilado (aged cheese with spices and chile), lime, mayo, and chile. For those of you in San Diego, I highly recommend both of these new dishes, but you also can't go wrong with any of their gourmet tacos or other menu items. Be sure to indulge in the Creamy Cilantro Salsa (now that's a recipe I would pay for!).

Ice Cream Bar with Chocolate and Toasted Almonds

I don't need a hot summer day, I can easily enjoy ice cream anytime of the year. I'm a big wimp with the cold in the winter, but not even that will stop me from a good ice cream experience! If you haven't already discovered this amazingly inexpensive treat--a mere $1.50 at Costco's food court--you can enjoy this incredible vanilla ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and rolled in toasted almonds. The large size is impressive as well as the high quality of the ice cream and almonds.

Scallop Potatoes with Ham & Green Chilies

The cater for our office holiday party in December provided an excellent feast including carved turkey breast, prime rib, stuffing, gravy, and lots of sides. I might have normally passed up the scallop potatoes with ham, but I was intrigued as soon as I spotted the green chilies. While I've had scallop potatoes many times before, I had not had them with chilies. I was really impressed by the additional layer of flavor the chilies provided to what is not normally that interesting of a dish. I recently tried to recreate this by starting with the Betty Crocker Cheesy Scallop Potatoes recipe to which I added a small can of green chilies. While my concoction didn't have the level of rich, creaminess as the cater achieved (but I hadn't used cream like they may have), it was still a pleasant, comforting meal for a cool winter evening.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

We recently had some corn tortillas leftover from pulled pork tacos which I'd made, so I didn't want them to go to waste. I remembered having seen Martha Stewart use corn tortillas to make homemade tortilla chips (okay, maybe semi-homemade). By simply brushing them with olive oil, lightly sprinkling with salt and chili powder, cutting into pie shape wedges, and baking for 18-20 minutes, we had really good tortilla chips, perfect for game-day nachos.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Five to six times a week my day begins with a bowl of oatmeal, so I look forward to Sunday mornings as an opportunity to get the day started with something that is not eaten from a bowl. Since I had buttermilk remaining from another recipe (the Red Velvet Cake) and we had blueberries in the fridge, I whipped up these Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes. They were fluffy and packed with juicy blueberries (and really hit the spot since they weren't oatmeal!).

Scott's Short Ribs with Fennel and Leeks

The Christmas day champagne brunch at the Catamaran Hotel on Mission Bay at Pacific Beach included the most amazing braised short ribs. I couldn't help myself in having a second serving of them. They were simply so tender and moist with a rich flavor. I attempted this short ribs with vegetables recipe and found them to be very easily and flavorful. I also enjoyed the combination of vegetables which included fennel and leeks. It was a hearty meal for a January evening.

Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate Chips & Cream Cheese Icing

Several times now, one of my coworkers, Way-Jen, has brought in a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes which is located near her home in Mira Mesa. While all of the cakes that I've had the fortune to sample have been excellent, I was blown away by their Red Velvet Cake (with chocolate chips and cream cheese icing). It's not often when you are lucky enough to stumble upon a cake as moist and rich as their red velvet. I've been on the hunt for a recipe which will deliver the same degree of moistness and great flavor. Two years ago while home in the Midwest at Christmas, I tore out a red velvet recipe from one of Mary Jo's home magazines (with her blessing of course). I finally recently tried it. While I'm told it had great flavor and others seemed to enjoy it, I was disappointed that the moistness I was hoping to replicate from Nothing Bundt Cakes was not delivered by this recipe (even though it included buttermilk as is traditional in a Southern red velvet cake). If you know of a great red velvet cake recipe, please send it my way as the hunt is still on...

Salad with Herbed Baked Goat Cheese

A salad consisting of good ingredients like fresh greens and a nice, light vinaigrette can be so simple, yet very refreshing. Add some excitement like baked goat cheese, then you really have an enjoyable meal! Since I am usually pleased with all of her recipes, I first tried the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Salad with Warm Goat Cheese. While I heartily enjoyed the combination of flavors, I found the method of frying the bread crumb-crusted goat cheese a bit more difficult than I preferred (although her recommendation of using dental floss to slice the goat cheese worked superbly). In my search to find a better method, I discovered the Herbed Baked Goat Cheese Salad recipe with vinaigrette by Cook's Illustrated. It easily produced an even greater level of flavor and texture since the goat cheese was encrusted in chopped pecans (and I added the optional dried cranberries since I had them on hand). Plus, the method of freezing then baking the goat cheese proved much more effortless. If you're in the mood for something a bit lighter, plan ahead and give it a try (you'll need a couple hours of freezing time, but you can save a few minutes by buying herbed goat cheese instead of using plain then adding your own fresh herbs)!

Asparagus Flan with Chive Oil

To be honest, I was never a fan of Emeril Lagasse's show on FoodNetwork. I guess it was a bit too over the top for me (bam!). But I quickly became a fan of his show, Emeril Green, on the Planet Green network. I like the concept of his educating people on how to cook with foods they aren't used to using, plus the emphasis on organics via their set in a Whole Foods (or is it "whole paycheck"?) store. While I had only previously had flan as the familiar sweet dessert, I decided to give his Asparagus Flan with Chive Oil a try. I enjoy asparagus (especially roasted), and found this savory version of a flan to be rather enjoyable. While it may look intimidating, it really wasn't difficult. Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

Chicken Corn Chowder...Perfect for a cold/damp evening!

I appreciate receiving recipe suggestions from trusted sources. When my sisters Brenda and Debra told me they had made a yummy Chicken Corn Chowder over the holidays, I immediately wanted to give it a try. It was hard to pass up such rave reviews, especially when I've always been a fan of Corn Chowder. Since it's from Cooking Light, the typical cream or whole milk is replaced by pureeing half of the corn which provides the same texture. It's the perfect dish for a cool damp evening. I hope you'll enjoy this recipe too!

Lemon and Basil Eggs over Foccacia

We found ourselves looking for a creative way to use up the leftover ham from New Year's Day. Wow, what a delightful way to do it! I was intrigued by Giada De Laurentiis' Lemon and Basil Eggs over Foccacia, and decided to slightly alter it to incorporate cubed ham. While the dish almost became a disaster when the foccacia was slightly burned during the first stage of baking (but it was easily salvaged), and while it may not have looked quite like Giada's, it was packed with flavor and will sure to be one of our favorite comfort foods. This recipe is a keeper!

Cowboy Cookies

Most people kick-start fitness and weight loss resolutions for the new year. Since we didn't make the trek to the Midwest this year for the holidays--thus missing out on all of Mary Jo's sweat morsels--I wasn't quite ready to end the holiday vacation without an excellent cookie. On January 1st I found myself making an old favorite cookie which I discovered a few years ago printed in the Riverside Press Enterprise. It's an outstanding cookie packed with lots of goodness such as coconut, nuts, cinnamon, and of course chocoloate chips! After a bit of indulging and feeling satisfied, the majority of the cookies went to my office with me on January 4th to wreck havoc on new year's resolutions newly set by my co-workers.

Cowboy Cookies

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 T. baking soda

1 T. cinnamon

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. butter, at room temp.

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. packed light-brown sugar

3 eggs

1 T. vanilla

3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

2 c. chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients (excluding oats) in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugars; beat to combine about 2 minutes. Add eggs one a time. Beat in vanila. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans.

Drop 1/4 cup of the dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.

The Feasting Fork blog now launched!

Our home, circa 1980, came complete with a dated kitchen. Its features included ugly chipped cream tile countertops with dark brown grout (which looked anything but sanitary even after hours of cleaning), a refrigerator placement which didn't permit the door to fully open, cabinets which were difficult to completely utilize, ineffective lighting, and unncessary walls which didn't allow for today's more desired open floor plan. After hours of toiling over a couple of months (the true meaning of "sweat equity"), 2009 brought a new kitchen ready to be christened. The new kitchen complete with warm cherry cabinets, expansive quartz countertops, and a much more user friendly floor plan, furthered my desire to cook. A bit of post-Christmas holiday boredom then led to the idea of a food blog for 2010. The goal is to share my passion for preparing good food, while having the opportunity to road test new creations to share with others.