Last November when I was trying to make a decision about the turkey we’d prepare for Thanksgiving, quite by accident, I saw a news segment about a local turkey farmer.  In San Diego?  I immediately researched to find that yes, we really did have someone who raised turkeys in Valley Center, just north of San Diego.  Of course I jumped at the opportunity and ended up not only with an excellent organic turkey, but I was able to meet the farmer, Jack Ford of Taj Farms who delivered the bird to my kitchen.  We had a great talk about how he started raising poultry and other animals on a farm that actually began as a hobby.  But this isn’t about the turkey.

It’s about pork.

When Jack was discussing his farm with me, I learned he had a whole pig available for purchase. Yes.  A whole pig.  It had been lovingly raised for another family who had to back out of their purchase at the last minute.  Bear in mind there are just two of us in this house, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity so called my best friend who, being the intelligent woman she is,  also understands the value of amazing pork and asked if she’d split it with us.  Surely, 150 lbs. couldn’t be that much to split, could it?  Goodness.

Jack delivered it and honestly, it was much more pork than I imagined it would be.  In fact it was much more than Jack thought it would be — 50 lbs. more.  In anticipation of the pork’s arrival, I’d cleaned out the freezer in my kitchen and completely gutted the small freezer in the fridge in our garage, but I had no idea my split of an entire pig could amount to so much.  Visions of bacon flavored everything began swirling in my mind as I looked at the mound of individually wrapped pieces of frozen meat covering most of the counter space in my kitchen.  Perhaps I might purchase a porkie food truck and sell to the masses — or at least a few dozen pork lovers every now and then.  Surely it would take forever to eat it all.

Beyond pulling a chair up to the table, grabbing a fork and knife, and donning a bib, where does one begin when faced with a 22 lb. fresh ham, a 10 lb. shoulder, two lovely loins with ribs attached, ham steaks, ham hocks, ends, neck bones, small ribs for barbeque, ham steaks, lots of bacon and country sausage — and half a head.  Yes, I was indulged the head and will blame its yet to be determined destination on Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry cookbook.  Oh, the true thrill planning gives me!

I started with the largest piece — the ham –  more for a practical reason than anything else.  I’d been forced to put it in the extra fridge because I was out of freezer space and since it was frozen solid, I knew I had a bit of time to decide what to do with it before it completely thawed.  Jack suggested brining it and since I’ve been brining our turkeys for years and have also brined a bit of pork before, I decided to go that route.

I’d never prepared a fresh ham before, and from what I knew about a traditional ham, by most people’s standards today, this huge piece of meat wasn’t technically a ham.  Or was it? Originally, the “ham” or hind leg of a pig was cured by salting, then smoking, so that it could be preserved through the winter months.  That salty, smoky taste is what many think of as ham.  What I had was a piece of raw pork just waiting for treatment.  And once I’d decided upon what that treatment was, I knew I’d also have to figure out how to cook it because the guidelines for “cooking” a store-bought ham wouldn’t apply here.  Often, the hams prepared and sold in the market are halved into either a butt — the upper portion — or the shank — the lower portion.  We’ve all seen whole hams as well, but like the smaller cuts, they’re most often already wet cured with salt and nitrates — often injected directly into the meat for quick curing, then smoked.  This process is what preserves the pink color of the raw meat which is associated with mass produced hams.

Who knew I’d find so many differing opinions about how to prepare it.  Some preferred a simple roasting with preparation involving scoring the skin and fat layer, then nestling cloves of garlic in the cuts.  Alas, my fresh ham did not have skin or fat.  And there were many who felt that a fresh ham was absolutely no different than a shoulder, so why prepare it differently?  A pork roast is a pork roast, right?  When you consider that on any animal, each set of muscles is used differently, no, one piece isn’t like the other so needs to be prepared differently in order to make sure it turns out best.  Tougher cuts of meat do well with braising, or cooking slowly in liquid, and others benefit from roasting whether on the grill or in the oven.  Because a fresh ham is a fairly lean piece of meat, roasting is best.  But at what temperature, and for how long?  It seems there are a variety of preferences to that  as well.

Because so many who have worked with fresh hams before have had the skin and fat attached, a high heat for some portion of the initial roasting time was recommended.  I have done that with large cuts of beef before and thought the end product was excellent, but again, my fresh ham lacked both.  I wondered whether it really mattered or not because ultimately the point of the high temperature is to get a good brown on the exterior of the meat, allowing all the interior fat to be sealed in as much as possible as it slowly breaks down during the roasting time.

My head full of all things fresh ham, I decided on Chef Ryan Farr’s “Chile-Brined Fresh Ham” recipe.  When we visit San Francisco and stop by the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building on Saturday, we love to visit 4505 Meats booth to order from their ever changing menu and love every bite, so how could I go wrong?  Besides, he had me at “chile.”

Spicy meat?  Oh, yeah

Chile-Brined Fresh Whole Ham Recipe

Ingredients

4 c. kosher salt

2 c. raw sugar

6 qt. cold water

1/2 c. black peppercorns, crushed

1/2 c. migonette pepper

1/3 c. dried red chilies, crushed

8 whole cloves

4 c. ice cubes

1 20-lb. bone-in fresh ham

2 c. poultry stock*

Directions

1. Combine the salt and sugar with 2 quarts of the water in a large pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and add the peppercorns, migonette pepper, dried red chilies and cloves.  Pour into a large kettle and add the rest of the water and ice.  Stir occasionally until the ice completely melts.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Place the fresh ham into a sturdy bag large enough to hold the ham and all the brine.  Set it in a roasting pan for easy transport and stability.  Pour the brine over the ham to completely cover.  Twist and secure the bag.  Place in the fridge and allow to brine for at least 30 hours.
4. Remove the ham from the brine and remove the bits and pieces of brine spices.  Place on a rack in a large roasting pan.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Roast the ham for 1 one hour, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees, pour a cup of water into the bottom of the roaster, and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the ham in the thickest area without touching a bone registers 150 degrees –about 20 minutes per pound.
7. After removing the ham from the oven, allow it to sit covered with foil at least 30 minutes.
8. Pour pour any juices collected in the roasting pan through a fine meshed strainer into a sauce pan making sure to skim off any fat.  Add the poultry stock*, and heat over medium high until it reaches a boil.  Remove from heat.
9. Serve slices of the ham with the warm jus.

Notes

• Don’t be afraid of the spice in this — it’s quite mild.  In fact, I think I’d double it next time.  The original recipe calls for fresh Thai or serrano chilies, and they can get pretty warm, so who knows, but I always have lots of dried red chilies around.  My friend grows them, and I can’t use them fast enough, so dry them and run them through the spice grinder when I want to spice something up.  It’s an excuse for another experiment to see if the fresh ones are more spicy in a brine.  I have plenty of pork available to find out, don’t I?
• *The original recipe calls for chicken broth, but I’d made fresh stock with the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving and froze it. I’ll get around to writing about it one of these days.  Maybe.  I’m so far behind on my writing it’s ridiculous.
• The outside of this ham crusted up very nicely even without the skin which was a nice surprise, but I’m still wondering about what the crispy skin might have been like.  Next time.
• I used the migonette pepper because I had it on hand after my friend shared her stash with me and liked the idea of the coriander in it working well with the chilies.
• The flavor of fresh ham is nothing like a traditional ham — yet it isn’t the same as pork shoulder.  The meat is quite tender, has a velvety texture, and is very moist.  The jus is a very nice touch and adds a rich flavor to finish.
• Very little fat came from this ham — I was quite surprised.
• We didn’t put a dent in the quantity of meat this ham produced, but enjoyed a couple of meals with sliced ham, and after dividing it up into manageable packages, have shared some with my family, frozen quite a bit, have made soup, lentils, and beans with ham, and I’ve also used the meaty bones to make a large quantity of ham stock.  Lots and lots of recipes coming which means I will have to post more often, right?
• This is been a tasty and informative experience so far.  For future reference, I’d say a pig the size of the one we bought could easily be slit four ways unless someone has a big family.
• Don’t mistake pork shoulder for a leg of pork or fresh ham.  I’ve eaten much more pork shoulder over the years, and the taste and texture are definitely different.  Ham is very lean whereas the shoulder has quite a bit of fat inside it which is what makes it the perfect cut to roast very, very slowly at low temperatures.
• For other good discussions on roasting a whole fresh ham, check out the Chowhound discussion thread here and here.  I enjoy reading the Chowhound threads because so many people chime in with their cultural and family experiences with food.  Often, I’m able to decide whether I want to follow a recipe closely, or adapt it using a variety of adjustments based on what I’ve gathered.  I highly recommend it if you’ve got the time.
• General information about pork — including recommended cooking temperatures –  can be found here.
• Jack Ford  can be reached at Taj Farms and I understand he’s been quite busy with new litters of cute pigs.

Fresh Ham Recipes Around the Web

Leite’s Culinaria — “Roasted Fresh Ham with a Maple-Spice Glaze”

Food52 — “New Year’s Day Fresh Ham”

Four String Farm — “Fresh Ham Roast Recipe”

Imperfect Happiness — “Roast Fresh Ham with a Side of Kale and Blackeye Peas”

I have a page torn from the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light that has been in and around various rooms in our house.  I see it most when I’m not interested in it, wedged between food magazines stacked at the end of the sofa, sticking out from between the pages of one of the cookbooks I’ve been leafing through, or inserted next to the telephone with take-out menus and reminders of dentist appointments.  The now wrinkled page is from The Hungry Traveler section and sports a recipe on each of its sides, but I have paid little attention to one of them because the salad is what originally caught my eye.  It had all the right flavors in it for what I thought was a special occasion salad — one served on a holiday.  I suppose it caught my eye because I’d been making a salad somewhat like it for years, but there was a bit of a different spin on this one, and so I tore it out before tossing the magazine in one of my manic magazine thinning moments.

I’ve never been able to completely understand how this happens.  So many bits and pieces of our lives are tucked here and there — or not — and are so much more important, yet are lost.  We took the time to put them in a special pile of special things so we could put a finger on them in  a second when needed, priding ourselves for our organizational skills.  But when we need them, we can’t find them.  Clearly, a file folder isn’t our idea of being organized.  Perhaps I should rethink the entire thing, allowing the important things to also slip between magazines or beneath the sofa, trusting that when needed, they’d miraculously appear.

So why this salad?

I think it was the dressing.  I’m always ready to try something light and flavorful, but different than our usual citrus vinaigrette — if you can call it that.  We squeeze citrus over our salads before drizzling extra virgin olive oil and call it dressing.  But once in a while, I do enjoy actually making dressing and this one included dried apricots.  When I first read it, I thought the apricots were mixed into the salad because that’s what I’ve done over the years — their bit of sweetness mixed with the other ingredients is wonderful.  I was wrong, and when I finally looked carefully realized the apricots are blended in.

What a delicious difference.

I suppose I should be thankful the torn page has not been lost or I’d have never realized my mistake.  And I’d throw it in the trash at this point, but the recipe on the other side has finally gotten my attention, so I know I’ll have to make that soon to relieve  the poor page from its duty.

Green Salad with Blood Oranges, Apples, and Hazelnuts

Dressing Ingredients

1 T minced shallot

1-1/2 T champagne vinegar

1 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 T honey

1 T Dijon mustard

1 dried apricot, chopped

1 T hazelnut oil

2 T extra virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt

pinch of cracked pepper

Salad Ingredients

2 big handfuls salad greens

1 Belgian endive, sliced lengthwise

1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

1/4 c. hazelnuts, halved

1-2 slices prosciutto, sliced into strips

1/2 apple, such as Honeycrisp

1 blood orange, peeled, sliced and segmented

Directions:

1. Make the dressing first by combining the first six ingredients in a blender, or in a narrow container and use an immersion blender to process.  Add the oils slowly while blending.  Season and taste, then set aside.
2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl or serving platter and toss lightly with a bit of the dressing.  Add the remaining ingredients either directly to the greens, or plate the greens, then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Drizzle additional dressing over the salad, or serve on the side.

Notes:

• This is one of the most flavorful, elegant salads I’ve ever had and I doubt I’ll ever tire of it.
• The dried apricot adds a truly wonderful flavor to the dressing and is sweet enough that reducing the amount of honey by half would work well enough.
• I’ve tried the dressing unblended, and it’s still wonderful.  Just mince everything well, then drizzle in the oil as you whisk.
• If you’re not into the prosciutto, it’s great without it, but the saltiness is quite nice with the apples, and the tartness of the citrus.
• If blood oranges aren’t available, regular oranges are great, too — just not as tart.  Ruby red grapefruit would also be nice.
• I used raw hazelnuts, but I know they can be pricy, so pecans are good, as are walnuts which are probably best.
• Hazelnut oil is one of those pantry ingredients I always have.  I started buying it years ago when a local restaurant created a salad I loved and shared the dressing ingredients with Bon Appetit — one of which was hazelnut oil.  It’s got a wonderful flavor, but needs to be used sparingly.
• Any kind of apple will work with this mix — just leave the peelings on for that added zip in flavor.
• If you’re not a fan of blue-veined cheese, then try Feta, or for a more mild, creamy flavor, goat’s cheese.  Shaved Parmesan works as well.
• The Belgian endive helps make that perfect forkful — it can be bitter by itself and is an acquired taste, but mixed with the other ingredients is wonderful.  Try adding arugula to the mix instead, or radicchio.  Or both.
• Have fun experimenting with this salad — it seems you can’t go wrong with the possibilities.

Progress Report:

I wanted to update you on my progress on eating more healthily, working on more consistent exercise, and generally looking at my food-centric life just to hold myself accountable.  And guess what?  With just a couple of days shy of six weeks, I’ve lost 9 lbs. so am more than on track to make my goal by September of 50 lbs. lost and getting my hands on that new camera.  Funny thing, though.  I’ve sort of forgotten about the camera which is wonderful.  My husband has been working on his health as well (he’s down 13 lbs.), so that has made it fun — yes, fun.  And it doesn’t feel like we’re on a diet because we’re not following a particular “recipe” for losing weight or getting into shape.  We’re basically counting calories without splitting the exactness hair that calorie counting feels like at times, paying close attention to eating three distinct meals a day with a morning and afternoon snack, and avoiding carb-filled food such as bread, pasta, and rice.  My husband has been more diligent about exercise than I have, but we are managing to get about four days of seven in and when we do, shoot for a full hour’s workout which is heavy on cardio.  I’ve discovered that I’ve spent most of my life not eating until noon which is an extremely bad habit.  The other thing I’ve learned in counting calories is that I have not been consuming enough calories — or in many cases, a much too low number of calories until dinner.  So it seems at least with my body, the old eat to lose weight theory seems to work.  We’ve had dessert a couple of times since beginning because we like dessert, and remember, we’re not on a “diet.”  I’m actually using my Wii and enjoy it.  I weigh-in each morning (this was a challenge for me at first, because I’m used to weighing only once a week) and then if I’m not planning on a walk, then I do the strength-building exercises, the yoga, the balancing, and cardio workouts interchangeably.  It’s surprisingly more challenging than I originally thought and I do work up a sweat.  To help keep myself focused, I did take photos of myself and they’re on my desktop.  I don’t enjoy looking at them, but do.  So there you go.  Onward and downward, as the hubster says!  Wish me luck over the next day or so as I look to pass that magic first 10 lbs. lost!

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about locally grown food lately — not unusual for me by any means,  but my thoughts have just been more intensely focused.  So it shouldn’t be unusual for an article like “Butchers’ Banquet:  England’s Lincolnshire Wolds” published in the October 2011 issue of Saveur to have an impact on me.  I’m always looking for truly good recipes for traditional food, and even though I’m not British, I have solid connections.   In 1881 at the age of three, my great-grandfather sailed with his family from Newport, Wales to San Francisco hoping to find inexpensive land where his family might grow apples.  But that’s a story for another day.

This is more about the group of men mentioned in the article who have gotten together over years and years to enjoy a Sunday meal each week.  They know where the food has been grown, how it’s been grown, and have prepared it to showcase its quality.  Of course, it helps that they’re in the business.  I’d like to be invited to a table like that to hear the talk and understand more about what they know.  I’ll work on that from here in San Diego and maybe, just maybe, by the end of this year, I’ll know more about the more than 6,000 farms in our county and the farmers who tend them.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share these great Steak & Guinness pies with you.  My father-in-law loves Stilton and will jump at any excuse to tuck his napkin into his shirt and cozy up to a plate of hot food like this with a pint.  The recipe isn’t challenging, but does take some time, so plan ahead.  It’s worth it.

Steak & Guinness Pie Recipe

Filling Ingredients

¼ c. olive oil
1-1/4 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1″ cubes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
2 small carrots, thickly sliced
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 12-oz. bottle Guinness
1/4  cup flour
2 c. vegetable stock
2 tsp. mustard powder
1 bay leaf
1 T olive oil
10 oz. mushrooms, quartered
6 oz. English Stilton, crumbled
1 medium zucchini, sliced quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the crust, use the dough recipe from my Cornish Pasties .

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper, then brown in batches, removing to a bowl as it finishes.
3. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and rosemary to the skillet and saute until softened and just beginning to brown.
4. Pour in the Guinness and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring until mixed.
6. Add the browned beef to mixture along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl, the stock, mustard, and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook partially covered,  about 1½ hours.
7. Make the dough for the tops while the beef is cooking.  Wrap in plastic and chill until ready to use.
8. After the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
9. In another skillet, heat the 1 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook, stirring, until browned, then add to the beef mixture.
10. Add the Stilton to the mixture and stir in.  Correct seasoning.
11. Heat oven to 375°.
12. Divide beef mixture among four 6″ oven-proof bowls or pie pans able to hold up to 12 oz.
13. Roll the dough into a 14″ square and cut out four 6″ circles.  Press each circle gently down over the filling.
14. Brush the dough with the egg and with a pair of scissors, cut an “x” into the top of each.
15. Bake on a baking sheet until browned and bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from this one which accompanied the article linked above.
• I’ve made it a couple of times and although I have switched things up a bit each time, it’s just plain delicious.  Is there such a thing as gourmet pub food?
• The filling is very forgiving, but taking time to brown the meat properly without crowding it in the pan, and then allowing it to braise with the veggie mixture is key.
• You can make the beef mixture minus the Stilton a day ahead, covered in the fridge.  Reheat, add the Stilton, then place the dough on and bake.
• If you try the original recipe in the link, the purchased puff pastry is decent, but I loved the dough crust better.  It’s so easy to make — nothing fancy at all — give it a go!
• You’ll probably have dough and filling left over — I did each time I made it — so if you need to, you can probably squeak out six smaller pies.
• We enjoyed these pies with Bubble and Squeak.  Think mashed potatoes with veg and you’ll have it right.
• Now, for pork pie.  I have lots and lots of pork in my freezer from a local farmer.  Lots.

If the end of January is approaching then I know I can expect a variety of things:  emails from sites I subscribe to sharing the perfect Super Bowl snacks, bloggers swapping their tried and true party dish faves, and people talking about whether they’re planning on a game day get together or not.  None of it has been discussed in our house yet, because we’ve been busy, busy, busy with life enjoying a long weekend making like tourists in West Hollywood, soaking up the last bits of our youngest’s company before he returns to San Francisco for the spring semester, celebrating family birthdays and anniversaries, and in the past couple of days, nursing one of our cats back to health after a run in with a neighbor’s kitty.  Goodness!  And it’s not over yet.  Any time now, my husband will ask about what’s on our  Super Bowl agenda.  It always seems to be a last minute sort of thing most years, and that’s just fine with me because it doesn’t take too much thought to decide which snacks football fans will expect to have at their fingertips whether they’re for our small family, or a larger group.

I doubt there has ever been a time we haven’t had fresh salsa or pico de gallo with guacamole and tortilla chips.  A pot of chili with all the fixin’s and a salad for halftime eats are also the norm even though the chili recipe varies from one year to the next.  But I’m also known for sneaking in something that may raise eyebrows, causing certain guests to cast one another a nervous glance before pointing and asking, “What is that?” then politely suppressing the urge to continue with, “Do I have to eat it?”  as they reel their fingers back in.  Actually, they now ask, “How do I eat it?” because it seems my food often has rules that accompany it — or must seem like it does.   Is it supposed to be dipped, or layered?  Which of the ingredients on the plate create the best bite?  Is it finger food, or do I need a plate and fork?  To their credit, they seem much more enthusiastic than they did years ago, so I know my risks to encourage people to try something new haven’t failed, and that makes me happy.

They’ve long accepted they will never see “taco pie” loaded into a corn chip bag with a plastic spoon sticking out of it coming from my kitchen because they figure it’s something the snack bar on the Little League field sold when they were kids.  Once upon a while ago, they may have seen cheese sauce hot from the microwave ready to pour over their tortilla chips and call the mess nachos, (shhh…don’t tell anybody) but now, they get hummus or white bean and roasted garlic dip with toasted bread, crackers, or raw veggies and they like it.   And sometimes, they get to bite into spicy grilled sausages, nestled into a crusty sandwich rolls smothered with grilled onions and peppers, then topped with mustard.  That still counts as manly game day food, doesn’t it?  I hope so, because if it doesn’t, then my football party days are over.

Many of my close friends have been changing the way they eat for a variety of reasons.  Losing weight always seems to be on everyone’s mind, but honestly, as we’ve gotten older, lowering cholesterol or blood pressure, controlling Type 2 Diabetes, and yes, even learning to tolerate food during and after cancer treatment have far outweighed the desire to lose a few pounds for the sake of simply looking better in our clothes.  None of this has stopped us from enjoying the food we share when we get together because making sure it’s fresh and delicious is the ticket.

These crab stacks are the perfect party food.  They’re light, bursting with flavor, easily adaptable to a variety of ingredient choices, can be made in advance, and most importantly, fit nicely into anyone’s healthy life style.  I’ve been invited to Gojee’s virtual potluck and know people will enjoy it!  Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.  

If you’ve never visited gojee, then you’re in for a treat.

See you there!

Crab Stacks with Ginger Lime Dressing

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T agave nectar

6 T lime juice

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. pea shoots

1/4 c. Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c. cucumber, sliced

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1/4 c. mango, diced

1/4 c. avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, roasted and chopped

1/4 c. fresh crab meat

2 T chopped peanuts

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare ginger-lime dressing by mixing ginger, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic, and water. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours and as much as over night.
2. To assemble the crab stacks, you’ll need two cylinders such as dessert rings or recycled cans with the bottoms removed.
3. Lightly spray the inside of the cylinders with cooking spray, then line two small dishes with pieces of plastic wrap large enough to pull up and over the cylinders (you’ll need to do this after you’ve built the stacks) and place the cylinders on top of each.
4. Begin layering ingredients inside each of the cylinders in this order:  pea shoots, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mango, avocado, jalapeno, then finally, the crab.  Gently press down on each ingredient as you fill to make sure it’s securely layered.
5. If making ahead, pull the plastic wrap up over each and wrap, then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
6. To serve, choose a large platter and place each cylinder on it.  Unwrap and holding the cylinder with one hand, slide the plastic from beneath it.  Then slowly lift the cylinder, pushing lightly on the ingredients to reveal the stack.
7. Finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts and cilantro over each stack, sprinkle baby salad greens around the platter if desired, and drizzle with the ginger-lime dressing.
8. Allow everyone to admire the crab stacks before encouraging the first guest to dig in, scooping into the stack with crackers or toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Rappongi’s Chef Stephen Window’s Polynesian Crab Stack.  Rappongi’s is one of our favorite San Diego restaurants.
• The original recipe calls for sugar instead of the agave nectar and double that quantity.  I’m not fond of overly sweet salad dressing so prefer my adaptation more.  It allows for the flavor of ingredients to stand out instead of the sugar in the dressing.  Honey would be another good choice.
• I used canned crab meat for this recipe Blue Star.  It comes chilled in a 1 lb. can and is much more than is needed for this recipe, so I wrap it up and freeze it for a later use.  It’s pricey at about $16/lb. but when you consider all you can make with a pound, it’s worth it.
• Have some fun with the ingredients if those on the list above aren’t available to you.  Pea shoots are available at Whole Foods and Sprouts, but you could use a different type of sprout instead, or leave them out all together.
• Colorful bell peppers, either diced raw, or roasted and cut into strips would be a nice option.  Thinly sliced apple would also be delicious, grilled pineapple, or citrus such as blood orange slices, or grapefruit.  If you don’t like crab, then try shrimp or tuna.
• The peanuts add a nice crunch to the mix so if you can’t use peanuts, then try toasted pine nuts.  Even a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds would add a nice touch.
• If you’re in the mood for a treat, just make one of these crab stacks for yourself and increase the amount of salad greens.  It makes a beautiful, elegant lunch, or starter for a special dinner.
• Speaking of salad greens, that’s my first ever crop of salad greens I’ve grown.  I have a pot just outside on my patio that barely gets enough sun in the winter, and so sprinkled the seeds over the soil my tomatoes are usually planted in.  The tender crop has somehow managed to escape the attention of snails so has done really well!  All in all, as much as it is interesting to do this, we eat so much salad, there’s no way one pot could ever keep up with us.  Still, I’m proud of my first effort!

 For more delicious crab recipes perfect for parties

Cayla’s Kitchen Sink — “Cold Crab Dip”

Pham Fatale — “Seafood Crab Salad”

Chez Us — “Hot Spicy Crab Dip”

You’ve promised your body that you will adopt a healthier lifestyle — something just shy of a “diet” because you know yourself too well.  If what you’ve taken on is reduced to that, it’s probably not going to last because you don’t believe in diets — and for good reason.  You’ve seen too many people begin with all the motivation they can muster, then when they realize the pounds aren’t falling off as quickly as they’d like, or that after what is considered a good effort, they’ve plateaued, motivation dwindles and the “diet” is quietly ignored.  I can’t risk that because my knees will never forgive me for having to carry around 50 pounds they hadn’t counted on at their age.

Poor knees.

Last September when I began to think about more obsessively about my weight and lack of routine exercise (no coincidence since I’d just turned 55) I began to find reasons to avoid the kitchen.  Meals became food I could easily pick up and eat with little or no thought.  I stopped looking at new recipes and rarely used one to try something new for dinner.  And baking?  I stopped that almost completely because it seemed pointless to bake something, taste it, then try to find a home for it outside of mine.  I’ve never been a big sweets eater, but I thoroughly enjoy spending a morning in the kitchen baking something — especially if it involves a little thought or teaches me something new.  I miss that and know baking needs to be a part of my life — as does dessert.

Dessert is a food group, isn’t it?

I’m kidding, of course, but the point is I want to bake and enjoy dessert occasionally so have to find a balance with desserts that showcase a simple fruit without a lot of added sugar or an excessive amount of fat, for example.

Something classic, satisfying.  Elegant, but not fussy.

With apples.

Glorious apples.

Just a small slice?

Yes, please.

 Apple Tart Alsatian Style Recipe

Crust Ingredients

1-2/3 c. all-purpose flour

8 T butter, cold unsalted

1 whole egg

1 T sugar

pinch of salt

1-1/2 T cold water

Filling Ingredients

1/3 c.  blanched almonds

1/4 c.  sugar

1 T  all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 T Applejack or brandy (optional)

2 lbs. Honey crisp apples

apricot jam melted for glaze

Directions

1. Attach the metal blade and put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse ingredients just until a ball begins to form on the blade.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to lightly knead, using a pulling away action with the heel of one hand lightly pulling the dough away from the other.  Continue a few times until the dough is smooth.
4. Dust the dough with flour and make a flattened disk, cover well and chill while you make the filling.
5. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the rack to the lowest position.
6. Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and run until reduced to a fine powder.  Add the flour and yolks, then process until the mixture is paste-like.  Pour the milk in and process until mixed well.  Add the flavorings and mix well.  Set aside.
7. Lightly butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
8. Remove the pastry from the fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a round disk about 1/4″ in thickness and 14 inches in diameter.  Place it over the tart pan and remove the excess dough.  Gently press the dough against the sides of the pan and lightly prick the bottom with a fork.  Chill.
9. Peel the apples.  Position each apple with stems pointing upward.  Cut down through the apple on opposite sides, running parallel with the core.  Do the same for the remaining two sides.  Your apples will be quartered and cored.
10. Place each apple quarter cut side down and make thin slices across the width of each piece.  Slide an offset spatula beneath each quarter and gently press down with your hand to slightly “fan” the pieces, being careful to hold the general shape of the apple quarter.  Arrange in the chilled tart shell.  Once the sliced quarters have filled the ring and center of the tart shell, dice the remaining apples to fill in between the sliced quarters.
11. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the apples.
12. Place the tart on a baking pan and slide it into the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and continue baking until the crust and apples are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the tart pan.  After removing the ring, run an offset spatula beneath the tart to remove it from the metal bottom before allowing it to cool on a baking rack.
14. Heat the apricot jam and using a pastry brush, gently coat the top of the tart as it cools.
15. Once cool, remove to a serving platter.

Notes:

• Having always been a lover of French cooking, I recently purchased French Classics Made Easy by Richard Grausman, thinking it would be nice to learn some new tips for making some of my favorite recipes less fussy.
• I tried this tart recipe first because I’ve always wanted to learn how to structure one in this Alsatian style, which can be used for any fruit such as pears, apricots, or plums.  It’s pretty easy as long as you have an offset spatula.
• What isn’t necessarily easy about making this tart is getting it completely out of the tart pan when it’s hot from the oven.  Not only is the ring hot — if the bottom of the crust isn’t done, then getting it off the metal bottom to cool on a rack is a challenge.  Mine wasn’t completely done, so I put it back in the oven (it was turned off, but still very hot) without the baking pan beneath it for about 5 minutes.  I was able to remove the bottom then.  I guess my worries about a tart pan sitting directly over the heat on the bottom rack of a 500 degree F oven even for 10 minutes should have been ignored.  If I’d decided to put the tart in there without the baking pan from the start, I probably would have been able to remove the tart from the metal bottom easily.
• If Honeycrisp apples aren’t available, try any apple that holds up well in the oven — Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn, Winesap, Gala, and many more.  Check your regional resources for what’s most available and when.
• So what about the diet?  Well, traditionally, this type of tart is make with a very rich custard, but this one is pretty much made of fruit.  The crust is very thin — you know where I’m going with this.  Moderation! Enjoy a small piece and share the rest.  And, I made this tart early last October, so it wasn’t a current temptation, but biting into it is all about the apple.  Nothing overly sweet, and definitely without any kind of eggy custard flavor that I know many don’t always like.  It’s a pleasant recipe easily made with whatever fruit you have available.
• I need another cookbook like I need another leg, but I’m glad I decided to get this one.

Apple Tart Recipes from Around the Web:

Beyond the Plate — Apple Tarts (Tarte Aux Pommes)

My Baking Addiction — Custard Apple Tart Recipe

Gimme Some Oven — Easy Apple Tart

Sprinkle Bakes — Easiest Ever Rustic Apple Tart

It’s that time of year, isn’t it?  The time that many think of being more healthy, adding wholesome food to their diets, exercising more, and yes, losing weight.  There’s nothing quite like a fresh, new calendar year and January 1st to motivate us — even those of us who enjoy telling others resolutions oriented to the above mentioned actions — or any action — are just not our cup of tea.  I am in that group, and smirk at my reflection when I pause long enough to look knowing I’m fooling only myself and that much of my resistance to making New Year’s resolutions has to do with a variety of things, not the least of which is that I know I can make a decision at any time of the year to make a change in my habits.  Why wait for a particular day?

Here and there throughout each week, each month, each year, I am rarely free of thinking about whether I’ve eaten enough vegetables, enough whole grain, food packed with essential vitamins and minerals, drunk enough water, kept portions reasonable, made sure I ate breakfast, use mono-saturated fat in controlled amounts, watch the sugar I stir into my coffee, and work to balance protein and carbs.  Knowing what to eat and how much of it to be in good health is one thing, and living a healthy life style entirely another.  I love to tell myself that all is well because I very rarely eat fast food, or even buy food that is packaged for easy preparation or snacking.  I’ve baked almost nothing in months, and what has been baked usually leaves the house as soon as it’s out of the oven.  It’s never been difficult to avoid chips when they’re in the house, crackers, cookies, or any of the typical snack foods I know others have trouble with.  No, my weakness comes in a wine bottle — one that preferably contains white wine, but I’ll drink red with little or no arm twisting.  I sip, sip, sip it each evening — yes, each –  consuming all that sugar knowing that to make matters worse, I won’t exercise regularly, so the calories add up over time.  And?  It’s alcohol.

I know.

The math is fairly simple though.  If I cut out the wine and get out for a 3-mile walk each day, then surely, I will lose weight, right?  But I make no effort.

The last time I seriously made an effort was five years ago.  In fact it was the reason I started Sass & Veracity.  I thought that if I wrote about all things nutrition, diet, and weight loss, I’d be able to hold myself accountable and lose 50 lbs. in the process.  Losing fifty pounds would get me back to the weight I was in my mid-twenties after the birth of my two oldest boys.  The irony of that is I thought I was overweight then and probably eat far more healthily now (minus the wine).  Five years ago with approximately eight weeks of adopting a diet loosely based on The South Beach Diet,  and regularly scheduled exercise, I managed to lose 10 lbs.  But I struggled to get past a critical psychological point and lost motivation.  The exercise dwindled to be less routine, and well, here I am today, obsessed with the idea of being more thin, but never really doing anything about it.

I think one of the reasons I stopped writing here as much as I have in the past is that spending huge amounts of time thinking about recipes, buying food, writing about it, talking about it, and reading about it all day each day began to make me a bit crazy.  It takes quite a bit of seat time to accomplish that, and since I’m horrible at routine exercise unless it’s at the crack of dawn, my body doesn’t move that much. Counting the number of times I walk up and down our stairs every day doesn’t count.  My husband gave me a requested Wii for my last birthday because I thought it would be easier on my knee than getting out for a walk, and although I do love the yoga stretching and balancing, it’s not been used for more than racing cows on New Year’s Eve in quite a while.

Our complex has a nice little gym with everything I’d need to routinely work out.  There’s a lap pool as well.  Do I use them?  No.  An uninterrupted stretch of beach several miles long is a 5-minute drive from my house, and although I do enjoy walking there, I only manage it once or twice a month.  There’s a rowing machine in our garage propped against the wall that hasn’t been used in years.  I have two sizes of exercise balls, two sizes of hand weights, a stretchy thing with handles I use once every blue moon if it’s laying on the floor blocking my path to the kitchen, and a weighted ball with a handle I blame for the torn meniscus in my right knee I had surgery for a year ago.  I have a Pilates DVD, a great Pilates book, and a variety of On-Demand exercising videos available to me for free if only I’ll turn on the television and actually engage in the exercise. I’ve subscribed to Jillian Michaels and bailed after one workout.  ONE.  I joined Sparks People, set up a profile, and never returned. I ordered Sensa, tried it for two days and decided it was ridiculous, then returned it.  I think I actually was hoodwinked into purchasing Hoodia, but never used it.  I have watched and enjoyed The Biggest Loser for the past five or six seasons, amazed at how much weight the contestants lose, and am only motivated to get off the couch to use my 8-lb. weights to stretch a few times while it’s on.

It’s pathetic.

But when I think of going on a diet to assist me in changing some of my habits, I can’t help but feel so much of what I could achieve is temporary — or even dangerous.  Eating like a cave man?  Um, no thank you.  Subjecting myself to extreme detox diets to lose weight fast?  Not worth it.  A liquid meal substitute based diet?  Not when I know that eating fresh vegetables is ultimately more beneficial and with fewer calories than most liquid diets.  No, it has to be a combination of ideas — something with the support of a routine, eating and cooking food I already enjoy, and with flexibility I need built in. Most importantly, I need to be interested in it without it taking over my life.  Instead, it needs to become my life, quietly, and routinely — like nothing has changed.

I have no excuses.  I’m retired.  (Insert much happy dancing here!) I used to gaze longingly at the people going on their morning walk as I drove past on my way to work thinking, if only I didn’t have to go to work.  Even now, I see them outside the window next to where I’m sitting — walking, jogging, cycling — all while I sit on this ball thinking and writing.  So what are my obstacles, perceived or real?  My knee still bothers me, but I know which exercises will continue to strengthen it.  Spending time in the evening watching television with my husband could be an obstacle as well, but I’ll work on that. Ultimately, my biggest obstacle is doing anything mindless.  If I can’t read, or listen, think constructively, or plan while I’m exercising, it’s like being put in a cage.  Even music does little to fend off the crazies.  Is it possible to meditate while exercising?

So where is all of this going?  We’ll call it the starting line in the sand of a different direction with a predetermined destination.  And to make it legitimate:  reduce my caloric intake by 400 calories a day + increase calories burned by 400 a day.  It should take about 32 weeks to reach my goal weight of 140 lbs. just in time to celebrate a couple of milestones.  I’m not motivated by little black dresses or high-heeled shoes and never have been, but this could definitely keep me focused as a little reward.

So it appears I’m beginning something, doesn’t it?  Cheer me along, please?

Now, let’s have soup.

 Mulligatawny Detox Soup

from Gluten-Free Goddess

Ingredients

avocado oil

garlic

fresh ginger

curry powder

turmeric

cayenne

red onion

carrots

cauliflower

Granny Smith apples

sweet potato

cabbage

water

vegetable juice

chick peas

sea salt

coconut milk

lime

brown rice syrup

apple slices & cilantro

For ingredient quantities and directions, please visit Gluten-Free Goddess.

Notes:

• Mulligatawny soup is one of those things I’d heard of, but never tried.  Traditionally it’s made with a meat base but the variations on the basic recipe are numerous and often can be packed with calories.
• I made this soup a few months ago for myself thinking I’d nip the impending holiday indulgences in the bud before they happened, if that makes any sense at all.  Think prescriptive here.
• I tried it both chunky and pureed — both are packed with incredible flavor, so it’s up to you.  The puree is quite elegant and satisfying.
• It’s a rare event when I pull it off, but I followed Karina’s recipe exactly and so glad I did.
• I didn’t have either brown rice syrup or avocado oil, but located them at Sprouts.
• It freezes quite nicely in small lidded containers — enough for 1 good sized serving and makes enough to last a week.
• Perfect for now since giving your body a nice flush after all the food and beverage indulgences the last couple of months.
•  Turmeric gives this soup its bright color.  It’s known for its powerful anti-inflammatory qualities, even in very small quantities.  I truly enjoy its exotic taste and aroma.
• Avocado oil is a monosaturated fat (healthy fat) like olive oil, but is far more delicate in flavor, so it won’t have the tendency to stand out in a recipe like olive oil can.
• Ginger is best known for its ability to sooth the intestines — especially when they’ve been taxed.  Think ginger tea…
• Cabbage is also a powerhouse for anti-inflammatory benefits — and there’s a bunch of it in this recipe!

 Mulligatawny Soup from Around the Web:

We Are Never Full — “Mulligatawny Soup — The Brits Really Know How to Shake it Up”

 One Perfect Bite — “Mulligatawny”

Mele Cotte — “Secret Recipe Club:  Mulligatawny”

Making Life Delicious — “Mulligatawny Stew”