Joanne Weir food wine travel

joan boada and i dance in the kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Man, is it ever tough to get back into the swing of things, isn't it? I hit the ground running after the first and have been crazy busy ever since. Maybe I am just crazy but I love to be busy and have my hand in a thousand little projects. Are you the same way?

One of the projects that I've been telling you about is my new TV series, Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence, that premieres on PBS in most US cities this weekend. Here in SF, it's on channel 9 at noon!

I invited the crew over and I'm recreating the menu I did on the first show with my student Joan (that's pronounced JO-ON) Boada. If you're not familiar with Joan, he's one of the principal dancer for the San Francisco Ballet. Yes, Joan is a guy! If you don't know his name, you will remember it after watching my show. He's so damn handsome, he makes Clooney look like Godzilla.
Joan is genuinely interested in cooking and it's his first time cooking lamb. Wait until you see what he says about the lamb stew. You have to have the recipe!

I'll see you on Saturday, OK? Promise you'll watch! I want to know what you think. Yes, of Joan of course, but I also want to know what you think of the new series.

SPANISH LAMB STEW WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA, TOMATOES AND WHITE BEANS

Since fresh shell beans aren't available right now, substitute 1 cup dry white beans.

5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut from the shoulder or leg, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, fresh or canned
1 bay leaf
2 pounds fresh shell beans, shelled
½ pound dry chorizo, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon pimenton
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Hot green chilis, optional

In a large heavy soup pot, warm the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the lamb, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss the flour onto the top and stir together. Cook 2 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, bay leaves and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the beans and chorizo and simmer 40 minutes. Add additional water as needed.

Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan and add the paprika, pimenton and sliced garlic but don’t let it take on color. Pour this mixture over the beans and stir gently together. Add water if needed. Let simmer for 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt.

Serve garnished with hot chilis if desired .

Serves 6

my new year's resolution

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:36:00 +0000

What is it about New Year’s Eve? I remember when I was younger, I used go to parties and watch people drink and drink some more, get happy and happier, and then kiss the wrong person. These days, my favorite ways to spend New Year's Eve is with best friends and family toasting with rosé champagne and eating smoked salmon and caviar pizza. I love it when the clock strikes twelve and I'm kissing the right person.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
~ Bill Vaughn ~

As I thought about the new year or 2012, nostalgia and melancholy set in. 2011 was momentous for me. Losing my Dad had a huge impact. Sure, I’d lost my grandparents, my godfather, my favorite aunt and my husband’s brother but when it came down to it, really I knew nothing about the losing-your-parent club. And you never really understand that club until you're forced to join. The dues are horrible, the rules and regulations worse.

That was 2011. I’m truly looking forward to 2012 and my New Year's resolution...

Another fresh new year is here... Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give!
~ William Arthur Ward ~

I have so much to look forward to in 2012. My new TV show Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence will launch nationally on PBS on January 14 along with a video-centric companion app. Joanne Weir Wines, which you will very soon hear more about, will launch in February and in March/April I will open my first restaurant, Copita. I have a lot to be thankful for as well as having all of you in my life.

May this new year bring many opportunities your way to explore every joy of life. May your resolutions for the days ahead stay firm turning all your dreams into reality and all your efforts into great achievements.

Happy New Year and love to all!

abdoul's tangia recipe, morocco con't.

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:05:00 +0000

The phone rang really early this morning. Half asleep, I heard Abdoul’s voice.

“Good morning! How are you? When are you coming back? The weather is beautiful in Marrakech,” he said in one sentence.

“I’m counting the time until I can get back there!” I said as I fell back into a dreamy Moroccan state.

To round out the cast of characters on my Morocco trip…. I have to tell you about Abdoul.

Abdoul was recommended to me by Meryanne, owner of Jnane Tamsna, where I stayed with my students for 2 weeks in Morocco. She said I would love him, that he’s the guide of guides, knows everyone and won’t waste a minute of our time.

Abdoul is a guy who’s bigger than life in both stature and spirit. When I met him for the first time, I felt like I’d struck gold. And as the days passed, I got richer and richer.

Every day we wandered into the souk, the hub of life in Marrakech. It's full of bright color, a mix of sounds and smells of olive, saffron, mint and leather. And it's wild! Scooters buzzing by and hawkers selling everything from shoes and purses to ceramics and rugs.
On the first day, Lisa, one of my students saw a straw bag in the souk that she liked. She asked the price. I think the shop keeper wanted 100 dirham or about 12 bucks. Abdoul said, “We’ll give you 50!” at which point he handed her a 50 dirham bill and grabbed the bag. No fooling around.

“Hmmmmm “ I said kinda liking this guy. Nope, Meryanne was right, he won’t waste our time.

The next day in the medina or center of the old town, we passed the same woman selling straw bags. Another student, Susanne, decided she also wanted a bag. In Morocco, if you buy two of anything, it’s always cheaper. This time, since Abdoul got a better price for Susanne than the day before, he gave Lisa back a few dirham.

Yup, I really like this guy. He's not only a great bargainer, he’s honest, genuine and a great shopper showing us all of the best artisans. But what I loved most was that Abdoul showed us streets in Marrakech where no tourists venture. We saw the real souk, his medina.

And to give you an idea of his generosity… He knew we all loved food and cooking and all week he told us about this famous stew called a tangia that the men of Marrakech made.

Towards the end of the week, he came to our kitchen at Jnane Tamsna and brought all of the makings for a tangia. Don’t get tangia mixed up with tagine, a popular stew made in a conical pot. A tangia is a stew made in a tall terracotta urn that’s cooked overnight in the embers of the hammam.

In the kitchen that day, he assembled his famous tangia and carried it off to the hammam.

The last night, as we sat for dinner by the pool drowning in the light of a thousand candles and live Moroccan music, there was Abdoul, carrying the tagine, still warm from the embers.

Was it delicious? It was as warm, inviting and wonderful as Abdoul!

Oh, delicious too!

Abdoul's Tangia

6 pounds beef shanks
2 whole preserved lemons
2 heaping tablespoons ground cumin
12 whole peeled cloves garlic
5 tablespoons smen or preserved butter (or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup water

Rub the beef shanks with the preserved lemon. Place the shanks on the bottom of the tangia pot. Top with the remaining pieces of lemon, cumin, garlic, smen, saffron and water.

Place foil over the top and parchment on top of that. Tie securely with twine and place in the embers of a smoldering hamman (You have one in your backyard of course, don't you?) overnight.

In the morning, remove the twine, paper and foil. Give it a stir and serve this succulent stew.

Serves 10

morocco continued & 20 tagine recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0000

I'm a cooking teacher and anyone who has taken a class with me will be surprised to know that I relinquished that duty for a whole week when I was in Morocco. Was it intimidation or just a need for a vacation? Maybe a little of both.

When I arrived, Bahija, the chef and cooking teacher at Jnane Tamsna, met me wearing her chef's jacket, white apron and white head scarf . Full of enthusiasm and English words mixed with Berber and French, she apologized again and again for her English. I was the one who should be apologizing. My French is beyond rusty. Just getting off a week of teaching in Spain and my classes last year in Italy and Provence, my French had turned into a combination of languages I call Sfritalian.

Immediately I warmed to Bahija. How could I not? As she and I talked about the week, I knew we would end up being be friends.
"Class #1 will be chicken tagine," she said. The word tagine has two meanings,-- an aromatic stew and the conical terracotta vessel used for cooking the stew. I was excited.

For the next few hours as I unpacked and settled into my room that looked like a harem (and I say that in a good way), taxis stirred up dust in the driveway unloading my students and their luggage.

After everyone was settled into their rooms, we had an early dinner. It was a little different than my classes and the meals that I share with my students in Spain, Provence or Italy which can sometimes turn into a party. In a Muslim country like Morocco, though they make wine, wine and alcohol aren't so much of a focus. And you know, sometimes it's kind of nice to go to bed early and wake up the next day feeling good.

That next morning, after a breakfast of fresh mint tea, luscious fruit, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, and homemade wheat flatbread called khboz, we headed to the kitchen for our first cooking class.

Bahija was already in the kitchen with everything set out on a big marble table,--cutting boards, tons of spices, vegetables, dried fruit, almonds and a husky knife for everyone. And ofr the next couple hours, we concentrated on tagine basics, everyone making their own.
It was fun and the assortment of tagines, both sweet and savory were amazing. I stood back and let Bahija do the teaching. BTW there were no recipes. I decided the best thing I could do was to hand scratch the recipes with pen and paper and later transfer them to my iPad. Then we could print them for everyone.

It was tough for me though, I wanted to teach. I'm so used to it! A few times I bit my tongue when I wanted to teach a technique or trick. Can't I just show them how to peel ginger with the tip of a spoon or mince garlic with the back of a knife? It was everything I could do to keep my mouth shut. Instead I wrote...

When everyone had finished assembling their tagines, we brought them outside where we cooked them over individual braziers.

They didn't take long to cook. Maybe 30 minutes or so. When we brought them to the table and removed the covers, the aroma was intoxicating. One of my favorites was this one with grapes and raisins. Imagine the sweetness against the ginger, black pepper, saffron and turmeric.

Here is the recipe I wrote for the 20 or so tagines we made. And if you don't have a terracotta tagine, try using a stainless pot with a lid. It won't be same but when you smell the aromas of the tagine cooking in your kitchen, I promise you, the romance will take over and you'll think you're in Morocco.

CHICKEN TAGINE BASICS

2 pieces of chicken with the skin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced

In the tagine, place the chicken. Sprinkle with ginger, pepper, saffron, turmeric, olive oil and onion. Rub it into the chicken.

SAVORY TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

1/4 preserved lemon
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 clove garlic

Separate the skin from the flesh of the lemon. Chop the insides and thinly slice the peel. Top the chicken with the chopped flesh.

Mash the garlic and cilantro in a mortar and pestle. Top the chicken with the cilantro and garlic.

Finish with the various optional ingredients. Here are a few options.

Fennel
Sunchokes
Green beans
Carrots
Olives
Cherry tomatoes
Zucchini

Variations

1- Fennel and sunchokes

2- Green beans, carrots and oil-cured olives (optional but boil first)

3- Cherry tomatoes and baby zucchini

4-Tomato, quartered, peeled, carrots, green beans and zucchini

5-Artichokes with English peas

6- Fennel, artichokes and cherry tomatoes

7- Green beans, carrots, fennel, peas and cherry tomatoes

8- Carrots and sliced apples

9- Onions and tomatoes

10- Peppers, fennel, artichokes and carrots

Add 1 cup water, cover and cook on medium low heat until the chicken can be easily skewered.

Garnish with preserved lemons before serving.

SWEET TAGINE WITH HONEY

1 teaspoon ras el hanout
Pinch cinnamon

Optional ingredients;

Dried apricots
Golden raisins
Almonds
Walnuts
Tomatoes
Sliced Red onions
Sliced Dates pitted and stuffed with almonds
1 pear, peeled and quartered
Pineapple, peeled, quartered, 3/4- inch slice

Rub the cinnamon and ras el hanout onto the chicken.

Finish with various optional ingredients. Here are a few options:

1- Dried apricots and sultana raisins, toasted almonds and walnuts

2- Sliced tomatoes and sliced onions

3-Pitted dates stuffed with almonds, soaked sultana raisins, almonds and peeled and quartered pears

4- Pineapple 4 slices and dried apricots

5- Pear and apricot

6- Peeled and quartered apples and almonds

7- Apricots and prunes

8- Apricots and Walnuts

9- Dates stuffed with almonds and raisins

10- (Believe it or not, a Bahija invention) Bananas and dates

11- Raisins and grapes(I love this one)

Drizzle with honey just before serving.

Serves 1

moroccan dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Magical Morocco is all I can think about, talk about and write about!

I got off the plane mid-October and it was sultry hot. As we rode in the van, first through the old part of Marrakech and past the medina and La Mamounia Hotel, I recalled my last trip here in the early '90's when I stayed at la Mamounia for nearly a week. Had Marrakech changed I thought? But when I saw the camels with the Berber blankets strapped to their backs, I thought, NOPE! Nothing ever really changes... Thank Allah!

Jnane Tamsna, which means the gardens of Tamsna, was to be my oasis for the next couple of weeks. Surrounded by olive and orange trees, blooming jasmine and palms, I once again fell in love. Yes, I'm back in Morocco and it's just as I left it, both physically and in my mind and heart.

The last time I left Marrakech, I promised myself I'd be back and here I was again. I pinched myself a few times to see if (1) I was really here and (2) to make sure it wasn't a dream. Yes, I was really here and it made me smile.

For me Morocco is magical... It's about the sounds, the smells, the flavors, the sights. It brushes with all of my senses and touches my soul.

"A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice?"

"Sure, I'd love that!" I said as I dissolved into an outdoor divan soaking it all up. And just then there was a call to prayer, that eerie music that becomes so familiar 5 times a day. I'm home!

And I hadn't been on the ground for but an hour....

Stay tuned for lots of recipes, cooking classes with Chef Bahija and walks through the old medina with guide Abdoul. You're in for a treat, as was I.

Yup, it's true... Can you believe it?

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:06:00 +0000

Big news... Can you believe I am actually going to do this?????
I've been talking about a new restaurant for years. And yes folks, the word on the street is true. I'm excited and nervous!

come with me!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:19:00 +0000

I'm heading to La Rioja, Spain and Marrakech, Morocco for my cooking classes. If you want to come along, follow me on Facebook and Twitter @joanneweir1. You'll have a fantastic time and you won't even have to pack your suitcase!

my favorite recipe from my new tv series

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:01:00 +0000

I've been to Sardinia and loved the dish for fregola with clams but never made it. And then I had it again at my favorite Sardinian restaurant, La Ciccia, here in San Francisco. Again, it was delicious and I fell instantly in love again. I can make that I thought.

Fregola is Sardinian pasta. But it's not your classic pasta. It's not like fusilli, penne, pappardelle or rigatoni. Instead it is little pellets of lusciousness. It looks like couscous, kind of the cousin to Israeli couscous but the flavor and texture of Israeli couscous can't compete with fregola. It's made of semolina and the little pellets vary in color. Some are white, some are golden and some are light brown due to toasting. In the end, it tastes nutty and wheaty and slightly toasted. It cooks quickly and is is the best comfort food.

I am so excited about this recipe. Enjoy it and please tell me what you think? Send me a picture. I'm eager to hear.

For more fregola recipe...

http://chocolateandzucchini.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

FREGOLA, CLAMS AND TOMATOES

3 pounds fresh Manilla clams, scrubbed and rinsed well
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fregola, about 16 ounces
2 peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Pinch of crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups chicken stock
Kosher sea and freshly ground black pepper

Place the clams and the water in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Cover the pan and cook until the shells open, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Let the clams cool 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Shuck all but 10 clams and reserve. Discard the shells and reserve the steaming liquid.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is light golden, 1 minute. Add the fregola to the pan and stir to coat the grains well with the olive oil, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, chicken stock and reserved clam juice. Stir together. Simmer slowly until the fregola is double in size and firm to the bite but cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Just before serving, add the clams and stir together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the fregola to a deep serving platter. Garnish with the reserved clams in their shells and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

the hardest thing i do

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:54:00 +0000

The hardest thing I do but the thing I love the most... I just finished shooting 39, yes I repeat, 39 new cooking shows for PBS. This is more than ever! And can you believe we did it all in 19 days? It was grueling and exhausting, but most of all exhilarating.

You've seen Joanne Weir's Cooking Class? This is a similar format as before but this time it's called Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence. Many have told me they like the name and I have my friend Charlotte to thank for that. When I was in LA a few months before filming, we were talking about the show. She said that what most people lack is confidence in the kitchen. Fuel for thought... In every show, I have a real live student next to me and I'm teaching him or her how to cook.

We had a few tried-and-true students from the last series like Ron the fireman, Cheryl, Geoff, my tenant and Kyle. But we also had some new faces like Joan Boada and Pascal Molat, both principal dancers for the San Francisco ballet. I taught them to cook but on the show Pascal teaches me some moves I'll never forget. You're just going to have to watch!

Also you're going to love my student Stella, the 12-year old daughter of an LA friend. Pig tales, dimples and adorable. On the show, I asked her to tell me what spice was in the crostini. When she said cumin and was correct, I almost fell over.

My producer, Paul Swensen, was the dream of the team and the glue of the crew. And everyone on the crew was incredible too! Thank you to Sally, who went above and beyond the call of duty, Amy, Chris, Andrea, Karen, the incomparable camera man Tim Bellan, Alan and Steve. And of course we couldn't have done it without Nicole, Dean and Aurielle.

I was in make-up by 7:30 and on the set as close to 8:30 as possible. It wasn't a tough commute though. The whole series was shot in my kitchen. We usually wrapped it up by 7:00 PM. That makes for a long day. Some days we shot 2 shows but most days we shot three.

This would be fine if I could have walked out the door and returned the next morning but it didn't happen that way. This series, like the previous two, was shot in my kitchen. Talk about chaos! Everything including the dining room table and chairs were moved out. Hence, I had no where to go... I found my escape in the bathtub every night with 3 pounds of Epsom salts!

About a third of the way through the shooting, when I was so exhausted and wasn't sure if I had enough life in me left to do the remaining 26 shows, I thought of telling Paul that I'd hit the wall, that I couldn't go on. But somehow the next morning, once I got behind the camera with my chef's knife in hand, pungent garlic in front of me and my student next to me, I knew I was in the right place.

We made it through. We did it! "It's a wrap!" was one of the happiest moments of my life! Champagne corks popped and suddenly it was a memory.

A few days after the shoot was over, Tim, one of the cameramen, asked me if I like doing television. I had to think long and hard... I like it, I do, but honestly, it's the toughest thing I do!

Stay tuned! My next post will be my favorite recipe from the show.

best fig i ever tasted recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:55:00 +0000

I was so nervous! I had a map of France on my lap and my eyes glued to the road. There I was driving a little red Puegeot by myself from one side of France to the other. Full of foie gras, duck confit and cassoulet, I'd just finished teaching a week of classes at La Combe in the Perigord and planned to stop and see my friend, Frances, who was living for the summer in Provence. This was a good stopping point before heading east to teach my next set of classes at La Foresteria Serego Alghieri outside Verona in Italy. And though I travel all over the world, and a lot of the time alone, I hated driving alone.

Frances was living in this huge winery estate working for Philipe Bieler, the owner of Chateau Routas. After a few wrong turns and lots of direction asking, I finally pulled into the driveway. No sooner had I parked my car when Frances and Philipe came bounding from the door.

"Do you want to taste the absolute best fig you've ever tasted in your life? Philipe asked.

Before I could get the words out of my mouth that a glass of water and loo were more to my liking, I was in the back seat of Philipe's 1950's open-air jeep heading down a dirt road and hanging on to the roll bar for dear life. Up and down hills, over horrendous bumps, I thought I might lose a kidney. Is this worth it for a fig, I thought?

"Here we are!" he said, as he parked the car on what seemed like the edge of a cliff, one of the wheels not even touching the ground.

I felt exactly like that precarious water glass balancing on a waiters tray,- that one person leaving the jeep just might throw the jeep down the ravine.

We scrambled down the hill and up another, over a fence and up another hill steeper than the last. And there on the precipice, was a lone fig tree that teetered over the edge.

“There’s the tree!” Philipe yelled out..

Dear God, how do we get to it, I thought. As I leaned over the cliff hanging onto a tree limb, I spotted three figs, one for each of us. I managed to pick them one by one and carefully pass them back to Frances and Philipe.

These figs were someplace between fresh and starting to shrivel, dry and crack. I took a bite of my fig, all warm from the sun, and realized that it was all worth it. This was the absolute best fig I’d ever eaten in my life.

Stay tuned for what happened that night!

Read more about figs:
www.thekitchen.com Grilled Figs with Honeyed Mascarpone
www.chezpim.com The Best Fig Tart, ever

WARM SALAD OF GRILLED FIGS AND GRAPES

12 figs, halved, about 1 1/4 pounds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups small grapes, if they are large, cut them in half
1 bunch frisee
1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced
½ small head radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces

Heat an outdoor charcoal grill. Brush the cut-side of the figs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and set aside, cut-side up.

In a bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the frisee, fennel and radicchio in a bowl.

Place the figs a hot grill and grill until warmed and light golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, toss the salad greens with the dressing and grapes. Place on a large platter and scatter the figs onto the top.

Serves 6

who doesn't love a BLT?

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Especially when Gary Danko makes it!

Years ago, during a previous administration, I went to eat at the Ritz Carlton Dining Room knowing that Gary Danko was chef there. I'd met him a year earlier when Madeleine Kamman introduced the two of us. Both of us studied with Madeleine, Gary was with her in 1984 and I got a Master Chef Diploma in 1985. You see if Madeleine had had a daughter, I think her name would have been Joanne and if she'd had a third son after Neil and A.D., I think his name would most certainly have been Gary. We were lucky, she loved the two of us and forever I will be thankful for two things,- the extraordinary depth of knowledge she shared and for introducing me to my best chef friend, Gary.

And this past Sunday, during SF Chefs 2011, Gary and I did our usual song and dance routine that we've done since the inception of SF Chefs,- we taught a class together.

The first year it was all about tomatoes, the second year we had fun playing with raspberry schrub and on Sunday, we each did a riff on America's favorite sandwich, the BLT. I did a BLT salad and Gary did a BLT soup.

I think you might have the salad recipe already but I thought I'd include it again along with Gary's recipe for the soup. Treasure Gary's recipe! It's rare and very special to get a recipe from him. (I can't wait until he writes his first book.) And make sure you join us next year for our class at SF Chefs 2012.

Read more about BLT at:
Simplyrecipes
Food52
Steamykitchen

BLT – Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes, cored seeded, diced
½ large (4 ounces) red pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 – 2 small Persian (4 ounces) cucumbers, peeled seeded and diced
2 large leaves (2 ounces) Romaine lettuce
¼ (1-1/2 ounces) red onion, peeled, diced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small cloves (1/8 ounce) garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Puree all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve and chill completely. Serve cold.

Garnishes

Chopped Romaine lettuce
Avocado
Diced tomatoes
Diced red peppers
Diced rendered bacon
Mayonnaise
Brioche Croutons
Chopped chives

BLT SALAD WITH CREAMY AIOLI DRESSING

½ loaf coarse textured bread
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
6 slices thick-slice apple-smoked bacon, ½" pieces, about 6 ounces
12 cups mixed baby salad greens
8 ounces various colored cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat an oven to 400F.

Tear the bread into ¾ to 1-inch pieces. Alternately you can cut the bread into ¾-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven, tossing half way through, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is golden and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the pan cool 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place the salad greens and cherry tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the garlic, mayonnaise and vinegar to the pan and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinaigrette and the bacon to the lettuce and tomatoes and toss together. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

greek salad recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:05:00 +0000

I'll never forget the first time I had a Greek salad in Greece. It was filled with big chunks of green tomato. One bite explained everything.... In Greece, green tomatoes are sweet, juicy and delicious, nothing like the green tomatoes we fry in the US.

I want to be in Greece right now sitting along the water, drinking a Mithos beer and eating grilled octopus and a Greek salad filled with those green tomatoes. There's something about the beautiful blue water, the simplicity of the food, the meze or small plates, the fresh fish and really flavorful vegetables.

And now, when everything is at it's peak, this is the time to make Greek salad. Start with the freshest height-of-the-summer tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and red bell peppers. I love to add lots of fresh spearmint and Greek oregano sprinkled onto the top. If you can find a pot of fresh Greek oregano, all the better.

One of the coolest things I found on a recent trip to Santorini were brined and jarred caper leaves. I bought a few jars and have been chopping them and putting them on top of my Greek salad ever since. I've never seen them in the US but I really like the sour kind of zing they add.

And make sure you throw in some good Kalamata olives and crumble feta onto the top. I love Mt. Vikos barrel-aged feta from Greece. I think it's the best. Have you found any other source for feta that's better?

And no vinegar! I only use a sprinkle of sea or kosher salt and a good dose of really good extra virgin olive oil.

Grilled lamb chops, a simple piece of grilled fish or hell, anything along side. That's dinner! Hey I might even make one tonight. If I close my eyes, I can only imagine that the tomatoes are green.

Links:
Dad's Greek Salad from Simply Recipes
Greek Salad from The Pioneer Woman
Recipe for Chopped Greek-Style Salad with Red, Yellow, and Orange Bell Pepper from Kalyn's Kitchen

GREEK SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD

3 large ripe tomatoes, about 2 pounds, coarsely cut into 1 to 1 ½-inch pieces
1 small red onion, 1-inch dice
1 red bell peppers, coarsely cut into 1-inch pieces
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3/4 pound feta cheese
1 cup Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped caper leaves (optional)

Place the tomatoes, onions, peppers and cucumber on a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt.

Season with salt and pepper. Crumble the feta over the top. Sprinkle the olives, oregano, mint and caper leaves over the top and serve immediately.

Serves 6

apricot tart recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:44:00 +0000

Here today, gone tomorrow. Tis the season but it's already gone. Blenheim apricots, like butter and sugar sweet corn, king salmon and dry farm early girl tomatoes, I wait all year long for those things I love. When I saw Blenheims at the farmer's market on Saturday, I grabbed some and saved them to make a tart today with my students.

Today was the second day of my Provencal week of classes. Didn't even have to leave my house. (And after traveling so much in June, what a relief.) I taught my course right here in San Francisco. Bought some lavender, lots of herbs and plenty of Bandol rosé for a week full of the flavors from the south of France.

Today we took the Blenheims and made a luscious apricot tart with this very cool pastry. It's kind of a puff pastry without the hours of waiting and work. I call it a "rough, rough, rough puff."

Here's the deal... You freeze the flour and butter. Then pulse the two together in the food processor until half is the size of peas and the other half like oatmeal. Make a well and add ice water until it all hold together. Now roll it out.

You know how with puff pastry you have to do roll it out, fold it and do the turns. And patience is most needed because you have to wait 45 minutes between each turn. With my version, you do all three of the turns at once and then let it rest 45 minutes in the fridg.

OK if rough, rough, rough puff makes you dizzy reading the directions, run to the store and buy a package of frozen DuFours puff pastry and throw my recipe out the window. And you might also have to forget the Blenheims and just use any variety of apricot you can find.

RUSTIC APRICOT TART

pastry: 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½" pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup ice water

topping: 16 to 20 large apricots, pitted and each cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot jam, melted and strained
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour and salt and place in freezer one hour before using. Place the butter in a bowl and place in the freezer one hour before using also.

Place the flour in the bowl to the food processor fit. Add the butter and pulse several times until half of the butter is the size of peas and the remaining is smaller. Turn the contents onto a work surface, marble if necessary. Make a well in the center. Combine the lemon juice and ice water and add to the cold flour and butter. Gather as best you can to make a ball. Press the dough together as best you can to form a rough rectangle shape, 4" X 6". There will be large chunks of butter showing.

Roll out dough into a ½" thick rectangle, 5" X 7". Fold the narrow ends towards the center to meet in the center. Fold in half again so that there are four layers. This is your first turn. Turn the dough a quarter of a turn and roll again to form a rectangle ½" thick. Repeat the folding process. This is your second turn. Turn the dough a quarter of a turn and roll again to form a rectangle ½" thick. This time, fold into thirds as you would a business letter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400^oF. Combine the apricots and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Roll the pastry into a 12" circle and place on a baking sheet. Trim and crimp the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar onto the dough. Place the apricots in a concentric decorative pattern in a single layer on top of the pastry.. Brush with melted butter and bake in the middle of the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 375^oF and continue to bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and brush with jam. Let cool 10 minutes.

To serve, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed. Sift the powdered sugar on top of the cream, add the vanilla and fold together. Serve with the tart.

Makes 1 tart, 10-inches diameter and serves 8

BLT salad recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:49:00 +0000

I was so happy today to see that tomatoes are finally showing their face at the farmer's market. I was there early shooting with my producer and teaching a class on how to make my BLT Salad. I know a lot of you were there and want the recipe-- I promised I'd post it.

The class was fun! The Food Network was shooting me in action too which meant there were a lot of cameras. But the best part was the salad. You have to make it. It tastes just like a BLT sandwich without all the bread. I take that back... there are some croutons...

Words of warning-- Wait for delicious summer tomatoes, buy amazing bacon (how can you ever go wrong with bacon?) and make homemade mayonnaise for the dressing. Honestly, you have to make this thing. Like right now!

Please let me know how it turns out, OK? Promise?

BACON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO SALAD WITH CREAMY AIOLI DRESSING

6 slices thick-slice apple-smoked bacon, ½" pieces, about 6 ounces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups rustic bread, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes
Salt
12 cups mixed baby salad greens
8 ounces various cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise (OK, if you have to, store-bought)
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is golden and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the pan cool 5 minutes.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Remove and reserve 1 tablespoon for the dressing. In the pan, add the olive oil and crushed garlic. Cook over medium heat until the garlic turns golden and remove. Discard the garlic. Add the croutons and cook, stirring and tossing until golden, 5 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the pan and reserve.

In the meantime, place the salad greens and cherry tomatoes in a large salad bowl.

Add the reserved bacon fat back to the pan. Add the minced garlic and vinegar to the pan and whisk together. Add the mayonnaise and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the vinaigrette and the bacon to the lettuce and tomatoes and toss together. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

chocolate souffle cake recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:56:00 +0000

I don't crave desserts very much but when I do it's usually a bite of rich, dark, creamy chocolate.

I love this chocolate almond souffle cake! I made it with my students a couple weeks ago when I was teaching in the mountains of northeastern Georgia at the Beechwood Inn. Why do I love it so much? It's my favorite kind of dessert.... It's not very sweet but being ever so chocolate-y makes up for it. We used to make a version of this gem when I worked at Chez Panisse. And can you believe, I'm still making it years later.

A few tips about the cooking time... It's crucial that you cook it long enough or the center with be gooey and the sort of gooey that's not very enjoyable. It's more like uncooked cake batter. And if you cook it too long, the cake will be dry. So make sure you use a timer and that your oven temperature is accurate. The recipe has very little flour and the eggs are separated so it rises like a souffle and once you take it from the oven, it falls slightly. Don't be surprised!

OK, I saved the best part for last... You can make this cake 5 days in advance and leave it covered with aluminum foil on your counter (that is if no one eats it). Five days later, it's just as good as the day you made it. You can't say that about many cakes.

To serve, all I do is top it with a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar. A dollop of soft cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside and you have a chocolate cake that's almost as good as my Mom's!

CHOCOLATE ALMOND SOUFFLE CAKE WITH SOFT CREAM

1 cup unsalted butter
9 ounces excellent quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup toasted almonds
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate just until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

Preheat an oven to 350o F. Beat the egg yolks, white sugar and brown sugar just until mixed. While the chocolate is still warm, whisk the egg mixture into it. Grind the nuts and flour finely in a food processor. Stir into chocolate mixture.

In a bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to form stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is completely set around the sides but still has a soft and creamy circle, about 6 inches across in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. The cake should jiggle just slightly when you shake the pan gently. Cool the cake in the pan.

Just before serving, add the vanilla and confectioner’s sugar to cream and whip to soft peaks. Dust the top of the cake with confectioner’s sugar. To serve, cut the cake into wedges and serve a dollop of the cream on the side.

Serves 8 to 10

bucatini amatriciana recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

I'm so sorry I've been gone so long. This month was crazy! I had three major trips in June, plus a weekend in Napa and the remaining week was spent with a visit from my Mom. You have to forgive me.

Just like I promised and just like Rome... Before I left I was in the process of mastering the art of extruded pasta. I didn't get very far though. I tasted this bucatini amatriciana in Rome last year at Grano was hell-bent on duplicating it. I think I almost got there.

My first attempt with the pasta extruder attachment for the Kitchen Aid was with rigatoni. I was less than enamored. It was thick and heavy. I chucked it up to beginner's misfortune.

Before throwing the extruder out the window, I decided to try my hand again. This time, I made bucatini, the pasta that's kind of like big spaghetti with a hole in the center. This time, the pasta was incredibly tender, and delicate. When I closed my eyes and tasted it, I thought I heard Italian being spoken at the next table. But then I opened them and realized I was at home and it Carrie on Sex and the City in the episode when she's attempting to speak Italian.

But I'll tell you the trick to making great amatriciana sauce, I bought really good guanciale from Chris Cosentino at Boccolone. I think he makes some of the best. You know what guanciale is, right? It means cheek in Italian and specifically pork jowl. Oh, don't think about what jowl is, just eat it and enjoy the crispy golden outside and the juicy interior.

This is what you have to do to make this dish taste like Rome... Cut the guanciale into 1/4-inch cubes and heat a frying pan on medium high until the pan is hot. Fry the guanciale, tossing, until it's golden on the outside and then remove it from the pan, set it aside and proceed. Besides that, the recipe is pretty straight forward. Cook onions and crushed red pepper, add the garlic, reduce the white wine, add good Italian San Marzano tomatoes and season with salt. Don't forget plenty of grated pecorino.

And if you don't have the pasta extruder for your Kitchen Aid, either go buy one or buy some dry bucatini or spaghetti. You might just think you're in Rome.

Pasta Amatriciana

4 ounces guanciale, 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion. diced
Large pinch crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh bucatini pasta
Freshly grated Pecorino

Preheat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the olive oil and crushed red pepper to the pan and cook until the onions are soft, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the guanciale and stir together.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated pecorino immediately.

Serves 4

To read more... http://www.food52.com/recipes/11965_bucatini_amatriciana
http://www.letschow.net/2011/02/19/bucatini-allamatriciana/

roasted favas with green garlic recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Easy as pie.... No easier!

At the Farmer's Market on Saturday I also saw some fantastic baby fava beans. Not those grandfathers (I mean grand favas) that are tough but instead ones I wait all year for. There are a couple things you can do with them, either roast them in the oven or toss them in a light batter and deep fry them.

I opted for the second option since I was pressed for time and wanted something simple.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

I snapped the stem end off 1 pound of baby fava beans. I cut 3 stalks of green garlic into lengths that were the same length as the fava beans, about 3 inches. Then I took the end pieces and cut them in half lengthwise so they would all cook at the same time.

I tossed them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, place them on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with salt. Roast them for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

I couldn't stop eating them! And the best part... Sure beats the three steep process of taking them out of the shell, simmering for 30 seconds and popping them out of the skin!

Try it and tell me what you think.

crostini with ricotta, asparagus and mint recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Saturday I zipped over to the Farmer's Market. Beautiful day but it was crazy with locals, tourists and chefs. I saw Mourad from Aziza (love him), Brett and Elan from Contigo (love them), Ravi from Prospect buying purple asparagus (love him too) and Jason Fox from Commonwealth (yup, love him too).

I needed a few things so I grabbed some freshly dug new potatoes, English peas (a bag for eight bucks and I got 1 cup!), some asparagus, cherries, sheep's milk ricotta, green garlic, fresh spearmint and some tiny fava beans.

As I drove home I had to think quickly about what I was going to cook. In a matter of minutes Liam Mayclem of Eye on the Bay would be knocking on my door for a taping and interview for his show and website, Foodie Chap.

Ding Dong....

"Hi Liam!"

And the cameras started to roll.

As we talked, (thank God I can cook, talk, tell jokes and entertain at the same time) I quickly sliced some Acme rosemary herb slab and toasted it on my tostapane I bought in Italy. Peeled a clove of garlic and rubbed it on the bread, kind of like using the toasted bread as a grater.

"You're a fourth generation professional cook, right?" Liam said.

I took a cup of the sheep's milk ricotta, which was very dry, and put it in the food processor with a tablespoon of heavy cream and a good drizzle of really nice California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil. Don't forget the salt, I thought. I spread that on the garlic-ed toast.

"And you're taking a group of Americans to Morocco for a week of cooking and exploring in October. Can you tell us about it?" He said.

I shaved the asparagus with a knife into long diagonal pieces and cooked it in a frying pan in olive oil with a pinch of salt. I placed that on top of the ricotta. And I did a little chiffonade of mint. That's a fancy way of saying, I piled the leaves one on top of the other, rolled them up and cut them across into thin ribbons. I sprinkled that onto the top.

"Delicious!" Liam said as he ate about 5 crostini.

PS The show will air on KCBS the week of June 20 about 5 times a day for a week.

CROSTINI WITH SHEEP’S MILK RICOTTA, ASPARAGUS AND MINT

If you’re using a moist ricotta, drain for 24 hours in a cheesecloth-lined strainer. If it is dry, don’t drain.

1 cup ricotta, sheep or cow
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
6 spears asparagus, shaved diagonally into thin slices
6 slices of coarse-textured bread
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
6 fresh mint leaves

In the food processor, blend the ricotta, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste until well blended.

In a frying pan, warm the remaining tablespoon olive oil and cook the asparagus until almost tender but still bright green. Season with salt.

Grill, toast or broil the bread until golden and lightly crisp. Rub the bread with the clove of garlic, using the crispy bread like a grater. Spread the ricotta mixture on the bread, spreading evenly. Pile the mint leaves on top of each other and roll them up. Cut across into thin ribbons. Top with the mint and asparagus and serve immediately cut into serving size wedges.

Serves 6

and the winner is......

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

And the winner of the beautiful cobalt blue tagine is DOROTHY ERICKSON!

Thanks to everyone for participating. And as a thank you gift to everyone who participated, here's one of my favorite recipe for a tagine. Yes, we will most definitely be making it during my class in Marrakech in October.

Enjoy and again congratulations Dorothy!

LAMB TAGINE WITH ARTICHOKES, PRESERVED LEMONS AND OLIVES

2 pounds lean lamb stew meat, cut from the leg or shoulder, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons vegetable, safflower, sunflower or corn salad oil
1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup lemon juice
12 small artichokes or 4 medium artichokes
2 preserved lemons
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Fresh cilantro sprigs as a garnish

Place the lamb, parsley, garlic, onion, oil, paprika, cumin, saffron, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick gravy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or Add water, if necessary, during the cooking time if the sauce gets too thick. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

To prepare the artichokes, cut off the top half of the leaves. Tear off the outside dark and medium green leaves until you get to the light green tender leaves. Trim the torn edges. Trim the stem end. Cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom. If you are using small or baby artichokes they are ready. For medium or large artichokes, using a spoon, scoop out the furry light green choke from the center of the artichoke. Cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl of cold water with 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice.

When the lamb is tender, place the artichokes on top of the lamb. Rinse the preserve lemons and dice. Place on top of the artichokes. Cover and cook until the artichokes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the olives and sprinkle the stew with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes.

To serve, remove the cover and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6

couscous recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:30:00 +0000

When I think of Morocco I think of one single word,-- sensuous and I mean that with every sense of the word. This place seduced all 5 of my senses,- the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and even the touch. Yeah, that happened in India and Thailand, two other places that crept into my soul, but Morocco grabbed at my very core like no other.

An invitation for dinner in Marrakech, where hospitality is king, is a coveted one so dare I miss the chance. When I arrived, a tall, slender man with dark features wearing a djallabah, the traditional long cream-colored robe, meet my car. He guides me, with a gas lantern, down a long dark alley leading to Mohammed's home, tucked into the labyrinth of the old medina or historical center of town.

As the door opens, exotic music of flute and drum and the warm light of a thousand candles poured into the alley. The central courtyard opens to the clear night sky and gentle breeze stirred the date, palm and olive trees that grew towards the night stars and a million stars. And the fountain, the centerpiece of the courtyard, splash with the sound of water. Bouquets of roses, dwarf lemon trees dripping with fruit, and incense scent the air. Brightly painted iron work frame the windows, while the walls, floors and ceilings are ablaze with vibrant colored mosaic tiles. Arches open onto adjoining rooms filled with low, luxuriously colored bolsters, and ottomans covered with woven tapestries are scattered around, highly burnished brass trays balanced on carved wooden tripods.

It's here, that for the next several hours Mohammed and I share a traditional Moroccan feast including the most wonderful couscous I've ever eaten in my life.

COUSCOUS WITH SIX VEGETABLES AND SPICED HARISSA

1 cup dry chick-peas
4 cups couscous
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, about 3 to 3 1/2 lb.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large pinches saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
15 sprigs cilantro, tied together with kitchen string
4 cinnamon sticks
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch lengths
1 pound turnip, scrubbed, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, halved
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Harissa Sauce

Sort through the chick-peas and discard any stones or debris. Place in a bowl, cover with plenty of water and soak overnight. The next day, drain, place the chick-peas in a large saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium heat uncovered until tender, 1 hour. Drain.

COUSCOUS STEP # 1 Place the couscous in a strainer and wash thoroughly with cold water. Spread the couscous in a large shallow roasting pan and let dry 10 minutes. With your fingertips, break up any lumps.

In the bottom of a couscousiere, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 pinches of the saffron, turmeric, cumin, onions, garlic, cilantro, cinnamon sticks and tomatoes. Stir to mix. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add the chick-peas and 6 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add the carrots and turnip and continue to simmer 30 minutes.

COUSCOUS STEP # 2 Place 2 pieces of cheesecloth on top of the couscousiere so that it comes up over sides. Place the couscous in the steamer and steam 20 minutes partially covered.

COUSCOUS STEP # 3 After 20 minutes, dump the couscous into a large shallow roasting pan and spread it out. Mix 3/4 cup cold water and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt together until the salt melts. Sprinkle this mixture over the couscous. Break up the lumps and allow it to dry 10 minutes.

COUSCOUS STEP # 4 Twenty-five minutes before serving, bring the broth to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash and jalapeno and simmer 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and stir gently. Add the couscous back into steamer and steam the couscous 20 minutes.

Mash 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the remaining 2 pinches saffron together. To serve, spread couscous on a large platter. Dot with butter and fluff with a fork to mix. Make a well in center and place vegetables and chicken in the center. Moisten the couscous with a few ladles of broth and garnish with chopped herbs. Serve immediately with the remaining broth and harissa sauce.

Serves 10

HARISSA SAUCE

2 cups broth from the couscous pot
1 to 2 teaspoons prepared harissa
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small saucepan combine all of the above ingredients. Over high heat, heat until the mixture is hot.

Makes about 2 cups

cinco de mayo cocktail recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:44:00 +0000

For some of you, the Prado might conjure up images of Goya, El Greco and Bermejo, paintings that are part of the art collection housed at the largest art gallery in the world,- The Prado in Madrid. I remember one of my first trips to Spain, flying all night with not a wink of sleep and arriving dead tired. I insisted on going to the Prado that first morning and I walked nearly all day and still didn't see the entire collection. I was so tired by the end that I thought I was going to keel over.

Prado has another meaning. In Spanish, a prado is a grassy "meadow" or "field."

For me, the Prado is also a cocktail, and one of my favorites in my Tequila book. It seems to be my go-to cocktail of late. It's kind of a jazzy margarita, all jazzed up with maraschino and egg white. When you shake it up, you get this lightly tart, soft green, aromatic cocktail. Once you wade through the heavenly frothy foam cap, you're down for an airy, light treat.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

THE PRADO

2 ounces blanco tequila
1 once freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 ounce agave nectar
1 ounce maraschino liqueur
1 egg white
Lime peel as a garnish

Combine all of the ingredients except the garnish is a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Using a whisk or a spring from the cocktail shaker, whisk the drink to create a lot of foam. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lime peel.

Serves one happy tequila lover

warm olive recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:05:00 +0000

I don't even know where I first tasted warm olives. Did I have them on one of my culinary journeys in Italy or Provence? Or was it when I worked at Chez Panisse? Did I make this recipe up?

I'm not sure but what I do know is that they're my go-to dish when I'm having company. The two reasons,- (1) I always have olives in my fridg. When I'm perusing the olive bar, I usually take a combination of Picholine, Casalvetrano, Kalamata and Nicoise. Sometimes I even add a few of those big, meaty, jumbo black olives, each about the size of a baseball. They're huge. OK I'm exaggerating. Maybe not a baseball but at least a large walnut. I like to add a few of those too. More than that and those suckers will overflow the bowl. (2) They're easy!

They I grab a few herbs from my garden, use a vegetable peeler for a few slices of lemon or orange peel, add a pinch of crushed red pepper, maybe some sliced garlic and even some blanched fennel. Throw the lot into a frying pan with a little of your best extra virgin olive oil and warm them up on low heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

THREE WARNINGS!

1- Yes, the olives have pits.

2- Don't heat the olives too long on a hot flame or the pits will get exceedingly hot.

3- Be careful, they're addictive.

The other night I had my neighbors for dinner. They'd never had them before so I got some oooohs and aaaahs from the warm olive virgins. Let me know what you think.

WARM OLIVES WITH FENNEL, GARLIC AND ORANGE

1 small bulb fennel, trimmed
2 oranges or lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sprigs of rosemary, oregano and thyme
3 ounces Nicoise olives
3 ounces green Picholine olives
3 ounces Casalvetrano olives
3 ounces Kalamata black olives

Cut the fennel into thin strips from top to bottom. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fennel and simmer until the fennel is tender but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.

With a vegetable peeler, remove 8 strips of orange peel, 2-inches long. With a paring knife, remove any white pith from the back of the peel.

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the fennel, orange peel, garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs until they begin to sizzle, 1 minute. Add the olives and warm 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the olives on a small platter. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the oil.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6

happy easter

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:30:00 +0000

You don't even have to color your Easter eggs when you have a basket of Araucana eggs!
Happy Easter to everyone!

not your mother's deviled egg recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:04:00 +0000

When I was a kid, I remember my mother had this gaudy platter with oval indentations she used specifically for serving her deviled eggs? I have to say, when I was young, I thought the whole deviled egg thing was a bit tacky, especially that platter. It seemed like an awful lot a calories to consume before starting a meal. And taking them on a picnic? As soon as that plastic container was opened, we'd all kind of laugh and snicker and look around to see who was guilty. But I also must admit, my mother's deviled eggs were pretty damn delicious.T

Then for a long time, deviled eggs were uncool. Recently though, they've became cool again. Funny how food does that! And suddenly I'm reading about deviled eggs everywhere,- food magazines, newspapers and on restaurant menus. And I find myself ordering them because I'm loving how devilish chefs and writers are becoming with their variations on a theme these days.

Years ago, I wrote a series of cookbooks called Seasonal Celebrations for Williams Sonoma. In the Spring volume, in celebration of Easter, the editor asked me to include a recipe for deviled eggs. I remember thinking how embarrassing. What if someone I worked with at Chez Panisse sees that recipe? Deviled eggs weren't exactly in my repertoire then but I said yes and included a recipe in the book. I distinctly remember tasting the deviled egg recipe I tested for the book and was so pleasantly surprised. They were comforting, nostalgic and hey, they tasted really good. I include that recipe here.

SPICY DEVILED EGGS

6 large eggs
2 tablespoons homemade or prepared mayonnaise
2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 green onions, finely diced
1/4 small red bell pepper, roasted, 1/4" dice
1 very small pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoons boiling water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions as a garnish

With a pin or a tack, puncture a hole in the round end of the egg. This releases pressure inside of the egg, so the shell won't crack. Fill a large saucepan 3/4ths full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low so it is barely simmering. Add the eggs and boil 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Let the eggs cool for 10 minutes. One by one, remove the eggs from the water and crack them slightly. Place them back in the bowl of ice water. (This will help facilitate peeling them.

In the meantime, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, green onions and red pepper. Place the saffron in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over the saffron threads to moisten them. Add the saffron and water to the mayonnaise mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel the eggs and cut each egg in half from top to bottom. Place the yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the yolks to the mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine. Reserve the whites. Spoon the yolk mixture into the cavities of the egg white distributing evenly. Sprinkle with green onions.

Serves 6

salmon and fennel chowder with fennel pollen creme fraiche recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Joanne Weir) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:38:00 +0000

I remember the first time I saw fresh fennel in the grocery story. I was living in Cambridge and fennel was definitely a rarity. What the heck is it, I thought! I bought a couple bulbs and brought them home but I had absolutely no clue what to do with them. I remember cutting the tops off and all I could think about was those ropes of black licorice we ate as kids and I so despised.

Those bulbs sat in my refrigerator for a few days. Every time I opened the refrigerator to get milk or butter , they stared me in the face. I couldn't let them go to waste but I didn't know what to do with them either. I had a few cookbooks and read everything I could about fennel.

OK, I'll make a soup. I sauteed some onions in olive oil, added the diced fennel and chicken stock to cover. I simmered until the fennel was soft, let it cool and then pureed the soup in the blender. A dash of salt and a few drops of lemon juice were just what it needed to bring my fennel soup to life. The soup was delicious and much more delicate than I thought. And it definitely didn't taste like a piece of black licorice.

Later when I cooked at Chez Panisse, we added fennel to lots of dishes,- braised meats, thinly sliced and tossed fresh and crunchy into salads and poached on an aioli plate. This past weekend when I was at the Farmer's Market, there were piles and piles of fennel. It's definitely the season, I thought. But I also couldn't help thinking of my days in Cambridge so I bought a few bulbs for old times sake.

SALMON AND FENNEL CHOWDER WITH FENNEL POLLEN CRÈME FRAICHE

3 bulbs of fennel with stalks and greens
3 leeks, white and 1-inch of the green, coarsely chopped
3 1 /2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bottled clam juice
2 cups water
¾ cup crème fraiche
Large pinch of fennel pollen
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces salmon fillet, skin and bone removed, 1/2-inch pieces

Remove the green fennel tops. Chop coarsely and reserve. Cut the ends off the fennel and remove any outside leaves that are damaged. Chop the coarsely. Wash the chopped leeks and drain well.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add the fennel and leeks and sauté until the leeks are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the fennel is soft, 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a bowl, combine the crème fraiche, fennel pollen, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon reserved fennel tops. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Place the soup back in the soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add the salmon and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve the soup, warm over medium heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the crème fraiche and fennel greens. Serve immediately.

Serves 6