Jamaican Allspice Canary Beans

Had a fabulous time with this one today... the aroma in the kitchen was absolutely luscious. Another for the extract book. Needs "tweaking" but I have a great guinea pig ;-) Marinating salmon for the BBQ tonight to go along with it -- basic marinade, tamari, brown sugar, lemon extract, pepper flakes, white wine, rice vinegar, capers with juice, salt, pepper (treating it like lox)....

Jamaican Allspice Canary Beans

Preheat oven to 350°F

Place in Dutch oven:

1 C Canary Beans
2 C Filtered Water (Beans do not like hard water)
1 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1/2 C White Wine
1 Tbsp Jamaican Allspice
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Extract
1/2 tsp Clove Extract
1/2 tsp Cayenne (heat to taste, this yields medium)
1 tsp Course Sea Salt
1 tsp Ground Peppercorns
1 tsp Granulated Honey
2 Shallots (peeled, halved)
1/2 banana (whole)
1 tsp Grated Fresh Ginger
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Tamari

Heat for 2 hours and check tenderness. If a cold salad is desired, make sure to check al dente and cool. If a mash is desired, cook 3 hours. Add optional curry and coconut milk if a curry over rice sounds appetizing. However, a playful road is....

If desired, after 1 hour add:
1 tsp Mustard Seed
1 C Long Grain Brown Rice
1 Jalapeño (whole)
5 Large Shitake Mushrooms (or Fungi of choice)
1 inch Chunk of Fresh Ginger (with skin)

After half hour more, add:
1/2 C Broth
Lemon Rounds coated with Brown Sugar and Pepper Flakes

Reduce to 300 and cook for another hour or so.

Used a Sauvignon Blanc in the preparation, but I think I will serve with a Chardonnay -- a Cakebread would nestle so well if I had one on hand!

Cheers!

Three Extract Banana Bread

Working on recipes for Extract book. Section 1 -- Extracts, Research and Basics, Section 2 -- Recipes.... It will work itself out :-) Need a sexy name.....

4 overripe bananas (previously frozen, and thawed)
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C yogurt
1/2 C light brown sugar
1/4 C granulated honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp each vanilla, cinnamon, clove extracts
1 C wheat flour
1/3 C sweet potato flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C pecan pieces


This is a bread, moist with texture and character, that takes minutes to prepare and throw in the oven in the morning to wake up the house with sweet and spicy. Blend all ingredients, first wet then add dry. No need to over mix -- actually better if you take the rustic approach. Bake in a loaf pan at 350° F for about 1 hour.

Good for tea time, or if after dinner a spot of coffee liquor (I prefer a snifter of cognac).

Cheers!

Germany in June...

Birgit and I cooked up a storm. She invented her version of a Monte Cristo, with grapefruit, sun dried tomatoes, and lemon thyme. Served with a duo of Tuscan wines (from my private reserve in her cellar that we obtained on our road trip to Italy), our tongues were exalted playing Sherlock Holmes in locating which taste buds to access in the identification process....

Birgit made fresh pasta dough, and we assembled fresh parma ham ravioli with a crisp sage and butter sauce. So simple, so rustic, so absolutely wonderful.

The gold writing on the plate with the ultimate apple tart from an organic farm in Stuttgart means "Hip Gold."

And of course I had to try their sausage and sauerkraut....

More pics to come from an incredible Bayrische meal in Munchen.

Prost! Stevie

Braised Curried Lamb with Garden Garlic and Mushrooms

Last night I had the simplest, but most ambrosial dinner for one....

Curried lamb shoulder arm chop, seared then braised at 350 for a half hour (small cut) in red and white wine, chicken stock, olive oil, butter... with just pulled out of the ground garlic (used bulb and stalk), mushrooms, lemon, safron, and cayenne. The aroma alone was heavenly. Served with toasted pumpernickel, Greek yogurt, cucumber, on a bed of sprouts. Of course I reduced the braising liquid and plated with it -- the pumpernickel had a pregnable job to do....

I paired it with a 2007 Australian Cabernet Shiraz. Simply delightful.

Off to attend to my brining pork shoulder... pulled pork coming... to be continued....

Cheers! Always find pleasure in true contentment, never guilt.

The BBQ is meritorious of much more than meat....

I have started to inhabit the most comforting place in the world again... the kitchen. However, just outside the door is an amazing grill, with a meister that accepts what I hand him wrapped in foil, sometimes in odd little shapes....

Tonight, in addition to cayenne lime chicken and peppered steak, were kale in citrus, cognac, sauvignon blanc and honey... rosemary cognac potatoes... and the most delectable artichokes, grill bathed in olive oil, clove extract (vodka and cloves that sat for a week), olive oil, butter, fresh ground nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. I served it with a blue cheese, lemon, soy, fresh sage and olive oil dip. We were in ecstasy.

Believe it or not, I had a 20 year old port, and he had a Mondavi Cabernet.

It feels good to feel good again :-)

Cheers! Stevie

Easter Ham

Nothing like toothpicking orange slices to a pork shank. I braised it for 3 hours in broth, citrus juice, olive oil and port, slathered in local honey, sitting on a bed of fresh rosemary, with a court of celery, carrots, and onions.... It was a happy shank, and absolutely lustrous lip specking.

I paired it with two types of wine. A white for me -- 2006 DEWN Riesling to Live (Méthode Champenoise, and I normally don't do Rieslings, unless they are early harvest). A red for Michael -- 2008 Van Ruiten Vineyards Pinot Noir. Delectable. Cheers!

A Taste of Summer in Winter

With the colder weather upon us, I decided to take a little break from the cold and share a memory that hopefully will put a smile on your face like it always does mine.

My aunti Alberta taught me how to cut a mango.  She ran the only hotel on Lanai – cooked, cleaned, did the books….  When we visited, she allowed me to hang out in the kitchen.  There was always a lesson though – never a free ride.  One morning, as my sleepy eyes tried to look over the stainless steel table, she said “Go out to the back, pick a mango, and cut it for the guests.”  I was stunned – my brain was in overload:  Do I need a ladder?  I know I need a knife!  How fast do I have to do this?  I’m only 10!

So I composed myself and stated, “How do you want me to cut the mango?”  She gave me the “let me help you” aunti look, and went to a basket of already picked mangoes.  As she held one she said, “Cutting a mango is instinctive… you have to feel it.  You cannot see the pit – so you have to follow your heart and cut down each side.  The sweetness left around the pit is for you to munch on over the sink after you are done.  The little squares you make are for the guests.” 

A mango pit is oval in shape, with flat sides.  The trick is to cut the “cheeks” from it.  Stand it on end, and cut on either side lengthwise, leaving about an inch thick strip in the middle….  Here, lets make this easy:

1. Start with the Mango "cheek"; Fillet off its pit lengthwise.

2. Cut 1/2" squares by scoring mango with a sharp knife. Do not cut through skin.

3. Turn mango half "inside out," separating cubes. Slice off squares with a knife.

(Images and directions courtesy of Fresh Mangos.com)

Although for presentation sake, I usually don’t slice off the squares unless I am using them in a compote, sorbet, or sauce.  

I know your produce guy has shown this on air before, and it is widely known.  However, it is one of the dearest memories I have – because I felt like aunti Alberta was sharing a secret with me that not many people knew…. 

The kitchen is a neutral zone – no judgment, fear, anger, worries.  Just your own magic.

Cheers!