Iceberg to Arugula

I love roasting vegetables, there is really no better way in my opinion to coax full bodied and well developed flavor out of even the most humble veggies than to roast them. If you happen to be in the Sacramento area on October 24th, consider taking my class at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. Click on this link here for more information.

For those of you who will be nowhere near Sacramento on that date, here is the basic technique:

1. Select veggies of choice, some that are non fussy and work well include beets, carrots, parsnip, winter squashes, carrots, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes and new potatoes.

Roasted red and golden beets: A bowlful of edible jewels

2. Removing the peels of some veggies such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes is entirely up to you as they are edible. Others such as the winter squashes, beets and garlic should be removed after roasting. When roasting garlic, be sure to to slice off the upper 1/4 of the bulb BEFORE roasting so that it’s easier to remove the roasted garlic pulp by squeezing the base of the head. If you try cutting after roasting, you’ll end up with a big mess. (ahhh….personal experience speaking here)

3. Though it’s not necessary, I like to foil wrap beets and garlic prior to roasting. Simply, trim the vegetable as needed, foil wrap tightly and place in the oven using the time and temperatures listed below. You may drizzle with a bit of olive oil prior to wrapping if you like the added flavor.

Trimmed and seasoned beets ready for roasting.

4. When roasting other veggies, make sure pieces are cut roughly the same size. Place in a roasting pan and toss with some olive oil to coat all the pieces lightly. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I’m also partial to sprinkling with some dried thyme as I like the added savory element it adds. Be sure to select a roasting pan large enough that the vegetables can be arranged in a single layer. This helps ensure they all get evenly roasted. Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour or until the pieces are fork tender (stick your fork in, the vegetables should give a slight resistance, but you should not have to struggle to get the fork in.) The pieces should also be nicely browned on the surface.

5. The resulting vegetables can be eaten on their own or used in soups, casseroles and sandwiches. I like to use roasted onions as an accompaniment to roasted meats such as chicken or beef. Roasted garlic spread on good European style bread is so good I sometimes think I could live on that alone for the rest of my days.

Roasted Red Potatoes

4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium yellow onions, quartered

1-2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra as needed.

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt  

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss together until everything is coated in oil. It’s ok if the onion sections separate.

3. Spread potatoes and onions out evenly onto a lightly greased baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes or until browned and tender. Halfway through roasting, use a spatula to turn potato pieces over for even browning.

4. Remove potatoes from oven and place in serving dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and additional salt and pepper as needed. Toss gently and serve immediately alongside eggs or roasted meats or vegetables.  

If you read my last post, you know I was on a mission to find tasty and healthy foods at the California State Fair.

Fair fare has been on my mind of late because of the recent story about the latest offering from the Texas State Fair this year….deep fried butter. Check out this Fox News segment below.

I was kind of dumbstruck by this one. Even though miscellaneous deep fried items on a stick (Oreos, Candy Bars, Twinkies, etc) are pretty commonplace at State and County Fairs across the country. I couldn’t help but think, WHO would think of this, WHO would eat this, and WHY????

Since I’m a dietitian with a culinary background, it’s important to me that food be healthy, but also that IT TASTE GOOD. Healthy food that tastes like a cardboard box doesn’t interest me, (this is why I went to culinary school).  Conversely, if I’m going to take on the extra calories for something really over the top decadent–as the deep fried fair foods du jour claim to be– it had better be pretty darn amazing. So with this mindset on my day at the California State Fair, I was a bit perplexed when I was handed this:

The deep fried Twinkie.

As best as I can tell, this is somehow supposed to be an improvement on the culinary masterpiece that is the Twinkie (caution-dripping sarcasm). How did it taste?……like a warm soggy Twinkie with chocolate sauce. Definitely NOT an improvement.

It makes me wonder if the deep fried butter is the same story: lots of hype, maximum calories and a really mediocre delivery.

Years before I ever knew I was going to be a dietitian, my mother gave me a piece of outstanding dietary advice that I think is good for everyone to heed. She said: “Before you indulge in anything that’s supposed to be really decadent, stop and think about it. Make sure it’s worthy before you invite those calories to make friends with your hips.”

I think my mother is a very wise woman.

This type of thinking results in seeking out genuinely good foods. It makes you think: If I’m going to indulge in something, I’m going to make sure I truly enjoy it, I’m going to seek it out and make it special. It makes you want to seek out the artisanal dark chocolates instead of the ubiquitous candy bars and freshly prepared pastries made with REAL food ingredients instead of mass produced factory confections (such as the Twinkie). It also makes you rethink whether or not you really want that cube of deep fried fat burbuling down your esophagus on it’s ultimate destination to help amply pad your derriere.  

Just because it’s there is not a good reason to eat it. Think about it.

This past weekend I was one of the thousands who attended the California State Fair. Dodging onslaughts of fried food on sticks and greasy burgers, I gave myself an assignment.

My mission??? (cue the “Mission Impossible” music)

..to see if in and amongst all the crackling, overworked deep fat fryers in attendance, I could locate tasty fare that wouldn’t make my arteries cringe in terror.

Here goes……

Scanning……..

Sheesh…. is there anything they can’t fry, I mean avocados….come on!

What the…..???????????

Ok, had to do a double take on the Zucchini Weenie….they actually stuff a zucchini with the hot dog and deep fry the whole thing. Uh….is the zucchini supposed to make it healthy????

uhm, yeah… I just had a quickie conference with my aorta- we’ve decided to move on….

Hmmm…things are starting to look up. Fresh sweet ears of grilled corn that are frankly so tasty they don’t need anything else.

A California Market Fruit Stand with an outstanding selection of fresh peaches, nectarines and locally grown almonds. 

Fresh peeled ice cold mango on a stick. Condiments include lime juice and chilies.

They were grease free, stuffed with veggies. Very tasty.

Conclusion: I’m happy to report that fresh, seasonal, delicious and healthy food choices are alive an well in and amongst the ubiquitous blobs of fried fat on a stick at the California State Fair.

Mission completion!

I love my knives.

Is that weird?

I mean, I love them but I don’t LOOOOOVE them.

Among those who enjoy cooking, I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment. I look for well crafted knives that feel comfortable in my hand. Over time, I tend to develop a relationship with my most used knives because, much like a child, in order to keep them performing well, they require some time and personal involvement from me. “Quality time” if you will. Specifically, knives need to be regularly sharpened and honed. Knives that have been well loved will develop a rich patina of etched whorls and scratch patterns along the sides. Ironically, since sharpening a knife involves removing metal from the edge, this care will eventually result in its demise. So I suppose we can say that the best knives are loved to death.

Well beyond a decade ago, I decided it was time to buy a “real” knife. I’d had so many cheap flimsy grocery store models that just weren’t able to cut it (ha, ha, pun intended) with the increased amount and quality of cooking I was doing. At the time, I didn’t know much about buying knives, but I knew Wusthof was supposed to be a good brand and that was enough for me. So I went down to my nearest kitchen supply store and plunked down my $89.95 for an 8 inch chef’s knife. I excitedly brought my new knife home and fished some onions out of the pantry with visions of mirepoix dancing through my head. Breathlessly I got out my best cutting board and….

What the %$@#)*&!

This very expensive knife couldn’t cut any better than my crappy grocery store knives! I couldn’t figure it out and was convinced I’d just wasted 90 bucks. So I put the knife away and sulked for awhile.

Some months later, I began taking culinary courses at my local community college. My first class was on soups and sauces and of course I was expected to slice and dice. I toted the Wusthof along to my first class and was excited that we were going to learn how to sharpen the knives using a block. I figured that might help. We were instructed to wet the block and sweep the entire length of the blade across the stone repeatedly on both sides. Once I finished 50 strokes on each side, I was ecstatic as my gimp knife turned into a dream biting effortlessly and assertively into the yellow onion that was, until that moment, mocking me from the cutting board.

What I didn’t know at the time was that knives come to the store with a “factory edge” which is ground by the manufacturer and is meant to be further sharpened and honed by the consumer. Hence, the reason I was convinced I’d purchased a lemon- I just didn’t know any better.

Years later, I stood in the cramped kitchen of my New York apartment surrounded by a battery of standard issue culinary school cutlery. It was the evening before I began my butchery classes at the CIA. I spent hours rhythmically and smoothly drawing blades back and forth over the sharpening stone. My husband poked his head in the kitchen and noting the array of blades present in various degrees of sharpness, exited quickly muttering something under his breath about remembering not to piss me off that week.

So how do you sharpen your knives?

If you’re really aspiring to be a knife nerd, check out this link. This post on e-Gullet is very comprehensive and easy to understand.

But for those of you who want a simple and concise guide, check out this video starring my knife, my sharpening stone and my hands:

Alright, ‘nuff said, after all this knife talk, I’m ready to go chop something. So I’ll hold my knife with a pinch grip and whip up a classic…….

Italian Chopped Salad

2 romaine hearts, washed and chopped in small (1”) pieces

1 cup black olives, sliced

3-4 oz good quality Italian Salami, thinly sliced in strips

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

4 Pepperoncinis, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

3-4 oz Mozzarella, sliced (try marinated fresh Mozzarella)

¾ cup chopped fresh herbs (try marjoram and parsley)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup Olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with a bit of kosher salt.

Black Pepper, fresh ground

¼ cup Pine nuts, toasted

1. In a large salad bowl, add the first 8 ingredients.

2. Add the garlic and vinegar to a smaller bowl and whisk together with a whisk or a fork.

3. While whisking, add in a slow stream, the olive oil until combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour the dressing over the salad greens and toss.

5. Garnish each serving with 2-3 tsp toasted pine nuts.

6. Serve immediately with a good quality loaf of bread.

Makes 4-6 dinner sized servings.