Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies with Citrus Blueberry Reduction & Bluth Bananas

I'm not a Californian. The beach, the pleasant weather, the cool sunshine, they don't do much for me. I know, it's unusual for California not to warm your heart, everyone loves the Golden State, right? California Girls, wine country, Hollywood, surfin' what's not to like? Well, I'm not entirely sure, it just don't really love it. But you know what (& I'll say this in a whisper) I'm starting to. That's not to say that Texas, the land of sweltering sun, cold beers, pine trees, cattle, swimmin' holes, tacos & rolling thunderstorms isn't where my heart lies, but California is growing on me -- a little bit. I guess that's what a perfect beachside picnic will do for you.

Everyone grabbed their favorite goodies & gathered beachside for an early dinner. Smoked chipotle sausages, white beans, crisp salads, tart cookie sandwiches, fried chicken, fluffy angel food cake with strawberries, red wine, frozen bananas & of course, courtesy of the Texans, cold beer, were shared. We snacked till the sun went down & that California evening chill set in. Shane & Laura (two of my painter pals in attendance -- check out their websites) were nice enough to share their sweet desert recipes with Cloves & Cream.

Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies with Citrus Blueberry Reduction, makes about 15

Courtesy of Shane Tolbert

Cookies:

1 16 oz. package store bought sugar cookie dough (or your favorite home-made)

1 lemon, zested

Reduction:

1/2 pint blueberries, crushed
2 small limes, zested
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 large lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the lemon zest into the dough then roll into small balls (about the size of a gum ball). Flatten to 1/4" thick (the diameter should be about the size of a quarter). Bake for 10-12 mins or til golden brown.

Meanwhile, add all ingredients to a pot & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and reduce for 45 minutes adding a bit of water if necessary. After 45 mins transfer the reduction to a bowl and refrigerate till firm (let come to room temperature prior to refrigeration). The reduction should chill for at least an hour.

Once baked, transfer cookies to a cooking rack. After the cookies have cooled & the reduction has thickened, sandwich the cookies with dollop of blueberry reduction & refrigerate until serving.

Bluth Bananas, makes 16 bananas

Courtesy of Laura Krifka

8 bananas, peeled & halved
1 12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. powdered sugar
3 - 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
milk as needed

16 kebab skewers or popsicle sticks

Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Heat butter in small pot on low to medium heat, then add chocolate chips, stirring regularly. Careful not to let the chocolate burn (because you cant get the burn taste out ever!). If it starts to get too thick add milk as needed. Stir in powdered sugar.

When chocolate is completely melted, skewer the bananas & dip them in chocolate. Place bananas on the sheet of wax paper, place in the freezer for at least 1 1/2 hours, for the chocolate to fully harden, leave in longer if you want the bananas completely freeze.

Simple Supper: Baked Copper River Salmon with Parsley Pesto

Ray & his twin brother Eric hate fish, so when I get a fish recommendation from one of them I really listen. Over dinner a few weeks ago Eric mentioned Copper River Salmon & how much he, to his surprise, enjoyed it. So, when I spotted some in the market I decided to give it a try. Not terribly different from other salmon varieties, this fish has a delicate texture & a fantastically vibrant red color. It tastes a little less "fishy" than other salmon & a bit more buttery. Paired with fresh bright green pesto this salmon really pops -- not to mention cooks up in under 30 minutes!

Baked Copper River Salmon with Parsley Pesto, for two

2 6 - 8 oz. copper river salmon fillets
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Parsley Pesto, makes about 2 cups
2 c. flat leaf parsley, stemmed
3/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking dish with foil & drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Rub the fillets with salt, pepper, olive oil & lemon juice. Bake the fish for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the fish is opaque.

While the fish is baking, combine all pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor & pulse. Once combined, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing.

Once the fish is cooked through, top with a few spoonfuls of pesto. Reserve the remaining pesto for later dinners (try it with pasta, chicken, crostinis, etc.).

Kitchen to table time: 25 minutes

Michael Jackson Food Fight

I can hardly believe my eyes, LA & NY Times have both finally confirmed, Michael Jackson has died. I'm completely shocked & well, really bummed out. Looks like tonight we'll be toasting to The King of Pop & shakin' it to some classic Michael jams. Check out MJ's stink-bomb pie fight. Hey, it's kind of food related, right? Pie?

Heirloom Tomato Mac

Does dinner ever just happen? Like you walk into the kitchen with nothing particular in mind, open the fridge, look around, then it just kind of comes to you? Not often. Usually I try to plan in advance. But every now & then, blam! Dinner! Done! With friends on their way over for a movie night double feature & not much in the fridge, this suped-up mac 'n' cheese, luckily, just kind of happened. And I'm glad it did. It was incredibly yummy, simple to make & a serious crowd pleaser (who doesn't like home-made macaroni?!).

Heirloom Tomato Mac, for four to six

1/2 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 c. grated aged firm goat cheese
1/4 c. grated munster cheese
1/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1 tsp. pimenton
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F & bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil, add the onions & garlic then salt them to taste. Saute the until soft & translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes & saute a moment longer (about 5 more minutes).

Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta until al dente (about 8 minutes). While the pasta is boiling, sprinkle the flour over the tomato/onion mixture. Stir until it beings to get "chunky." Slowly add in the milk, stirring to incorporate. Once combined, add the cheeses.

Drain the pasta & return it to the pot. Add the tomato/cheese mixture & fold to combine. Add the mixture to a buttered baking dish then sprinkle with bread crumbs, parsley & pimenton. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.

Kitchen to table time: about 45 minutes

Jalapeño Poppers

During our visit to home, my dad, David, a veteran US history teacher, politico, expert gardener & food enthusiast made us a batch of his infamous knock-you-out poppers. Here's his take on the Texan treat:

"'Hot damn!' (pronounced hod-am in Texas), the appropriate verbal descriptor for this bacon-encrusted cheese-stuffed jalapeño flare, should be said right after the requisite pull on your Long Star longneck. The latter should be right at 33 degrees to make up for the sensation of the former being 1000 degrees.

Lying deep in the northeast corner of the state, north of the Sabine and south of the Red, is an area locals call Fredonia*. The area was named after the 1825 republic declared by filibuster (expansionist), Hayden Edwards, one year after the Monroe Doctrine was announced to a bemused Europe. Those early US adventurers (spies) like Edwards set the precedent for US intervention into other countries's territories (or more to the point, business). And how sadly fitting that that wrong turn early in our nation's foreign policy finds its genesis in an area now described as being "behind the pine curtain." Apparently the deep roots of our outlook are not only found in New England Puritans, but also in those proudly ignorant Texans. Watch Fox News, you'll get it....

But Fredonia is also an area that has progressive promise. The culture is beginning to heal itself. The region once claimed by Spain, then France, then Spain, then Mexico, then US southerners calling themselves Texians looking for more territory for their slave based economy, is now rediscovering its its heritage's admix of Mexican, Southern US, and French. There's a young local winery, Enoch's Stomp, in Harleton, Texas, using French viticulture, mixed in with our southern fried chicken and catfish restaurants of local legend and national fame. Now even the new Mexican taco stands are becoming ubiquitous, making this area fertile ground for cutting-edge locavores. In short, it's all here as far as food and drink.

The popper is one symbol of this fusion. And although it has gained deep acceptance in 'Fredonia' with its lush summer shrubs of jalapeño plants bearing massive peppers, the origins of the 'popper' (the real one, not the ones you find in the freezer case at your local culinary/environmental/economic disasters like Walmart) are in Buffalo Gap, a little community south of Abilene named for the gap in the mesa ridges cutting south of Abilene. The Indians would hunt buffalo as they herded themselves through 'the gap.' Tom Perini, a local celebrated chuck-wagon cook, cum restaurateur, cum caterer to the prior president when he was entertaining the likes of Putin in Crawford, is credited with creating the popper. Although this version has been augmented with a few additional spices and chilies, the recipe is his and can be found in his important cookbook (at least to us Fredonians) with the sleepy name of 'Cowboy Cooking.'"

Jalapeño Poppers, makes 24

1 dzn. jalapeños, say 4-6 inches long
1 dzn. rashers (slices) of bacon
1 8 oz. packet of neufchatel or cream cheese
Worcestershire sauce or Vietnamese fish sauce if you want to have a secret cutting edge flavor to taste (both are the results of unpleasant things regarding fish remains, so what the hell..., right?)
Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning to taste (or your favorite "all purpose" seasoning)
dried chipotle peppers, very finely minced to taste (this can be found in large containers in large box stores, but it's against my religion to go in one of those places.... remember locavorism)
24 toothpicks for securing the bacon wrap

Preheat oven to 475F (hot as hell to get the bacon crispy). There are two things you cut in half. The peppers, horizontally, making a little boat for stuffing with cheese, and the bacon, vertically, for wrapping around this delight. After cutting the peppers open, remove the seeds and interior veins.**

Stuff each jalapeno with cheese so that is level full. Then, splash a dash of Worcestershire (or that secret fish sauce ingredient mentioned above). Now top that with the minced chipotle. Wrap each popper in the half strip of bacon, secure it with a toothpick, and sprinkle it with Cavenders All-Purpose Greek Seasoning.

Bake for about 20 or 30 minutes. Let these guys cool off a few minutes. Open that very cold beer, take a bite, a sip, and "Hot damn!"

* This Fredonian of the land "behind the pine curtain" mentioned above, wishes to clarify the fact that there is no relationship between our northeast Texas Fredonia and any so-called Fredonian of the separatist militia type that our governor, Rick "Good-hair" Perry, so recently encouraged with his remarkable remarks, demonstrating an embarrassing misunderstanding of the nature of the US Constitution and the historical implications of the last attempt at states leaving the Union. We true Fredonians, on the other hand, generally believe in locavorism, environmentalism, fine slow living, and minding our own business.

**A note on fresh juicy dangerous jalapenos, if you aren't over fifty with crab claw paws like mine you may want to wear rubber dishwashing gloves when de-seeding/de-veining them. I usually don't and have come to find that applying cold beer internally generally helps. By the way, these peppers are said to have originated in the area around Jalapa/Xalapa, the state capital of Veracruz, Mexico.

Last image, kill the gluten.

Huevos Monteleños with Homemade Tortillas

My dad is infamous for his breakfast. He doesn't hold back. Every little extra step one can take to push a meal over the top, he takes. He relishes in the stuff. While Ray & I were visiting we were treated to one such breakfast. Black beans were simmered all night, fresh tortillas were made, eggs were fried (in the well seasoned cast iron, of course!), home-made salsa was prepared. With strong coffee in hand, we tucked into classic huevos monteleños & ate until every last bean was gone.

Huevos Monteleños, for two

4 eggs

4 tortillas (homemade if you can)

1 1/2 c. cooked black beans

1/4 c. salsa of choice

1/2 tsp. chimayo chili powder*

On top of a tortilla place a few spoonfuls of black beans. Over the beans, spoon a bit of salsa. Fry the eggs to your liking. Nestle them on top of the beans. Sprinkle with chimayo chili powder & a bit more salsa if you like.

Homemade Tortillas, makes a dozen

2 c. masa meal

1 c. warm water

After mixing the dough, roll out 1 dozen balls (about the size of a silver dollar) then flatten using either a tortilla press** or rolling pin. Make sure to cover the balls with waxed paper on either side so they don't stick.

* If you can't find chimayo chili powder, regular chili powder will do.

** The tortilla press really makes a world of difference. You can pick them up cheaply at most Mexican markets.

Pissaladière & Flammkuchen

We're finally settled back in sleepy Santa Barbara. It's always comforting to get back to your own bed, routines & kitchen, but I can't say that I don't miss Texas (already!). To soothe my Austin longings I decided to re-create a meal we had while tromping through Austin friends. Sure, we scarfed down tons of yummy tacos, Tex-Mex & the like but that's not the grub that sticks in my mind. A quiet dinner with friends at a (relatively) newly minted east side gastropub, The Good Knight, is what I find myself craving. This cozy little spot served up modest, rustic French fair & amazing old school cocktails. Most of us snacked on Flammkuchen, an Alsatian staple of rolled dough topped with crème fraîche, onions & bacon. I couldn't twist anyone's arm to share Pissaladière (a pairing of olives & anchovies on a crust). Apparently that 80's anchovy trope still holds true. 

When I recreated the two Provençal pizzas (for lack of a better term) at home I opted for blue cheese on the Pissaladière instead of my favorite salty little fish so I wouldn't be stuck eating an entire pizza & swapped raw onions for caramelized ones in the Flammkuchen to highlight the slaty bacon.

Pissaladière, for 4 - 6

1/2 c. kalamata olives

1/2 c. green olives

1 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. blue cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

coarse salt

1 prepared crust*

Preheat the oven to 400F. Stretch the crust to fit a large cookie sheet (9" x 13" or so). Drizzle the crust with olive oil. Spread the crust with ricotta cheese leaving about a 1" border. Top with both olives & blue cheese. Salt & oil the crust. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the crust is

golden.

Flammkuchen, for 4 - 6

3/4 c. crème fraîche

4 strips bacon, sliced

2 large onions, sliced & caramelized

3 tbsp. olive oil

coarse salt

1 prepared crust*

Preheat the oven to 400F. Caramelize the onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stretch the crust to fit a large cookie sheet (9" x 13" or so). Drizzle the crust with olive oil. Spread the crust with crème fraîche leaving about a 1" border. Top with both bacon & onions. Once topped, drizzle with a bit more crème fraîche. Salt & oil the crust. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Kitchen to table time (not including the dough): 45 - 55 minutes

*Homemade is best & takes little time, but if you're in a hurry you can pick up store-bought dough at most grocery stores.

Guest Post: Mojitos

This week while lounging around the pool at my parent's house Ray treated us all to a batch of refreshing mojitos. Here's his approach to this Cuban classic:

“I’m a fiend for mojitos.” This single line uttered by Colin Ferrell at the height of douchebaggery (I’m not a fan) in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice nearly ruined a favorite drink. This line lingers in the periphery of my brain whenever I order the Cuban cocktail. How unfortunate as the associations with this minty, lime-enhanced rum concoction should be much richer. Tales told in bars link the mojito to “El Draque,” a 16th century drink named in honor of Sir Francis Drake. Or, if you’re the more contemporary and/or literary sort, perhaps the fact that the mojito was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway is your style. Regardless, it’s a tasty beverage and perfect for summer. I recommend breaking out the highball glasses and getting creative with your facial hair, harassing the Spanish, or writing some stoic prose while sipping on your new summer cocktail of choice.

Mojitos, for four

5 oz. rum (such as bacardi)

2 dzn. mint leaves

4 tbsp. sugar

2 oz. lime juice

1 bottle mineral water (I prefer topo chico)

Divide the mint leaves & sugar among the glasses. Muddle the two together with the back of a wooden spoon or muddler if you have it. Cover with ice. Divide the rum, lime juice & mineral water among the glasses & garnish with mint or lime.