Napa Lesson 2

Ok, so one thing I’ve noticed with gourmet cookbooks is that recipes tend to be called by more elaborate names utilizing the recipe ingredients in their title.  For example, this recipe could have simply been called “Fried Artichokes and Onion Rings”.  But was instead named “Chickpea-Encrusted Fried Artichokes and Sweet Onions with Soft-Boiled Egg Tartar Sauce”.   I have to admit, the latter does sound more appealing.  At least to me anyway.  If my husband were to see that on the menu, he would immediately start questioning whether or not he would eat anything with a chickpea on it.  Me?  Well I see it and immediately think, “I’ve never had a chickpea encrusted anything so I have to try it".  Yep, this cookbook is definitely the right one for me to cook cover to cover! 

First up was the soft-boiled egg tartar sauce as it needed chill time.  I’ve never soft boiled eggs-only hard boiled.  It reminded me of a fried egg-nice firm white with a runny center which I cracked into my food processor.  After adding a little mustard and some evoo (extra-virgin olive oil), I then folded in the other ingredients for a typical tartar sauce with the exception of capers.  I’ve never used capers in tartar sauce.  The recipe did call for either tarragon or dill and since I’m not overly crazy about tarragon and had a choice, I went with fresh dill from my herb garden.  Can I just say I love the smell of fresh chopped dill? 

Then it was time to whip-up the chickpea batter.  I ordered chickpea flour online as you can’t just run to Kroger and buy it.  It has a nutty aroma that reminds me a little of green peanuts.  After chilling the batter, it was time to dip and fry the chokes and rings.  I loved how the thick batter clung nicely to the veggies. 

Finally, it was time to taste!  I looked forward to this all day.  The chickpea batter didn’t have any distinguishing flavor after frying that would make me think it was different from any other flour.  But, like I said, a chickpea encrusted onion ring sounds so much fancier!  The chokes and rings were really good and I loved the crunch of the chickpea batter.

The soft-boiled egg tartar sauce had a very unique flavor that I just couldn’t quite put my taste buds on.  It was definitely a familiar flavor but what the heck was it?  Then my husband tried it and he’s never one to hold back.  He said, “It tastes like potato salad”.  I took another bite and sure enough-it had a very distinct potato salad note!  I think it was the combination of soft-boiled eggs, onion and sweet pickles that gave it the potato salad flavor.

So overall I rated this a 3 because I really enjoyed the crunchy batter and while the tartar sauce was not bad, I wasn’t crazy about it as a sauce.  My husband, who of course, doesn’t hold back, gave it a solid 2.

I’ve been on a quest for the ingredients for recipe number 3, but so far, green garlic has eluded me!  

Eating Our Way Thru Napa

I enjoy reading cookbooks.  Better yet I enjoy “cooking” them.  I’ve started many cookbooks with every intention of cooking my way from beginning to end only to get sidetracked a few pages in (kinda reminds me of the way I tend to “read” books too).  I think it’s because I find too many other recipes that catch my eye and distract me.  They are my “shiny” moments as my husband likes to say. 

So I decided to give it a go and again and went about the selection process from my stash of 100+ cookbooks.  After perusing one entitled Seasons in the Wine Country by Cate Conniff I decided I had met my match.  Why?  Well because there were recipes and ingredients with which I had never worked, and some, quite possibly, had never even heard of.  The book was a gift from my company two years ago while attending a conference at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in Napa where I earned a cooking class in the CIA kitchens.  So each time I pick up that book I’m reminded of the amazing job I now have and that wonderful trip to Napa.

A few days ago, I began my culinary excursion (and education) thru Napa.  The very first recipe in the book was quite simple actually-Prosciutto, Parmesan and Honey Mustard Palmiers.  It was basically puff pastry filled with mustard, prosciutto and parmesan cheese.  Nothing new here.  But, had I appeared on Jeopardy and been given the answer, “Thought to have originated in France, this is a rolled pastry that resembles an elephant ear”, my first reply would not have been, “What is a palmier?”  So first lesson learned was how to make palmiers.  The next time I make anything rolled in puff pastry, even if it is plain old ham and cheese, I won’t simply make pinwheels.  I will make palmiers!    

As we typically do when I make new dishes, we rated the recipe.  I use a simple scale of 1-4 as follows:

1-really bad and would need work to even be palatable

2-could have potential with a couple changes

3-good recipe and likely to be made again but just needed a little “jazz”

4-it’s good enough for dinner guests and I can’t wait to make it again

My husband and I collectively agreed (and we never collectively agree) the palmiers were a 3.  They were good.  You really can’t go wrong with pastry, meat and cheese.

I’m already looking forward to the next recipe which uses chickpea flour.  Who knew there was such a thing?  It’s not something readily stocked on the shelves at Kroger but luckily, I found some online with quick shipping.  As soon as my chickpea flour arrives, it’s on to lesson number two!

Dutch Oven Cake

So my parents got into camping and bought a camper a few years ago.  The one thing my dad seems to enjoy most about camping is outdoor Dutch oven cooking.  He enjoys it so much that he frequently uses his cast iron Dutch oven to cook even when not camping.

It’s really a neat concept.  I’ve read several recipes for outdoor Dutch oven cooking and I think a more appropriate name might be “cowboy cooking”.  Although I don’t see many cowboys whipping up a cake out on the range.  Unlike what I initially thought, you don’t place the pot in or over a fire but instead sit it atop hot coals and top the lid with more hot coals.  A typical outdoor recipe will call for a specific number of hot coals to create the desired temperature at which to bake.  The hot coals are then placed under the pot and on the lid. 

When we stopped in for an early Memorial Day dinner with them recently, I wasn’t surprised that he was making dessert outside in his big black cast iron pot-a Black Forest Cake.  And yes, it was just like a black forest cake from the oven.

Since it was a new recipe, he and my mom were both concerned whether or not the recipe would come out ok.  By the time it was done, we were all on pins and needles worried about this monstrosity of a cake.  Of course I had a plan for them if it didn’t bake up just right.  We’d just dump it in a bowl and layer the frosting and cherries over it and have a Black Forest Trifle.  I’ve saved many recipes that have gone awry by dumping them in a bowl and calling them trifle!  And all the makings of a delicious one were in place here- fudge cake with a cream cheese layer baked in, chocolate frosting and cherry pie filling. 

We brought the monstrous pot inside to bake for 10 last minutes in the oven as the coals had cooled off and it still wasn’t quite done.  After letting it cool a few, we dumped it out and held our breath.  It was a huge cake (reminiscent of my Thanksgiving Cherdumple)  and I wasn’t quite sure it would support its own weight.  But it did!  So after cooling we (well rather, I)frosted it and dumped on the cherries.  I’m not sure how I got the job of frosting but I didn’t mind.  Whoever frosts gets to lick the spoon when they’re done.  So it’s not a job without perks! 

After all that, we sliced into it and enjoyed the delicious fruit of our labor!  It had baked up just perfect with a wonderful ribbon of cream cheese baked inside.  The frosting and cherries were, well, just the icing on the cake!