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In this house

2011-07-17T03:16:04Z

My grandmother was born in Mexico on October 13, 1910. She was born at a time of strife in Puebla, so much so, that when she was three years old, the family had to flee the country in the middle of the night, smuggled out by train into the United States, arriving in San Antonio.

Through my grandmother, I learned about grace, kindness, compassion, undeniable strength, and about the ritual of preparing food with love. If you watch anyone in my family cook, even the men, especially, my father or brothers, you can see the care and attention to detail. The process of preparing a meal is a thoughtful experience. A meal is an offering of love and honor for the person who is on the receiving end of the plate. In my family, when we place a dish of food in front of you, it is a gift of sorts.

My grandmother lived in a Spanish style home, bright white with red terracotta tiles on the roof, and wrought iron banisters and window coverings. The house looked monumental to my young eyes, the driveway seemed long and steep and the house appeared huge sitting up on the hill, but it was the smell of my grandmother’s pantry, filled with dried chilies and rice, the ever present pot of pinto beans simmering on the hot stove, and the tortillas that she made fresh daily, that stayed with me through the years and inspired my infatuation with the culinary arts.

I moved to San Antonio, into my grandmother’s home, in 2008. I arrived alone, with only my dog in tow, in the midst of the scorching hot and humid summer, wondering what had possessed me to leave a good job and the breezy beaches of California. How could I explain my need to drop out of my current life and rediscover myself in a dilapidated home, long emptied of my grandmother’s physical presence, but inhabited by her spirit and the lingering smells that spoke to my soul?

There is no explanation or excuses, only the adventure and challenge of a lifetime, rich with new friendships, love, and of course, food!

Here I will share with you my stories, recipes, and my love of aesthetics and good taste. I hope you enjoy my tales and toss in a few of your own!

Eva

Haute & Spicy

2011-01-21T02:12:00Z

The Mexican in me wants hot and spicy and the French in me wants to add cream to everything! This warm and creamy soup on a cold Winter night is just what's called for.
Rich with just enough kick.

                                                    CREAMY TORTILLA SOUP



                                                        INGREDIENTS

                            2-3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I prefer roasted chicken)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon smokey Spanish paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your taste)

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 quarts chicken broth

8 corn tortillas torn in 1 inch pieces

1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream (adjust to your taste)

4 ounces Velveeta cheese (optional)

1 cup black beans (optional)

8 oz frozen corn (optional)

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped coarse

Salt

Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Sauté onion, pepper, celery and carrot in olive oil until tender. Add spices and sauté for three or four minutes to release the flavors. Add tomatoes and broth, then bring to a boil. Add corn tortillas, and if you like, add the black beans, corn and cheese at this point (I like it with or without the additional ingredients). Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Garnish with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro and even some diced avocado.

Gifts from Italy

2010-12-15T02:57:00Z

With roots dating back to the Roman Empire, this cake like Italian bread is a favorite recipe of mine. I make double batches of it, wrapping the loaves in cello bags tied with pretty ribbons, and give the loaves as gifts for Christmas and Easter.

Be warned, this is a very time consuming recipe that demands patience. If you’re feeling brave, go for it!

PANETTONE

1/2 cup warm milk (105–115°F)

2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons active dry yeast (from two 1/4-oz packages)

3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus additional for buttering cans

1 cup dried fruit (dried sweet cranberries, raisins, sultanas, dried cherries) or chocolate chips

For egg wash:

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

To make the dough: .

Meanwhile, stir together warm milk and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Add 1/4 cup flour and beat at medium speed until combined. Add whole eggs, yolk, zest, orange juice, salt, and remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat until incorporated.

Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Increase speed to medium-high, then gradually beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to beat until dough is shiny and forms strands from paddle to bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Add the fruit to the dough and mix at low speed until incorporated.

Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 3 to 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge).

While dough rises, generously butter coffee cans and line bottom and side of each with parchment (use a round for bottom and a rectangle for side).

Walking the streets of Sienna, Italy

Punch down dough with lightly floured hands and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Halve dough and scoop 1 half into each can, pressing gently to expel any air bubbles. Loosely cover cans with lightly buttered plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough reaches top of cans, 2 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours; bring to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours, before baking.)

Bake panettone:
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Beat together yolk and water and lightly brush top of dough with egg wash. Bake until tops are deep golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped (remove from cans first), 35 to 40 minutes. (Firmly thump bottoms of inverted cans to remove.) Transfer loaves to a rack and discard parchment. Cool to room temperature.

Perfecting the apple pie

2010-12-12T22:30:00Z

Years ago, when I had my gourmet shop on Fishers Island, my mother-in-law at the time, Anna, would make pies and cookies for me to sell at the store. I decided to sell the pies for fifteen dollars, which Anna thought outrageous. However, the minute I placed them on the counter, customers scooped them up. By the slice, whole pies, special orders, Anna couldn’t bake them fast enough and we couldn’t keep them in stock.

Anna taught me how to make pies so we could keep up with the demand, and now, whenever I bake a pie, I think of her, and Julia Child, whose Mastering the Art of Cooking was instrumental in my learning how to make the ultimate pie crust. I have tweaked and changed the techniques and recipes to make them my own, but the fundamentals are the same.

There is something so comforting about the smell of an apple pie baking. The butter, cinnamon, apples and sugar make for a delicious blend of aromas that could make any space feel like home, and it's such a perfect dessert for the holidays. This afternoon, I skipped lunch altogether, going straight for a slice of steaming hot pie just out of the oven. Ummm, divine.

HOT APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS

For the pie crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

1/4 -1/2 cup chilled water

For the pie:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 - 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less depending on taste)

6-8 firm apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I like a mix of 4 Granny Smiths, a Gala or two and a Honey Crisp)

Optional: a drizzle of honey (approximately a tablespoon or two)

DIRECTIONS

To make the pie crust:

In a food processor, pulse together the butter, flour and salt until just barely blended. Then add the ice water a bit at a time, pulsing the processor a few times each time you add the water. Only add enough water for the dough to just hold together. It may appear a little lumpy, which is fine.

Remove the dough and make two balls with it, wrapping each ball in plastic wrap or wax paper. Set in the refrigerator to relax and chill for 30 minutes or so (you can also freeze it at this point for future use).

To make the pie:

In a large bowl, toss white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour with the sliced apples.

Roll out one ball of pie crust dough and place in pie pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Drizzle melted butter over apples.

Roll out second crust to fit over apples, pinching and crimping edges to seal and cutting a few steam vents on top.

Optional: brush with an egg wash made with 1 egg and a tablespoon or two of water and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes (cover edges and top with foil if it browns too much before the pie is done).

Let cool for at least one hour before serving.

In Charlotte's Kitchen

2010-11-28T05:19:00Z

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m sitting in Charlotte’s kitchen, sipping a cup of French pressed coffee while watching her prepare a big spread for brunch. It is a position that I’m not so comfortable with, sitting idle as someone else cooks. With her husband, Bob as her sous-chef, she doesn’t need my help, so today, as I did yesterday; I’m relaxing into it and enjoying myself.

As my son said last night, sometimes it's hard to unplug from the hum of the city and job and shift gears into a languid state, breathe and relax, but now I’m committed to the moment and enjoying my laziness and the anticipation of a soon to be full belly.

We are being treated to the generous hospitality of Bob and Charlotte, Ric’s mother and step father. In their warm and beautiful home in North Carolina, we gorged ourselves yesterday on smoked turkey, ham and an array of delectable sides, played a round of basketball – me, with the guys (I won), and then a game of Trivial Pursuit, won, to Sean’s dismay, by Charlotte.

It didn't go unnoticed how Charlotte and Bob had perfectly orchestrated the meals while we were there. Using time tested recipes from well worn cookbooks and handwritten notecards colored with the patina of age and handling. The cookbooks and cards all come with a history, a story and great sentiment of how they came into Charlotte's possesion. Some as gifts, others are simply family treasures passed down from a grandmother to her grand-daughter who now feeds them to her own grandchildren.

As I am a lover of big breakfasts, I fully indulged in the warm cheesy grits served with chili baked eggs and curried fruit, all made from family recipes that Charlotte has agreed to share.

BAKED CURRIED FRUIT

INGREDIENTS

1 large can of each, pear halves, pineapple slices and apricot halves

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp curry powder

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and curry powder. Set aside.

Drain fruit and layer in a casserole dish. Start with a slice of pineapple, top it with a pear half and then place an apricot half on top of that.

Drizzle sauce over fruit.

Bake for 1 ½ hours

GARLIC GRITS
(Recipe given to Charlotte by her Grandmother Bruton, Christmas 1963)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grits

1 ½ quarts water

½ cup milk

3/4 of a 16oz block (12oz) Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 eggs, beaten

1 stick butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring water to a boil. Slowly, add grits to boiling water and cook until thick. Add milk, Velveeta, and garlic powder until combined. Mix in eggs and butter, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 35 minutes.

8-10 servings

GREEN CHILI AND EGG CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter

10 eggs

1 8oz can green chilies

1 lb jack cheese, grated

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. In a large bowl, beat eggs, flour, salt and baking powder together until blended. Pour into baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, until set.

Serves 8-10

Hearty breakfast for a cool Fall morning

2010-11-28T05:11:00Z

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

RANCHERO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped red onions

1 scallion, green and white part sliced thinly

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

½-1 tablespoon minced jalapeno

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar

1 can diced or stewed fire roasted tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro and scallions. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm.

HUEVOS RANCHERO

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

4 large corn or flour tortillas

1 cup warm refried beans

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 large eggs

1 1/2 cups Jack cheese

Ranchero sauce

DIRECTIONS

Warm oven to 275 degrees.

In a lightly oiled skillet or over a flame, toast tortillas, and then place on cookie sheet. Spread ¼ cup of beans onto each tortilla, sprinkle with a bit of cheese and set in oven to warm while you prepare eggs.

In 2 medium skillets, melt 1 tablespoon of butter each, over medium-high heat. Break 2 eggs into each skillet and fry until they begin to set, but are still clear and uncooked on top. Place two fried eggs on a bean covered tortilla, Repeat, cooking the next 2 eggs until each of the tortillas has 2 eggs on them. Crank up the oven to a high broil. Sprinkle the eggs with cheese and place under broiler to finish cooking, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Place on warm plates and spoon some ranchero sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream and sliced avocado.

4 servings

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Kool Pops For Steamy Summer Days

2010-08-11T15:57:00Z

In the mood for a frozen treat for a quick cool-down?

Check out the new arctic-inspired kitchen appliance that puts the immediate chill on almost any recipe. The Zoku Quick Pop Maker plunges well below the temperature required to freeze juice, so you can make up to nine pops (in batches of three), all without electricity or a lengthy wait.

Store the box in your freezer the day before (or leave it in the freezer indefinitely until the pop craving strikes). When you're ready to make some icy treats, transfer it to the counter, fill the molds and watch them crystallize in about seven minutes.

The contraption can freeze fresh fruit mixes, liquor pops like an orange-blackberry sangria (see recipe below) or creamy fudge pops.

The Zoku comes with sticks, drip catchers and a special tool for removing the pops, so all you need to do is mix, fill and enjoy.

Zoku Quick Pop Maker ($50) is available at Williams-Sonoma.

Orange-Blackberry Sangria
Makes 12 pops

INGREDIENTS

2 oranges
1 750 ml bottle light, dry, "fruity red wine
¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 small tart green apple, such as Granny Smith--peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup blackberries

DIRECTIONS

Using a vegetable peeler, remove 5 wide strips of zest from one orange. Juice the zested orange and strain into a measuring cup (you should have 1/3 cup of juice). Cut the top and bottom from the remaining orange. Set the orange upright and, following the contour of the fruit, cut off the peel, pith and membrane. Holding the orange over a bowl, cut along each side of the membranes between the sections. Let each section fall into the bowl along with any juice. Cut the sections into ½-inch pieces.

In a large saucepan, bring the wine to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, orange zest, orange juice, orange pieces, apple and blackberries. Pour in 6 tablespoons of water and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the mixture into the ice-pop maker, filling each compartment up evenly and ensuring that each pop has the same amount of fruit. Let freeze until solid, about 9 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Caffeine Crush

2010-08-01T13:36:00Z

I’m sitting here drinking the perfect cup of coffee. My partner, Ric, still over the moon with his new mega espresso maker, is keeping me well caffeinated. He has been pouring over the endless sources of coffee porn on the internet, perfecting his technique, and it has paid off. We are becoming obsessed with our morning cappuccinos, mid-day lattes and evening wine choices (more about wine on another day).

First we bought a little Krups machine, which I thought was fine, little did I know that Ric’s coffee passion was swirling out of control into a heated froth. Unbeknownst to me, he was scouring the web for the perfect machine in hot pursuit of the ultimate “God shot” of espresso. Our new and beautiful slick Italian made Vibiemme machine has enough shiny dials, switches and wands to keep my coffee nerd entertained for the moment, while he begins his search for a home coffee bean roaster and water filtration systems.

As a result of Ric’s boundless thirst to learn everything there is to know about the bean, roasting, crema, the size of the bubble in the steamed milk (seriously) and the temperature and pressure of the steam, I believe I have become a spoiled, over-indulged coffee snob. While I’m really all about the taste, feel, texture and aroma of what passes by my lips, he is educating me on what to look for in the perfect cup of Joe. The truth is, he has raised the bar so high that a simple Starbuck’s latte now tastes like watered down warm milk with a hint of coffee. Not swill, but definitely not the satisfying sip that greets me every morning when Ric hands me my first cup of the day and I swoon…over the coffee, yes, but mostly over my handsome barista.

If you can’t/don’t want to brew your own, here are our favorite coffee houses and sources for freshly roasted beans:

SAN ANTONIO

Olmos Perk
5223 McCullough Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212

Brown Coffee Company
1702 West Kings Highway, San Antonio, TX 78201

FREDERICK/NEW MARKET, MD

Cafe Nola
4 East Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701

Dublin Roasters
75B W Main St, New Market MD 21774

LOS ANGELES

Urth Caffé
8565 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA

2327 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90407

451 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Intelligentsia
1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

3922 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

NEWPORT BEACH

Haute Cakes
1807 Westcliff Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Chic chefs and inspired invites

2010-05-31T02:41:00Z

For all of you sloppy, but chic chefs out there, I just ran across these adorable vintage inspired aprons. They are handmade by a mother and her two daughters in the L.A. area. Vintage maybe, but not what Grandma used to wear!

Available at www.boojiboo.etsy.com for $28.75

Another find is Orange Beautiful...

...where you can find handmade boxes, letterpress cards & stationary, custom invites & business cards and unique
gifts created by Emily...

www.OrangeBeautiful.com

Where's the beef?

2010-05-30T23:58:00Z

Who says vegetarians can’t enjoy a cookout? This was so good, my Five Guys Burger and Fries loving guy, passed up a beef burger for one of my veggie specials instead!

This is so easy to prepare, similar to making a regular hamburger, only you swap out the beef patty for a portobello mushroom that has been marinated in your favorite vinaigrette dressing for a half an hour, and a Garden Burger (I love the chipotle and black bean burger), both grilled over mesquite chips.

Brush the hamburger buns with a bit of olive oil, grill for a few minutes, then layer on lettuce, the garden burger, a slice of cheddar or jack cheese, the portobella mushroom, a slice of tomato and any other fixings that you enjoy. Come on my carnivorous friends, give these a try!

Comfort food, Mexican style

2010-05-23T14:47:00Z

I am missing my hacienda in San Antonio and the spicy smell of the pantry, which came from over eighty years of housing my great-grandmother and grandmother’s ceramic jars of dried beans, corn husks, assorted spices and chilies of all shapes and sizes.

After two weeks of working on the East Coast, I am tired and craving those smells and the soulful vibe that was left behind by those lovely Mexican ladies who taught me so much about life. Their subtle lessons about how personal strength and stamina carries one through the most challenging of times and offers the chance to reinvent ourselves any second of the day or night, allowing us the choice to become a kinder, more compassionate, loving person at any given moment. Thankfully, these lessons permeated my young willful spirit and are serving me well.

Now, as I meander my way through my journey, I find my life is touched by the most fascinating situations and characters, and I wonder where, if anyplace, it all leads to. Staying present, putting one foot in front of the other, without ever compromising my integrity, that is how I try to travel through this adventure.

Joseph Campbell said,” Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls”. This is what I am finding to be so true.

A friend recently compared me to Huck Finn, saying that I’m always game to “hop on my raft” and go where the river takes me. It’s true, as the doors open and the river winds its way through my days, I walk with less intention as I age, paddling my raft in the direction of least resistance (however, not always the path of least challenges). As the years go by, the more I realize that we aren’t really “going” anywhere – we are “here”. So as I drift through the sometimes calm and occasionally, torrential waters of my life, I know that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

This way of life has led me, with deep gratitude, to a life well lived and loved, with few regrets.

Still, I’m hungry, so to quell my sentimental longings, some Mexican comfort food and a cool Margarita goes a long way…

ROASTED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SAUCE

For the roasted tomatillo sauce:

INGREDIENTS

5-6 tomatillos
1 jalapeño chile
Small handful of fresh cilantro (about ¼ cup, chopped)
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
½ medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock

DIRECTIONS
Place the tomatillos on a foil lined baking sheet and roast under the broiler for approximately 5 minutes until blackened and then flip and roast for another 5 minutes or so. Put the tomatillos, their juices and the cilantro into a food processor and puree until smooth.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic until softened, 5- 8 minutes. Pour tomatillo and cilantro puree into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the roasted chicken enchiladas:

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds roasted chicken, skin removed and shredded (I use a store bought rotisserie chicken to keep it easy)
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning (from a store bought packet)
½ medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed (optional)
½ -1 pablano pepper, roasted, seeded and chopped (half of the pepper adds enough kick for me, but if you like it spicier, you can add the whole pablano)
1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
6-8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
½ cup Queso Fresco or Panela cheese
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, scallions, tomatoes, guacamole

Directions
Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat until tender. Add the chicken, corn, and chilies. Sprinkle on the taco seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, stir and sauté for a few minutes, reducing most of the liquid.

Heat tortillas over a flame if you have a gas stove or warm in a microwave for a few seconds to soften. Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle of tomatillo sauce. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla; sprinkle with a bit of cheddar and Jack cheeses. Roll up tortillas, placing enchiladas in the pan with seam side down. Top with remaining roasted tomatillo sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese (Cheddar, Jack and
Queso Fresco).

Bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven, until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans,

For the Margaritas:

INGREDIENTS
2 shots of tequila
1 shot Cointreau
1 shot freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and lime wedge, to serve

DIRECTIONS
Put all the ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and serve in a martini glass with a salt rim and a split lime wedge.

Muy delicioso!

Change is in the air

2010-04-27T22:27:51Z

Spring has definitely sprung at an exciting pace. As quickly as the blossoms and trees have popped, my life has become a whirlwind of travel, work and spectacular fun. Last week I was in Maryland, which is a stunningly beautiful part of the country, loaded with historic towns that tell endless stories of colorful and significant pasts.

With the onslaught of trees in full blown glory scattered along the bright green rolling hills of Frederick, MD, a town where I find myself spending more and more time, there is the quaint downtown area. I love to visit some of the local eateries, Nola, being one of my favorites, for an Italian style eggs Benedict and a great latte, which I enjoy while sitting at a front window table, reading the paper after a hard workout.

Ric and I hiked Sugarloaf Mountain on Earth Day, a perfect way to commune with nature, and pay homage to Mother Earth. Later in the day, I made a pretty and delicious Panzanella Salad, an Italian dish originating in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio. That, with a crisp glass of wine and cherished company...life is good

PANZANELLA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

3 - 5 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced finely
1 small Italian bread torn or cut into 1½ -2-inch pieces
1/4 cup finely grated Reggiano Parmesan
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 medium, ripe tomatoes cut into 1-inch cubes or small wedges.
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/4 - 1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
1 ball of fresh mozzarella (about 6 ounces), cut into 1 inch cubes (optional)
15 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)
1/4 cup brine cured olives, pitted and sliced into rounds

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Add in bread and season with salt and black pepper - cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Sprinkle bread with Parmesan while still hot. Let cool.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all of the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the mozzarella, tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, basil, capers and olives. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for 15 minutes to a half an hour for the flavors to blend. Toss again to distribute juices and vinaigrette and serve alone or on a bed of greens.

Approximately 12 servings.

Under the lemon tree

2010-03-04T03:00:00Z

On a recent trip to California, I was running out the door of my mother and step-father’s home, I remembered my step-father mentioning that the lemon tree out back was overflowing with ripe fruit, so I turned around heading into the kitchen to grab a couple of shopping bags and then out to the garden where I pulled as many lemons off the tree as possible. I was dressed in business attire, as I should have already been on my way to a meeting in Los Angeles, but instead, I was tangled in the tree branches and thorns with lemon blossoms falling in my hair, getting caught up in a brief moment of nostalgia that was too delicious for me to ignore.

This was a link to the secret garden of my past, where intimate stories, laughter and tears, were shared between a daughter and a mother, whose spirit, at least in my mind and heart, still lingered amongst the foliage and humming birds, even though it had been over five years since she had passed away.

Somehow, picking a lemon off of my mother’s tree and then smelling it as we drove to LA gave me comfort, keeping me a little closer to my lovely memories and warm feelings that can be stirred by a subtle site or aroma. My boyfriend, Ric, looked at me with a bit of wonder and amusement in his eyes, as he is used to my unpredictable and sometimes irrational behavior. When he asked me what I was going to do with the lemons, I told him that I was planning on cramming them into my suitcase and taking them back to Texas to make lemon squares, like the ones his mother had made for us on a recent trip to her home in North Carolina. He then enquired if there was something exceptionally unique about these lemons from California? “Yes,” I said, “they are special because they came from my mother’s garden”. I didn’t need to say anything more as he completely understood that while it really didn’t make sense to drag a bag of lemons from Los Angeles to San Antonio, because of their sentimental value to me, making lemon squares with those particular lemons was meaningful. The next morning, he thoughtfully packed the lemons in my bag.

And now, as I sit with a cup of tea, munching on a scrumptious tart and sweet, sugar dusted lemon square, I am reminded of the southern hospitality that was extended to me by Ric's family in North Carolina, but mostly, I think of my mother who was, as one friend described her, "simply intoxicating".

LEMON SQUARES

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cold butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a food processor mix together the 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups sugar and 4 tablespoons flour, eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 3 or more hours.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares.

Fishers Island

2010-03-03T17:32:00Z

Fishers Island holds a special place in my heart as it was the place where my family would gather during the summer months, where I raised my son for the first years of his life and where I realized my true passion and talent for cooking.

My husband at the time, Tom, and I, purchased a small building on the main drag, which led from the ferry dock to the island homes and the small village. The building had been known simply as “the Greeks”, a produce stand, for years owned and run by a local Greek family. I had worked at this produce stand during the summer of 1983, while pregnant with my son. A few years later Tom and I bought the store and decided to open a gourmet market.

I didn’t have any professional culinary training, only some retail experience gathered while working in clothing shops as a teenager. One of the wonderful things about being so young was that I didn’t realize how crazy it was to simply buy a building and open a gourmet grocery store and delicatessen, but that is what I did.

Tom was a contractor, so he had the building painted inside and out, the wood floors refinished, shelves built and I bought used equipment to outfit the store on a shoestring.

Days on end were spent in New York City, walking through the most successful specialty markets, where I searched for products and secrets to ensure my own success. I was clueless about the food business, but lucked out while walking through Dean & DeLuca one afternoon.

I was trying to be discreet while looking at labels and writing company names and telephone numbers on a little pad of paper when the store manager tapped me on the shoulder and asked me what I was doing. I told him about my small shop, mentioning that it was no competition for them, and then confessed that I was looking for products. He gave me a stern look and asked me to follow him, nervously, I did. We went down a back staircase into the offices where they introduced me to one of their buyers who proceeded to give me a crash course in retail food buying and then scooted me out the door with a long list of distributors and food companies, and enough knowledge to go back to the island to begin my new venture.

Within four months of buying the store, I had it pulled it together enough to open the doors for business the Friday before Memorial weekend and by Monday afternoon, I was sold out of everything. I was elated. Soon I was catering parties, weddings and dinners. By mid winter, my catering business was booked solid for the following summer.

Lately, I’ve been revisiting some of the simple recipes that stocked my take-out counter. Here is one that is delicious served hot or cold…

Spicy Sesame Chicken Salad

Ingredients

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons tahini paste

3 tablespoons sesame oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

2-3 tablespoons of hot sesame oil (add more if you like it spicier)

¾ cup canola or safflower oil

A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped course

½ roasted chicken, pulled and torn into bite size pieces, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips and sautéed

1 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked to al dente

½ cup scallion greens cut in quarter inch pieces

¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted until just browned in a saucepan

¼ pound snow peas, trimmed and blanched

Directions

Whisk the garlic, tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and hot oil together. Slowly blend in the canola or safflower oil. Toss with noodles, snow peas, scallion greens, cilantro, chicken and half of the toasted sesame seeds.

Serve cold on a bed of greens or hot in a bowl. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 6 servings.

Sunday morning breakfast

2010-02-28T15:14:00Z

We are in California, waking to a soggy morning, but loving the salty smell to the air and feeling like it is a French toast and steaming latte kind of morning…

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-6 slices of Challah bread

DIRECTIONS

Beat together egg, milk, honey, cinnamon or nutmeg and vanilla.

Heat a lightly buttered skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Soak bread slices in egg mixture for 20 second on each side, or until thoroughly coated. Cook bread until both sides are lightly browned and crisp. Serve hot with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.

A few words about Helen

2010-02-28T13:00:00Z

Well, it’s kind of difficult to write only a few words about Helen, because there is just too much to say about this exotic bird. She is an artist, although it has taken some time to convince her of her talents, a mother, wife and a friend to many.

It seems that the thermometer in any space that Helen steps into goes up at least a few degrees. The men stumble all over themselves trying to get a bit closer to get a good gander at this almost six foot tall, ethereal creature. She is a beauty, no doubt, but it is the air of fun and energy that seems to blow into any room when she arrives, and believe me, she arrives, with masses of curly blonde hair, smiling blue eyes, and nonstop chatter, that can turn an otherwise bland evening into a party.

Helen was one of the first people whom I met when I moved to San Antonio. We had both been in town for a month or so, neither of us knew anyone, so when we met at a get-together that turned out to be made up of mostly angry, anti-establishment new agers, you know, the type who think you need to shun all things fun and light in order to live a meaningful and spiritual life. The group didn’t know what to make of either of us…we were entirely too happy and soulful, so we spent the evening laughing our heads off at one end of the room while the others just watched in dismay. Needless to say, neither of us met up with this group again, but a fast sisterhood was forged between us.

While being challenged over the past year, as many people have, to see adversity as part of the journey and a chance to test ourselves and grow, we had some interesting adventures, from producing a celebrity laden event in Los Angeles to smiling through blistering south Texas summer heat as we tested the waters in the farmers’ market and arts and crafts worlds (Helen being all about art and me, the foodie) and now we find ourselves and our families integrated into our lives in San Antonio.

Helen has been very prolific this year in both volume and artistic expansion of her work, which is whimsical, ethereal, humorous, and dare I say, occasionally, spiritual. I’d like to introduce you to Helen Wheeler-Shaw and her creations and invite you to visit her website at http://www.thewillowsnest.etsy.com.

Fresh from the market

2010-02-16T22:48:00Z

There is a languid feel to life in Texas. Perhaps it is the heat that slows life down to a smooth drawl and a comfortable hum that I find so alluring. Most of the time, it is just too hot to move quickly, but the winters in San Antonio are beautiful, laden with crisp mornings that beckon me to head out the door and breathe in the cool sunrise air.

One of my weekend morning rituals that was a staple in Santa Monica, seems to just be catching on in San Antonio – strolling the farmer’s market. There are many little roadside “markets” but only a few that I would call “destination” farmer’s markets. One of them, the Legacy Outdoor Market, is of my own making.

I love the whole concept of farmer’s markets and arts & crafts fairs. Meandering my way through a narrow promenade of pop-up canopies, stopping often to chat with vendors, farmers, artists and crafts people, running into neighbors or market regulars, it gives me the sense of community. Visually, I find these markets to be a soothing, yet vibrant canvas of color and smells. Tables and back ends of pick-up trucks overflowing with freshly picked fruits and vegetables is a glorious sight…it’s a scene that inspires me to create edible art, and then stuff my face.

Last weekend at the market I picked up some roasted corn, potatoes and fresh herbs and made delicious roasted corn chowder. I made it without following a recipe, using what I had in my pantry and fridge, and ended up with the perfect simple Sunday evening meal.

ROASTED CORN CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (I had parsley, dill, chives and thyme)

3 cups canned vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

6 ears corn

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

DIRECTIONS

Heat the butter or olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and half of the herbs and cook until the vegetables are wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, pour in the stock and milk and bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Meanwhile, cut the corn kernels of the cob and add to the soup and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are softened, take half of the soup and put into a food processor and pulse until very smooth, then return mixture to the pot with the remaining soup. Stir in the cream until well mixed. Season with salt pepper and cayenne to taste. Place in bowls and serve.

I served this with an herbed garlic toast made with Phoenix Rising bread. I cut thick slices off a country loaf, slathered one side of each slice with a compound butter made with a little fresh minced garlic and the same herbs that I used in the soup, then sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan and grilled under the broiler for a minute or so, until lightly browned. Yum!

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