Category Archives: Travel

February 2, 2013 · 9:07 am

SANTORINI AND SPANAKOPITA

The ship sailed into the harbor at Santorini just as the dawn broke over the Aegean Sea. We were surrounded by mountaintops glistening a blazing white. Snow, I thought. In the Mediterranean? Impossible. And then I realized that the villages of Santorini were perched on the peaks surrounding us, washed an incredible white, and glued to the impossibly steep slopes all the way to the harbor below. No wonder so many tour guides call Santorini the best island escape in the world.

The islands have been populated for thousands of years, but they have also been the scene of unthinkable human disasters. Even from a ship, it is clear that the villages have been built upon the remaining walls of an ancient volcano, and that the harbor nestled in the ring of islands is the caldera of that volcano.

Minoan culture once thrived on the islands, not that of the capital in Crete, but clearly more than just an outpost. Ancient ruins have been excavated showing vivid wall paintings, impressive buildings, and a thriving population center. All of that came to an abrupt end in about 1600 BCE when the volcano exploded with one of the largest flows of smoke, lava, and ash during historical times. Crops failed in China because of the explosion, and the civilization on Santorini was annihilated. The islands remained uninhabited for hundreds of years. Some believe that the disaster is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

There have been other eruptions over the centuries, and seismic and volcanic activities have been recorded in recent years. Still the inhabitants seem oblivious to all of this, and the visitor is soon caught up in the apparent tranquility of the scene.

The sands of the popular beaches may be red or black or white depending upon the color of the volcanic layer from which they come. The environment is that of a desert with desert plants and no natural sources of water except the rains. Some of the buildings are painted in pastel shades, but the great majority are whitewashed with bold blue trim. Churches are everywhere, and their vivid blue roofs meet the clear blue of the cloudless skies. Narrow streets weave along the crests of the hills. Everyone seems to relax in a casual stroll.

Our  visit ended with a ride down the cable car with a panoramic view of the harbor down below. It is easy to see why many Greeks as well as celebrities have chosen Santorini as a quiet getaway.

Dawn
The impossibly precarious villages of Santorini
Dawn over Santorini
Ship at anchor in the Santorini caldera with the cliff-top villages in the background
Only in Santorini
Passageway with a beautiful vista
A beautiful archway
Santorini shapes and colors set against the blue of the caldera
Classic Sanorini blue and white
A little shop specializing in colorful women’s scarves
A charming wall tile
A beautiful gate and matching door
Blue roofs and blue skies in Santorini
Return to the ship by way of the cable car

 

SPANAKOPITA

More than forty years ago when we lived in Salt Lake City, Susan was well-known amongst our friends for one of her hors d’oeuvres which she served with drinks. The recipe came from the local Junior League’s Heritage Cookbook and was called “crab triangles”. The dish was equally popular when we moved to Shreveport. It called for flaked crab meat, cream cheese, phyllo dough, and butter. At the time, neither of us knew that the triangles were a riff on the Greek treats, tyropitas (phyllo triangles filled with cheese) or spanakopita (phyllo triangles filled with spinach and cheese)

The following recipe is not necessarily authentic (every Greek family has its own recipe so, what, after all, is really “authentic”?) But it’s pretty close to the real thing, and it is good enough that you probably will not have any leftovers. It uses frozen phyllo dough which usually comes in a 1 pound box containing two separate rolls of 20 leaves of dough in each roll. Be sure to read the label.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter
  • 1 roll (½ pound) phyllo dough thawed according to instructions
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium shallots, minced
  • 9 ounce package of pre-washed spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ½ teaspoon Pernod
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper

Method

  • Prepare clarified butter by melting butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Skim off the foam that rises to the top. Let milk solids settle to the bottom of the pan. Then pour the skimmed butter slowly into a glass measuring cup, being careful not to pour the milk solids into the cup. Set aside the clarified butter in a warm, not hot, place.
  • Heat a medium frying pan over a medium-low flame. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, stir in the shallots and cook until wilted and translucent. Do not brown.
  • Add the chopped spinach, cover, and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the wine and Pernod. Cook until the mixture has given up most of its moisture and is dry. Do not brown or allow to burn. Cool for 5 minutes.
  • Combine spinach mixture, feta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Spinach and shallot mixture ready to be combined with feta cheese mixture
Feta cheese mixture with fresh-cracked pepper
About 180 mL of clarified butter from 2 sticks (½ pound) unslated butter
The three steps in rolling up the phyllo triangles
Finished triangles ready for baking
Triangles with the last coating of butter (!) on the baking sheet
Baked spanakopita triangles cooling just a bit before serving while still warm
 

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January 25, 2013 · 6:32 pm

SAN FRANCISCO AND THE PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB

San Francisco is one of the great cities of America with endless things to see and do. Of course, the Golden Gate Bridge is iconic, but the beautiful bay, the wonderful Victorian houses, cable cars, winding Lombard Street, the Marina and Fishermen’s Wharf, the Ferry Building Farmers Market, and Coit Tower are all landmarks on most tourists’ check lists.

Often the Presidio gets overlooked, and that’s too bad because it is one of the real treasures of the Bay Area.

The Spanish established presidios (military garrisons) to protect their territories as they moved further and further into what eventually became the American Southwest. Their advance into California was relatively late, and San Francisco Bay was not discovered until 1774. The Presidio at San Francisco was established in 1776 to protect what was then called La Boca del Puerto de San Francisco – the Mouth of the Port of San Francisco – a name that continued until the 1840s. In 1846, the straits between the Marin Headlands and Land’s End on the San Francisco side were renamed by the famous explorer, John C. Fremont, who said they had the same importance as the Golden Horn in the Bosporus. The renaming occurred two years before the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill. I guess Fremont knew what he was talking about.

The Spanish also established a small pueblo named Yerba Buena to support the presidio. The little town was in the area now known as the Mission District where the Mission Dolores still stands. These were the beginnings of today’s modern San Francisco.

The garrison was a constantly occupied military base for over 200 years, under the jurisdiction of Spain, Mexico, and then the US, until it was decommissioned in 1995. At that time, the Presidio was turned over to the US National Park Service with the charge to develop the facility as if it were a national park but with the requirement that, unlike a park, it must generate enough revenues to make it self-sustaining.

That charge has been taken seriously. Military housing has been converted into apartments and beautiful residences which are well-maintained, highly desired, and often available only after spending time on a waiting list. Barracks and the world-famous Letterman General Hospital have been converted into office buildings, museums, and workshops for such companies as Disney and George Lucas Productions. There are public golf courses, abundant hiking trails, campgrounds, and beaches open year-around to the public.

Scenery is spectacular. The famous Golden Gate Bridge has its southern access from the headlands in the Presidio. The view to Land’s End, with crashing surf, rugged rock outcroppings, is a gorgeous part of the walk along the ridge leading down to Baker Beach. There are hawks, hummingbirds, many other bird species, coyotes, and smaller mammals. Chances are pretty good that you can catch a glimpse of at least one of these creatures. Flowering plants, towering trees including the beautiful but invasive eucalyptus, and plenty of herbs fill the woods along the trails.

Converted nineteenth century barracks filled with displays and museums

Converted nineteenth century barracks filled with displays and museums

Golden Gate Bridge from the East Battery

Golden Gate Bridge from the East Battery

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from near the Main Post

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from near the Main Post

The Park Service has not ignored the stomach. There are several restaurants and more in the process of development. The Presidio Social Club may be the most popular, because it is close to the Walt Disney and George Lucas facilities and is a popular place for business lunches. Still, it is large enough that you may not need to wait too long for a table.

The restaurant is actually housed in a converted barracks that once served the famous African-American “Buffalo Soldiers” who played such an important role in opening up the American West.

The Social Club  serves both lunch and dinner.  The menu is not large, but you should be able to find something to suit your fancy.

For a recent lunch, I got a grilled meatloaf sandwich with melted Gruyère cheese. The sandwich came perfectly grilled on real pain de mie, not white sandwich bread. The meatloaf was juicy and cut to just the right thickness. Gruyère cheese and Dijon mustard set it off to a T.  The side salad of baby greens was dressed exactly as it should be with enough vinaigrette to flavor the lettuce but not so much as to be cloying. Susan got the Dungeness crab Louie salad which came with mollet eggs in a very large serving with lots of fresh crab. The only downside was that there were several shells that had been missed when the crab was picked over. Sarah says that to avoid that unforgivable restaurant sin, Rich Table uses a black light which causes bits of shell to glow a bright blue – who would have thought!

For dessert we split an order of brioche beignets served with creme anglaise. There are actually four beignets to an order, but they looked so good that we dived in before I took the picture.

A slice of meatloaf – not too thick and not too thin – with melted Gruyere cheese
Perfectly toasted meatloaf sandwich on perfect slices of fresh pain de mie and a side salad of baby greens
Dungeness crab Louie salad
Brioche beignets with creme anglais

The wine list was small but well-chosen, and the prices were reasonable. Service was excellent, and the surroundings were attractive and historic. The restaurant is a keeper, especially if you take my advice and make a day of visiting the Presidio.

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January 14, 2013 · 10:01 am

EPHESUS AND LOKUM (TURKISH DELIGHT)

Ephesus

Pigeon Island in Kusadasi Harbor
Looking toward the sea from Ephesus
Ruins along the main street of Ephesus
Bas relief panel depicting Aries
Ruined colums against the clouds
The feral cats of Ephesus
Beautiful stonework
Mosaic pavement
Marble door frame in a Terrace House
Marble panel and steps in a Terrace House
Mosaic floor in a Terrace House
Interesting disc found in a Terrace House
Wall decorations in a Terrace House
A beautiful marble floor
The Library of Celsus
The Lower Agora
A wall incorporating discarded shards
The Great Theater
Detail from the Harbor Baths
Dusk over Pigeon Island

One of the highlights of our recent visit to the Mediterranean was the ruins of  Ephesus in Turkey. Our ship docked in the nearby port of Kusadasi (Bird Island) which is named after the island, now called Pigeon Island, which dominates the harbor. The island is crowned by an ancient Byzantine fortress which has been rebuilt several times over the centuries and is still a commanding presence. The island has restaurants and entertainment centers and is connected to the mainland by an ornate causeway. At night the lights along the causeway and on the fortress battlements create a stunning view.

Ephesus is not far away on a modern highway and is only a little over a mile from the modern Turkish city of Selçuk, population 36,000. . Ephesus dates back thousands of years and was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the seventh century BCE.  One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis, was located nearby. Ephesus was a center of Greek culture until the second century BCE when it became a part of the Roman Empire.  At its height, the city had between 250,000 and 500,000 inhabitants and was one of the largest cities in the entire empire. Later, it was an important city of the Byzantine Empire.  Its dominance was because  it was a center of trade, related to its harbor. Over the years and in spite of dredging efforts, the port and the river silted up, and Ephesus became landlocked. Earthquakes and Arab raids also contributed to the decline of the city, and it was abandoned in the eighth century.

Ephesus was important in early Christian activities. Because of its size and importance, there were early missionary activities there. In the Book of Acts in the New Testament, there is a story of Paul arriving to preach in the massive open-air theater. He was discouraged from doing so by friends who worried for his safety. One of Paul’s’ letters, “Epistle to the Ephesians”, was addressed to the Christian community in Ephesus. Tradition has it that Saint John was imprisoned here and that Jesus’s mother Mary lived out her final days in a house a bit removed from the city.

Ephesus was clearly a wealthy city. The ruins, including baths, gymnasia, temples, theaters, and enormous residences all bear that out. The Library of  Celsus is beautifully restored and preserved. In its day it served as a mausoleum for a prominent Roman as well as a library with many scrolls.

Terrace homes of wealthy residents line one side of the main thoroughfare, Curetes Street. The houses were at their peak from about 100 to 700 CE at around the time of abandonment of the city. The rooms filled with dirt resulting in remarkable preservation comparable to that in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Still under excavation, the homes reveal elaborate mosaic floors, ornate wall decorations, and marble doors, walls, and pools.

The enormous theater, seating 35,000 has been amazingly well-preserved as have the agoras (gathering places) with their arcades and shops, public latrines, a brothel, and numerous public buildings.

Map of archaeologic site open to visitors

Map of archaeological site open to visitors

Of course the marble streets are filled with tourists, and you could easily spend much more time than that alloted in the usual tours. Even with all that, though, it is a place well worth visiting.

Lokum

This is a traditional sweet that was invented by a famous Turkish cook in the 1700’s. It is soft, sweet, dusted in sugar, and usually flavored with rosewater.  Supposedly lokum or Turkish delight is offered to guests with coffee, but you will see it everywhere, boxed up for purchase from street vendors or small shops.

There are many recipes for lokum on the internet. In general, they fall into three categories depending upon what is used as a firming agent. Some use cornstarch; some use gelatin; and some use pectin. This recipe is derived from one published in the Joy of Cooking as late as 1975. Subsequently the recipe disappeared from the index of the cook book, I think because the candy may turn into a sticky mess if you are not careful. I have made the recipe several times over the years, and this is by far the most successful version. You need to make sure the pan and waxed paper are well-greased or you will never get the candy out of the bottom of the pan.  Actually, I had to throw away the pan the first time I tried making Turkish delight. You also need to make sure that you cook the sugar mixture at least to the soft ball stage or it will not get firm enough.

My very strong advice is that you should travel to Turkey and buy your supply of Turkish delight from a street vendor. Failing that, go to your local Middle Eastern market.

Pan prepared with overlapping sheets of buttered waxed paper
Pistachios
Candy cooking with added pistachios
Cooling candy
Lokum (Turkish delight) cut into squares and dusted with confectioners’ sugar

 

RECIPE

Lokum (Turkish Delight)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 packet (  ) liquid fruit pectin
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup fruit jelly
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup unsalted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
  • confectioners’ sugar

Method

  • Prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking pan: grease well with butter, line with two buttered sheets of waxed paper arranged crosswise and overhanging the rim of the pan. Set aside.
  • Combine the water, pectin, and baking soda in a heavy 2 quart sauce pan. The mixture will expand and foam.
  • In a second saucepan, combine the corn syrup and sugar.
  • Bring the corn syrup and sugar mixture to the boil and heat to the soft ball stage, 240° F. Check with a candy thermometer. Then bring the pectin and baking soda to the boil over another flame. Stir until foaming subsides.
  • Gradually pour the pectin mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring continuously.
  • Stir in the jelly
  • Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and pistachio nuts.
  • Pour into the prepared pan and let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours or preferably over night.

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December 12, 2012 · 8:05 pm

AIX-EN-PROVENCE AND PASTRY CREAM

Back to Europe. One of our favorite visits during our recent Mediterranean cruise was a beautiful little city just north of Marseilles. Aix-en-Provence is about the same size as Santa Fe but a lot older. We think that Santa Fe is old and it is for the USA, going back to 1510. But Aix-en-Provence dates back at least to 300 BCE and was a Roman outpost in 150 BCE. The main part of the “old” town, though,  dates to the sixteenth,  seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, while the “new” city is filled with modern buildings and young students from the several universities and colleges located there.

We spent a too-short-day strolling up the Cours Mirabeau from the elegant fountain set in the center of la Rotonde to the statue of the “Good King” René at the head of the street before turning into narrow streets lined with beautiful old houses and interesting shops. The Cours Mirabeau is a narrow street set between two wide sidewalks under palisades of towering plane trees. Moss-covered fountains sit in roundabouts in the narrow street. Banks line one side of the boulevard, and there are several cafés on the other side. The cafés include the Deux Garçons famous for hosting Cézanne, Zola, and other famous artists and writers.

Instead of stopping in one of those cafés, we chose to continue our stroll through the old town. One of our stops was a farmers’ market in the place de l’Hotel de Ville. There were rows and rows of stalls filled with fresh fish and shellfish, meats, sausages, eggs, vegetables of all sorts, jellies, soaps, and even a smiling bronze boar peeking from behind a refrigerator truck. The market stood under the shadow of a sixteenth century clock tower and flags of the European Union, France, and Provence.

Enticed by a windowful of elegant pastries, we took a break at La Boutique du Glacier with tea and coffee and pastries including a delicious napoleon.

We walked past the carousel before boarding our tour bus to end a most enjoyable day that we would like someday to repeat.

Fountain in la Rotonde
Building on the Cours Mirabeau
Along the Cours Mirabeau
A moss and fern covered fountain in the middle of the Cours Mirabeau
Good King René
Delicious breads at the market
Shellfish
Vegetables
The happy boar
Sixteenth century clock tower and flags
Coffee and pastries at La Boutique du Glacier
Carousel at la Rotonde

 

RECIPES

Inspired by our visit to Aix, this is an effort to make a simple napoleon with absolutely no pretenses of duplicating the wonderful pastry we enjoyed in France.

First task is to make the pastry cream. This is a cousin to the three sibling creams I wrote about a while back: creme anglaise, creme brulee, and crema catalana. The main difference with this cousin is the addition of flour which enables you to boil the sauce without worrying about scrambling the egg yolks. It is actually fairly easy to make..

Puff pastry is beyond most home cooks – at least this one – so frozen sheets of pastry become the ticket to making an easy, quick, but tasty “home-made” napoleon.

Ingredients for pastry cream
Frozen puff pastry thawed and lightly rolled out
Puff pastry cut into 12 strips for baking
Arranged on parchment paper ready for the oven
Baked and cooling
Finished easy napoleons
Ready to eat

CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

  • In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the milk just to boiling
  • In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Then pour in the heated milk gradually, stirring to eliminate lumps. Then return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continually until the mixture is thickened and smooth.
  • Remove from the heat and cool just slightly before beating in the egg yolks. Stir constantly while returning to a boil. The eggs will not curdle with the added flour.
  • Cook for about 1 minute. Then remove from the heat and, beating constantly, let it cool for about another minute before adding the vanilla and butter.
  • Continue to beat until the butter is completely  melted and incorporated into the sauce.
  • Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Cover with plastic film directly on top of the sauce to prevent the formation of a skin, and cool in the refrigerator for an hour or mor

EASY NAPOLEONS

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet commercial frozen puff pastry
  • 1 batch creme patissiere
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons confectioner’s sugar

Method

  • Remove one sheet of frozen puff pastry from the package and thaw according to package instructions
  • Place the thawed pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll very lightly with a rolling-pin to smooth the folds in the pastry.
  • With a sharp knife, cut the sheet in half and then each half into 6 equally-sized bar shapes.
  • Transfer the shaped pastries onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned
  • Cool the baked pastries on a rack. Then split each in half so that you have 24 individual layers
  • Spread pastry cream between layers, stacking them so that each pastry has four layers. You will probably need to flatten the top of the bottom pastry by slicing a thin layer off the top with a very sharp knife.
  • Brush the tops of the assembled pastries with milk and then sprinkle with a mixture of the cocoa and confectioner’s sugar using a tea strainer.

Makes six napoleons

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December 5, 2012 · 9:34 am

A SHORT HISTORY OF CORN

A couple of years ago, my two daughters and I started a book about corn (maize) to include recipes for a wide range of corn-based breads from around the world. The project bogged down when I started writing a blog, but we plan to revive our effort. Here is a short excerpt from the introduction. It may be more than you want to know about corn (maize), but I hope that you will find it interesting.

Nearly every American  school child knows that when the Europeans first came to the New World, they found a virtual cornucopia of foods which they had never seen or tasted before.  The explorers took back to their homeland many foods that soon became imbedded in cuisines in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Of these edibles, eight of the current 26 top crops by tonnage have become essential to many diets, and include maize (called corn in the United States and other English-speaking countries), potatoes, tomatoes, chiles, peanuts, manioc, chocolate and vanilla, and sweet potatoes. Other important New World contributions to the global diet included beans, squash, turkeys, pineapple, and avocado, along with numerous herbs, fruits, and nuts.  Of these foods, undoubtedly corn has become the most important for providing nutrition and calories throughout the world and in all socio-economic situations.  To support this contention, consider that corn (or maize) is grown on all of the inhabited continents, China grows more corn than any other country, and corn-based dishes are served in China, India, Africa, England, France, Italy, and all of the countries of Central and South America. Refined corn is used for cooking oil, sugar substitute, and food additives. Corn serves as a major food source for animals raised a sources of meat. It is an integral and essential part of nearly every human’s diet.

History of cultivation

Maize (corn) was domesticated nearly 9,000 years ago by people living in the region of what is now the Mexican states of Michoacán, Guerrero, and Mexico. Like all modern food grains, it arose from a wild grass – in this case a large grass, Balsas teosinte, that even to this day grows in the Central Balsas River Valley. 

Balsas teosinteAlthough no one knows exactly how or how long the process of domestication developed, clever modern breeding studies have produced hybrids of teosinte and maize that give us an idea of what some of the grains may have looked like along the way.

teosinte and maize cobsIt is clear that both the Aztecs and Mayas consumed domesticated maize, and archeological records document that domestic corn spread to Panama by 7,600 years ago and to Uruguay by 4,600 years ago. Later, domesticated corn spread throughout both North and South America so that it was an important part of the diet of the native peoples throughout the New World when the Europeans arrived. The European explorers took back seed grain, and the cultivation of corn spread quickly throughout Europe and then into Africa and Asia. This rapid acceptance occurred  largely because of ease of cultivation, wide range of favorable growing conditions, and usefulness as a basic foodstuff. Now virtually every culture in the world depends upon corn and has unique and traditional dishes based upon the grain.

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November 14, 2012 · 3:06 pm

BARCELONA: PATATAS BRAVAS AND CREMA CATALANA

I have been away from my computer for several weeks doing a lot of traveling. Part of that was spent in a cruise around the Mediterranean beginning in Barcelona, Spain.  This post describes our visit along with a couple of recipes for food we enjoyed while we were in this beautiful and exciting city.

Beautiful architecture along Las Ramblas

We arrived on a flight from Philadelphia and were taken to our hotel on La Rambla Catalanya. First on the agenda was a brief nap, and then we explored Las Ramblas and parts of the old city. The street was perfect for walking, with a wide pedestrian walkway shaded by beautiful old plane trees. All along the way, there were open-air cafés offering a wide variety of food and drink. We selected a brightly lit cafe with linen tablecloths not too far from our hotel. The waiters were extremely friendly, and the menu offered a wide choice of tapas, along with paella, sangria, and excellent Spanish and Portuguese wines.

Spanish red wine to enjoy with tapas

We settled on a short list of hot and cold tapas which included octopus, cod-fish croquettes, tomato bread, and other tasty items. One of our favorites was patatas bravas, highly recommended by our daughter, Sarah, who had spent a couple of summers in Spain. It turned out to be a great choice.

Patatas bravas

Another popular and simple tapa- toasted bread with garlic and tomatoes

We finished up with crema catalana for dessert, and as our waiter said, “How can you not have crema catalana? You’re in Barcelona.”

Crema catalana

The next day we toured the city including, of course, La Familia Sagrada. Even for those who have visited many times, no trip to Barcelona is complete without a visit to this spectacular church, under construction for 130 years with more construction projected to at least  2026.

The Basilica of La Familia Sagrada

To me, it is hard to call the basilica beautiful – it flies too far outside my concepts of graceful architecture. At the same time, it is impossible not to think of it as an architectural marvel.  The architect, Antonio  Gaudi,  began what would be his life’s ultimate work in 1883. Gaudi was obviously a genius who developed radical theories of construction based upon his observations of suspended strings and other seemingly simple yet profound understandings of geometry. The basilica is under very active construction with several huge cranes arranged around the perimeter, building more towers to bring the final total to thirteen or possibly eighteen, depending upon whether the full plan will be fulfilled.

RECIPES

Patatas bravas with tomato sauce and aioli

This is one of the most famous and popular of all tapas. As a result, there are many recipes for preparing the potatoes. You can choose to roast them, bake them, boil and fry them, deep fry them at two different temperatures, etc., etc. Probably the simples – and perhaps even the most authentic – is to roast them in the oven. There is also variation in what to serve with the potatoes. A tomato sauce is common, but aioli is also common. You may even want to offer both, or your own choice of sauce.

Tomato sauce

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red (Cayenne) pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8 teaspoon sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, sweat and then saute lightly.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool, strain, and dilute with water if needed to make a moderately thick sauce.

Alioli

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

  • In a mortar or small dish, mash the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Set aside
  • Using a whisk and a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth, thickened, and slightly foamy.
  • By drops at first, whisk in the olive oil, until it is fully incorporated into the yolks before adding more. As the process continues, you can speed up the addition of oil. Do not rush the process or the sauce will separate.
  • When the oil has been fully incorporated, whisk in the mustard and garlic-salt mixture. Then stir in the lemon juice to make a smooth sauce.

Patatas

Ingredients

  • 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons parsley, minced

Method

  • Arrange the potato chunks on a small baking sheet which has been lightly coated with some of the olive oil. Drizzle the remaining oil over the potatoes and ststir just enough to coat the potatoes, keeping them in one layer.
  • Roast in the middle of an oven preheated to 375° F for about 45 minutes. Stir several times during the roasting. Remove from the oven when the potatoes are well-browned and crisped.
  • Sprinkle with the salt, pepper,  red pepper flakes, and parsley.
  • Serve immediately while still warm, along with the tomato sauce and/or alioli for dipping or spooning over the top.

Crema catalana

This is only one in a family of creamy desserts, including baked custard, flan, crème brûlée, and créme anglaise. They all have eggs, sugar, and milk or cream. Sometimes they have corn starch or gelatin as a thickening agent. Some are baked in a water vath while some are cooked on the stove top. The more you read recipes to discern the differences, the more confusing  the relationships. Whatever, crema catalana is traditionally cooked on the stove, allowed to set up in the refrigerator,and  served in a shallow terra-cotta dish, topped with sugar  caramelized with a salamander, under a broiler, or with a blow torch.

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • zest of 1 lemon (use orange if you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • additional sugar (about 1 tablespoon for each) for topping individual servings

Method

  • With a hand-held electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in a medium saucepan until they form a thick, smooth mixture
  • Add the cinnamon stick and lemon zest to the mixture
  • In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in the milk. Then add to the egg mixture and place over low heat
  • Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Work slowly or you will scramble the eggs. When the mixture has thickened enough to lightly coat your stirring spoon, remove immediately from the heat.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick You can strain the custard at this point if you wish. Then ladle into 4 to 6 small ramekins or casuelas.
  • Refrigerate at least 3 hours, and preferably overnight.
  • When you are ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over the top of each of the individual servings.
  • Caramelize the sugar topping by (1) using a small metal salamander heated on a stove burner, (2) running under your oven broiler for 5 to 10 minutes, or (3) using a small culinary blow torch.
  • Serve immediately.

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October 13, 2012 · 8:35 pm

RICH TABLE – VERDICT IN; THE CRITICS APPROVE

Rich Table in the Hayes Valley section of San Francisco has only been open for a little over 2 months, but already the food and service have impressed the local critics. Michael Bauer in the San Francisco Chronicle has said, “It was ironic and symbolic that my first visit to Rich Table was the night of the blue moon, because only once in a blue moon does a restaurant like this come along.” ( 3½ stars, September 30, 2012) In San Francisco magazine, Josh Sens says, “Elements of surprise…Rich Table might sound like every other joint in town, but it’s not.” (3 stars, October, 2012)   7×7 San Francisco has selected Sarah and Evan as the chef representatives in their annual “The Hot 30”. (October, 2012)

With all that publicity, it may not be a surprise that the reservation book is filled for the next three months, but even if you can’t get a reservation, don’t despair. There are a few seats at the communal table deliberately left open for walk-ins. The bar is always humming, so you may need to sit on an outside bench to wait your turn.

How did a new restaurant get up and running so smoothly in such a short time? Only part of the answer is the talent of the chef-owners, Sarah and Evan Rich. The other part is the professional staff who work together comfortably, more like a family than a restaurant crew.

Maz has taken on responsibility for running the front of the house after working in the wait staff and as beverage manager for years at Coi. He has put together a menu of creative cocktails and an excellent choice of wines and beers that complement the food.

James and Nick have worked as cooks with Sarah and Evan for years, and so watching them in action is like watching a well-practiced athletic team. They have been joined by Bayoni, Miles, and Andrew. How all these folks fit in the tiny open kitchen is a mystery, but without a misstep they work with one another to turn out the orders beautifully composed and on cue.

Michael and Charles left good, long-time positions in high-end restaurants to join the team. Rachel and Jamie, the runner, have also become team members. This makes a first-class, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable front-of-the-house crew.

We visited San Francisco a few days ago with plans to eat at Rich Table. As parents of one of the chefs, Sarah, we thought that would not be a problem, but in a text message, Sarah gently reminded my wife that we need to let her know our plans , otherwise she could not guarantee a space.

We wound up sitting at the communal table with a party of five from France. They were making the “Great Circle Tour” of the American West. Even with limited English on their part and non-existent French on ours, we enjoyed a chat and wound up sharing some food.  They cleaned their plates and enjoyed the restaurant. I heard  one  say, “Magnifique.”

We spent three hours eating everything that Sarah sent out to us. Here’s what we ate:

SPANISH CAVA WITH BEAU SOLEIL OYSTERS FROM NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA

Canadian oysters in California! Delicious and ocean salty. Still, the highlight is the crushed squash blossom mignonette. The sauce is beautiful with green and yellow-orange confetti. It is also tasty with an acidic base that complements the salty oysters.

SARDINE CHIPS WITH HORSERADISH ANCHO CRESS

This is rapidly becoming a signature dish of Rich Table. Big, crisp potato chips have a slender sardine fillet woven in the middle raising the question, “How do they do that?” The horseradish sauce is a perfect foil.   CAUTION: you can’t eat just one!

WINTER SQUASH FRITTER WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND ARUGULA SALSA VERDE

Another signature dish, corn fritters, has been transformed for the fall season into winter squash fritters with the sweet, creamy filling, crispy crust, and salty toasted squash seeds as a garnish.

HOUSE-MADE BLACK GARLIC MORTADELLA WITH HOT MUSTARD

This in no way resembles the usual bologna-like mortadella. The sausage is a silky mousse of pork laced with lardons of pork fat and bits of black garlic, a smoked and aged garlic that has a nutty, woodsy flavor.

RAW KING SALMON WITH CUCUMBER AND DOUGLAS FIR TOPPED WITH SALTINE TUILE DOTTED WITH YOGURT AND FORAGED PURSLANE

Almost too beautiful to eat – well, almost! The salmon hides below a paper-thin tuile of saltine decorated with polka dots of yogurt and “bows” of foraged purslane. The decorations are delicious. The salmon and cucumber are superb.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH BURRATA AND TOASTED SEAWEED

Sort of a sophisticated caprese. The tomatoes multi-hued, each with its own synthesis of sweet and tart. The burrata is creamy and a notch above the usual mozzarella, even the house-made, fresh variety. Seaweed  for basil? So Japanese and so different.

PLANCHA BREAD, RABBIT SAUSAGE, CORN, AND RED FRILL MUSTARD

Toppings for the plancha bread, done on one of the flat-top stoves, change frequently For our visit, rabbit sausage and corn were a perfect balance. Mustard served as both greens and sauce.

GARGANELLI WITH LAMB SAUSAGE AND ARUGULA

This unusual and beautiful pasta originated in Romagna and was rolled on a weaving comb to produce indentations before it was formed into cylinders resembling the breathing tubes of chickens (hence the name). Here it is topped with a light brown sauce faintly seasoned with tomato and the juices from lamb sausage. The sauce is perfect for dipping with bread.

WILD FENNEL LEVAIN AND HOUSE-CULTURED BUTTER

The perfect bread for dipping – but also for eating by itself or with the house-made cultured butter. There are lots of excellent, famous bakeries in San Francisco – Acme, Grace, and Tartine to name a few – but this house-made bread has become another signature dish. The bread is made with a sourdough starter that has been maintained for years. The scent and subtle taste of foraged wild fennel pollen makes it unique. The butter is made from milk and culture that have been aged together for two days. Then the mix is churned. The butter is pressed and aged for another several days while the pungent buttermilk is saved for other uses. (You’ll see more about that later.)

TAJARIN WITH CUITLACOCHE

The pasta originated in the Italian Piedmont. It is thicker than capellini but thinner than spaghetti. In Alba, a traditional dish is tajarin served with a sauce of black truffles. Thus, it is appropriate with cuitlacoche (corn smut, maize mushroom), a fungus that sometimes develops on ripening ears of corn. In Mexico it is a great delicacy and has been called “Mexican truffle”. Small wonder because it brings a chestnut color to the sauce along with a complex earthy aroma and taste which are clearly reminiscent of fresh truffles at the peak of the season.

RABBIT CANNELLONI, NASTURTIUM, SUNGOLD TOMATOES

An elegant pasta roll filled with tender rabbit and bathed with an herbal, slightly sweet sauce that makes you want more. The nasturtiums with their delicate blossoms and showy tiger stripes look too beautiful to eat, but they’re not. An elegant dish.

KING SALMON, BOK CHOY, TOASTED BUCKWHEAT, YOUNG GINGER

The bok choy and subtle ginger set an Asian note while the crunchy toasted buckwheat kernels offer an interesting contrast to the tender salmon fillets.

SWEET GLAZED PORK DUMPLINGS, BRAISED ESCAROLE, RADICCHIO

Delicate  rolls if pasta stuffed with a fluffy farce of pork augmented with airy egg whites and unctuous pork fat. The sweet glaze is caramelized so that the dish becomes a sophisticated pot sticker.

That’s it – only thirteen savouries, and we finished all of them. Then came dessert.

MUSKMELON GRANITÉ

The dish came to the table resembling a drift of melon-colored snowflakes, and the first spoonfuls added to the image. Then the surprise: buried in the bottom were perfect cubes of ripe melon and a ball of melon-flavored cream made with a siphon.

PANNA COTTA WITH PLUMS AND ALMOND CRUMBLE

So good that Susan started eating before I could take a picture, so here is an image of the fresh peach version from earlier in the season. This has become another signature offering.

PLUM CAKE WITH BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM

The cake oozes moisture and flavor. Not too sweet, but sweet enough with the subtle flavor of seasonal plums and a poached plum on the side along with a quenelle of buttermilk ice cream, tangy and smooth as silk. The buttermilk comes as a by-product of the house-churned butter. Some by-product!

That was it! No more, though no more was needed. Clearly a tour de force of creative American cooking with overtones of French, Italian, and Japanese. Can’t wait to visit again.

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August 27, 2012 · 11:22 am

FAMILY CELEBRATION: THE TIPSY PIG AND A BLOODY MARÍA

As part of our recent family gathering to celebrate a special birthday for Susan, some of us were able to go to brunch together. Sarah and Evan were busy getting ready for service at their new restaurant, so they were not able to attend. Kevin was at the library. Everyone else gathered on the back patio of The Tipsy Pig not far from the San Francisco Marina. The weather was beautiful, and the restaurant was friendly with excellent service.

There were lots of interesting drink choices. I picked the Mary Pig, a classic bloody mary. It was extremely well made and decorated with olives and a stalk of celery.

Food choices were even better.

The Chimay braised pulled pork sandwich was with served aioli, and red cabbage slaw came with sweet potato fries. It was beautifully presented and very tasty.

The chive-goat cheese scramble was beautiful: two squares of golden eggs scrambled with goat cheese, served on squares of thick toast and prosciutto, topped with Meyer lemon beurre blanc and a side of wax beans.

The crispy duck confit came as a generous-sized duck leg  finished with radicchio, spiced pecans, goat cheese, and bing cherries with champagne-tarragon vinaigrette.

I chose huevos rancheros. This is one of my favorite dishes, but this version was unlike any I have ever seen. It was beautiful, not to mention tasty. A perfectly cooked egg was served on rolled tortillas and a bed of black beans, sauced with salsa verde, and dressed with pico de gallo and avocado. Crumbled asadero cheese garnished the top. It was a wonderful choice.

One of these days I plan to share my recipe for huevos rancheros, but today I would like to give you the recipe for my version of a bloody maría – a tequila-based bloody mary.

RECIPES

Chile Powder Salt

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon powdered chile (not chili powder). Temperature is your choice
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

Method

  • Mix the chile powder and salt in a small bowl with a wide enough brim to accept the rim of your drinking glass

Bloody María

Ingredients

  • chile powder salt
  • 2 ounces tequila
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 4 ounces mixed vegetable juice (V8 or the equivalent)
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • dash Chalula hot sauce to taste

Method

  • Moisten the rim of the serving glass with the lime rind left over from squeezing and dip in the prepared chile powder salt
  • Combine tequila, lime juice, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce and Chalula hot sauce in a cocktail shaker with a cube of ice and shake well.
  • Strain into the serving glass.
  • Garnish with half a fresh jalapeño and a spear of jícama lightly dusted with powdered chile

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August 2, 2012 · 2:04 pm

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO

The last stop on our Rocky Mountain marathon was Yellowstone National Park. We have been there many times, but we have never stayed at the Old Faithful Inn, so that was one of our main objectives on this visit.

It is a several-hour drive from Glacier to Yellowstone, but the scenery is so absorbing that the time passes quickly. Montana is gorgeous, and there are many spectacular mountains beside those in Glacier. The plains are beautiful with rolling hills, great green pastures, and trim ranch houses. As we got closer to Yellowstone, the mountains and forests again took over the view, and we saw several of the famous and beautiful rivers that have inspired writers, painters, photographers, and fly fisherman from as far back as Lewis and Clark – The Yellowstone, the Gallatin, the Madison – and we would soon see the Fire Hole.

West Yellowstone was like all of the entry villages of national parks, crowded with tourists and filled with ice cream stores and curio shops. Yet once inside the park, the beauty became overwhelming. Many wild animals, rushing streams, perfect vistas, and far-away mountains.

We arrived at Old Faithful Lodge in the early afternoon. Parking lots were full, the lobby was jammed, and there was a long line of people waiting to check in. Once we arrived in our room, it was like stepping back in time. Our room was in the Old House, the iconic lodge famous in pictures and opened in 1904. The room had been updated a bit, but we still had to go down the hall to the communal bathrooms. That was a seeming inconvenience which we soon took in stride for the pleasure of staying in this historic and wonderful lodge.

Old Faithful Inn

Back in the lobby, we gasped with the other tourists at the enormity of space. The log ceiling reached up many storeys  nearly 80 feet above the lobby floor with the massive stone fireplace serving as the focal point.

Looking up to the ceiling of the lobby at Old Faithful Inn

Detail of stairway in Old Faithful Inn

The detail was inspiring. Each staircase was a work of art with twisted pine limbs serving as the balusters. Similarly the supporting posts on each floor were carefully matched twisted limbs.  Even the outside supports on the verandah were carefully matched and polished to a sparking gloss.

The fireplace and Great Clock in the lobby of Old Faithful Inn

Later, I found that the best time to enjoy the beauty of the lobby space was at 4 AM when all the lights were still ablaze but the visitors had gone to bed, and the cooks were not yet awake.

Old Faithful Geyser Basin

Road-side pool

We learned another thing, too. We arose at dawn each day of our visit to visit the geyser basins, lakes and rivers. The wildlife was out, but the tourists were still asleep, and we had the park nearly to ourselves. By noon, the crowds had awakened and the crush of humanity was almost too much.

Blue thermal pool

Steam rose from the geysers. Crystal clear water glistened in the hot pools lined with colors of emerald, pink, and cobalt blue.

Yellowstone Lake

Mother bison were tending their calves along the roadside, and deer and elk hid in the shadows of the forest. We did not see any bears, but our wildlife experience was still thrilling.

Mother American bison and calf

Watching Old Faithful Geyser erupt was a treat as we sat on the verandah with gin and tonic in hand .

The big disappointment was eating dinner in the dining room. The room was beautiful, and it had been preserved and restored to its early glory. One tried to imagine early visitors dressing for dinner with the women in long gowns and the men with stiff collars and suit coats. The vision was impossible to hold in an atmosphere of very large men in short shorts and their equally large wives in fluorescent tube tops. The menu was filled with interesting-sounding choices, but that seemed like a waste of time as the very large men made repeated return visits to a buffet.

The food was ok, considering the huge number of meals served each day, but it didn’t match the surroundings (sans tourists). Among the dishes we chose were shrimp risotto, trout cakes, antelope sausage, and pork osso buco .

Trout cakes

Antelope sausage

Pork osso buco

Shrimp risotto at the Old Faithful Inn

Of these, I have tried to replicate the shrimp risotto.

RECIPE

Shrimp and mushroom risotto

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups vegetable stock
  • 1½ cups + 9 cups water
  • 1 pound shrimp, 16/20 size
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped coarsely
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped coarsely
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped coarsely
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 3 stalks parsley
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ripe tomato
  • 1 pound shrimp, 16-20 size, with shells on
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
  • 3 + 3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup white onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup Arborio rice

Method

  • In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock and 1½ cups of water to the boil. Add the  carrot, celery, white onion, garlic, parsley, peppercorns, and salt  to the boiling water.  Simmer for 30 minutes. Squeeze the tomato into the pot and drop in the skin and flesh. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Add the shrimp, return to a full boil for 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp, peel, and chill.
  • Remove the stock from the heat, strain, and then return to the cleaned pot. Add 9 cups of water to triple the volume of liquid. Reheat to boiling.
  • In the meantime saute the mushrooms in half the  butter (3 tablespoons)  in a small skillet over medium heat. Set aside in the skillet.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Then sweat the onions in the melted butter, covered  over medium heat.
  • When the onions are translucent but not browned, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains become opaque but not brown.
  • Turn the flame under the rice mixture to high and immediately add one ladle-full of the boiling stock. Stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Add another ladle of the stock and continue the process of stirring and boiling until the rice is soft and creamy, about 30 minutes. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
  • When the rice is nearly cooked, add the cooled shrimp to the skillet with the mushroom and heat over a medium-low flame.
  • Serve the finished risotto in 4 soup bowls. Divide the mushrooms and shrimp into four servings each, place on top of the risotto and serve immediately.

Shrimp and mushrooms sautéing

Shrimp and mushroom risotto

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July 23, 2012 · 8:40 am

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – CHAMOMILE AND GINGER PANNA COTTA WITH WILD BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Storm clouds over Lake McDonald

This summer has been one continuous trip. For a couple of weeks, we made the “Grand Tour” of the Rocky Mountain West. I have lived in the west nearly all my life, and we have spent many happy times in Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Rocky Mountain National Park,  Zion, and the other Utah parks, but I have never been to Glacier, so we planned this trip with a lot of excitement.

Roadside pool in morning mist

One of the reasons I have not visited Glacier is that it is a long way from just about any place. We spent three full days (twelve hours a day) driving with not many stops in between.

Rapids on McDonald Creek

Forest waterfall

All that said, the visit was definitely worth the effort. We stayed in the pleasant but not elegant Village Inn at Apgar at the south end of the lake. Our room was right at the lake’s edge, and we had a breath-taking view of the major peaks of the park. No matter the weather or the time of day, we never tired of the view.

Sunrise over Lake McDonald

The scenery and the wildlife were both spectacular. Even though it was rainy for part of our visit, the clouds and mists added to the beauty. The Going-to-the-Sun Road turned out to be a not-to-be-missed experience. The road is built on a narrow shelf of the cliffs, rising from the valley floor to the summit dividing the eastern and western halves of the park.  There are waterfalls everywhere, glaciers and snow all around, water pouring out of the sheer rock faces of the mountain, and steep-walled overlooks. We were in luck because the road had opened only the day before our arrival. An additional bonus of that timing was that there were not many other visitors. Mountain sheep grazed unfazed alongside the road. Deer and elk could be seen in the forests beside the road.

Butterfly and lilacs

Lilacs were in bloom at our lodging, and butterflies covered the fragrant blossoms.  A short walk nearby took much longer than we anticipated because we kept pausing to admire wild strawberries, beautiful flowers, and the trademark Glacier bear grass.

Bear grass

Not unexpectedly, the most disappointing part of the visit was the food. The first evening we ate at a family restaurant just a short walk from our room. The menu did not look very exciting and I made the very unwise choice of fish and chips. Huckleberries are one of the iconic delicacies of the region, so we shared a huckleberry cobbler topped with ice cream. The huckleberries must have been in short supply because the dish was augmented with blackberries.

Huckleberry creme soda

Bacon and bleu salad – Lake McDonald Lodge

The next evening we ate in the dining room of the historic Lake McDonald Lodge. The setting was beautiful and historic. The food was ok. Perhaps the highlight was the huckleberry cream soda from a bottle labeled with an image of one of Glacier’s famous red buses. The food choices included several made with local game. The salad actually turned out to be quite tasty.

Lake McDonald Lodge

The famous Glacier NP red bus

After all of this, I tried to think of a recipe that would capture our Glacier NAtional Park experience. Huckleberries immediately came to mind, but my search in various local grocery stores came to naught. Frozen wild blueberries wound up being the closest alternative I could find. Panna cotta seemed easier and more refreshing than a cobbler, So that’s what ended up being the recipe for this post.

RECIPES

Chamomile and ginger panna cotta

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ginger root, peeled and cut into five little-finger sized pieces
  • 2 regular tea bags, chamomile tea
  • ½cup sugar
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatine
  • 1½ cups buttermilk

Method

  • Combine the cream, ginger root pieces, chamomile tea bags and sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Bring just to the simmer over medium-low heat.
  • Lower the heat and steep for about 30 minutes. Remove the ginger pieces and tea bags. If there are little pieces of ginger floating in the mixture, strain. Return to the heat.
  • Meanwhile, place the water in a small dish, sprinkle the gelatine over the surface of the water, and allow to soften for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the softened gelatine to the warm cream and stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat. Stir in the buttermilk, and ladle into 6 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the panna cottas are set.

Ginger root and chamomile tea bags

Wild Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces frozen wild blueberries, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • ½ cup water

Method

  • Place the thawed blueberries in a small pan over low heat
  • Dissolve the sugar and cornstarch in the water and then pour into the blueberries
  • Stir the mixture over low heat until the sauce has become translucent and thickened.

Chamomile/ginger panna cotta with wild blueberry sauce, crème frache, and turbinado sugar

Assembly

  • Run a small sharp knife around the edge of each ramekin of panna cotta.
  • Invert the loosened panna cotta over the serving plate and unmold
  • Top with  wild blueberry sauce
  • Add a spoonful of crème fraîche (optional)
  • Sprinkle with turbinado sugar (optional)

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