Gastroanthropology

Peach Vinaigrette + Spiced Pecans

Perfect Peaches...ripening under hot California sun!

This past weekend I had the wonderful fortune of getting fresh yellow cling peaches straight from a California peach ranch. One of my dearest friends supplies me with the best peaches in the summer. The peaches are so sweet and delicious...it is such as shame that most yellow clings get sent straight to the cannery. The peaches are a bit stubborn because the flesh does cling to the pit. They are a tad more work but absolutely worth the effort.

So, after the peaches are grilled for afternoon BBQs, quartered for pie, sliced for cobbler, chopped for jam, pureed for sweet ice tea, and frozen for winter months, what do you do with them? Dice them up for peach vinegar! For peach vinegar... macerate (in a nonreactive pot) 3 cups small diced peaches with 1 cup champagne or rice wine vinegar for 1 week. Keep covered and stir the mixture once or twice a day. At the end of the week strain the mixture, getting as much liquid out as possible. Store in a sterilized jar and keep in fridge for up to 3 months.

The peach vinegar makes a lovely mild, sweet, peachy vinegar - great for summer salads. Fresh greens, sliced fresh peaches, and spiced candied pecans tossed in peach vinaigrette...a perfect lunch as the last of the hot summer days come and go...wow, tomorrow it's September already.

PEACH VINAIGRETTE

• 1 ripe peach, cut into chunks
• 2 Tablespoons peach vinegar (see above), or champagne vinegar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 4 Tablespoons pecan, walnut or canola oil

METHOD

In a small food processor or blender, puree peach until smooth. Add vinegar, salt and honey. Blend for 10 seconds. Continue to blend on low while drizzling in the oil. Use immediately.

SPICED CANDIED PECANS

This recipe for spiced candied pecans is inspired by the same friend who's family owns the peach ranch. These are usually made with walnuts (which come from this ranch as well in the fall!), but works well with pecans too.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon honey (or corn syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (or your desired combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger)
• 3 cups pecan or walnut halves

METHOD

Melt sugars until dissolved and starting to bubble. Add honey, salt, vanilla, and spices. Stir in nuts till they are all coated. Pour nuts onto a foiled and greased (or use a silpat) baking sheet. Toast nuts at 350F for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven. When cooled break apart and serve in salad. These candied nuts keep well in the freezer in an airtight container for snacking as well.

It's It - The Real San Francisco Treat

If you've grown up in the states and haven't been to San Francisco you probably think of the Golden Gate - glorious isn't it?

And maybe that it's full of liberal, free-thinking hippies. That might not be entirely off base, but politics aside, you most certainly know its the place where Rice-A-Roni comes from - a.k.a. The San Francisco Treat. Go ahead, sing the little tune and imagine the little trolley car bell ringing at the end.

I've actually "enjoyed" a box or two of the stuff, but there is an entirely different treat, whose home is also most definitely San Francisco, that gives Rice-A-Roni a run for its money. That treat would be the It's It. It's basically ice cream sandwiched between two old-fashioned oatmeal cookies and entirely coated in dark chocolate. Known as the "official food of San Francisco", the It's It was invented by George Whitney in 1928 and for decades sold exclusively at San Francisco's Playland. Whitney, Playland, and the It's It have quite a history and one of my dearest blogging friends, OysterCulture, has written a fabulous post that will most likely teach a local San Franciscan a thing or two.

OysterCulture and I have a shared obsession with the wonders of San Francisco so when she asked if I could come up with a homemade It's It recipe I jumped at the challenge. It's It are quite San Franciscan. It's easy to get them in the San Francisco Bay Area, but as you venture further afield they are difficult to come across and usually only the true San Franciscans know about them. You can mail order them in the US from the company, which sits just by the 101 highway a few miles south of the San Francisco airport. But its quite easy to make them at home - a bit multi-step, but totally worth it.

The first step is the make or purchase one or all of the following ice cream flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint, or Coffee (for Cappuccino). Each It's It is one of the four aforementioned flavors. No exceptions. And NO, you can't substitute a different flavor. The beauty of the It's It is that there isn't 31+ flavors. If you need an ice cream recipe you can use my mint chip recipe. Remove chocolate chips and mint for vanilla, or make it just mint.

The second step is to make the Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies. It's almost a shame this cookie recipe makes its debut as part of an It's It post. The entire It's It package trumps anything else, but these oatmeal cookies are perfection. I'm usually quite humble, but this oatmeal cookie is damn good. I can not keep a secret, especially a good one. In this case you should be very happy that I can't keep my mouth shut.

OLD-FASHIONED OATMEAL COOKIES

These cookies don't need to be muddled with chocolate chips or my evil nemesis raisins (had to pick 20 of them out of my bulgar salad at lunch yesterday). Though, if you want, it will happily accept the addition of such things. I don't add raisins to my oatmeal cookies and refuse to test recipes that do, so I suppose a handful will do. Oh, by the way, Whitney never made an It's It with an oatmeal raisin cookie. Moving on!

• 4 1/2 oz unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 c light brown sugar
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1 egg, room temp
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c old-fashioned oats

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together all dry ingredients. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dries and mix until just combined. Mix in the oats. Scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed parchment. Use a small ice cream scoop to make uniform cookies. I used a cookie scoop that is 1 Tbs by volume. This makes 32 cookies and or 16 It's Its. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not over-bake, if anything, gently under-bake. 

It's important that all the cookies are the same size and perfectly round. The moment they come out of the oven, gently shape into a perfect round with a biscuit cutter. Use one that is a little bigger than the cookie.

Set aside to cool. Once the cookies have cooled take the ice cream out of the freezer for 10 minutes to soften. Put ice cream in a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe ice cream on each under side of the cookie. You might have to do this in groups if the ice cream is melting, or place ice cream in freezer for a few minutes if too soft to pipe. 

Press two ice cream piped sides together to create the perfect height. Use a small offset spatula to make sure ice cream is flush with the cookies. Freeze the sandwiches till hard. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Use good quality chocolate or couverture (has a higher cocoa butter content and will make the final It's It look and taste better). Dip the ice cream sandwiches in the chocolate. I usually dip each side and then roll on its side to coat the sides. Immediately place on a silpat lined sheet and place in freezer. When its set, eat!

flour + water

I've been silent for a while - not for any particular reason except I finished my masters, had a malfunctioning computer that even stumped the geeks at Apple, flew 6,000 miles for a quick trip home, had an amazing meal at flour + water, had many amazing home-cooked meals courtesy of mom, celebrated my husband's 30th birthday (OMG - I'm with a man in his 30s!), contemplated the 'what am I going to do with the rest of my life' question, hunted for the perfect job, and got the almost perfect job. Almost perfect, because at the end of the day, even if you love your job, work is still work. More about work will come in the following weeks. 

So I said I went home for a trip. I was a little bit homesick - missing my family and friends, but in all honesty, mostly missing our dog. It was so nice to be back, the weather was perfectly hot, and I caught up with some old friends at my new favorite in San Francisco, flour + water. Chef Thomas McNaugton, the chef at flour + water, and I worked in the same kitchen many years ago - he was on the savory side, and I was sweet side (some things never change). It is really great to see his restaurant doing so well and getting rave reviews. So deserved. The guy has always worked his ass off and makes food so good that the tastes and textures need no explanation. Everything he makes just works and tastes amazing. Tom has done extensive travel to learn about the traditional ways many foods are prepared. The guy even went on a boar hunt with locals in the Pyrenees.

So here is how it went down. Tom comes to the table and says, "Do you want to order off the menu, or do you...". Tom is immediately interrupted and we say, "You send out whatever you want us to eat." Done. This is my favorite way to have dinner. It's like Christmas - all the anticipation and excitement - wondering what gift might come out from the kitchen next. Tom started us with some melon & lonza, some tuna & celery, some potato & lamb's tongue and crispy pig trotter & figs. Then came the pastas - the homemade sort that Tom makes. Let's just say that he has learned all the tricks, because Tom makes the best pasta this side, that side, and dare I say, even inside Italy. We had a little orecchiette with braised goat, and a duck ravioli that was so good that nobody offered the last piece to another, we each wanted it for ourselves. Pasta was followed by pork leg and then halibut. Tom knows that there can be too much of a good thing, and we were stuffed, so a pizza was never served. Which means, I'm going to have to fly another 6,000 miles in the near future for a flour + water pizza. The meal ended with a chocolate budino with sea salt. Hmmm, wonder where he got that idea? 

Tom doesn't cut any corners. I already said he makes all of his pasta. But as you can see he cures his own meat. And yes, that is a black, furry, foot and leg, waiting to be transformed into something amazing.

flour + water is at 2401 Harrison in San Francisco

Brown Butter Bars

View at dusk from my parents rooftop deck at their home in Carmel.

The little coastal town of Carmel has a love-hate relationship with the many tourists that frequent it. Sandwiched between Pebble Beach Golf Course and Big Sur, its certainly no secret. For the locals who live in Carmel there's a few places we'd love to rave about, but have to stop ourselves from being too excited for then more tourists might come. But then there are those places that you just have to share because you physically are unable to keep it secret. 

 

In California, we have Highway 1 - its a road that hugs the entire coast of California, and quite possibly one of the most amazing coastal drives in the world. It starts south of Los Angeles in Orange County where the locals call it PCH. That's Pacific Coast Highway for short. It weaves along the coast north, through Big Sur and Carmel. Here there is a mandatory stop that must be made - I'll tell you where in a second. Continuing on, Highway 1 goes through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge. 

 

Nate always said we would only ever leave San Francisco when driving over the Golden Gate Bridge didn't amaze him anymore. Tempted by the romance of Europe we left San Francisco, but not at all because the bridge crossing lost any luster. This is how I know we will be going back. Highway 1 continues north past Marin, Tomales Bay, and Sonoma County - places amazing all on their own. 

Back to the mandatory stop on Highway 1. Big Sur Bakery. Address: Big Sur Bakery, Highway One, California. They have the best jelly donuts, burgers, pizzas, cookies, wood-fired bread, pancakes... Everything is the world's best but these are extra special. Brown. Butter. Bars.

The original Brown Butter Bars are made with homemade fresh peach jam. Here is where I have to make a huge modification - in London, there is no way I'm going to get my produce greedy hands on fresh peaches, so I'm using the next best thing. The next best thing is jam made by my fellow classmate, Sky Cracknell, who is the co-founder (with her husband) of England Preserves. A post on Sky's jam is coming soon where I'll be giving away a few jars. This is hands down the best jam EVER. More on England Preserves in a few days because right now it's all about Brown Butter Bars. Read through the recipe before making - its simple, but there are a few steps which require chilling time.

BROWN BUTTER BARS,** adapted from Big Sur Bakery 

For the crust:

• 8 oz unsalted butter 
• 1/2 c powdered sugar, sifted 
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour 

For the filling:

• 3 large eggs 
• 1 c sugar 
• 3/4 c + 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped  
• 5 oz unsalted butter 
• 1 c your favorite jam 

METHOD

For the crust: Melt the butter in a pan at medium-high heat till the butter starts to brown. When it turns a deep golden color and smells nutty strain through a fine sieve into a heat-proof container. Freeze till its solid - about one half-hour. Put the powdered sugar and flour in a large bowl. Cut bits of the cold brown butter into the sugar + flour. Using a pastry cutter or your hands mix together till you get a crumbly, sandy mixture. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Chill for one half-hour. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C. Bake at that temperature for 18-20 minutes, or until golden in color. Set aside to cool.

For the filling: Whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and flour in a large bowl. Place the vanilla bean and seeds with the butter in a pan and heat till the butter starts to brown. When the butter turns a deep golden color and smells nutty, strain through a fine sieve. Careful! The butter will be really hot. Pour butter into the egg mixture, whisking as you do so.  Remove the vanilla bean.

Assemble the bars: Spread half the filling over the baked crust. Spoon large dollops of the jam over the filling, reserving a quarter. Then spread the rest of the filling over the jam. Use the remaining jam and small dollop over the top. The 1 cup of jam in the ingredients list is approximate, you may need more, depending on the consistency of the jam and how liberal you are with the dollops. Bake until the filling is golden brown in color, about 25 to 30 minutes, at 375F/ 190C. 

Let cool. Cut into squares and share if you can bear it. Perfect wrapped up in paper for a spring picnic. 

**The original recipe, found here, includes the zest of two oranges for the filling. It also includes the recipe and directions for the homemade peach jam. I omitted the orange zest because of the jam flavors I chose. I used two England Preserves flavors: Strawberry Days and Ruby's Redcurrant+Rhubarb+Vanilla. Take a look at Sky's Strawberry Days Jam. 

Come back next week for more on Sky's jams and a chance to win some!

If you happen to be lucky enough to drive past Big Sur Bakery, make sure to stop. It's hard to say what time of day is best. Early means you might get a jelly donut before they sell out. But lunchtime means wood-fired Greek pizza, or dinner might mean real clam chowder with an oak grilled Ribeye. Looks like you may have to hang out all day. I won't reveal the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy that happens to be in Carmel in this post, but if you are visiting the town, email me and I will share with you my secret.

The California Artichoke

It's funny what you miss when you move to another country. Peanut butter for one. Preferably the giant Costco-sized creamy Skippy. And before I left for Europe I was into that natural, chunky peanut butter. I wasn't even one of those kids who ate PB&J every day, but since moving to Europe I want peanut butter and peanut butter flavored snacks all the time. Go figure.

Another thing I miss is artichokes. Yes, like peanut butter you can get artichokes in London. But for whatever reason its not the same as eating them from the source. Springtime in Northern California is synonymous with one of my favorite things to eat: The Artichoke.

Nearly all artichokes consumed in the United States come from Monterey County. A coastal county, with sandy soil in a temperate climate - absolutely perfect for artichoke cultivation. Today, you can still get a giant, fresh, artichoke for only $1! This is a farm near my parents home and these artichokes are ready to be picked!

I'll eat them in almost any form, but steamed or boiled whole is my favorite. Rinse. Trim. Boil water. Add a bit of salt and lemon to the water. Takes about a half hour for a few large artichokes. Done and dusted. It can't get any simpler. (Please excuse my artichokes for oxidizing - they traveled in my suitcase to London all the way from California. I just had to bring some back with me.) 

I love pulling the leaves off one by one and scraping each leaf against my teeth. Plain is fine or dipped in a bit of melted butter or lemon mayo. After layers and layers you get to the inedible choke. 

Gently scrape away and then the best part: The Heart. 

Like many of California's specialty crops, artichokes were introduced by the Spaniards over 200 years ago. Today, California mostly cultivates Green Globes, which hail from Italy, and larger than most varieties. Artichokes have been popular in Italy, Spain, and France since before the Renaissance and often eaten grilled, raw, marinated, steamed, braised, stuffed... 

I may need to take a trip get more artichokes from another source. That's the wonder of living in London. France is a hop. Spain a skip. Italy a jump.