Perfect French Fries

I love French fries. I am constantly seeking a way to make the best ones.  Sometimes I like them thin and crispy, sometimes thick and pillowy light inside (best done by roasting at a high temp.). Most often like Goldilocks, I like them “just right.” That means that they are medium cut fries, a little crispy on the outside and soft on the outside, full of potato flavor, not the grease they were cooked in. I like fries cooked in duck fat, but that is not always something I have an abundance of. Here is the method, it is simple and only requires a large pot (best for keeping splatters contained) a deep thermometer used for frying  or cheese making, a spider (or other mesh spoon to retrieve your fries and some good quality canola oil.  The thermometer is the only thing you may need to go out and buy. Here is an example. You need this because you will need to control the temperature of the oil.

Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes, well washed

Canola Oil at least 3 ” deep

Smoked or Kosher Salt

Method:

1. Cut the ends off of the potatoes and then the rounded edges. lay flat and cut into 1/2 ” strips. Place in salted water till finished cutting.
2. Preheat the oil to 250 degrees.
3. Use either a salad spinner or a dish cloth to completely dry the fries. Once the oil is ready place fries into the oil. You should not be crowding them, you may need to do this in batches.
4. Cook until they start to look slightly golden, about 4 minutes, making sure that the oil temperature stays at 250.
5. Carefully remove to a straining tray (cookie sheet or steam pan) with a rack.  I say carefully because the potatoes are very tender at this point and can easily tear.
6. Bring the heat of the oil to 365 degrees.
7. Add the potatoes in batches and allow to cook till they are perfectly golden with a subtle  bit of brown on the edges. Remove to the draining tray again and salt IMMEDIATELY. Serve right away with home made mayonnaise, BBQ sauce or ketchup.

North Carolina Cole Slaw

Part of our Superbowl Table included one of my favorite simple salads, North Carolina Cole Slaw. It paired perfectly with the chicken wings and other savory dishes. It is easy to make and disappears from the table quickly. It is also a "must" when serving East Carolina BBQ sandwiches... goes on top and as a side dish. And for those who care, this is a VEGAN dish.

Here is the simple recipe:

• 1/2 cup of cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil (optional but I find it makes the salad smoother tasting)
• 4 tablespoons sugar or agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
• a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of Tabasco (optional)
• 1 head green cabbage

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together and stir well till the sugar is dissolved. 

Shred the cabbage. I use the slicing blade on my food processor, but you can slice by hand or with a grater that has a slicing blade. You do not want this to be grated in small pieces as with a creamy cole slaw. 

20-30 minutes before serving toss the dressing with the cabbage and chill till serving time, toss again and add more black pepper. 

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

So simple and so delicious! Grilled Baby Bok Choy…

Baby bok choy is one of many Asian greens available here year round. In our farmer’s market a bouquet sized bunch of it is just $1. If you live on the mainland, you may have to wait for Spring to get fresh local bok choy, but it does grow everywhere in temperate months. It is also very easy to grow in the garden. 

After you have soaked the bok choy in water and drained it, all you do is cut each baby bok choy in half and trim the thin upper leaves a little. Then drizzle with a simple lemon vinaigrette (1/4 cup of lemon juice, ½ cup of olive oil, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of agave syrup) and allow the bok choy to rest in the marinade. I also had some golden beets that I had roasted and I sliced them thickly and placed them in the marinade too. 

Heat a grill on high and once it is good and hot, turn down to medium. Place the baby bok choy on the grill, being careful of flare ups because of the marinade. I keep a water bottle handy. It only takes about 2-3 minutes on each side, just till you see some grill marks, you want the greens with just a little crunch. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste. 

You can also use a more Asian marinade instead, but I like the freshness lemon adds to the dish. You could also use other baby Asian greens such as baby Tat Soy. 

Sourdough Battered Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini Blossoms (don’t limit yourself to just zucchini, you can also use other squash or pumpkin blossoms) make great little vessels for stuffing and can also be used for sautéing and making wonderful fillings for quesadillas and tacos.

I was wandering around our newest farmers market on Saturday. It is the Hawaiian Homelands Farmer’s Market. Everything there is grown on Hawaiian Homelands land. The products there vary greatly and since it is a new market, there are somewhat limited choices, but I really want to support this market and go every week. Each week I have found something wonderful, last week it was an amazing new variety of avocado, this week it was a woman selling zucchini blossoms! I have lived in Hawaii for three years and never once seen squash blossoms in any of our farmers markets. I was absolutely delighted when she sold me a huge pile of them for just $2! And then she sold me a grocery bag full of limes for $2 too! This is what I call a *SCORE*! 

My first inclination when I have squash blossoms is to stuff and fry them. You can use a variety of things to stuff them, from crab to goat cheese. I decided on goat cheese because I have some local goat cheese that I bought at the Hilo Farmer’s Market. I have been making sourdough starter and it is in its seventh day, ready for anything from pancakes to bread. Why not use it for the batter on the squash blossoms? 

You can find my sourdough starter recipe here. Once you get to day five, you will be able to do this recipe or make bread. It really is easy to make the starter, it only takes minutes a day. Follow the steps and then to  1 cup of starter add:

·         1 cup of flour

·         About 2/3 cup of water, just enough to make a thick pancake like batter

·         Lots of freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste (about ½ tsp)

·         About a tsp. of garlic salt

·         Add some herbs if you would like. The garlic salt I use has parsley in it, but I have added chopped fresh parsley, thyme rosemary or sage to batter

Whisk the batter well. Allow the batter to rest about 20 minutes up to one hour. Stir well just before use. Prep the blossoms by taking finger sized pieces of cold goat cheese (I used a locally made version from Lava Rocks Puna Goat Cheese with spices and herbs in it) fill and lightly squeeze the petals of the blossoms around the filling. Place in refrigerator until ready to fry.

Heat canola oil in a deep pan to 350˚ F and dip a squash blossom into the batter, holding it by the stem making sure the entire blossom is covered. Swiftly move into the batter. Cook two at a time. Flip after about 1 minute. Cook till golden on both sides and drain. These are best served shortly after cooking but if you are having a party, they can be kept in a warming oven for up to 30 minutes. They can also be served with a variety of sauces. I cut the blossoms in half and served them with Thai sweet chili sauce.  

Romanesco Pasta with Sweet Corn

Romanesco Pasta

I love the look of this interesting vegetable. Romanesco is bright green, beautiful, almost jeweled looking. While this broccoli has only been available in US markets for a few years, Romanesco broccoli was first documented in Italy (as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century.

This is a simple recipe for an incredible pasta dish. You can use any pasta, I used some penne this time. You could also use cauliflower or tightly formed broccoli for this dish.

If you are not lucky enough to live in a place like Hawaii where we get fresh sweet corn all year, you can use good quality frozen corn for this. 

Ingredients:

1 head of Romanesco

2 heads of garlic with the tops sliced off

Olive oil (you will need about 4-5 tablespoons for roasting and 2 for sautéing.

2 small red onions or shallots sliced thinly

2 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

¼ cup VSOP Cognac (optional)

Crushed red pepper, coarse black pepper and salt to taste

½ # thick pasta cooked  al dente (reserve ¼ cup of pasta water)

Preheat oven to 350. Use a silpat pad or parchment paper to line a large baking sheet.

Cut up the Romanesco florets in large chunks and toss in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, then pour on to the baking sheet. Add the two garlic heads and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until the garlic is soft and the Romanesco is starting to caramelize.  Set aside.

 Put the pasta water on to boil.

In a large skillet add remaining olive oil, corn and onions with a pinch of salt. Stir and heat till the onions start to get soft. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the center of the pan, stir well and then add the Romanesco. Stir and add the cream if using. Cook for a minute till cream starts to thicken. Add the cognac & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, add the pasta to the pan and stir. If needed, you can add a little pasta water to the pan.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan and crushed red pepper.   

Farmer's Luncheon at the Four Seasons

I had the incredible opportunity to be invited to a luncheon celebrating the local 160 farmers, ranchers and producers that Four Seasons Hualalai's Executive Chef James Babian works with. I was already aware that Jim had an extensive commitment to local and sustainable food, but I really did not understand how many farmers, ranchers and producers were involved in meeting the goal of serving up 75% local food to the guests at the Four Seasons Hualalai. That is an incredible ratio, one that is larger than any other resort on the big island, perhaps in all of Hawaii.

Chef Babian and his staff created a luncheon of local and sustainable foods to thank the people that provide them with so much. While any meal I have at the Four Seasons is a true delight, this one seemed to me to be extra special because I was dining with the people who grew the lettuces, vegetables, fruits, meats, and multiple other things that we were treated to. So many comments were made by these purveyors about how they had never been recognized in such a way and how the luncheon was a very special event for them. 

The luncheon was also a symposium about local food and there was a great deal of input about the incredible array of items that are produced right here on the big island. Everything from Ice Cream to Wild Boar was discussed and on the menu. A "wish list" was provided for the guests, to let them know what additional items are needed in quantity to provide for the needs of the food service at the Four Seasons Hualalai. I have a feeling that  the 75% ratio is going to climb in the coming year. Our island is immense and has so many elevations and an agrarian history that goes all the way back to King Kamehameha. With our climate and so many farmer's dedicated to producing quality produce, meats like wild boar and beef cheeks and processed foods like ice cream, chocolate and goat cheese we are so fortunate.

I would personally like to thank Chef Babian for his commitment to local and sustainable food and for the generosity of the Four Seasons to host such a luncheon with such aloha. I am honored to have attended and I treasure the many new friends I made while dining and taking photos.

For related posts, see the story of Chef Babian's fabulous Avocado Luncheon served up for the American Culinary Federadion's Kona Kohala Chefs or check out my blog on my day spent with Nick Matracusa the Chef of Beach Tree restaurant at the Four Seasons Hualalai. We made Gnocchi and tasted many of the fun dishes that Nick and his staff have created.

Gremolata Topped Roasted Cauliflower

Gremolata Topped Roasted Cauliflower 

This recipe is simple and delicious and if you have someone in your household that does not like cauliflower, this may surprise them. Roasting the cauliflower, like roasting most every vegetable brings out the deep flavors of the essence of the vegetable and caramelization ads a touch of sweetness. You can use Panko Crumbs or traditional bread crumbs. I have even used crackers and potato chips to make the crumbs. Panko is ideal though. This recipe serves two as a vegetable main course, but you could probably serve 4 as a side dish. and easily double or triple it for a large group. This can also be made vegan if you omit the butter and use only olive oil for toasting the bread crumbs.

1 head (medium to large) of cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (about a half teaspoon of each)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of Panko or other bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
zest of a Meyer lemon
4 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
a squeeze of lemon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Trim the cauliflower into florets about 1.5 inches or smaller

In a bowl, add cauliflower, olive oil, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes. Toss. Place on a Silpat covered baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes, remove and stir, then 10-15 minutes more, till the edges of the cauliflower have browned a little bit.

Remove from the oven.
In a frying pan, melt butter with the olive oil and garlic and then toast the bread crumbs till golden, stirring frequently. Squeeze the lemon in. Stir. Add the herbs and remove from heat.
Put the cauliflower on a serving dish or plate and top with the Gremolata.

Wordless Wednesday: My Greek Supper

Greek Lemon and RIce Soup with Meyer Lemons 

Spanakopita!!!

Creamed Tuscan Kale

I love Tuscan Kale, also known as Black Cabbage and Dinosaur Kale. My favorite way to make it is to make crispy chips from it. Last night I made a simple creamed dish with it and it was over the top delicious. Fortunately I made a large batch and had some more for breakfast.

Creamed Tuscan Kale
*You may use other kale, but this one is particularly tender. I suggest blanching other kinds of kale for one minute in boiling water, then to an ice bath before proceeding with this method.
Ingredients:

About 1# of Tuscan/Dinosaur Kale (the smaller leaves the better for this recipe) washed and dried
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 nut of nutmeg
zest of one lemon
salt to taste

• Rough chop the kale. 
• In  a wok, sauté the kale till limp
• Sprinkle the cake flour on the kale and stir 
• Add cream and stir 
• Add nutmeg and lemon zest, stirring till the cream thickens slightly. 
• Taste and add salt as needed 

How easy is that? 

ACF Chef's Luncheon at Keauhou

Last week, the Kona Kohala Chef's Association had their monthly luncheon meeting at the Keauhou Beach Resort. Chef Cy Yamamoto put on quite the spread featuring an abundance of local products from Hawaii Island.

It started off with a talk in the kitchen by Chef Cy and his former boss, Chef Trask. They discussed sourcing and utilizing local products. Some of which were Hamakua Mushrooms, Ohelo Berries & Kuahiwi Ranch Premium Free-range Island Beef.

The menu for the luncheon included a Big Island Bounty Salad and Tropical Fruit Bar featuring an array of fresh and grilled island produce with an assortment of condiments and Mango Raspberry Vinaigrette.

The Entrees were Ono with Mango Basil Burre Blanc, Grilled Ginger Scented Chicken with Asian Ohelo Berry Caramel Butter Sauce and Roasted Kona Coffee Seasoned Kuahiwi Ranch Premium Free-range Island Beef with Sweet Soy Hamakua Mushroom Ragout served with Ying and Yang Potato Mash (purple and white mashed potatoes.)

Dessert was an Ohelo Berry Upside Down Cake with a Caramel Sauce.

Simple Local Dinner~ Grilled Ono and Bok Choy

I got some great Ono (local fish, also known as Hawaiian Wahoo) steaks and grilled them up, stir fried some bok choy that I bought from my "plantain lady" at the Hilo Farmer's Market and smashed a few fingerling potatoes and grilled them along with the fish. 


Ono is a realative of the King Mackerel. The flesh of the ono is whiter, flakier and has a more delicate texture than the meat of other fast swimming pelagic species. Although they may make oceanic migrations as far as those of tuna and marlin, it contains less of the strong-tasting "blood meat" that the latter species use for long-distance swimming.  While ono may grow to up to 100 pounds in round weight, the local Hawaii catch is usually between 8-30 pounds. It is a perfect fish for grilling and can usually be found at reasonable prices in Hawaii because it is so local. We have a Big Island Grocery chain Foodland/Sack n Save that regularly buys fish from local fishermen. They sell them cut up as well as whole. They also make the best Poke on the island, fresh daily. 


Grilled Ono
serves two but can be easily doubled


Two Ono Steaks (6-9 ounces each)


Marinade: 
1/2 cup of pineapple vodka * 
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
1 inch of fresh ginger grated with a microplane 


2 tablespoons smoked paprika


In a bowl, stir marinade and add ono. Marinate for 30 minutes. 


Remove Ono from the marinade and sprinkle with smoked paprika. 


Oil a hot grill and place the ono on the grill. After 4 minutes turn. The fish should be ready 3-4 minutes later. 

* I make pineapple vodka by steeping pineapple slices in vodka for 4-6 weeks. You can also use sake in place of the vodka if you do not want to take the time to make it. 

Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy
serves two but can easily be doubled


This is such an easy and healthy recipe! 


6-8 baby bok choy cut in half


2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil 
pinch of crushed red pepper 


2 Tablespoons Soju (soy sauce)


In a large wok, add the oils and pepper, heat on high and toss in the bok choy, stirring frequently. It only takes 5-8 minutes to cook.  


Sauce with the soju before serving. 


Grilled Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
serves two but is easily increased


This can be done with fingerlings or small red or yukon gold potatoes. 


6 small potatoes or fingerlings
olive oil
Hawaiian sea salt (I use my home smoked salt) 
freshly ground pepper


Microwave or bake the potatoes till barely soft... do not over cook them or they will fall apart. I usually microwave them for 2 minutes and check them, then add a minute more if they are not soft enough. If you are using an oven, I would check them after 15 minutes. 


With a potato masher gently smash the potatoes so that they are about 3/4 of an inch thick. Again, the key here is not to Over mash. The potatoes skin should be mostly intact so that the potato will hold together. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, then flip and do the same on the other side. 


On a hot grill, grill the potatoes for 4 minutes, flip and cook for 4 minutes more. You want a nice crust. 

You may need to add more seasoning as much of it will fall off when cooking, but I like both the "cooked seasonings" and the freshly added ones. You can also add some fresh herbs such as rosemary or parsley. 

Celery Salad

For Easter Dinner at my friend Maria's there was quite a spread of fantastic food. I brought two dishes and Celery Salad was one of them. This is a healthy crunch salad, full of flavor, protein and fiber. This is a vegan dish that everyone loves. And to top it off, it is easy to make! Just a little mixing of the dressing, toasting of the nuts and some slicing is involved.  

Celery Salad 

Ingredients: 

Dressing

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I use Meyer lemons when available)

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

1/3 cup honey (or agave)

1-1 1/4 cups of extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

2 large Granny Smith Apples (Fuji also works well in this)

1 large bunch of celery

a handful of fresh mint coarsely chopped or torn

1/2 cup walnuts toasted

1/2 cup almond slivers toasted

Method: 

In a blender, add the lemon juice, mustard and honey, mix till well blended then slowly start adding olive oil until the sound changes and it starts to thicken. Taste, add salt and fresh cracked pepper. Pulse once to incorporate the seasonings. 

This can be made ahead and also makes a great dressing for arugula salads, so you may want to double this and keep some for later. 

Thinly slice the celery on a deep diagonal. Place the celery in a bowl of ice water and allow to sit in the water for up to an hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. 

Cut the apples into wedges, core and peel and then slice into small triangles (this needs to be done just before serving so that the apples do not brown.) 

Put the celery, apples, mint, almonds and walnuts into a large salad bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss again. 

Wordless Wednesdays:Parker School Farmer's Market, Waimea