fresh tart

I don't each much pork, or meat for that matter, but I have to admit that there is nothing - nothing! - like the power of a bit of cured pork to completely transform a dish.  This is not a culinary secret, of course, but perhaps these days it isn't said often enough.  And it should be, because if you're cooking on a budget, or even cooking for health, with a very small input you can reap a big, big flavor payoff.  I'm thinking in particular of bacon, pancetta, and prosciutto.  Like, start a whatever-is-in-the-cooler vegetable soup with a couple of slices of chopped bacon, saute until crisp, stir in the aromatics, then the substance and broth, simmer until tender and voila, you've elevated veggies to something rather sublime. Finish with a grating of good Parmesan and a grind of freshly ground black pepper, perhaps a toasted crouton, and you will be both charmed and full.  (And how about that asparagus soup I had at Trattoria Tosca last week?  All about the pancetta...)

I know the fabulousness of crispy prosciutto, aka God's Gift to Salads, from a little cooking project I did with Andrew Zimmern a few years back.  We made up a chopped salad for a local restaurant filled with all the good stuff - crisp greens, avocado, sweet onion, crumbled blue cheese, chicken breast, sweet corn, tomato, cucumber, (freshly flash-fried) potato crunchies, and yes, crispy proscuitto.  This via Andrew: to make prosciutto, lay paper-thin slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet (do not overlap).  Bake at 375 degrees F until crisp and browned, about 7-8 minutes.  Let cool, crumble.  Paper thin and shatteringly crisp, it delivers porky saltiness to a salad like no other bacon could - for much less fat.  Must.  Try.

And then, there's pancetta, aka Italian bacon.  Buy it paper-thin, wrap it around shrimps and fresh sage, and grill until crisp for Stu The Wine Genius' famous appetizer (or, saute the whole dish for my adaptation, Shrimp Saltimbocca).  Or for the holidays, or anytime you're craving brussels sprouts, try the Brussels with Pancetta and Dried Cranberries I made this past holiday and is now going to be my new Thanksgiving standard.

And then, and then, there's the dish I made for dinner tonight, which I'll call Springtime Fava Bean Salad with Poached Egg because it's the recipe I loosely followed (from the cookbook I mentioned last week, which I now posess - gorgeous and incredible, Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann; pic above).  I say loosely because I didn't include favas (John doesn't like them) and because I didn't poach the eggs (I just sauteed them over-easy right before we ate).  Also, I filled out the veggies with sauteed swiss chard (I knew it would be delectable with the pancetta, tomatoes, and freshly shelled peas), I used no extra oil (and drained off most of the pancetta drippings), and I skipped the toast.  Not what I would usually recommend - to change a recipe before ever making it.  But in this case, it was a do-with-what-I-had, as well as a keep-it-healthy sort of effort, and the result was truly sublime. The star was the three ounces of thick-cut, cubed pancetta, mmm hmmm. Recipe (and my adaptations, if you're interested) here.

After a week of being too sick to cook or eat much, I'm finally able to taste food again.  Yes!  I'm not interested in anything complicated or rich, but am definitely ready to venture beyond soup.  I settled on sauteed shrimps, this version, which I modified last summer from a delicious appetizer that Stu The Wine Genius made for 4th of July - shrimp saltimbocca (sauteed with pancetta and sage; for Stu's version, pictured below, the shrimps and sage are wrapped in thin slices of pancetta and grilled, mmm...).  Delicious with a simple, crisp salad.  Add grilled bread or pasta or rice to serve a group.

OK, so this latest assigment (for the online food styling class I'm taking) was to prepare a meal, then plate it/prop it three different ways.  I seared a few pieces of salmon, made a quick couscous, and used sauteed red onion rings, chopped raw red onion, and dill for garnish.  I'm hitting myself that I didn't put the beautifully rosy salmon on a blue plate - duh - but I was in a big rush and just grabbed red, patterned, and white plates.  This class thankfully isn't about the photography, since I am pathetic at "seeing" the shot through my camera.  I tend to line 'er up and shoot, then when it's on my computer...ding, ding, ding!  I see right away which angles worked and which didn't.  When it's too late to go back.  Ah well, that's why I'm taking a class.

The overall best-looking shot ended up being on the patterned china.

I really like how the rare salmon itself looks in the next shot, but it is lost on the red plate (sigh).

The third attempt was completely weak - I was rushing for an 11:30 appointment.  I added extra food, and didn't deconstruct it (for contrast with the previous two shots) - as a result it looks like a slab of salmon with tired, wormy peppers and beige couscous, all lined up like nervous soldiers, ha.

I'm learning quite a bit and really enjoying the process.  My biggest hurdle right now - lack of daylight hours.  Pictures I take in low light or artificial light are just...yuck.  Learning to use my equipment will help - I just haven't had time what with Thanksgiving et al.  Over the next couple of weeks, that will be my goal - to be able to take the occasional flash photo and have it turn out appealing.  Especially in Minnesota, in December, when daylight hours are a seriously scarce commodity.  (Today's count - less than 9 hours.  Ouch.)

Anyhow, for dinner tonight (no, we didn't have salmon, I pretty much trashed it for the photo shoot), I made shrimp saltimbocca.  With wild caught shrimps from Whole Foods, so sweet and you know, shrimpy. The way they're supposed to be.  Even for those picky about fish (aka my family), a real crowd pleaser.

Since last week was way too crazy, I made Susie a birthday lunch today, one week late, but better than never. I love cooking for my girls - they'll eat anything so I can make all the things I love that others in the fam are too picky to eat. Like scallops. And polenta. Yep, polenta - with the weather taking a big turn for the cooler, comfort-y type foods are suddenly hitting the spot. And because fresh sweet corn is still tasty, I stirred in a cup or so right as the polenta finished cooking. Sweet and crisp, a nice addition.

Since polenta just begs for something a bit saucy, I served it up to Suz. Ha! Actually, I simmered CSA veggie share green beans and tossed them with a fresh tomato-garlic sauce (chopped fresh tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauteed/simmered together for a few minutes). Alongside scallops saltimbocca (I used Nueske's bacon instead of pancetta because, well, that's what I had; yes, I realize I'm beating the saltimbocca theme to death lately but what can I say? When it rocks, it rocks...), the polenta was in good company and we took our plates - and perhaps a glass of wine - out onto the deck for a nice summer-into-fall, girly-birthday luncheon. All good.

Until...I pulled a warm lemon souffle from the oven, and then it was all great. Sheesh. Topped with dollops of softly whipped cream, washed down with sips of strong, hot coffee...oh yeah. I don't know, I can't think of a chocolate dessert I love more than a warm fruit souffle. (Recipe for lemon souffle posted in comments, below.)

As Suz said, "Like I really want to go home and make dinner now," I'm thinking that John and I might end up wandering out later for sustenance. After checking out Vicky Cristina Barcelona, that is, which I've been looking forward to seeing.

Hope you're starting off your weekend in a nice way too! Happy Birthday Saucy Suz!

Later: three quick raves - one, for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which is sexy/funny/fabulous, I recommend it completely. Two, for Restaurant Alma, where we went afterward for a lovely dinner - no shock there. Sweet corn flan and rigatoni with fennel sausage for me, yum. Three, a quick bop into the Cedar Cultural Center, to catch the end of the Punch Brothers' performance. I admit, I went grudgingly (John's taste in music does not er, match mine, that's what seven years' difference in age will do to a couple), but I was pretty blown away by... I'm not sure... Classical alternative bluegrass? The mandolin/lead singer's voice was angelic, kind of scary perfect. The technical talent of the violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and string bass players was incredible. So...a damn good day, all in all. Def a keeper. G'night!

Moderate it: I've said this before about savory souffles and the same holds true for the sweet versions - they're actually quite simple to make, and not overly rich/caloric, but they impress and are, not surprisingly, absolutely delicious. I declare, the world needs more souffles.

Happy Labor Day! Flew by, of course, as all holiday weekends do, but this one was particularly fun because my brother David was here. That meant extra hang time with Stacey and Cooper too, and as a group we had a grand old time. We pretty much just chatted, cooked, ate, and hung by the pool. Yeah, that pretty much covers it.

The foodie highlights:

• I made a tomato-goat cheese tart for a late din Friday night. Nothing more than a short-pastry crust, smeared with minced garlic, filled with tomato slices, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and dabs of soft goat cheese. I baked until golden brown and soft, served alongside a salad, in the dark on the deck, with a glass of crisp white, and it was nice.
• Scrambling for a brunch idea Saturday morning, I innovated crepes filled with softly scrambled eggs and a "sauce" of cherry tomatoes sauteed with onions and fresh herbs. With a few slices of Nueske's Canadian bacon on the side, we were well-fortified for a day of...lying around in the sun, listening to music, reading books, and chatting. Hey, what can I say?
• Saturday night we dined deliciously at 20.21. As usual, the star was the lobster risotto with crispy spinach, I'd say one of Minneapolis' top five restaurant dishes. It hits all the notes, baby - creamy, spicy, sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy. And it's gorgeous. And delicious. Oh yeah, I already said that.
• Last night I made not just shrimp saltimbocca, but scallops saltimbocca as well, due to a bit of a screw up in purchasing frozen shrimp at Whole Foods. A tasty mistake, turns out, since Stacey, David, and I all love scallops (while John and the kids opted for shrimp). With grilled bread, topped with ricotta cheese and grilled tomatoes, we had ourselves a summer feast.
• And the wrap up today, more tomato goodness, this time in the form of post-exercise BLTs at Stacey's. Garden-ripe tomatoes and Nueske's bacon. 'Nough said.

David (pictured at right with Etta, a couple of weeks ago in Wyoming) left around 5 pm this evening, unforch totally missing the chicken I roasted tonight, whole on the grill (with my Weber poultry roaster), this time with a Mexican spin - garlic, lime, and ancho chili powder. We ate the crispity slices in warm corn tortillas alongside potatoes roasted with jalapenos, onions, and green pepper.

The End to a lovely Labor Day weekend.

Moderate it: yeah, a pretty big food weekend. I biked in the wind, walked in the heat, and most surely didn't come close to working off that lobster risotto. Good thing the weekend is done and we're back to "normal" tomorrow. Uff.

Good morning, sunshine! It's hard not to be up-and-at-em on a morning like this, sunny and crisp, wow. Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius have probably already had breakfast at Lucia's and climbed a mountain, despite hosting us (and Ana Scofield and Rudy Maxa) for a fabulous din last night. That's just how they are - full of energy and fun. It's always a great hang with the Williams, and last night was no exception.

John and I walked into their lovely kitchen to find Stu smearing triple-creme brie onto toasted baguette slices - topped with slices of ripe pear, a few leaves of fresh rosemary, and washed down with sips of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, we were off to a good start...ha! After Rudy and Ana arrived, we moved the party outside, with views of Debbie's gorgeous garden and a platter of melon and prosciutto. Debbie and Stu's beyond-cute pups joined as well - flirty little Margo the long-haired dachsund, and graceful Turley, the tomato-loving dalmation. We sampled a couple of delicious Chardonnays (I...wrote nothing down, and although I did snap a few photos of bottles, it's hard to glean the specifics from them, my apologies) and heartily dug into a platter of the same grilled shrimps wrapped in pancetta and sage that Stu made on The Fourth (I modified the recipe for smaller shrimps, but really, you must try it the way it's supposed to be made; I'll get the recipe from Stu).

Thanks to absolutely perfect weather, we hung outside for a nice amount of time, trying to catch up with Rudy & Ana's travels and hard work filming and producing Rudy's PBS travel series, Rudy Maxa's World. They have been crazy-busy and of course the summer has flown by, so it was great to steal them before they're off again.

We did finally move inside for the main course - Pinot Noir, er, I mean grilled duck breasts, alongside wild rice and tomato salad. I joke because as I sat down at the dining room table, I heard Stu say from the kitchen, "I chose duck because it goes with Pinot Noir." I declare that as Stu's official tagline, it's so perfect. (The Pinot Noir, by the way, was incredible. As was the duck!)

After a slice of berry tart from delicious Rustica Bakery, followed by lots of chat, we finally let Debbie and Stu go to bed! I just about fell over when I saw that it was midnight - BIG oops, since Stacey was hanging with Nathan and I had no intention of keeping her up so late. We rushed home, Stacey was off into the night (er, morning, sorry again, Pooh), and John and I sunk into bed, stuffed and happy after another beautiful night at the Williams'. I don't know how I got lucky enough to have such amazing cooks and entertainers as friends - I mean seriously, bothFriday and Saturday nights? Sheesh. Needless to say, I am very grateful.

I don't know about you, but I am more than fortified to enjoy this golden, juicy Sunday!

Moderate it: I'm very lucky that both Friday and Saturday's dinners were fresh and healthy, lightly prepared, chock full o'veggies, and oh yes - deeeeeelicious!