Cooking in November

One of the most delightful things about having a garden is being able to casually stroll out and gather herbs while preparing a meal. This year was the first time I was able to continue to do that through the month of November. Adding to that pleasure was the glow from the outdoor oven as the pork loin and root vegetables were roasting their way to wood smoked nirvana. Mother Nature must have known I waited a long time for this outdoor kitchen. She's indulging me with mild weather for a late season feast.

You'll be reading many future posts about wood-oven cooking. For now, check out these sites for more information on wood fired ovens and their tantalizing recipes.

Forno Bravo

Los Angeles Oven Works

Traditional Ovens

Macaroni Mary

I was never a huge macaroni and cheese fan, perhaps because for far too long it had often conjured up the image and taste of the stuff from the box. However, in honor of my dear friend Mary and the fabulous baked mac and cheese I had at her house last year, I've been experimenting around with recipes. Here's my best effort so far. Its flexible enough to experiment around with, so get your "Julia" on and go for it.

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or try various combinations of Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, a bit of Gorgonzola or Brie)
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese mixed with 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
  
• 3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of water to boil, adding a bit of salt. Add macaroni, cooking to al dente, about ten minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
In a bowl mix milk, eggs, sour cream and seasonings. Place macaroni in baking dish, gently incorporate cheese and milk mixture until pan is full. Sprinkle Parmesan and bread crumbs over the top and drizzle on melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until milk mixture is done.

The Cultivation of Truffles

Back in May, in posting about our travels in Europe, I mentioned the importance of experience and how that might relate to local food. The food and wine industry are replete with examples that were once exclusive to one locale, later to be adapted to another. Truffles were once only a delicacy of Europe, but several enterprises are working to bring their cultivation to American shores.

Garland Truffles introduces itself as the "oldest and first successful grower of truffles in the Western Hemisphere. It is the only nursery in the United States that has grown and sold trees that are in production."

Sadly, don't look for these in Missouri anytime soon. As explained by New World Truffieres, truffles mature between December and the end of February. If its cold enough for the soil to freeze, they can be damaged. Unfortunately, Missouri weather is much too extreme for their production. New World reports that more southern parts of the Midwest, northern parts of the Southeast, parts of the Mid Atlantic States and a long strip along the West Coast in California, Oregon and Washington are possibilities, given the right conditions. Other areas may be suitable, including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Southwest British Columbia.

San Gimignano & Ristorante Dorando

The weather gods were extremely unkind to us while we were in Tuscany. Those beautiful hills were completely obscured by a relentless rain; sometimes pouring but always at least a drizzle.

Its impossible for me to expound on the beauty of San Gimignano as so many travelers are apt to do. It was cold, wet and gray when we were there, so in essence it was if we had on blinders that hid much of its beauty. We did, however, find a place of refuge just off the Piazza Duomo at the Ristorante Dorando. Although their lunch service was nearly over, they were kind enough to warmly welcome us. And they were gifted enough not to disappoint three weary and hungry travelers.

Ristorante Dorando promotes itself as "Art in Slow Food." You can find reviews at Slow Travel in Italy. I had not read those reviews, but nevertheless, they did not disappoint. I had the trio of soups and there are no words to describe their cream of pumpkin with truffles. OMG may come close. The anchovy in the spaghetti did not work for Caroline and they happily accommodated. The Chianti Reserva was wonderful and we hope the photos convey their incredible devotion to the "art of slow food."

French Riveria

On our last night on the Riveria, we had a better than expected meal at a restaurant on the beach. Of course, the girls were a bit put off by a whole fish complete with the head but managed to not only endure it, but proclaim it blog worthy by the end of the meal. Perhaps it is the sound and smell of the ocean, but there's just something beyond compare about seafood so close to its origin. Restaurants throughout the mid-US can promote freshness and proclaim that their fish was just flown in, but I have yet to taste a a mid-continent dish to compare to those I've had in quality restaurants along the seacoast. There was no room for dessert but we had ample entertainment for the finale. We discussed the possibility that a fellow diner was in fact a famous model and we've posted her photo below. You be the judge. ;)

Smelling Grasse

We had a wonderful afternoon in Grasse. They were celebrating their annual Rose Festival and while the streets were lively they were surprisingly pleasant and uncrowded.

The Musee International de la Parfumerie or Perfume Museum was fascinating, not only because of the history of fragrance but also because of the displays on olfactory science. So how does that fit into a blog about food and wine?? I truly have no interest in drinking or eating perfume products, but I will wholeheartedly promote the importance of smell in the culinary world. As anyone with head cold congestion can tell you, our sense of taste is almost completely dependent on the olfactory system. When it comes to the things we consume, olfactory is so important to humans that companies like ScentSational Technologies, are popping up to use artificial means to manipulate the sense of smell in the marketing of food and drinks.


Of course, anyone in the wine industry can vouch for the importance of smell. The human tongue can only detect four taste sensations but when we swirl that glass we're awakening thousands of nerve cells or chemoreceptors in the upper part of the nasal septum. I love the process and ceremony of discovering a wine's bouquet; speculating, deciphering and discussing the smells. Enologists have taken that process to new levels and have isolated certain compounds that are responsible for a particular odor in the wine. For example, its not really fruit, apple peel or strawberry that you smell in your glass but chemicals called ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate. But don't let the science detract from the romance and camaraderie of parsing out a wine with friends - breathing in a great bouquet will always be a coveted experience no matter how chemicals are identified.The final photo (below on the right) we took to keep as a reminder. Trust me, there are some American pop songs which should never be sung in French. :)

Pizza in Grasse

Another meal worth mentioning was a wonderful lunch we had while visiting Grasse. Restaurant de fragonard is a simple and small place that might be easily overlooked on boulevard jeu de Ballon. The girls had a fantastic cheese pizza and I had pasta tossed with some delectable small scallops. Certainly those two dishes don't require any advanced culinary skill - they stood out because they were well prepared with fresh, quality ingredients. Skill is certainly important, but when you begin with something good, you are more apt to end with something good.


When making pizza and wanting a cheesy meat topping with a taste dominated by bread, go with a thick crust. But when you have quality ingredients and you really want them to shine, a thin crust will compliment them without overpowering.

Pizza Making gives good instructions on making a thin crust from scratch as does the Cookography blog based on a method featured in Cooks Illustrated. Try it with this recipe.

Brie & Cheese Pizza with Pine Nuts & Fried Sage

About 6 oz. provolone, gruyere, mozzarella or other relatively mild cheese.
5 oz. (or thereabouts) log of Brie
3 tbls. pine nuts
3 tbls. fried sage leaves (see note below)

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a 12 inch thin crust and to an ungreased baking sheet, and prick several times with a fork. Shred and sprinkle on cheese, distributing evenly. Cut 5 the brie into 1/2-inch rounds (including rind). Arrange on dough. Top with pine nuts and crumbled sage. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cut into wedges, and serve hot.

For fried sage leaves - heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil in a small skillet. Make sure the oil is hot enough for frying. Add leaves to hot oil for 30 sec and remove to harden in paper towel.

Terres de Truffes

An entire menu and an entire restaurant devoted to truffles? You bet. Dubbed Terres de Truffles, there are three of these restaurants in the world and one of them is in Nice on the rue St François de Paule near the Opera and just a few blocks from the Mediterranean. Owned by Clement Bruno, undoubtedly the truffle king of France, he also commands Chez Bruno in Province. I am a die-hard truffles fan, so when we stumbled upon this little place in Nice around dinner time, I had to at least look at their menu. It was surprisingly affordable for truffle-laced fare, so we settled in to an outside table for a fabulous meal served by an exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.
I chose the prix fixe menu and was far from disappointed. The cream of truffle soup topped with a poached quail's egg was incredibly rich, so thanks to the culinary gods it was served in a small cup. Caroline had a fabulous salad of mixed greens topped with shaved parmesan and shaved truffles. Cameron had Terres de Truffles version of an open-faced grilled cheese and my entree was an incredible puff pastry confection.

As you read you may be wondering why a blog devoted to local food is posting about dining in Europe. Its because I am a firm believer that knowledge of food, wine, viticulture and gardening are gained through direct experience. You will never know what a good Cab or a great vegetable tatin is like until you taste it. Traveling to other countries simply expands your range of knowledge and allows you to bring some of that knowledge home.

Check out the Terres de Truffles website for recipes.

Black Beans with Mango Sauce

This recipe is adapted from an original by Mollie Katzen and it's definitely spicy divine. I plan to take it to a pot-luck tomorrow.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced red onions
1-2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (3 inch) jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups cooked black beans (3 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained)
6 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 large ripe mangoes, , minced
black pepper
minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions: Saute bacon in dutch oven until crisp-tender, remove and drain on paper towels reserving drippings. Add 1 ¾ cups of the onion, and the garlic, chili, ginger, cumin and salt. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes adding olive oil if needed. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the black beans and about half the lime juice. Sauté for about 5 more minutes, or until everything has mingled nicely, and the beans are heated through. Mash the beans slightly with the back of a spoon, and transfer to a bowl. Stir the remaining lime juice and about half of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Add the black pepper and crumbled bacon, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop.

Missouri Wines

I spent the four great days this month at the annual Midwest Grape and Wine Conference; an experience that's never disappointing. One of the people instrumental in putting together this event is Danene Beedle, marketing director extraordinaire at the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and also known as the Missouri Wine Girl (be sure to ck out her blog). The conference pulls viticulture and enology experts from both coasts, as well as from around the globe. While that feature is impressive and educational, the conference's biggest attraction is the chance to get together with the wonderful people in the industry - and what a esprit de corp. How fortunate for a newcomer like me to be able to discuss wine characteristics with the winemakers at Mount Pleasant; the local terroir with the great people at Les Bourgeois; new varietals with Jon Held at Stone Hill and all the other people who so generously share their knowledge, encouragement and friendship.

One highlight of the weekend was talking to Brian Duncan, co-owner and the wine director (a title he prefers to sommelier) of the BIN 36 restauarant group in Chicago. Brian was named as wine director of the year by Gourmet Magazine, was most recently in the November issue of Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and has graced the pages of GQ and Food and Wine, among others. It wasn't hard to figure out that Brian success is inextricably linked with his attitude - he's a straight forward, nice guy who is knowledgable but simply can't be bothered with being snooty about wine. I had the opportunity to set with him at lunch where his private label wines were served. Brian partners with Hahn Estates’ winemaker Adam La Zarre to make (among others) a beautifully unfeigned and affordable Chard. It's unmistakably a food wine but that by no means is its only attribute.

Check out this video of Brian on Wine Taste TV as he explains pairing wine with food.