cathythomascooks.com

No gluten, please. No meat, no dairy, no salt. No onions, no garlic …  No kidding.

More than ever before, restaurant guests make special menu requests. They want dishes that are gluten-free or vegetarian or vegan, or meals without specific ingredients.

With so many dietary restrictions, it would be understandable for servers and kitchen staff to be in a tailspin. But I’ve seen some very creative solutions both in the front of the house and at the stoves.

Rethinking menus

Deb Schneider, executive chef-partner of Sol Cocina Restaurant in Newport Beach (shown above), has simplified special order requests by offering snazzy laminated menus that spell out the dishes that are vegan, vegetarian and wheat-free. The list is lengthy and diverse, with dishes ranging from Strawberry Serrano Guacamole to Corn Poblano Soup to Rajas Tacos.

“Real Mexican food is heavily vegetable-based – vegetables, corn, and beans are at the heart of what real Mexican food truly is,” Schneider said, referring to her menu’s vegetarian and vegan dishes. “And as for gluten-free, only one dessert and one entree uses flour tortillas.

“We make everything from scratch so if you don’t want onions in your salsa, for example, we make it the way you want it.”

And it somehow seems counter-intuitive, but meat-free diners can end up costing the restaurant more money. They aren’t necessarily cutting costs by subbing vegetables for meat.

“You know from shopping that you can buy chicken on sale for around one dollar per pound, but you pay way more than that for avocados and tomatoes. Asparagus and mushrooms can be five or six dollars per pound …”

Pascal Olhats, chef-owner of Tradition by Pascal and Brasserie Pascal (both in Newport Beach), places the letters “GF” next to every item on his menus that is free of gluten.

“It’s interesting that fifty percent of my dishes are gluten free,” Olhats said, citing his technique for thickening by reduction (boiling to reduce volume) rather than using flour.

“All of my soups are gluten-free and vegetarian and vegan; some of my salads aren’t vegan because they have cheese, but they are vegetarian and gluten-free.

Special requests come up so frequently at Studio at Montage Laguna Beach, that Executive Chef Craig Strong recently developed a new menu to accommodate them.

“The menu is a vegetarian tasting menu,” Strong explained. “That is how it is titled, but every dish on it can be adapted to be vegan and gluten free, if they aren’t already that way. These are dishes that are more than just steamed vegetables, which is what a lot of vegetarians and vegans are offered. ”

One example is a twist on the flavor-packed forbidden rice dish that appears on the “regular” menu showcasing prawns. The earthy black rice has a rich nuttiness and is teamed with bok choy and a Thai sauce spiked with green curry, fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Strong doesn’t dummy down the vibrant flavors by eliminating the shellfish. Instead he perks up the rice and bok choy with the addition of an organic carrot ribbon salad paired with no-nonsense ginger confit.

Gluten-free desserts are a challenge, but Strong more than passes the test with his roasted pineapple with coconut tapioca pearls and pina colada ice cream. The tiny tapioca spheres are the size of pin heads and are cooked to toothsome tenderness in coconut milk and a little sugar.

Staff Training

A big part of meeting guests’ special menu needs is staff training. Zov Karamardian, executive chef-owner of Zov’s Bistro and Bakery, Tustin (as well as Zov’s Cafes in Irvine and Newport Coast, and two new venues at John Wayne Airport), requires her staff to take and pass a written ingredient test before they work with guests.

“Each server knows the ingredients in every dish,” said Zov, “so if a guest says that they are allergic to something, the server knows the dishes that have that ingredient. As for vegetarian dishes, that’s easy because about 50 percent of our dishes are vegetarian. Our menu has always been that way because vegetables are very important in the  Eastern Mediterranean diet. And many of our dishes are vegan and gluten-free: eggplant tagine, golden lentil soup, hummus, baba ghanooj (shown below).”

At Sapphire Laguna in Laguna Beach, Executive Chef-Owner Azmin Ghahreman says that his staff follows a rigorous protocol with special requests. The kitchen is notified electronically when a guest states that they have a food allergy, and the server goes to the kitchen, faces the chef and discusses the specifics to double check. Then the specifics of the order are reconfirmed when the order is picked up by the server.

Ghahreman offers a delectable vegetarian tasting menu at the restaurant, but also meets the needs of children by offering food service to five schools through his Sapphire at School program that he started in 2008. He says his goal is to offer menu items that might be new to the children using quality ingredients and preparation. The program serves over 2000 meals a day.

This strawberry-spiked guacamole was created for guests at Sol Cocina who could not eat onion or cilantro. Onions add of crunchiness and flavor to the mix, but you really don’t miss them here. The balance of creaminess, crunch, heat and sweetness disguises the fact that there are no tomatoes or onions.

This would make a great Super Bowl 2012 treat.

Sol’s Strawberry Serrano Guacamole
Yield: 4 servings
2 ripe Hass avocados
Juice of one lime (or to taste)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup strawberries, hulled and diced (4 medium)
1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons candied or toasted walnuts or other nuts, coarsely chopped
1 small Serrano chili, minced, with seeds, see cook’s notes
For serving: corn tostadas or corn tortilla chips
Optional garnish: cilantro sprigs
Garnish: lime wedges
Cook’s notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies. Upon completion, wash work surface thoroughly and do not touch face or eyes. A tostada is a whole fried-crisp corn tortilla.
1. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Add the lime juice and salt, and mash roughly with a fork. Spoon into serving dish and place strawberries, cucumber, walnuts and Serrano chiles in neat rows along the top.
2. Present the guacamole with a tostada stuck upright in the guacamole, garnished with a sprig of cilantro and a lime wedge; squeeze the lime over and mix it all together before diving in. Accompany with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Nutrition information (per serving): 90 calories, 70 percent of calories from fat, 7.3 g fat, 3.8 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g protein, 240 mg sodium, 2.5 g fiber
Source: Deb Schneider, executive chef-partner Sol Cocina, Newport Beach

This vegetarian and gluten-free taco, made with roasted poblano chiles (rajas) and epazote (or Mexican oregano) is smoky, rich and delicious. Leave out the cheese for a vegan treat.

Sol’s Rajas, Mushroom and Grilled Corn Taco with Epazote
Yield: makes 6 generous tacos
3 fresh poblano chilies, see cook’s notes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided use
1 ear of corn, shucked, kernels removed from cob
8 medium-sized fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 fresh epazote leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, see cook’s notes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
For serving: 6 large corn tortillas
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) queso fresco (omit for vegan version)
Roasted Tomato Salsa, recipe included
Cook’s notes: Poblano chiles have dark, forest green flesh and skin; they are sometimes labeled “pasilla.” Their shape is somewhat like a bell pepper, rather than a thin shape that tapers toward the tip. Supermarkets with large produce sections often stock poblano chilies.  Epazote is a fresh herb that is sold in the produce sections of many Latin American markets. Dried Mexican oregano is sold in the Latin American specialty sections of many supermarkets; it can substitute for the epazote.
1. Char the poblano chilies by placing them directly in the flame of a gas burner, turning often with long-handled tongs until evenly blistered and blackened. Wrap in paper towels until cooled, then rub off the blackened skin. Remove stem and all seeds and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. Heat half of the oil a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften. Stir in the diced poblano chiles, epazote, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Keep warm.
3. Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan (not nonstick). Work with as many tortillas as will fit without overlapping. Use remaining oil to brush one side of each tortilla. Set oiled-side down in pan; crumble 1 tablespoon of cheese over each tortilla. Top with about 1/3 cup of filling. When tortillas are nicely toasted and golden on the bottom, top each with a spoonful of Roasted Tomato Salsa.
Nutrition information (per serving, with cheese): 170 calories, 47 percent of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 280 mg sodium, 2.3 g fiber
Source: Deb Schneider, executive chef-partner Sol Cocina, Newport Beach

This is a terrific all-purpose salsa. If you like, substitute 1 or 2 canned chipotle chilies for the Serrano chili for a smoky flavor.
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
4 Roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, unpeeled
1 large fresh Serrano chili, whole
1/4 small white onion, peeled and diced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1. Line a heavy frying pan (preferably cast iron, not nonstick) with a piece of foil and set over medium-high heat. Roast the tomatoes, Serrano chili and garlic until blackened and soft. Peel the garlic and stem the chili. Place in a blender or food processor along with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Nutrition information (per tablespoon): 40 calories, 2.5 percent of calories from fat, 1.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.4g carbohydrates, 1.2 g protein, 201 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber
Source: Deb Schneider, executive chef-partner Sol Cocina, Newport Beach

I tossed and turned last night, my sleep interrupted with quandaries that whirled like a high-speed blender gnawing on a stubborn chunk of concrete.

How could I select just five favorite dishes from 2011 when I’ve tasted at least 50 that I absolutely adored?

What could compete with the roasted pig that my niece Holly Sue and nephew Don (both chefs) prepared for a party honoring my brother and sister-in-law?

They roasted that beauty outdoors in a “pig box” – La Caja China. Every bite o’ that hog was luscious. Mmmmmm.

Orange County is awash in culinary talent, and my palate was treated to sampling myriad world-class dishes. From appetizers to desserts, I downed mouthfuls of perfectly executed dishes, everything from comfort casual to fancy schmancy.

In a list-loving, food-lusting spirit, I’m checking my guilt at the door. I’ll sleep peacefully tonight because I resolved that next year rather than five, I am going to go whole hog and list fifty. Won’t that be fun?

Fried Brussels Sprouts with Chinese Sausage, Cilantro and Sweet-Sour Sauce from Executive-Chef-Owner Amar Santana (Broadway by Amar Santana, Laguna Beach)

This delectable dish turns even the staunchest Brussels-sprouts-haters into devotees.  I hear it all the time, usually in a tone oozing with disgust, how they used to find these tiny cabbage-like vegetables stinky and bitter. Overcooked or cooked in too much liquid, they take on an unpleasant sulfur smell. Their crispness turns soggy. Their spicy-sweet taste turns bland.

Santana cooks them to perfection, halving medium-sized orbs and deep frying them only about a minute, just until tender and starting to lightly brown. He fries the Brussels with slices of lap chong, dried, smoked Chinese pork sausage that is spiked with aromatic spices.

They would be delicious just like that, but he makes them absolutely irresistible by tossing them with a sweet-sour sauce with a subtle vinegary edge. Oh, and a pinch of fresh cilantro.

Pan Seared Halibut with Sweet Corn Puree, Irvine Ranch Vegetable Succotash and Chicken Jus from Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Dubray (Pelican Hill, Newport Coast)

It’s hard to hold back an audible sigh of approval when you taste Chef Dubray’s jus.

Jus, the French word for “juice” refers in this case to jus de viande and the mouth-watering essence of reduced chicken stock. The jus is lovingly tended and enriched along every step of its preparation. Chef Dubray leaves nothing to chance, boosting the flavor of the stock by slow-roasting the chicken bones with a mirepoix of diced carrot, onion, and celery, plus a little garlic before adding the whole shebang to an already-flavorful chicken stock. He often adds the trimmings of fresh porcini mushrooms, or the “flour’ made by grinding dried porcini. After it gently simmers for one and a half hours, it’s strained and reduced to a mahogany-colored syrupy sauce. On the plate, the sauce puddles around a pan-seared halibut filet that is served atop a puree of fresh sweet corn.

Dubray goes to the Irvine Ranch every Thursday to do his produce shopping. The vegetables he used in the dish were purchased there, and the corn he utilized was at its late summer best when I tasted the dish. And the sautéed succotash that served as a hearty garnish showcased a mélange of wax beans, green beans, artichoke hearts and lima beans. Delicious.

Heirloom Melon “Gazpacho” with Yuzu Salted Mango Sherbet from Chef de Cuisine Ryan Carson (AnQi, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa)

Carson uses a variety of modern cuisine techniques in his dishes, but my favorite is the way he teams compressed melon with a fruity-slightly salty sherbet. He vacuum-seals watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew cubes with lemongrass syrup, a process that removes air from the thick plastic bag that encloses the fruit prior to sealing. The process intensifies the melon’s flavor, making the texture denser and the color more jewel-like.

The melon cubes sit in a shallow pool of cold orange “soup” a mixture made by bringing orange juice, lemongrass and star anise to a boil; once strained, a smidgen of unflavored gelatin is added for viscosity.

In the center, a regal scoop of mango sherbet is lightly dusted with his yuzu salt, a concoction made by combining Maldon sea salt and with just enough yuzu juice to cover (yuzu is super fragrant Japanese citrus). The salt-juice mixture sits overnight at room temperature, then is strained and placed in a dehydrator to dry.

The dish is garnished with leaves of micro (baby) basil and tiny arugula leaves. It is served as a dessert, or in a smaller portion as a palate cleanser between savory courses as part of a tasting menu.

Truffle Risotto with Roasted Porcini and Parmesan Emulsion from Executive Chef-Owner Florent Marneau (Marche Moderne, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa)

Teaming the enthralling earthy scent of fresh truffles with creamy risotto is a heaven sent marriage of flavor, texture and aroma.

As part of his fall menu, Marneau featured his mascarpone-spiked risotto topped with a generous amount of thinly sliced fresh black truffles from the Burgundy region of France.

Nutty and pleasingly musky, the truffles seemed the perfect partner not only to the perfectly cooked Arborio rice, but also the fresh porcini mushroom halves. Caramelized in the wood-burning oven, a process that enhances their straight-forward earthiness, the porcini looked plump and whimsical in a glamorous kind of way.

Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Caramelized Two Apple Salad from Executive Chef Jimmy Schmidt (Morgan’s in the Desert, La Quinta Resort, La Quinta)

Most often duck breast is served thinly sliced; there’s nothing wrong with that but the process limits the area with exterior caramelization to tiny portions. Chef Schmidt cuts the breast into hearty chunks, an approach that seems to make the surface area more accessible – more luscious sweetness and crispness for my fork to pursue.

The raw duck breasts are placed in apple cider brine for eight hours, then slowly pan-seared to render the fat and make the skin brown beautifully and get crispy; they finish cooking in the oven.

The duck is served with an apple salad that provides a just-right contrast to the rich meat. It showcases tart Granny Smith and sweeter Honey Crisp apples and is napped with a cider-red wine reduction infused with fresh ginger and black peppercorns.

(TO PRINT RECIPES, the best approach is to cut/paste special. 1. highlight text – hit copy – control C  2. open word document   3. go to edit and hit paste special  4. hit unformatted text   5. hit OK  6. Now you can print it and it will look perfect.)

Dubray’s Pan Seared Halibut, Sweet Corn Puree, Irvine Ranch Vegetable Succotash, Chicken Jus
Yield: 4 servings
4 ears fresh corn
2 ounces butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 center-cut halibut filets, about 6 ounces each
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces yellow wax beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
2 ounces small Blue Lake green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
2 ounces fresh lima beans
2 ounces trimmed artichoke hearts, cut into lengthwise slices
2 ounces Campari tomatoes, confit, see cook’s notes
2 ounces Grape tomatoes, confit, see cook’s notes
About 1/4 cup chicken jus, see cook’s notes
Garnish: microgreens and popcorn sprouts
Cook’s notes: To confit 20 to 30 small tomatoes, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and top with 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves. Bake in a 250-degree oven, about 3 to 4 hours, or until tomatoes are dried halfway through and skins are wrinkled.  For chicken jus, reduce a rich chicken stock to a syrupy consistency.
1. Prepare sweet corn puree: Cut kernels from cobs and place kernels in blender. Whirl until liquid. Place in a saucepan on low heat; reduce, stirring frequently, until all liquid is evaporated, and you are left with a smooth puree. Add butter and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
2. Prepare fish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season halibut fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet on high heat. Sear halibut on both sides until nicely browned and place in preheated oven to finish cooking, 5 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness. When removing from oven be careful; the handle will be very hot.
3. Prepare succotash: In a large, deep skillet, heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat. Add beans and artichoke slices. You can also add additional corn kernels to this mixture if you like. Sauté, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Presentation: Place corn puree in the center of 4 plates and place halibut on top of puree. Arrange the vegetable succotash around the fish. Add tomatoes. Drizzle halibut with chicken jus and a small drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with microgreens and popcorn sprouts.
Nutrition information (per serving): 501 calories, 48 percent of calories from fat, 26 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 45 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 650 mg sodium, 5.1 g fiber
Source: Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Dubray, Pelican Hill, Newport Coast
Marneau’s Truffle Risotto with Roasted
Yield: 4 servings
5 cups vegetable broth, exact amount varies
Mushrooms:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 pound halved or quartered stem-on, fresh porcini mushrooms (another variety of fresh mushroom can be substituted)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 or 3 baby leeks, roots trimmed, white and light green portion only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Risotto:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
2 cups imported Arborio rice, imported Italian Arborio preferred
1 generous tablespoon mascarpone, imported Italian mascarpone preferred
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, white and light green portion
1 tablespoon whipping cream, a little more if needed for creamy consistency
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnish: shaved fresh black truffle
Garnish: smidgen of extra-virgin olive oil
Cook’s notes: Marneau roasts the porcini mushrooms in his wood-fired oven. Most home cooks aren’t lucky enough to have such a splendid oven, so the directions here call for sautéing them in a skillet on top of the stove.
1. Place broth in saucepan; place on low heat. It is helpful to place a 1/2-cup ladle in or next to pan.
2. Prepare mushrooms: In a large, deep skillet melt butter on medium-high heat. Add porcini mushrooms and cook until tender and nicely browned, about 7 to 10 minutes (depending on size), stirring occasionally (reduce heat to low after mushrooms have browned nicely on one side). Add sliced baby leeks; cook an additional 2 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. Stir in chopped garlic; cook until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Season to taste. Set aside.
3. Prepare risotto: In a 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter on medium heat. Add onion and stir to coat. Cook onions until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add 1/2 cup warm broth and, stirring constantly, cook until almost all of liquid disappears. Add another 1/2 cup warm broth and stir constantly until almost all of liquid disappears. Repeat process, adding 1/2 cup broth at a time and stirring constantly until all broth has been added (and cooked until liquid disappears); do this until only 1/2 cup broth remains. Add last 1/2 cup broth and cook, stirring, until about 2/3 of the liquid disappears. Rice should be tender, but with a little resistance in the center. Add mascarpone and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and green onions. When mixture is a good consistency, neither too wet nor too dry, stir in whipping cream, salt and pepper.
4. Divide risotto between 4 large, shallow bowls. Place pocini mushroom-mixture on top. Using a truffle cutter, shave truffle on top of risotto. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and serve.
Nutrition information (per serving): 300 calories, 49 percent of calories from fat, 16 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 920 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
Source: Executive Chef-Owner Florent Marneau, Marche Moderne
Schmidt’s Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Caramelized Two Apple Salad
Yield: 4 servings
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 quarts apple cider, divided use
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
4 large duck breasts, trimmed of excess fat, lightly scored or cut through the skin in a cross pattern without cutting into the duck meat, to release the fat when cooking
1/2 bottle red wine, preferably Pinot Noir or Syrah
1/4 cup artisan apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup snipped fresh chives
2 skin-on Granny Smith apples, 1 cut into wedges, 1 cut into fine julienne with a mandoline, divided use
2 skin-on Honey Crisp apples, 1 cut into wedges, 1 cut into fine julienne with a mandoline, divided use
Sprinkling of granulated sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine the sugar, kosher salt and 1 quart of apple cider. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn off the heat and add the peppercorns and sliced ginger.  Allow to cool completely.
2. Place the duck breast in a shallow nonreactive pan and cover with the brine. Refrigerate for 8 hours.  Remove the duck from the brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine reserving ginger slices. Keep duck refrigerated until ready to cook.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining apple cider, red wine and the ginger slices from the brine, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve and reserve the liquid.
4. To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl combine half of the cider-wine reduction and the apple vinegar.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  Add half of the chives.
5. In a nonstick skillet over low heat place the duck breasts, skin side down.  Allow to slowly cook the skin while the fat under the skin is rendered out, the skin will turn golden while the meat is barely cooked. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until done, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Carefully remove the pan from the oven remembering the handle is very hot. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
6. Return the skillet to the burner over high heat. Add the apple wedges with a sprinkling of sugar; cook until caramelized, about 3 minutes.  Turn the wedges over to caramelize the other side, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved cider-wine reduction and remove from the heat. In a large bowl combine the julienne of apples, the remaining chives and vinaigrette; toss. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper; toss
7. To Serve: With a very sharp, thin knife cut the duck into thin slices across the grain (or cut each breast into 3 or 4 “chunks”).  Arrange the caramelized apples in a circle in the center of the plate.  Stack the duck slices atop the mound. Spoon a little of the apple juices over the duck.  Toss and position the apple salad at the top of the plate.  Serve immediately.
Nutrition information (per serving): 602 calories, 51 percent of calories from fat, 33 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 52 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 854 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Source: Executive Chef Jimmy Schmidt, Morgan’s in the Desert, La Quinta Resort,  La Quinta

Overton’s delectable salad showcases raw fairytale pumpkin, along with cooked farro, frisee and pomegranate vinaigrette.

Casey Overton, chef de cuisine at The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach, teams well-honed classic techniques and vibrant flavor pairings with delectable creative twists.

His enchanting cuisine comforts while at the same time surprises.

‘Just to give an example …

His risotto is rich with La Quercia bacon, offering a pleasing saltiness and toothsome texture contrast to the creamy rice. A sunny-side up quail egg rests in the center, cooked under the salamander broiler just long enough to set the white but leave the yolk delightfully runny. A garnish of fresh celery leaf, nabbed from the pale green heart, offers a just-right compliment to the rich flavors that surround it.

His fall menu showcases a salad with cooked farro, Asian pears and irresistible pomegranate vinaigrette. The element of surprise is the inclusion of raw pumpkin cut into oh-so-thin ribbons.

He prefers the fairytale pumpkin, the deeply fluted beauty with pale salmon rind mottled with green. A sweet pie pumpkin is a good substitute. Peeled and served in skinny strips, either choice tastes much like cantaloupe.

Home cooks can simplify the salad by using one or two elements of the concoction. The brightly-flavored vinaigrette is easy to prepare; it’s delicious spooned on the periphery of plate surrounding a simple mixed green salad that is lightly napped with a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing. Top the greens with sliced Bartlett or Asian pears and garnish with toasted peptitas.

Overton lives in Anaheim Hills with his wife and three preschool sons. He is shown here in my kitchen with Sous Chef Aaron Gable (who is holding a fairytale pumpkin). Overton says that this variety of pumpkin is a little softer in texture than kabocha. He advises that a sweet pie pumpkin is a good substitute.

Here is the recipe … (TO PRINT RECIPE, the best approach is to cut/paste special. 1. highlight text – hit copy or control C  2. open a new word document   3. go to edit and hit paste special  4. hit unformatted text   5. hit OK  6. Now you can print it and it will look perfect.)

Raw Fairytale Pumpkin and Farro Salad with Shaved Asian Pears and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 to 6 salads
3 cups pomegranate juice, such as Pom
1 cup semi-pearled farro
Sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 Fairytale Pumpkin
2 heads frisee
2 Asian pears
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, peeled, quartered
1 cup grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
Extra-virgin olive oil, enough to lightly coat
Meyer lemon juice, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish: 1/2 cup toasted pepitas, see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes – farro: Use semi-pearled (the package often says “semi-perlato”) that cooks in 15 to 20 minutes in simmering water or broth. If the package doesn’t designate it as “semi-pearled,” look at the cooking directions on the package; if it says that it cooks in less than 25 minutes, you can assume it is semi-pearled. Farro is sold at natural food stores, such as Whole Foods. Peptitas, toasted pumpkin seeds or squash seeds, are sold at Trader Joe’s, natural food stores and some supermarkets.
1. 4. Prepare reduced pomegranate juice: Place pomegranate juice in medium saucepan and reduce by about half, or until it is syrupy.
2. At The Loft, they cook farro like rice if cooked for risotto in broth, onion, thyme and bay leaf. But Overton says you can simply boil it in water to cover, along with a sprig of thyme and bay leaf, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, remove thyme and bay leaf; cool to room temperature.
3. Cut pumpkin in half. Reserve half for another use. Peel half pumpkin and shave into long thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler; set aside.
4. Pick the frisee into small bundles discarding most of the white. Shave the skin-on pears very thin into rounds; set aside.
5. Prepare vinaigrette: place syrup, red wine vinegar, mustard and shallot in blender. Start on low speed and increase to medium to puree shallot; with the motor running, add the grapeseed oil in a thin steam and blend until vinaigrette is thickened slightly and is glossy.
6. In a large bowl, toss pumpkin, pear, frisee with enough olive oil to lightly coat the leaves. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste; toss. In a separate bowl, toss farro with enough of the Pomegranate Vinaigrette to coat. Divide the farro between serving plates. Top each with the pumpkin salad. Drizzle some Pomegranate Vinaigrette over the tops and garnish with toasted pepitas.
Source: Casey Overton, Chef de Cuisine The Loft, Montage Laguna Beach

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I had a one-on-one interview with Martha before she taught a cooking class at Macy’s Home Store at South Coast Plaza.  People magazine had their fifteen minutes before I had mine.

Martha was promoting her newest book,  “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $75, hardcover, 432 pages).

I started our interview with a question about the biggest difference between this “entertaining” book and the original one that was published in ’82. (You can see that my copy has had a workout over the years – torn cover, but still in my cookbook library.)

“This one is the most personal book she has ever written,” she said responding to a question about how the new book compares with the iconic entertaining book she wrote 30 years ago. “The first book was about parties I was catering for others. This is about my own parties.

“The food and recipes have changed, they are more international. Now ingredients are more readily available. Grocery stores have quite an array. In the early 80’s I’d go to 30 or 40 stores to get all the ingredients I needed for a party. I made my own croissants and baguettes. Now I buy them.”

So … I cleared my throat and asked a question about our daughters, both named Alexis.

My daughter Alexis, I said, tends to entertain outdoors.  Her parties are lovely, but tend to weigh in on the casual side. No sterling silver. No bone china. So, Martha, is there a trend toward “casualization” when it comes to home entertaining in our daughters’ generation?

She told me that her daughter Alexis only has one set of dishes in her Manhattan home. Nice dishes, very nice dishes, but only one set. So Martha invited her to come to her one of her homes and take home anything she wanted.

Me? I would have rented a U-Haul. “Her” Alexis took home six glasses.

Back to the book. I really enjoy Martha’s captions; they offer rich details about places, props and people. She told me that she worked from the designed manuscript, writing specifically to the visuals. “I lock myself up in the craft room of my house and write the words,” she said. “I think it took me 20 days to write the final text.”

At the beginning of class, Martha spent time talking up her brand of utensils (yes, they are all on sale at Macy’s Home Store).   By the time she finished, I was persuaded. I needed to own her spatula (yes, I have plenty of spatulas, but she was very convincing).

She baked a Pear Crostada, an open-faced tart loaded with fresh fruit. Here’s the recipe for this luscious, very approachable dessert:

(TO PRINT RECIPES, the best approach is to cut/paste special. 1. highlight text – hit copy – control C  2. open word document   3. go to edit and hit paste special  4. hit unformatted text   5. hit OK  6. Now you can print it and it will look perfect.)

Martha’s Pear Crostada
Yield: one 14-inch tart, about 10 servings
3 pounds ripe, firm pears (about 10), peeled, cored, slices 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
All-purpose flour for dusting
Tart Dough (recipe follows)
Egg wash: 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Optional: 1/4 cup sanding sugar, see cook’s notes
Optional for serving: whipped cream or crème fraiche
Cook’s notes: Sanding sugar is a large crystal sugar that adds sparkle to baked goods. It is also called “pearl sugar” or “decorating sugar.” It is sold at baking supply shops such as Classic Cakes in Garden Grove, or Michael’s (several locations in Orange County).
1. Toss fruit with granulated sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour a large (at least 18 inches long) piece of parchment paper. Place dough on parchment. Using your knuckles, press edges of dough so it doesn’t crack during rolling. Lightly flour top of dough to prevent sticking; roll into an 18-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer dough (still on parchment) to a large baking sheet.
3. Mound fruit in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Fold dough over fruit, pleating it as you go (there will be an area in the center where dough doesn’t cover fruit). Brush the exposed dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
4. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let tart cool completely. If desired, accompany with whipped cream or crème fraiche.
Nutrition information (per serving without sanding sugar or optional whipped cream): 292 calories, 40 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 361 mg sodium, 1.8 g fiber
Source: “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $75)

Martha’s Tart Dough
Yield: enough for a 14-inch tart
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if needed
1. Pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining. Evenly drizzle 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water over mixture. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to combine.
2. Turn dough out onto work surface and knead once or twice, then shape into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to overnight. (Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.)
Nutrition information (per serving figuring 10 servings): 100 calories, 54 percent of calories from fat, 6g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein,246 mg sodium, 0.8 g fiber
Source: “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $75)

Another must-try recipe? Martha’s Blueberry Belgian Waffles

It was worth a little bad blood.

Judging the Retro Baking Contest at the Orange County Fair gave me the luscious task of shoveling down spoonfuls of glorious homemade pies, everything from Peach n’ Berry to Deep Dish Plum, Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pecan to Old- Fashioned Cherry.

Who can resist pie? It’s such a happy dessert, innocent and nostalgic. But my annual physical was a few days later, and Doctor Chang wasn’t pleased with the results of my lab work. My cholesterol had gone up.

I showed him photos of those pies. The chorus line of pastry made him smile, especially when I showed him a shot of Betsy Sanz’ first place pie, a lattice-topped apple pie wonder. The crust was perfectly golden and crisp, not just on top, that’s ordinary, but on the sides and bottom, too. And the perky Granny Smith apples inside were blissed-out with orange zest and orange liqueur.

Sanz’ apple pie brought her the first place blue ribbon, both in the double crust and   overall categories. But they weren’t her first blue ribbons.

She won first place at the 2010 Orange County Fair with her Four Berry Pie.
I had to find out her secrets. And as it turned out, not only is Sanz a prize-winning baker, she is also exceedingly generous. She invited me to her home in Old Towne Orange for a pie school session.

Inside, the open kitchen smelled like warm fruit and cinnamon. Sanz, clad in an apple-patterned apron, had everything ready. A perfect apple pie perched on the counter-top. Next to it, her husband’s marble chessboard was covered with a smooth towel, ready for rolling the dough. An American-style handled rolling pin rested next to it.

“The crust is everything,” she said with an honest grin. “If there is anything to obsess about, it’s the crust. You can put almost any filling in a great crust and the pie will be fabulous.”

She explained that she’s been a serious pie baker for about 2 1/2 years. Her friend, Jessica Hasenplaugh, who used to live in the neighborhood and made award-winning peach pies, was her teacher. Hasenplaugh’s family has a long pie-making history, and she taught Sanz how to perfect a crust that utilized butter-flavored vegetable shortening.

“But now I use butter in my crust, not Crisco,” she said, “and I think it’s the butter that makes the crust so good. Butter is just better. And it is flaky enough.”

I nibbled one of her “cookie pies,” crisp-baked strips of leftover crust augmented with sugar and cinnamon, while she showed me how she rolls the dough to avoid “crust-atastrophes.”

As she moved her rolling pin deftly over the dough, I asked her about making pies for Thanksgiving. She said that her apple pie can be baked a day in advance and left at room temperature. If it sits for more than 24 hours, the crust starts to lose its flakiness.

“I like it the best fresh and warm, served with good vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. But that’s not always possible.

Betsy’s dough upon completion – mixed in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

Betsy’s Butter Crust
Yield: 1 single crust for 9-inch pie pan
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter (cut the whole stick in half, crosswise), unsalted butter preferred
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, such as Fresh & Easy’s organic unbleached all-purpose flour, divided use
1/4 cup ice-cold water (plus a few more drops if necessary)
Cook’s notes: Make sure your bowl starts out very dry. Keep ingredients and hands cold. The less you manipulate the dough, the flakier the crust will be.
1. Prep for later: Put a couple of ice cubes in a small glass of water and mix until the water is very cold; set aside. Place a smooth dish cloth on a smooth surface where you’ll roll out your crust (she wrapped the cloth around a marble chessboard). Flour the cloth generously wherever the dough will be rolled out. Put your 9-inch glass (such as Pyrex) pie pan very nearby.
2. Mix salt, butter, flour: In large bowl of an electric stand mixer, place salt, cold butter and 1/2 cup flour. Mix together using the paddle attachment by turning the mixer on low. When the butter is broken up a bit, add additional 1/2 cup flour. Mix on low speed a little more; mixture should not be creamy and butter will still be in fairly large pieces, but a little smaller than before. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and mix on low initially, then increase speed to medium-low. DO NOT let the mixture get creamy; it should always be floury-chunky. When the mix is ready for water, your (still cold) butter chunks should be on average the size of a pea – some a little bigger, some a little smaller, that’s okay.
3. Add water: Measure out 1/4 cup of your super-cold water (no ice cubes) and drizzle half of it evenly around your butter-flour mix. Mix on low speed. Add the last half of the water. Mix JUST until the water is evenly mixed into the flour – not more. The more you mix, the tougher the crust.
4. Remove the dough: Dough stuck in your mixer paddle? Gently poke it out with a fingertip to make it fall into the bowl. Use floured hands on the side of the bowl to bring all the dough together with as little manipulation as possible. Make a ball of the dough, compressing sides, top and bottom as you go, tossing it gently between cupped hands. Gently try to eliminate major cracks in sides as you compress. Flour your hands and the dough as needed.
5. Roll it out: As you place the dough ball on your well-floured cloth, gently compress the top and sides simultaneously. Notice where cracks may be forming. Sprinkle with flour. With a rolling pin, roll slowly and evenly. If cracks at the edges begin to form, avoid rolling straight into them. Roll around them and gently over them in a perpendicular direction, and they won’t grow and split the crust. When you have a solid (no-crack) circle of about 14 inches and about 1/8-inch thick, trim the edges and do a final roll to make sure your crust is a consistent thickness.
6. Transfer crust to pan: At the edge of the crust edge closest to you, gently rest the rolling pin. Lift the edge of the cloth and begin to roll the cloth, crust and rolling pin away from you. The crust will roll up onto the pin if you’re holding the cloth tautly.
7. When about half the crust is rolled up on the pin, let the cloth drop. Take the opposite edge of cloth and in a swift motion, lift the far side of the crust onto the rolling pin. Gently hold the crust on pin with one hand and with the other, lift the pin and position it squarely over the pie pan. Don’t let the pin quite rest on the pie pan, but slowly let the crust drop onto the pan. Gently press the crust to be flush with the inside of the pan. Trim edge leaving 1/2-inch overhang of dough.
Nutrition information (per serving): 100 calories, 54 percent of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g protein, 130 mg sodium, 0.2 g fiber
Source: Betsy Sanz, Orange

Grand Apple Orange Pie
Yield: one 9-inch pie, about 10 servings
2 butter crusts for 9-inch pie pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
Minced zest of 1 large navel orange, colored portion of peel
1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 medium large Granny Smith apples (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg white
Optional: enough sanding sugar to dust on top crust, see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: Sanding sugar is a large crystal sugar that adds sparkle to the surface of baked goods; it is also called “pearl sugar” or “decorating sugar.” It is sold at baking supply shops such as Classic Cakes in Garden Grove, or Michael’s. To make lattice crust, cut cold dough into about 12 strips about 1/2–inches wide using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Arrange about 6 strips across the filling in one direction, using the longest in the center. Place remaining strips over the top in the opposite direction, weaving them under and over the bottom strips. Trim the ends to the inner edge of the pan. Press the ends to the edge of the bottom crust. Roll the overhand of the bottom crust up over the edges of the strip to form an even rim. Flute or crimp the edge. Brush the lattice with egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
1. Prepare butter crusts; roll out crusts separately and use one to line 9-inch Pyrex pie pan. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix and fill: Mix sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange liqueur and cinnamon in a large bowl. Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 1/4-inch thick slices and mix with sugar mixture, gently tossing with a spatula to blend well. Place apple mixture in pie crust and dot evenly with butter pieces.
3. Top with second crust (there are several options for this). Either cut top crust in strips to do a lattice crust (see cook’s notes), or leave top crust whole and cut an apple shape right in the middle of it before placing it on filling; or keep it solid and cut 3 to 5 slits after placing it on top. Make it pretty: Fold bottom crust edges over top edges, or vice versa; crimp edges. Brush evenly with egg white over entire top crust surface, even the little crevices of the crimps. Dust with sanding sugar, if using.
4. Monitor the baking: Turn on oven light so you can watch to see how the pie crust is browning. Bake 50 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and apples are tender. Avoid over-browning by tenting crust areas with aluminum foil as pie bakes, or use a pie shield (a ring that fits over the edge of the crust after it has browned, but before the rest of the pie is cooked). Cool for about an hour before serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Pat yourself on the back for a job deliciously done!
Nutrition information (per serving): 350 calories, 61 percent of calories from fat, 21 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 270 mg sodium, 2.8 g fiber
Source: Betsy Sanz adapted this recipe from Eileen Beran’s recipe at everybodyeatsgourmet.com

Betsy’s Four Berry Pie
Yield: one 9-inch pie
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
A pinch and a half of salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, see cook’s notes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, see cook’s notes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, see cook’s notes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, see cook’s notes
1/3 cup raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 butter crusts for 9-inch pie pan
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg white
Sugar or sanding sugar for sprinkling on crust
Cook’s notes: Use fresh or frozen berries. If frozen, let thaw enough to separate.
1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Fold in berries. Add liqueur, water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens, stirring frequently (about 10 or 15 minutes). Turn off heat and let cool for about 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 butter crusts for 9-inch pie pan. Line a 9-inch glass (Pyrex) pie pan with a crust. Pour filling into bottom crust and dot with butter. For a steam vent, cut a heart out of the center of the second crust. Top filling with second crust and crimp edges to seal. Brush top crust with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Avoid over-browning by tenting browned crust areas with aluminum foil as pie bakes, or use a pie shield (a ring that fits over the edge of the crust after it has browned, but before the rest of the pie is cooked). Cool for about an hour before serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition information (per serving): 375 calories, 58 percent of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 29 mg cholesterol, 35 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 290 mg sodium, 3.2 g fiber
Source: Betsy Sanz, Orange

Three Seventy Common Kitchen + Drink opened last month in Laguna Beach, taking over the spot where the Sorrento Grille reigned for 23 years. Ryan Adams, a Laguna Niguel native and former Sorrento Grille executive chef, purchased the venue in 2011.

As chef-proprietor, he offers his inspired take on farm-to-table fare in the newly revamped restaurant, a space designed to be a gathering place for locally sourced updated American cuisine and camaraderie.

Adams gifts his guests with a bowl of savory Bacon Maple Popcorn. Smoky and bacon-y, this irresistible prelude to the meal has just a whisper of sweetness yielded from a judicious amount of pure maple syrup.

Feeling jolly with a game of toss and gobble.

Super-aromatic alderwood smoked sea salt, used in the popcorn, is a feast for nose and palate.

70 Common’s Bacon Maple Popcorn
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
1/3 cup bacon fat, or canola oil, or a combination of both
3/4 cup raw popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt, smoked alderwood sea salt preferred, see cooks’ notes
1/4 cup finely chopped crisp bacon, see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: Adams says that alderwood smoked sea salt that is uses is available at Bristol Farms markets. He prefers the nitrate-free bacon sold at Whole Foods markets.
1. Heat bacon fat (or canola oil, or a combination of bacon fat and canola oil) in large, deep pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. When fat is shimmering, add corn kernels; cover and shake to evenly distribute the kernels.
2. Once kernels begin to pop, gently shake covered pot and continue to cook until the popping decreases, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with maple syrup; toss. Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with smoked sea salt and bacon bits; toss and serve.
Source: Executive Chef/Owner Ryan Adams, Three Seventy Common Kitchen + Drink, 370 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach 949-494-8686

The bottom o’ the bowl.

So sad.

Think I’ll throw it on a mixed green salad!

There’s a longstanding debate when it comes to chicken: breasts or thighs, light or dark? We know that white meat has less fat and calories, but it also has less flavor pizzazz.

A hundred grams of skinless (roasted) chicken thigh, about 3 1/2 ounces, contains 209 calories and has 10.9 grams of fat. Compare that with the same amount of skinless (roasted) chicken breast at 165 calories and 3.57 grams of fat. In terms of saturated fat, that amount of thigh meat contains 2 grams more than the breast, 3 grams instead of 1 gram.

But nutritional profiles don’t tell the whole story. Chicken thighs are moister and offer a richer, more distinct taste.  Plus, when it comes to my food budget, it’s hard to ignore that thighs are a much bigger bargain than breasts.

Mmmm, Chicken Thighs and Quinoa with Figs, Spinach and Mint

I was pleasantly surprised when judging the California Regional Finals of the Second Annual Foster Farms Fresh Chicken Cooking Contest in San Diego. Out of the six competitors, the two winning finalists used chicken thighs rather than breasts.

Mmmm,  Asian Braised Chicken Thighs with Edamame Salad.

Their dark meat dishes qualified them to compete in the finals held in the Napa Valley and garnered each a $1000 prize. Jennifer Daskevich, Los Angeles, stayed in the competition with her Chicken and Quinoa with Figs, Spinach and Mint, as did Roxanne Chan, Albany, with her Asian Braised Chicken Thighs with Edamame Salad.

Crispy Orange Chicken with Fennel, Avocado and Orange Salad beat out the other five finalists’ dishes.

Cookbook author-teacher-PBS culinary star Jacques Pepin has a technique for cooking bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that really changed the way I cook that cut. He cooks them, skin-side-down in a dry skillet. The pan is covered after they start to sizzle and the little darlings cook in the rendered fat, turning a beautiful golden brown with super-crisp skin.

Pepin makes a little incision in the meat on either side of the thigh bone before cooking them, preventing the “pink next to the bone” problem. And the majority of the fat is removed from the pan before he prepares a simple fresh mushroom sauce to accompany the meat.

Jacques Pepin and the California finalists in the Foster Farms contest prefer chicken thighs over breasts. But when it came to the final competition, Rebecca Spence of Vancouver, WA, won the $10,000 grand prize (plus 1 year’s supply of chicken) showcasing chicken breasts.

So the question of which is better, breast or thigh? It depends on the dish, the cooking technique, and well, your palate’s preference.

Chicken and Quinoa with Figs, Spinach and Mint
Yield: 4 servings
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized chunks
6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided use
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
6 garlic cloves, divided use
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped, divided use
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 cup uncooked quinoa, see cook’s notes
2 large shallots, minced
1/2 cup dried mission figs, halved
2 cups water, divided use
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Cook’s notes: Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, looks like a grain, but is the fruit of a broadleaf plant, so it is a seed. It is completely gluten free. Look for it in the natural foods sections at supermarkets, generally packaged in small boxes.
1. In large plastic bag with zipper lock top, place chicken. Remove leaves from three sprigs of thyme and mince. In small bowl, whisk together 5 tablespoons olive oil, juice and zest from lemon, two minced garlic cloves, thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour mixture over chicken, turning to coat well. Set aside and marinate 30 minutes or up to one hour.
2. Place quinoa in sieve and rinse with cold water; drain thoroughly. In medium saucepan over medium heat, toast quinoa for two minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 3/4 cups water to quinoa; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove quinoa from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, while quinoa is cooking, warm remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet. Add shallot and remaining salt; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and stir for additional minute. Add figs, remaining 1/4 cup of water and remaining 3 stems of thyme. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and add to fig mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove sprigs of thyme.
4. Fluff quinoa with fork and transfer to skillet. Stir well to combine. Add spinach and remaining mint, stirring gently to incorporate all ingredients.
Nutrition information (per serving): 300 calories,45  percent of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 23 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 480 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Source: Jennifer Daskevich, Los Angeles, CA, finalists in the Second Annual Foster Farms Chicken Cooking Contest

Asian Braised Chicken Thighs with Edamame Salad
Yield: 4 servings
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup bottled green salsa
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon green curry paste
1 teaspoon sodium-reduced soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 cup shelled edamame (soy beans), cooked, see cook’s notes
2 cups watercress, chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup sliced red radishes
1/2 cup baby corn, chopped
1 tablespoon Asian (roasted) sesame oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Cook’s notes: Cooked edamame (soy beans) are sold frozen, or cooked-and-chilled in the produce section.
1. In blender, combine chicken broth, salsa, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, garlic, curry paste, soy sauce and ginger. Blend until smooth. Place mixture in medium size skillet; add chicken. Bring chicken to a low simmer over medium heat, cover and cook 35 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is tender and cooked throughout.
2. While chicken is cooking, prepare salad by combining in large bowl edamame, watercress, carrots, radishes, baby corn, sesame oil and vinegar. Stir to combine.
3. Place cooked chicken on serving platter; cover with pan sauce. Garnish with lime zest. Surround chicken with watercress and soy bean salad.
Nutrition information (per serving): 370 calories, 38 percent of calories from fat, 15g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 530 mg sodium, 4.4 g fiber
Source: Roxanne Chan, Albany, CA, finalist in the Second Annual Foster Farms Chicken Cooking Contest

Jacques Pepin’s Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce - SO GOOD
Yield: 4 servings
4 large chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds total, skin on
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
3 cups washed and diced white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green portion of green onion
1. Arrange chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, trim off any excess skin at the edges and cut about 1/2-inch deep into the flesh on either side of the thigh bone. (This will help the meat cook more quickly.) Sprinkle the thighs with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and arrange them skin side down in one layer in a nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place skillet over high heat and when thighs start sizzling reduce heat to medium, cover tightly and cook for 16 to 18 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken is browning properly. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150 degrees. If chicken seems to be cooking too fast after 10 minutes or so, reduce heat to low. The skin of the chicken should be very crisp and brown. Transfer the chicken skin side up to an ovenproof platter and place in oven.
3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet in which you cooked the chicken. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms; sauté over high heat for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on the mushrooms and then add the wine and any liquid that has accumulated around the thighs on the platter. Cook the sauce over high heat for about 1 minute to reduce liquid.
4. To serve, divide the sauce among 4 plates. Place thigh in the middle of mushroom sauce on each plate, spoon some sauce over and sprinkle on chives and serve.
Nutrition information (per serving): 330 calories,46  percent of calories from fat, 17 g fat, 4.1 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein,470 mg sodium, 2.0 g fiber
Source: Jacques Pepin, “Jacques Pepin More Fast Food My Way” (Houghton Mifflin, $32)

Crispy Orange Chicken with Fennel, Avocado and Orange Salad
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
1 to 1 1/2 pounds thin-sliced chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar (may substitute white wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons sugar
Zest from 2 large navel oranges (reserve one orange)
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided use
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed
1 large avocado
1 fresh serrano chili
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup peanut oil
Cook’s notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies; upon completion wash hands and work surface thoroughly and do NOT touch face or eyes.
1. In large bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside.
2. Cut peel and white pith away from reserved zested orange; cut orange into small cubes. 3. Chop fennel bulb into small cubes. Peel avocado, remove pit and chop into small cubes. Cut chili in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds and finely mince. Place orange pieces, fennel, avocado and chile in bowl containing dressing; toss gently and refrigerate while preparing chicken.
3.Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour in shallow bowl; combine with remaining salt and pepper. In second shallow bowl, beat eggs well with fork. Place panko breadcrumbs in third shallow bowl; stir in zest from one orange.
4. In large skillet over medium high heat, warm peanut oil. Dredge each chicken fillet in flour mixture, then dip in eggs and coat with panko-orange mixture. Place coated chicken in hot oil and sauté, turning, about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Remove chicken with tongs and place on bakers rack over a rimmed baking sheet in oven to keep warm.
5. To serve, place salad on plates. Top each salad with one or two chicken fillets.
Nutrition information (per serving): 360 calories, 38 percent of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 3.1 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 10.1g carbohydrates, 45 g protein, 591 mg sodium, 2.3g fiber
Source: Rebecca Spence, Vancouver, WA, winner of the Second Annual Foster Farms Fresh Chicken Cooking Contest

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Butterscotch Budino with Caramel Sauce and Maldon Sea Salt … I could hardly wait.

My mid-morning arrival was greeted with the cacophony of cooking. Entering Pizzeria Mozza in Newport Beach through the rear kitchen door, the preopening clatter of pots and knife-work blended with well-chosen words from busy workers.

Freshly ground pork sausage formed an aromatic rope as it erupted from the grinder.

Redolent with toasted fennel seed, the coarse-ground bulk sausage would be a key ingredient atop two of eatery’s most popular pizzas. The one pictured here has knobs of the sausage atop lightly whipped cream (panna).  Soooooo good.

I would have gladly spent the day in the kitchen, but my mission was to talk with Nancy Silverton about her new book, “The Mozza Cookbook” (Knopf, $35). Silverton, Mozza’s co-owner-chef and the founder of La Brea Bakery, opened Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza four years ago in Los Angeles. Fellow celebrity chef Mario Batali and famed restaurateur Joe Bastianich are also owners.

The much-ballyhooed opening of the Pizzeria a few weeks ago in Newport Beach, made the restaurant’s phone ring off the hook with diners jockeying for reservations.

But here, the heart of the matter wasn’t how scrumptious everything is at the Pizzeria. The point was how meticulously Silverton translated her restaurant recipes into formulas that work successfully in home kitchens.

Her hard work and talent color every page of the book, teaming her fine-tuned palate and deep understanding of Italian cuisine, with consistent nurturing and problem solving.

Her recipe for pizza crust is one example. Even for a master bread-maker, someone that understands every tiny nuance, it’s no easy feat to create a dough recipe that when baked in a home oven rather than an extremely hot wood burning restaurant oven, results in a signature crust. She explained that she and baker Jon Davis worked relentlessly to create a formula that is different from the one used at the restaurants, but results in a crust that is equally delicious. She said that the ingredients are the same, but the process is different.

“I like a crisp crust with a structure that is open inside, filled with air, and puffy,” Silverton explained.

“I didn’t set out to replicate Neapolitan pizza or Chicago deep-dish pizza, or New York-style pizza. The crust suits my taste. My preferences.”

I think home bread-makers will earmark the pizza chapter of the book; pages 121 through 153 will be stained with ingredients and notes will fill the margins. But that leaves 300 pages left to recipes for everything from antipasti to pasta, entrees to desserts. Irresistible Mozza dishes for everyone, not just baking enthusiasts.

I asked her which recipe she would recommend for the novice cook. Without hesitation she said Mozza Caprese, her version of a Caprese Salad, a dish that insures full flavors even when tomatoes aren’t in season.

She uses small, on-the-vine tomatoes and slow roasts the colorful orbs with extra-virgin olive oil. Their skins shrivel but the tomatoes remain plump. Once cooled, the room-temp, stem-on tomatoes sit atop a generous mound of rich fresh burrata cheese that is graced with course salt and a smidgen of basil pesto. Microgreens add crunch and color.

To my mind, a side of Fett’Unta, is a must-have with the salad. This sop-it-up treat of thickly sliced rustic bread, is slathered with olive oil and deeply toasted either on grill pan, outdoor grill or a heavy-bottomed skillet. Piping hot with a crunchy exterior, the browned surface is rubbed with garlic and brushed with a little more olive oil, plus a sprinkle of finishing salt.

Thumbing through the mouth-watering photos of appetizers, I asked her about how she entertains in her Los Angeles home.

“I love to entertain casually,” she said, adding that her Hancock Park home has an old-school kitchen, not a professional showplace. “I love room temperature food; I don’t have to worry about the food getting cold. And I like to let guests eat at their own pace. Most often it’s in the backyard. I had a fireplace built that I can cook or grill in. And there’s a long table that will seat twelve, and often I put a big bowl of fresh fruit in the center.”

Here’s a shot of the busy lunch-time crowd at the pizzeria.

When it comes to dessert, fresh seasonal fruit can be delicious, but it will never put Silverton’s Butterscotch Budino out of business.

The budino, a creamy, caramel-colored pudding, is served topped with caramel sauce, plus a little crème fraiche-spiked whipped cream and crunchy Maldon sea salt. Petite Rosemary Pine Nut cookies are served on the side. Words fall short when it comes to describing how scrumptious this dish is.

“Don’t be afraid to get that sugar dark,” she advised readers making the pudding-like budini. “Use a heavy bottomed pan and remember, if the smoke alarm in your house doesn’t go off while you are cooking the sugar, you’re not there yet.”

Can’t you picture the joy on the firefighter’s faces, greeted by sweet-salty butterscotch instead of flames?

Register photographer Ana Venegas and I powered through the pizza with panna and fennel sausage, plus the Mozza Caprese. Delicioso.

Mozza Caprese
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 pounds fresh burrata cheese
Maldon sea salt or another flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Basil Pesto, see cook’s notes
30 to 40 slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, recipe included
High quality extra-virgin olive oil
Garnish: 30 to 40 fresh micro or miniature basil leaves or 6 large fresh basil leaves
Cook’s notes: To make pesto: In a food processor combine 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, 2 peeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves; pulse until finely chopped. Add 2 more cups of basil leaves, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Process just until pureed, adding more oil if necessary; be careful not to over-process. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
1. Cut burrata into six equal segments and place each, cut side up on a salad plate. Season with sea salt and spoon 1 teaspoon pesto over each portion of cheese.
2. Use scissors to cut tomatoes into clusters of one, two or three tomatoes. Carefully lift the tomatoes by the stems and gently rest atop each serving of cheese. (The size of the tomatoes determines how many to use, if they are small use 3 to 5, if smaller use 5 to 7.) Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of high quality olive oil over each salad (see finishing oil in cook’s notes in Slow-Roasted Tomato recipe), scatter micogreens or small basil leaves (or large basil leaves snipped with scissors).
Nutrition information (per serving): 290 calories, 55 percent of calories from fat, 14 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein, 630 mg sodium, 1.1 g fiber
Source: “The Mozza Cookbook” by Nancy Silverston with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno (Knopf, $35)

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Yield: about 36 tomatoes
2 (9 ounces each) packages Sunsweet tomatoes on stems, or 1 pound sweet small tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Gently lift tomatoes out of boxes, taking care to keep tomatoes attached to stems as much as possible and place on rack. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven until skins are shriveled but tomatoes are still plump, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove tomatoes from oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Use tomatoes, or cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to one day or refrigerate up to three days. Bring tomatoes to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition information (per serving): 50 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 1.1 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 30 mg sodium, 0.9 g fiber
Source: “The Mozza Cookbook” by Nancy Silverston with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno (Knopf, $35)

Fett’Unta
Yield: 4 servings
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) slices from a large loaf of crusty white bread, such as La Brea Bakery’s white table bread
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing bread
1 garlic clove
3/4 cup finishing-quality extra-virgin olive oil, see cook’s notes
Maldon sea salt or another flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel
Cook’s notes: Finishing extra-virgin olive oil as Silverton describes it is a very-high quality oil for last-minute drizzling. “The finishing oil we use is an Umbrian oil, Monini DOP,” she wrote in the book.
1. Prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill, or preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat or a sandwich press.
2. Brush bread slices liberally on both sides with olive oil. Place the bread on the grill and cook it until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the bread from the heat and rub the garlic clove over one side of each piece. Pour 3 tablespoons of finishing oil over the same side of each toast and season with oiled sides generously with sea salt. Cut the bread on an angle into halves or thirds and serve.
Nutrition information (per serving): 180 calories, 38 percent of calories from fat, 7.6 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 26 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 390 mg sodium, 0.8 g fiber
Source: “The Mozza Cookbook” by Nancy Silverston with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno (Knopf, $35)

Butterscotch Budino with Caramel Sauce and Maldon Sea Salt
Yield: 12 servings
For the budino:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 extra-large egg
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Scotch whiskey
For serving:
3/4 cup Caramel Sauce, recipe included
Maldon sea salt, or another flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel
Whipped cream, see cook’s notes
Cook’s notes: For the whipped cream, Silverton beats 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon crème fraiche or sour cream with 1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream. She whisks the two ingredients together just until they thicken to soft peaks.
1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer in the smaller bowl.
2. To make the budino, stir cream and milk together in medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, egg and cornstarch together. Combine brown sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Cook the sugar, without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the sugar is smoking, nutty smelling and a very dark caramel color, 10 to 12 minutes. (Don’t me alarmed: the sugar will become foamy and lava-like with slow-bursting bubbles.) Reduce heat to low and immediately add the cream-milk mixture in a thin, steady stream, stirring with a whisk as you add it. This stops the cooking process and prevents the sugar from burning. This will cause the sugar to seize, or harden. Increase the heat to high and cook until the seized sugar has dissolved and the mixture is liquid again, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Ladle out 1 cup of hot cream and sugar mixture and gradually add it to the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the cream mixture from cooking the eggs. Continue adding the cream to the eggs until you have added half of the cream. Gradually add the contents of the bowl to the saucepan with the remaining caramel, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook the custard over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the butter and whiskey.
3. Pour custard through strainer into bowl set in the ice and ladle it into 12 heat-resistant 8-ounce glasses or 7-ounce ramekins, leaving 1 inch space at the top of each budino. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours to chill. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, cover each with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator until ready to serve. They can be prepared to this point 3 days in advance of serving.
4. To serve, if the caramel sauce has cooled, warm it over medium heat until it returns to a loose saucelike consistency and is barely warm but not hot. Remove budini from refrigerator and spoon 1 tablespoon sauce on each budino. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and top each with a big dollop (about 2 tablespoons) of whipped cream.
Nutrition information (per serving): 271 calories, 63 percent of calories from fat, 18.9 g fat, 7.6g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 15.1 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 476 mg sodium, 0.3 g fiber
Source: “The Mozza Cookbook” by Nancy Silverston with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno (Knopf, $35)

Caramel Sauce
Yield: about 2 cups, more than needed, but difficult to make in smaller portions
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 whole vanilla bean
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup

1. Pour cream into a medium saucepan. Using a small, sharp knife, split vanilla bean lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds and add all the scrapings and the pod to the saucepan with the cream. Heat over high heat until it just begins to boil. Off heat, add butter, stirring until it melts.

2. Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat; cook without stirring, swirling pan for even cooking and brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush to remove the sugar crystals until the sugar becomes a medium amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove vanilla pod from the cream mixture and discard pod. Gradually add the cream mixture to the caramel, whisking constantly to thoroughly combine, taking care as the mixture will steam and bubble. Serve the caramel sauce or set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one month. Before serving, warm the sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to melt it.

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Use an electric pressure cooker …  find quick culinary happiness. Risotto cooks in 7 minutes. No stirring. Interested?

When Amar Santana tells me that I need to buy an electric pressure cooker, I buy one. The chef-owner of the newly opened Broadway by Amar Santana restaurant in Laguna Beach (and former executive chef at Charlie Palmer at South Coast Plaza), promised me scrumptious risotto in seven minutes.

I drove to Costco.

There among the skillet sets and ice cream machines, a big stack of boxed pressure cookers formed a kind of appliance pyramid. Six-quart beauties made by Cuisinart. One was mine for $69.99.

And according to the words on the package, this not-much-bigger-than-my-slow-cooker gizmo could cook up to 70 percent faster than traditional stove-top methods. And in addition to variable pressure settings, lid off, it simmers or browns or sautés.

But as I unboxed it, I couldn’t help remembering by other experience long ago in my tiny apartment in Lincoln Heights. Over 30 years ago, I blew up dinner using a cheap stovetop pressure cooker. I can still remember the eerie sound; rock, rock, rock, sssscccccchhhh, kaboom.

I’d like to think that I’m savvier now, besides, the directions in the instruction-recipe booklet seemed easy. Besides, would Amar lie to me?

After reading, I started on page 23 with the Green Chicken Chili. Raw (un-soaked) pinto beans, chicken and well, the whole caboodle, took less than one hour. I, of course, took some liberties with the recipe, garnishing the soupy concoction with baked strips of corn tortillas, shredded Jack cheese and some chunks of avocado. It was delicious.

Then …

Next, a classic beef stew. Of course, the formula started with browning big chunks of chuck roast. I set the heat to brown and was concerned that the oil seems to collect in the sides of the pot. But the meat browned nicely in spite of it. Again, the time spent from start to finish was less than an hour and the results were very good. The beef pressured cooked with a mirepoix (finely chopped onion, carrot, celery) which gave the sauce a pleasing taste and aroma. Take note: my sous, husband Phil, checked the wine. OK, he said.

Only whole baby carrots and peas were added for the final cooking. Me? I’d add a parsnip or two. Or some baby turnips. Maybe some peeled celery root cut the size of baby carrots.

To sop up the juices, I served the stew over wide egg noodles.

The two dishes were a nice start, but I wanted expert advice, so I loaded my electric whiz-bang cooker in my car and headed for Broadway by Amar Santana.

Loading Arborio rice and hen of the woods mushrooms into the machine, Santana explained that he realized the value of a pressure cooker when cooking at the Pigs & Pinot culinary fundraiser in the Sonoma Valley.

“I was cooking with (Chef) Marc Forgione and we had to create two pork dishes in less than two hours,” he said, punctuating the sentence with one of his signature belly laughs. “We did pig ears and pig cheeks. We had a pressure cooker, so they were braised in 30 minutes. Tender, so tender; we breaded and deep fried them.”

I took a seat at one of the six cushy chairs at the restaurant’s chef counter, perches blessed with a close-up view of the kitchen. I watched as he secured the pressure cooker’s lid and pushed the “high pressure” setting and the timer for 7 minutes.

It took 5 minutes for enough pressure to build up for the timer to start the countdown, so it took a whooping 12 minutes for the risotto to be ready. He stirred in mascarpone, butter, grated Gruyere cheese and minced green onion stalks.

“People have issues with cooking risotto at home, they just don’t want to stir, and stir, and stir,” he said, spooning the creamy mixture into bowls.

Perfect, the risotto was perfect; a smidgen of chew at the very heart of each kernel, the rest alluringly creamy and filled with flavor. Earthy rich, accomplished without continuous stirring.

For his hummus, he says that he pressure-cooks dried, soaked garbanzo beans about 35 minutes. Beets pressure cook in 6 minutes.

OK, I know you may want one. A couple of things, my friends. First, read the instruction booklet. It’s really not complicated. Second, don’t place the pressure cooker under your kitchen cabinets; when you release the steam, it’ll wreak havoc with the finish. And third, when you release the steam using the “quick pressure release,” do it gradually; there is a little protrusion on the side of the valve – hook that little protrusion with tongs or the end of a spoon or knife – and gently lift. Don’t even think about using your hands.

Broadway by Amar Santana restaurant is at 328 Glenneyre Street, Laguna Beach. 949-715-8234

Classic Beef Stew a la Electric Pressure Cooker
Yield: 8 to 10 cups, about 8 servings
3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more if needed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium-size garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup beef broth
2 cups peeled baby carrots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
For serving: 12 ounces egg noodles, cooked al dente, drained
1. Pat meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place oil in Cuisinart electric pressure cooker. Select browning setting. When oil is hot brown meat in several batches (do not crowd meat) and set aside (you may need to add a little bit more oil), placing meat on plate after it is brown. Select sauté setting. Stir in onion; stir to scrape up and browned bits and cook 2 minutes. Add chopped carrot and celery; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
2. Stir in wine, again scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on bottom of pot. Cook until red wine reduces in volume by half. Stir in tomato paste. Add reserved beef and any accumulated juices, bay leaf and broth. Cover and select high pressure. Set the cooker’s timer for 10 minutes. When audible beep sounds use Quick Pressure Release to release pressure. When float valve drops, remove lid carefully, tilting it away from you to allow steam to disperse. Add baby carrots to pot; cover and select high pressure. Set cooker’s timer for 6 minutes. When audible beep sounds use Natural Pressure Release to release pressure. When float value drops remove lid carefully, tilting it away from you to allow steam to disperse.
3. To thicken stew, strain the solids from the stew liquid, reserving both (I used a fat separator to remove fat – it’s a pitcher-like device with a spout close to the bottom to drain off lean liquid and leave the fat behind). Discard bay leaf. In a small bowl blend softened butter and flour to make a paste. Return liquid to cooker and bring to boil by selecting browning setting. When boiling, whisk in butter-flour paste. Select simmer. Once liquid thickens slightly, add meat mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. When hot, add peas and cook just long enough for peas to heat up, about 1 minute.
4. Place noodles in shallow bowls and top with stew. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve.
Nutrition information (per 1 cup serving without noodles): 220 calories, 49 percent of calories from fat, 12.4 g fat, 3.2 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 15.7g carbohydrates, 11.5 g protein, 500 mg sodium, 3.1 g fiber
Source: adapted from Cuisinart Recipe Booklet that accompanies the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker

Green Chicken Chili
Yield: about 10 cups or 8 servings
1 cup dried pinto beans
5 cups water
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 medium-size red bell peppers, cored, seeded, diced
2 large jalapeno chilies, seeded, minced
4 medium-sized garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (7 ounces each) cans chopped mild green chilies, undrained
1 chipotle chili, see cook’s notes
3 pounds bone-in chicken (breasts and thighs), skin removed
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Optional garnish: grated Jack cheese, thin strips of toasted corn tortillas, small chunks of ripe avocado
Cook’s notes: Chipotle chilies are sold in small cans in Hispanic markets and many supermarkets. They are packed in a tomato-based sauce called adobo. Remove the chili from the can (still covered with sauce) and chop it before adding to the soup. Leftover chilies and sauce can be placed in an airtight container and frozen. OR, buy Chipotle Toppers by Clemente Jacques at Hispanic markets; it is a squeeze bottle filled with pureed chipotles in adobo sauce. I prefer to use this prepared produce because it saves a lot of time. Use about 1 1/4 tablespoons of that sauce. Use caution when working with fresh chilies; wash work surface thoroughly and do NOT touch eyes or face.
1. Place dried pinto beans and water in electric pressure cooker. Select high pressure. Set pressure cooker’s timer for 15 minutes. When audible beep sounds use Natural Pressure Release to release pressure. When float valve drops, remove lid carefully, tilting away from you to allow steam to disperse. Test beans; if they aren’t tender, select simmer and simmer until just barely tender. Remember beans will be heated again in the chili. (I needed to simmer the beans 6 more additional minutes.)
2. Drain beans and set aside. Wash and dry the cooking pot.
3. Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter and oil in cooking pot. Select sauté setting. Once butter and oil are hot, stir in onion; cook 2 minutes. Stir in carrot; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bell pepper and jalapeno; cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until all vegetables are softened. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in canned green chilies and chipotle.
4. Add chicken, broth and salt. Secure lid and select high pressure. Set cooker’s timer for 7 minutes. When audible beep sounds let it sit for 5 minutes. Use Natural Pressure Release to release pressure. When float value drops remove lid carefully, tilting it away from you to allow steam to disperse. Using a large slotted spoon remove the chicken and place it on a plate. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bones and chop or shred it. Discard bones and return chicken to pot.
5. In a small bowl stir butter and flour together to make a paste. Select browning setting. When mixture comes to a boil, whisk in butter-flour mixture. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish as desired. (I like cheese, thin strips of toasted corn tortillas and avocado chunks.)
Nutrition information (per 1 cup serving): 218 calories, 30 percent of calories from fat, 7.5 g fat, 2.8 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 15g protein, 900 mg sodium, 2.6 g fiber
Source: adapted from Cuisinart Recipe Booklet that accompanies the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker

Amar Santana’s Wild Mushroom Risotto
Yield: 4 side dish servings or 2 larger first course servings
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, minced
3/4 cup loosely packed wild mushrooms (halved or quartered), see cook’s notes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons mascarpone
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons minced green onion stalks (dark green part only)
Cook’s notes: Santana uses mushrooms called hen of the woods mushrooms, but says that other mushroom varieties will be delicious too.
1. Place rice, broth, wine, shallot and mushrooms in electric pressure cooker; stir to combine. Secure lid. Select high pressure setting. Set cooker’s timer to 7 minutes. When audible beep sounds use Natural Pressure Release to release pressure. When float value drops remove lid carefully, tilting it away from you to allow steam to disperse.
2. Stir in mascarpone, butter, Gruyere and minced green onion stalks. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve.
Nutrition information (per side dish serving):  203 calories, 38 percent of calories from fat, 8.5 g fat, 3.1 g saturated fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 6.5g protein, 475mg sodium, 1.9 g fiber

Bill Bracken, Executive Chef at Island Hotel, Newport Beach, is known for the luxurious flourishes he adds to dishes.

Delicacies served at Palm Terrace such as macaroni and cheese augmented with black truffles (scroll down to see it, and some luscious s’mores). Or his ahi tartar, garnished with tobiko (flying fish roe that is mildly smoky), aioli, marinated Maui onions and micro shiso.

When cooking at home for his family, he often cooks chicken thighs. He says that the thighs cook quickly, and are full of flavor. Much more interesting, he says, than chicken breasts. And the video tells it all …

In this recipe, Bracken pan-roasts the thighs on top of the stove and supplements the dish with loads of fresh vegetables. And the addition of capers and fresh lemon juice adds a just-right spark. Delicious.

Roasted fingerlings potatoes and fresh pea sprouts are some favorites in the mix.

Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Vegetables, Lemon and Capers

Yield: 2 (2-thigh) servings, or 4 (1-thigh) servings
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Kernels from 1 fresh ear of corn
8 roasted fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup shelled, peeled fava beans or shelled edamame
20 fresh green beans, cut or torn into 1/2-inch pieces, blanched tender-crisp, drained
Optional: 1 ounce pea tendrils, see cook’s notes
15 small cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100’s
1 large shallot, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or tarragon
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon whipping cream
Optional: 1 teaspoon butter
Cook’s notes: Pea tendrils make a lovely addition, but they generally aren’t available at supermarkets. They are often available at Asian markets with large produce sections and home gardeners who grow sugar snap peas have them in large supply. If you can’t find them, omit them. The dish will still be delectable.
1. Season chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground pepper; dust lightly with flour. Heat oil in medium-sized deep skillet on medium heat; add chicken skin-side down in single layer. Cook until golden brown on each side. If thighs aren’t overly large, you will be able to cook them thoroughly on the stovetop. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover; cook until no pink color remains next to the bone. Or if the thighs are really large, use an ovenproof skillet, and once the thighs are nicely browned put the skillet into a 375 degree oven and roast until thoroughly cooked.
2. While the chicken is cooking, heat butter in a second medium-sized deep skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes and corn to melted butter; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until potatoes are a little crispy. Add in the fava beans or edamame, green beans and pea tendrils and continue to cook, tossing often. When the pea tendrils are wilted and the beans are hot add in the tomatoes and toss quickly. Seasons with salt and fresh ground pepper and remove from the heat. Divide in the center of plates and when the chicken is done, place chicken on top.
3. Using the same pan that the chicken was cooked in, drain off all but 1 teaspoon oil and quickly sauté the shallots on medium-high heat until softened. Add lemon juice and scrape up any brown bits that are sticking to the pan (these will give flavor to the sauce). Add capers, herbs and chicken broth; cook on high to reduce by half in volume. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, swirl in butter off heat by shaking skillet handle. Spoon over chicken and serve.

Doesn’t chef look angelic with the light from above?

The Island Hotel team scored big at a recent “Small Bites for Big Causes” charity fundraiser at The Center Club, Costa Mesa. Here Executive Chef Bracken prepares his irresistible mac n’ cheese with truffles (a real crowd pleaser), and Executive Pastry Chef Michael Owens dishes up his dessert S’mores Tacos (graham cracker crust, creamy chocolate ganache and freshly-made torched-to-perfection marshmallow. Owens’ dessert took first place in the competition.

Hungry?