44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Meet the Winners!

...that would be MY choice of winners! Attending the Pillsbury Bake-Off and watching the competitors was a lot of fun, though I'm sorry I didn't get to try more of their dishes. But just talking to them made me want each and every one to win. All 100 finalists made it past thousands of others so their accomplishment is really something special.

Here are four contestants that didn't make it to the final four, so I'm going ahead and awarding them in categories of my own design:

Most Resembles their Dish

Bridget Uhrich of Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Jumbo Burger Cups
Only two weeks away from giving birth, ready to pop Bridget bears more than a slight resemblance to her hamburger stuffed biscuit dough buns. Her inspiration was the hamburger pie recipe in a children's cookbook that she used to make for her brothers. She made it once for dinner and submitted the recipe the next day. Prohibited by her doctor from flying, she drove all the way from Pennsylvania to compete.

Most Sophisticated use of Ingredients
Nadine Clark of Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Fig & Blue Cheese Appetizer Tarts
Nadine says she is inspired at the supermarket by what is fresh. She loves Maytag blue cheese and when she saw a display with fresh figs she knew she had a hit. She used Crescent rolls as a base and when the first version with a honey drizzle was too sweet, she used orange marmalade and balsamic vinegar instead. I though the pastry base was a bit too soft but I loved her flavor combination.

Most Exotic Ingredients used
Patrick Monahan of Washington, DC
Persian Date-Filled Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Patrick lives in Washington, DC near lots of Middle Eastern and Persian restaurants. The Persian flavors inspired him to make a cinnamon roll muffin with dates, honey, cardamom, walnuts, and lemon. He told me he spent just about every Saturday last Winter working on the recipe. Some batches were served to his neighbors "guinea pigs" but he admitted some batches of muffins never made it out of the kitchen.

Most Likely to Be Invited back to a Party

Catherine Heers of Simpsonville, South Carolina
Mediterranean Three-Tomato Tart Catherine told me that health and nutrition inspired her, especially the power of lycopene. When I asked her why she included three tomatoes she said, if one tomato is good, three are better! An easy recipe using premade pie crust, she combines sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes and grape tomatoes. She wanted to avoid using tomato sauce, and said that this is a great recipe when tomatoes are in season, but even when they're not, because they are baked it tastes fabulous. A classic combination of tomatoes, fresh basil, thyme and oregano, kalamata olives, feta and slices of soppressata, it was elegant and beautiful. This is the recipe I am mostly like to try myself.

Today the official winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off will be announced on the Oprah show. I tried all four of the finalist dishes and none of them really knocked my socks off. Here are my thoughts:


The Zesty Lime-Fish Tacos had so much lime and chipotle that I couldn't taste the bland and mushy fish, which is just as well since I can't stand Tilapia! Also biscuit mix and cornmeal does not a taco make.


The Salmon Pecan-Crusted Tartlets were ok, considering they were made with canned salmon, but not worth the calories in my opinion. I don't think they have much consumer appeal. They look like something out of Good Housekeeping circa 1954.


The Tomato-Basil Eggs Alfredo in Bread Baskets were too salty for my taste. They were a bit cold by the time I got to try them.


The hand's down winner as far as I'm concerned was the Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups. It tasted great and was awfully cute.

I had a ball with all the bloggers at the Bake-Off! See what they thought and their opinions on the contest and finalists:

No Recipes (blog)

NYCityMama

Chef Druck

Food Mayhem

Kitchen Scoop

Carrots and Cake

Steamy Kitchen

Official Pillsbury Bake Off blog

Food Gal (one of the judges)

New Haven Register

Ataulfo Mango Salsa Recipe

I'm participating in something of a mango taste test. First I indulged in Kent mangoes, which are plump, sweet and buttery with lovely tropical notes. This week it's all about the ataulfo. You have probably seen these smallish mangoes with their s-curve and pale orange skin. They have the smallest thinnest pit and virtually no fibrous threads. While their small size makes them perfect for snacking--no half a mango to store in the fridge--the flavor is a bit citrusy I'd say and has a nice bit of acid that makes me think of savory rather than strictly sweet possibilities.

Pairing mango with citrus is one of the tricks I learned from my travels in Mexico where street vendors sell chunks of jicama and mango dipped in lime and and showered in chili powder. To recreate that taste sensation I made a salsa with ataulfo mangoes, a splash of lime juice and pasilla chile powder as well as a crunchy bit of jalapeno and cilantro. The flavor brings me right back to Chapultepec Park in Mexico City!

This super easy salsa is good with chips, but I used it on duck tacos. I marinated a duck breast in balsamic vinegar then scored the skin and seared it in a hot pan and finished if off in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Initially slices of duck were used in a salad, but I had some leftover and thought mango salsa would take the duck in a completely different direction. And it did.

Mango Salsa


Ingredients

2 Ataulfo mangoes
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
Juice of one lime
1 Tablespoon pasilla chile powder
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Slice the mangoes and dice, (how to cut a mango). Combine the mango, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, pasilla chile powder and salt in a small bowl and stir gently to combine. Allow salsa to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Gastronomica turns 10

Gastronomica is where food meets culture and the arts. It is not a cooking magazine and it might not even make you hungry, but it will certainly feed your brain and your senses. It's deep and provocative, not something mindless to skim through in a waiting room. It's an expensive journal at $13 an issue, but the production values are high and each edition is something you'll most likely keep.


Last week there was a program celebrating the 10th anniversary of Gastronomica, featuring introductory remarks from founder and editor-in-chief Darra Goldstein and a conversation between Harold McGee, celebrated author and contributing editor at Gastronomica and University of California Press' Senior Sponsoring Editor, Blake Edgar. Here are some highlights:

• In the past people who worked in food science weren't necessarily food lovers. That seems to be changing. As a result, food science today is looking more at taste as opposed to just issues of safety.

• He shared details of the International Workshops on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy that took place in in Italy in the 1990's. He was disappointed more chefs, especially non-French chefs were not invited to attend and participate.

• As someone revered by the molecular gastronomy community, it was interesting to hear him say that he "experienced some of the worst dishes of my life in those (molecular gastronomy) restaurants."

• The reason why he doesn't take a public stand on political issues like GMO's is that he doesn't feel comfortable in that role and that the issues are very complicated or as he put it, "there's a lot more to the story."

• He also shared details about visiting Nathan Myrhvold's world class lab/kitchen and his role as a reviewer in an upcoming series of books that Myrhvold is working on.

• His next book comes out in October, The Keys to Good Cooking, and it will help answer the questions home cooks have about the practical side of kitchen science.


Everyone who attended the event got a copy of the Winter 2010 edition of Gastronomica. It has a fascinating piece on how cherries were marketed using teen idols and music videos in Taiwan, a discussion on food porn, a look at the phenomenon of "no great women chefs" an investigation of chocolate and terroir, historical essays on food in art and art in food, a moving personal memoir about the food proclivities of one man's mother, a poem, photographs of Portuguese pastries, and so much more. In fact it even comes bundled with a little booklet of photography artfully arranged.


If you are more of a book sort of person, then you should really check out The Gastronomica Reader a compendium of over 40 essays, poems, art, memoirs and everything that makes the journal so compelling. It's the only resource on food that I can think of that is at times sexy, shocking, smart, disturbing and beautiful. It's a handsome coffee table book and timeless in a way that food magazines rarely ever are. Buy it and savor it for years to come.

Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Pepper Recipe

I've been cooking more vegetarian and even vegan recipes lately. One reason is the Meatless Monday effort sponsored by the John Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Health. The idea is to help reduce meat consumption by 15% in order to improve both the health of individuals and the health of the planet. But it also has a lot to do with challenging myself to try new things.

When it comes to cooking, I love a good challenge. Cooking with less meat or none at all inspires me. I do better with fewer ingredients than more ingredients. In a way, it forces you to be creative and think outside the box. Or in this case, the refrigerator. You know the saying, necessity is the mother of invention? It always reminds me of my experiences as a babysitter back when I was a teenager. At some point while babysitting either I, or the kids I was watching would get hungry. It was sometimes a challenge for me to come up with something tasty to eat based on whatever I could find in an unfamiliar kitchen.

Stuffed peppers are an acquired taste. I like them, but my dad doesn't. I know this because when I was growing up we only ate them when he was out of town. If you like the earthy flavor of roasted peppers and quinoa, you will like this dish. It combines a number of vegetables with quinoa and nuts to give you lots of flavors and textures in each bite. The filling is basically a quinoa pilaf, so feel free to swap out the chard for another leafy green or change up the nuts. I used Roland red quinoa but I didn't think that it tasted much different from white quinoa. Originally I thought I would top it with cheese but upon tasting it, I didn't feel like it needed it. I also think you could make this without the sauce if you prefer. You know the drill, make this recipe yours.


Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Makes 4 servings as a side dish, or 2 entree serving

Ingredients

2 poblano peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
1 cup water
1/2 cup white or red quinoa
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 cups swiss chard leaves, shredded
1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, crushed and liquid

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine water and quinoa in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic, stirring frequently for 8 minutes or onion is tender. Stir in chard and let it wilt. Add cooked quinoa, pistachios and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into peppers. Add the tomatoes and their liquid to a baking pan large enough to hold the peppers. Tuck the stuffed peppers into the sauce and bake for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Enjoy!

Introducing the Wines of Portugal

A few weeks ago I attended an informal Portuguese wine tasting with Jardiniere Wine Director, the utterly charming, Eugenio Jardim. It was very gratifying for me on a number of levels. A few years ago, during the process of writing WinePassport: Portugal I got very excited about Portuguese wines. My enthusiasm has not waned. I am happy whenever I meet those who also enjoy sharing the pleasures of Portuguese wines, of which there are many.

Jardim had just returned from Portugal where he tried lots of wine and even wrote about regions of the country. We started out with one of my favorites, a Luis Pato sparkling wine from Bairrada and then proceeded with several wines I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed greatly. Then a week or so ago I went to a wine tasting of Portuguese wines that lacked distributors on the West Coast. The mood was giddy as wine writers, retailers and sommeliers discovered unique and captivating wines at often bargain prices. While red table wines from the Douro valley are becoming more common, there is much more to discover.

Next week Vini Portugal will host it's annual wine tasting event in San Francisco on April 5th, 2010, and Evan Goldstein will be giving master classes. I can't wait! If you are interested in Portuguese wines, this is THE event to attend.

While I suggest you also purchase a copy of WinePassport: Portugal, here are tips from Jardim for enjoying Portuguese wines and my comments as well:

1. Portugal is where you will find tremendous value when it comes to wine. Try something new, you don't have much to lose.

2. Don't get hung up on the varietals. As Jardim pointed out, they can be hard to pronounce and many wines are blends. When starting out, look to regions and styles instead.

3. Portugal is the last frontier. This is ironic, because Portugal has been making wine for a very, very long time. Grapes were brought to Portugal by the Phoenicians in 600 BC and Portugal has been exporting wine since the 14th century.

4. The native varieties are wonderful. Some may be similar to varietals in Spain, but others are completely unique and more often than not, food friendly.

Stonehouse 27 Indian Sauces

I'm not big on convenience foods in general, but I like the idea of an Indian "simmer sauce" to create a quick meal at home with whatever meat, seafood, tofu or vegetables I happen to have on hand. Unfortunately I never found a brand of Indian sauces that really delivered. The flavors were not great or they were too oily. Well, problem solved. Stonehouse 27 makes a line of Indian sauces that are very high quality with no artificial ingredients or preservatives. They even use agave syrup in place of the more common corn syrup and are gluten-free and vegetarian (and mostly vegan).

The sauces are not necessarily what you might find at a typical Indian restaurant. They are inspired by the Portuguese and Anglo-Indian heritage of the company’s founder, Sharon Fernandes. I was given samples around the time of the Fancy Food Show earlier this year and recently had the chance to try the Tamarind and Garlic, Cilantro and Coconut and the Cashews and Cream sauces with various fresh ingredients. I was really struck by the bright freshness of the flavors. The tamarind was nice and tangy, the cashew and coconut was creamy and rich. They are very flexible and easy to use. If you use meat and vegetables they make a very tasty one dish meal. Frankly they are better than the Indian food I can get delivered.

They are a bit more expensive than other sauces I've seen at about $8 for a jar, but for the quality and convenience I think they are well worth the money. Half a jar and half a pound of shrimp or chicken plus some vegetables made enough for at least three servings.I do think you need a bit of cooking sense to use them. The time necessary for simmering depends on the size you have cut your meat or vegetables. And I like that they are unsalted so I can season to taste. But even when I am bleary-eyed making a satisfying meal with these sauces is a breeze and a nice change of pace from jars of spaghetti sauce. Keep your eyes open for them stores near you or purchase online.

All about Savoy Cabbage

Savoy cabbage is the prettiest cabbage of all, with its fantastic crinkly leaves and its contrasting dark on pale color palette. Only a few outer leaves are dark green and quite so textured, inside it is creamy and pale. Despite its rugged appearance it's actually very tender and sweet. Best of all, it cooks quickly and easily and it doesn't have the sulfur odor so distinctive in other cabbage; just don't over cook it. Savoy cabbage is named for the Savoy region, a medieval duchy on the border of Italy, France and Switzerland. But I think we should call it by its lovely Italian name, cavolo verza. Now that's the name of a star!

Savoy cabbage is high in vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber. It's also a very good source of fiber, manganese, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Heads of savoy cabbage are so large it's a good idea to have several dishes in mind when you purchase or harvest it. Because it is so tender, don't shy away from using it in salads. Just use salt and a vinegar or lemony dressing to help it wilt.

I like just about all cabbages, but savoy cabbage is my favorite and not just because it is so beautiful and healthy. The sweetness of savoy cabbage makes it a wonderful foil for rich and salty foods like duck confit, bacon or sausages. But because it is naturally mild and sweet, it is equally delicious as a bed for mild white fish or seafood. It can be cooked or used raw. It can be braised, roasted or boiled, and it's very easy to saute it in butter, olive oil or bacon fat. It can be used in preserved recipes like kimchi or sauerkraut.

Here are some ways to use savoy cabbage:

* Steam and serve with fish, or wrap the fish in the leaves and steam

* Saute it with boiled potatoes, garlic and onions

* Stuff the leaves with rice or potatoes and ground meat

* Add to minestrone

* Make sauerkraut

* Make kimchi

* Saute with bacon and spaetzle

* Use in borscht

* Shred it with carrots and seaon with apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt to make cole slaw

* Saute cabbage, bacon and onions then toss with egg noodles

* Combine with sliced sugar snap peas and a creamy dressing in slaw