CAPTAIN COOK CRUISES

Although he was not the first European to discover Fiji (Abel Tasman was in 1642), Captain James Cook is literally and figuratively credited as the first to put the archipelago on the world’s radar (such as the radar was in 1774). Therefore I thought it super symbolic to begin my exploration of Fiji on a Captain Cook cruise.

Not that I expected the contemporary cruise to channel the namesake’s adventure. At least I hoped it wouldn’t.

I was certain that with 75 cabins, a swimming pool, fitness center, two lounges, tiny spa, well-stocked bar and graceful dining room, my cruise ship, the MV Reef Endeavour, would have more comfort than the HMS Endeavour, the navel ship Cook commanded on his first voyage to the area.

MV Reef Endeavour

Also the original Captain Cook described Fijians as ferocious cannibals, and, of course, I was eager not to follow in his footsteps and run into an old-timer who relished historical tradition.

Not to worry on either account.

As its captain Brian Larcombe is fond of saying, “The Reef Endeavour is a 3-1/2 star ship offering a 5-star experience.” Although the ship showed a bit of wear, it was perfectly comfortable and the cruise was terrific, as the smallish ship took us to remote reefs, shallow bays and tiny islands inaccessible to larger ships.

Manava Cay, a Reef Endeavour stop.

As to the Fijians, as if to overcompensate for the bad cannibal rap, they were all exceedingly friendly, warm and welcoming (I am sure Kava had a lot to do with it, but more about Kava later).

Reaching the ship was the most difficult part of the journey. I left LAX with fellow travel writers on a Thursday night at 11:30 p.m. flying Air Pacific for 10-1/2 hours and landing at Nadi International Airport (on Viti Levu, the largest of the 330 Fiji islands and the gateway for air travelers) on a Saturday morning. You will note that Friday disappeared. Losing a day is disconcerting under any circumstances, but losing a day in gorgeous Fiji is almost unbearable. Blame it on crossing the International Date Line. Everyone said you’ll make up a day on the way home. But I ask you, would you rather have an extra day in paradise or sitting on a plane returning from a heavenly trip? No contest.

From Nadi, we jumped on a tiny Pacific Sun plane for an hour’s flight over emerald-colored islands and sapphire-tinted water to Matei Airport (recently upgraded from a gravel runway to a paved one—yippee) on Taveuni, the fourth largest island in the archipelago and so lush and green it is known as the Garden Island.

Flying over Fiji by Susan Manlin Katzman

View from a window of a Pacific Sun flight.

We were picked up in a van, driven to a small beach, where we took a glass bottom boat to the Reef Endeavor and settled into cabins.

Suite bedroom on MV Reef Endeavour by Susan Manlin Katzman

Nicest cabin (not mine) on the Reef Endeavour, a suite with a bedroom and attached sitting room.

From then on it was smooth sailing. We cruised making frequent excursions, reaching shore by glass-bottom boat and traveling through paved as well as unpaved roads on an open-air bus.

We drove to the Bouma National Heritage Park’s waterfall for swimming and a picnic

And joined locals for a service at the Wairiki Catholic Church on Taveuni.

We stopped at the International Date Line (or where it used to be) for a photo op.

At the International Date Line in Taveuni by Susan Manlin Katzman

Standing between today and tomorrow.

And visited a Village for a dinner feast.

Kava welcoming ceremony by Susan Manlin Katzman

Kava welcoming ceremony at Naselesele Village

Now I’ll tell you about Kava

Kava, a drink the color of the Mississippi after a mudslide, is narcotic, not alcoholic, and said by Wikipedia to have “sedative” and “anesthetic” properties. It is the ceremonial drink of Fiji, and guests to villages are expected to bring gifts of Kava root and participate in Kava-drinking ceremonies.

On board we drank, slept, had massages, read, attended lectures, danced, mingled, took the glass bottom boat for snorkeling and diving, and watched the ever-changing scenery as we cruised by various islands.

We picked up new words, such as BULA, the most commonly heard word on the islands with a variety of meanings ranging from “good morning” to “have a wonderful happy life.”

Ate the freshest of all possible seafood.

Prawns served on the Reef Endeavour

And learned that Fiji Women dress modestly with knees and top of shoulders covered. Women do not wear pants. Visitors are expected to dress similarly in villages and frequently don sulus (sarongs) to meet the modesty requirements.

Women wear sulus made of colorful fabrics.

All too soon, the cruise was over leaving us with not only great memories, but also new friends of fellow passengers (mostly from Australia and New Zealand), sunburns, seashells and some super recipes.

Which brings me to a particularly delicious rice and fettuccini stuffed pumpkin. I first sampled the pumpkin at a village lovo dinner. As is the tradition, dishes at a lovo feast are wrapped in foil and native plant leaves and buried to bake in an earth-covered “oven.”

Although villagers cooked the pumpkin, the recipe came from the Reef Endeavour’s hospitality manager, Florian Haber. Florian said that the dish could be baked in a regular oven as well as in an earth oven and that although pumpkins growing on Fiji differ from those in the United States, any edible pumpkin would work in the recipe.

Florian Haber serving Stuffed Pumpkin

STUFFED PUMPKIN

How to make rice and fettuccini stuffed pumpkin according to Florian Haber:

Get a smallish pumpkin and cut a star-shaped a hole in the top, but save the top as you’ll want to bake the pumpkin with the top on. Hollow the pumpkin, removing all seeds and fibers.

Combine an equal amount (enough to almost fill the pumpkin) of cooked rice and cooked fettuccini (halve fettuccini strips). To boost flavor, add some cooked diced vegetables, such as cauliflower, red bell pepper, carrots and corn. Stir gently to combine ingredients. Put half of the mixture in the pumpkin. Pour a generous amount of coconut cream and dairy cream over mixture in pumpkin and stir gently to distribute the liquid. Add the remaining mixture to pumpkin and again pour in equal amounts of cream and coconut cream; stir gently. (The pumpkin should be filled to the top and ingredients should be quite moist but not soggy.)

Put the lid back on the pumpkin. Wrap the entire pumpkin in foil. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 325°F until the pumpkin shell is soft and the rice/fettuccini mixture hot, 2 to 3 hours.

Yield depends on size of pumpkin, but plan on people having seconds and thirds—this dish is that good.

To learn more about Fiji see: http://www.fijime.tv/

World’s Best Chocolate Torte

Imagine sitting with a lover on the terrace of Merriman’s Kapalua. Your table overlooks a small-boat harbor and the south Maui shoreline where Humpback whales frolic in shimmering waters. Sunshine kisses all. Could life be sweeter?

Well…yes…frankly it could, the moment you lift a fork and bring the velvety darkness of Merriman’s Chocolate Lover’s Torte to the tongue. Forget everything else. Chocolate Lover’s Torte is perfection! It’s as good as it gets—and more.

But what else would one expect from chef Peter Merriman, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native who settled in Hawaii

Peter Merriman in Maui

and opened three restaurants passionately dedicated to Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

“It’s the flavor that counts with me,” said Merriman, who, true to his name, punctuates sentences with joyful smiles and rousing laughs. “The best flavor comes from the best products, and we are committed to using the finest, freshest, local products available.”

Chocolate Lover’s Torte perfectly fits Merriman’s philosophy, being a simple-to-make, intensely flavorful dessert based on high-quality island ingredients. Although the torte can be made with any fine-quality chocolate, Merriman uses a 100% Hawaiian bittersweet chocolate that is processed in Kailua-Kona from beans grown on the Big Island (see Note).

CHOCOLATE LOVER’S TORTE

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Butter to grease cake pan

Cake flour to coat cake pan

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (see Note)

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

4 teaspoons instant coffee powder

1-1/3 cups plus 7 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

2/3 cup water

1-1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

7 eggs

2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

Optional garnish: raspberry puree, raspberries, whipped cream and/or ice cream

Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and lightly dust with flour. Wrap outside of pan tightly with aluminum foil, using several sheets of foil so that water will not seep into the pan’s seams; set pan aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put chocolates and coffee powder in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Put 1-1/3 cups of the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Pour boiling mixture over reserved chocolate mixture; stir until chocolate completely melts and mixture is smooth. Gradually beat butter into chocolate mixture.

With electric mixer set on medium, beat eggs until they are well blended. Beating constantly, slowly add remaining 7 tablespoons sugar to eggs; continue beating 1 minute. Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold flour into chocolate mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan in a larger pan (such as a roasting pan). Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the cake pan. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until cake has risen slightly and is set, about 1 hour.

Remove cake pan from water bath and set on a rack to cool. Refrigerate cooled cake until it is well chilled. Remove sides from cake pan. Turn cake upside down on a serving platter and carefully remove bottom of cake pan.

Serve cake at room temperature or chilled, garnished with raspberry puree, raspberries, whipped cream and/or ice cream.

Note:

For bittersweet chocolate, Merriman uses pure Hawaiian chocolate from The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. This chocolate is sold at select stores throughout Hawaii and by mail, in bars labeled “dark” chocolate. For more information, call 1-888-447-2626.

¶ Posted 18 April 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CHOCOLATE § DESSERTS § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § Uncategorized ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Chocolate Torte, Hawaii, Peter Merriman

Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce

Whoever sang, “Flying high in the sky with some guy is my idea of nothing to do,” is guaranteed to change the tune after one taste of Malaysia Airlines’ satays. Served in the airline’s business and first-class sections, on Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur flights, these appetizers are in a class all their own.

Of course, business and first-class service includes perks, but bigger seats and attentive staff are not the only lures. Food counts. While food on most airlines is just one of those things, the satays on Malaysia Airlines are just too marvelous, too marvelous for words.

A classic dish of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, satays consist of tiny bites of marinated meat threaded on skewers and grilled. What makes Malaysia Airlines’ satays superior is the marinade for the meat and the sweet, spicy interaction of the peanut sauce served with the meat.

Passengers usually begin their meal with three beef satays and three chicken satays (along with a few chunks of cucumber). When the flight attendant asks, “May I serve you more?” the answer is always, “Yes, do it to me one more time.”

To keep up with passenger desire for more, the airline commissary makes satays in such large quantities that their recipe can’t be cut for home use. But don’t worry, be happy. I created a recipe to copy the fine flavor of the airline’s chicken satays and peanut sauce. Who could ask for anything more?

CHICKEN SATAY

Yield: 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer or 4 servings as a main dish.

1-1/2 pounds skinned, boned chicken

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

About 1/4 teaspoon salt

About 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Peanut sauce (recipe follows)

Cut the chicken into 3/4-inch cubes. Put cubes in a glass or other non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle sugar, cumin, coriander seeds, salt and cayenne over chicken. Add garlic, oil and lemon juice. Stir until ingredients are well mixed. Cover bowl and refrigerate 1 to 24 hours.

Before grilling: Cover about 16 bamboo skewers with cold water; let soak about 1 hour. Bring chicken to room temperature. Preheat an oven broiler or charcoal grill.

When ready to cook: Thread chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers, covering about 3 inches of the skewer with meat. Place filled skewers on a rack and broil or grill, about 4 inches from the heat source, turning with tongs, until the chicken has browned on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes.

Serve with Peanut Sauce.

PEANUT SAUCE

Yield: about 1-1/2 cups.

1 cup roasted peanuts

1 stalk lemon grass (see Notes)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons diced onion

1-1/3 cups weak tamarind juice (see Notes)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon Laos powder (see Notes)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend peanuts in a blender or food processor until finely ground; set aside.

Discard the outer leaf of lemon grass and cut off and discard root end tip. With a meat mallet or hammer, hit the base of lemon grass several times to break the fibers; set lemon grass aside.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stir-fry until tender, about 2 minutes. Add tamarind juice, sugar, ginger, Laos powder, cayenne and salt. Stir mixture well with the hammered end of the lemon grass. Using lemon grass, stir in ground peanuts. Stirring with lemon grass, bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce heat so that mixture simmers. Remove lemon grass and simmer mixture, stirring often with a spoon, until the sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.

Notes:

Lemon grass is a woody, slender grass that imparts a subtle but pungent citrus flavor to dishes.

Tamarind is a bean-like fruit generally sold packaged in a block or as a liquid concentrate. To make tamarind juice from the block, break off about 2 tablespoons tamarind from the block, tear the tamarind into small pieces, and put pieces in a small saucepan. Cover pieces with about 1 cup hot water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Pour mixture into a strainer over a mixing bowl and strain cooking liquid and as much tamarind as you can push through sieve with the back of the spoon. Put tamarind remaining in strainer back in the saucepan. Cover with water and stir well. Again strain. If necessary add enough water to tamarind juice to make 1-1/3 cups liquid.

Laos powder is dried powdered galangal, a highly aromatic rhizome greatly used in Malaysian cooking.

¶ Posted 05 April 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § AIRLINES § APPETIZERS § ENTREES § RECIPES ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: chicken, Laos powder, lemon grass, Malaysia Airlines, peanut sauce, satay, tamarind

Bizcochitos

Diane Jenkins

Hand-kneaded, elegant and dusted with cinnamon to resemble the color of fresh clay, bizcochitos are the perfect refreshment for Native American potters Diane Jenkins and Krieg Kalavaza to serve in their San Ildefonso Pueblo studio/gallery. After all bizcochito cookies and San Ildefonso pottery have much in common.

Bizcochitos (also spelled biscochitos) are so popular that they have been declared New Mexico’s Official State Cookie. San Ildefonso pottery is revered around the world and represents the best of New Mexico’s Native American art. Recipes for both cookies and pottery are centuries old, with each generation adding their own enhancements. And both pottery and cookies are made in somewhat the same way (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Krieg Kalavaza

To produce their famous polychrome pottery, siblings Jenkins and Kalavaza work as a team, both collecting clay for the pots, plants for paint and natural materials for firing. Jenkins hand forms the pots, which Kalavaza then refines. Both sand the pots, after which Jenkins polishes them and Kalavaza adds paints before they are fired.

To make bizcochitos, the brother/sister duo gather ingredients, mix and shape the dough by hand, adding their own refinements, before setting the cookies in the oven to bake.

The potters sent me their recipe (below), which I am truly delighted to have and to share, but in my heart of hearts (and I only tell you this), I wish they had also sent a pot.

BIZCOCHITOS

(Recipe used to bake cookies served in pottery workshops and demonstrations in the San Ildefonso Pueblo studio/gallery of Diane Jenkins and Krieg Kalavaza.)

Yield: 2 to 4 dozen cookies depending on how they are cut.

2 cups shortening (lard is used in traditional recipes)

1 cup granulated sugar, plus additional 1/4 cup sugar to coat cookies

2 teaspoons anise extract

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

6 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cream shortening with 1 cup sugar and anise extract; stir in egg yolks. Sift together flour, baking power and salt. Combine the two mixtures, adding water, and knead until well blended.

Pat or roll the dough 1/3-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. (Jenkins and Kalavaza pat the dough into 2-inch rounds). Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over top of cookies.

Place cookies, cinnamon side up, on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in preheated 350°F oven until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

¶ Posted 14 March 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § COOKIES ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: anise, cinnamon, COOKIES

KRISTINE KIDD PICKS LOS ANGELES RESTAURANTS

Kristine Kidd

Kristine Kidd knows food. All aspects of food. Her many accomplishments include: owning a catering business in Los Angeles, working as a chef in Vermont, teaching cooking classes at UCLA, and writing cookbooks for Williams-Sonoma and Time-Life Inc. But that’s not all making Kristine one of America’s top food influencers. She spent 20 years as Food Editor of Bon Appétit magazine.

Although Kristine is now retired from the magazine, she is not resting on her laurels. She continues to teach, blog, lecture and write.

Her newest cookbook, Weeknights Fresh and Fast, is now available in Williams Sonoma stores, and, in March, will have broad distribution. You can also order this gem at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com, where you can find Kristine’s other books: Cookies and Biscotti, Gifts from the Kitchen (my favorite), Risotto, Thanksgiving and After Dinner.

As Kristine lives in Los Angeles and is about the most food-knowledgeable Angelino I know, I asked if she would give Sweet Leisure a list of good LA restaurants.

Of course, she did, but she cautioned that the restaurants she suggests are not necessarily the newest or trendiest, but rather her personal favorites. In her own words:

Places I love to eat at in Los Angeles:

Huckleberry Café and Bakery

Bakery case at Huckleberry Cafe

1014 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica

310-451-2311

After shopping at the Santa Monica farmer’s market, I often meet a friend at this casual café for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Place your order at the counter for baked eggs with white beans and fire roasted tomatoes, green eggs and ham, brisket hash, or an inventive salad- all featuring farmers’ market ingredients- and then find a table. It is difficult to leave without taking home one of chef Zoe Nathan’s fresh baked fruit tarts or a wedge of the fruit topped cornmeal-ricotta cake.

Rustic Canyon

1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica

310-393-7050

In the same neighborhood as Huckleberry, and run by the same team. The décor is minimalist, but the inspired yet down-to-earth seasonal menus feature local organic ingredients. Last time I was there, I feasted on a butternut squash soup with roasted apples; Branzino with artichoke, fennel, eggplant, and salsa verde; and a sublime plum crostata. Desserts are created by Huckleberry’s pastry chef, and are as excellent as the savory dishes.

Pizzeria Mozza

641 N. Highland Ave, Hollywood

323-297-0101

Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali create astonishing pizzas with thin fully flavored crusts, and impeccable ingredients, perfectly baked in wood-fired ovens. Two favorites: egg, guanciale, escarole, and radicchio pizza; and fennel sausage, red onion, and scallion pizza. The chicken liver bruschette is so outstanding; I always order it to start the meal.

Osteria Mozza

6602 Melrose Ave, Hollywood

323-297-0100

Another Silverton-Batali restaurant, this one specializes in stunning pasta, and creative cheese appetizers from Nancy Silverton’s mozzarella bar. The food is rich, the room dramatic. Try the burrata with leek vinaigrette and mustard breadcrumbs or burricotta with braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants and mint pesto to start, and then tagliatelle with oxtail ragu, or light as air gnocchi with duck ragu, or braised beef short rib with porcini. The food is perfectly executed, and satisfying.

The Bazaar by José Andrés

The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega

310-247-0400

The dramatic setting and theatrically presented Spanish tapas make for an entertaining evening. The menu offers both delectable traditional dishes and creative modern food. Items not to miss: sweet potato chips with yogurt, tamarind, and star anise; jamon iberico (dry cured ham made from acorn fed pigs), modern and traditional olives, salt wrinkled potatoes, not your everyday caprese; philly cheesesteak (air bread cheddar, wagyu beef). Request seating in the Red Room.

Loteria! Grill at the Farmers Market

6333 W. Third St, Fairfax district

323-465-2500

Lots of fun for a casual after-work get-together. Find authentic Mexico city style tacos, enchiladas, chilaqueas cooked in a rich mole sauce, and a colorful chiles rellenos plate at this super casual taco bar in the historic Farmers Market.

Piccolo

5 Dudley Ave, Venice

310-314-3222

The name is appropriate for this tiny, casual Italian restaurant, ½ block off the Venice Beach boardwalk. I like it for Friday night dates, and usually order the duck prosciutto for a tasty starter, followed by handcrafted tender ravioli with nettle-hazelnut filling and Parmesan-butter-sage sauce, and tagliatelle with a succulent venison and red wine ragu.

Rivera

1050 S. Flower St, Downtown

213-749-1460

Elegant and inventive pan-Latin fare, created by John Sedlar. The warm tortillas pressed with flowers and herbs are as unforgettable as they are whimsical, banana leaf- braised pork shoulder is tender and fully flavored, and the black beans complex and satisfying. The setting is as gorgeous as the food.

Bouchon Bistro

235 North Canon Dr, Beverly Hills

310-271-9910

A visit to Thomas Keller’s elegant bistro in Beverly Hills feels like an escape to Paris. The food is traditional, comforting, and prepared with exquisite care, the service is correct. For an outstanding meal try a simple mixed green salad with warm goat cheese, dressed with a classic red wine vinaigrette; or a lusty pate de champagne; followed by sautéed salmon with roasted beets, caramelized Brussels sprouts, parsnips and whole grain mustard beurre blanc. Finish the meal with a feather light ile flottante or memorable tarte au citron for dessert.

Angelini Osteria

Angelini Oster ia

7313 Beverly Blvd,

323-297-0070

Dining at this small, causal spot, with excellent food, gives the impression of being in Italy. It is crowded and noisy in the evenings, and so lunch is a better bet. Fresh anchovies with artichokes and beets, the best spaghetti alla carbonara ever, and grilled branzino keep me coming back.

Mélisse

1104 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica

310-395-0881

My first choice for very special occasions. Chef Josiah Citrin’s creative French food is superb, the setting elegant but not stuffy, and the service friendly. I want to celebrate with dishes like artichoke soup with parmesan fritters and white truffles; scallops with cauliflower, lemon confit, marcona almonds and uni; Dover sole with crushed purple Peruvian potatoes, broccoli, pine nuts, and brown butter Chardonnay sauce; and black bass with kabocha squash, radicchio, and matsutake mushrooms.

A.O.C Wine Bar and Restaurant

Suzanne Goin

8022 W. Third St, Third Street district

323-653-6359

Suzanne Goin offers creative, California-French small plates, homemade charcuterie, and perfectly ripened cheeses. This is a stylish setting with great tasting food: wild salmon with beluga lentils and pancetta; duck confit, black rice, pomegranate, and walnuts; cauliflower flavored with curry and then roasted in the wood burning oven; brussels sprouts with pancetta and parsnip puree.

¶ Posted 27 February 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: A.O.C Wine Bar and Restaurant, Angelini Osteria, Bouchon Bistro, Huckleberry Cafe and Bakery, Kristine Kidd, Los Angeles, Loteria!, Melisse, Osteria Mozza, Piccolo, Pizzeria Mozza, Rivera, Rustic Canyon, The Bazaar by Jose Andres

French Onion Soup

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and French onion soup. Magnifique!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Yield: 4 serving.

4 large yellow onions

2 large red onions

2 shallots

1 leek

4 tablespoons butter

Salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Big pinch allspice

1/4 cup Cognac

About 7 cups good rich beef broth

1 bay leaf

Coarsely ground black pepper

Peel onions. Halve onions, lengthwise, and then cut, crosswise, into thin slices.

Peel shallots and cut into thin slices.

Trim root end and top green part off leek. Halve white portion, lengthwise, and then cut, crosswise, into thin slices.

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add sliced onions, shallots and leek; with two large spoons, toss onion mixture to coat with butter.

Cook over moderate heat, tossing often, until onions begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Continue cooking, tossing occasionally in the beginning and more as onions start to brown, until onions caramelize and turn rich golden brown, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle thyme, paprika and allspice over onions and stir. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Pour Cognac over onions and boil until liquid almost disappears.

Add broth and bay leaf; stir gently.

Gently simmer soup until flavors are well developed, 1 to 1-1/2 hours (add a little water or more broth if liquid reduces too much).

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.

If not serving immediately, cool soup at room temperature, and then refrigerate in a covered container.

ONION SOUP GRATINÉED

Yield: 4 servings.

1 recipe French Onion Soup

4 to 8 toasted rounds of French baguette (recipe follows)

4 to 6 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Set four individual ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet.

If the soup is cold reheat it. Pour hot soup into each bowl, giving each an equal amount. Top soup with one or two toast rounds (do not layer or overlap the rounds). Cover top of soup in each bowl with a generous layer of shredded cheese.

Set baking sheet in oven and bake until cheese melts and soup is bubbly around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

TOASTED BAGUETTE ROUNDS

Good crusty French baguette

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Slice baguette into rounds about 3/4-inch thick.

Brush both sides of each round with a little olive oil. Set rounds in one layer on a baking sheet.

Place baking sheet in oven and bake, turning once, until rounds are dry, crisp and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

¶ Posted 16 February 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CHEESE § RECIPES § SOUPS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: French onion soup, onions, soup

BARCELO BAVARO PALACE DELUXE

He wants golf. She wants a spa. He wants bars and buffets. She wants romantic restaurants. He wants sports. She wants shopping. He wants gambling. She wants dancing. He wants to stay within a budget. She wants comfort and style. Both want to take the kids, but also want an adult getaway. Impossible to accommodate the he/she/family in one vacation?

Not if the couple/family heads to the new Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe resort (which is part of the mega-Barcelo resort complex) on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

View from a suite.

Among other delights, this four-star, all-inclusive resort offers guests: 1.2 miles of extra-wide, white-sand beach (called one of the 10 best beaches in the world by National Geographic);

The beatch at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe

Bavaro Beach

6 swimming pools including several for adults only;

One of the resort's adults only pool.

a kid’s water park;

Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe's Kids' Water Park

Children love the kids-only water park.

a luxurious spa;

A resting room in the resort's spa.

a P. B. Dye designed 18-hole golf course;

Golf Course

10 restaurants;

French Restaurant at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe

Puppets decorate the resort's French restaurant, La Comedie.

a 24-hour casino; an open-air theatre; a shopping center; a kid’s activity center; 7 tennis courts; a fitness center and 1366 rooms (12-different room categories); PLUS sun, sand, sea and comparatively affordable prices.

With Spanish owners, and staff drawn from the Dominican Republic (over 600 staff live on property), Spanish remains the major language, but key staff speaks a bit of English, German, French and a smattering of Russian to keep up with the guests who are primarily from Europe and Canada.

Tips to enhance a stay:

Waitress in Rincon Dominicano Restaurant

The resort's Rincon Dominicano Restaurant serves local dishes.

For romance, book a suite with a hot tub on the terrace and a good ocean view.

For family fun, opt for one of the family rooms or suites around the kids’ water park.

For best service, choose “Club Premium” upgrades (provides more personalized attention and other perks).

For best food, try the local specialties at the Rincon Dominicano Restaurant.

For take-home souvenirs, buy rum, coffee and cigars.

For best bite, don’t miss the bacon wrapped plantains served at some of the breakfast buffets (recipe below).

BACON WRAPPED PLANTAINS

Selections from the breakfast buffet: fresh fruit, Spanish omelet, brown bread and bacon wrapped plantains with grilled pepper garnish.

(Serve as a breakfast dish or an appetizer.)

Very ripe plantains

Thickly sliced strips of bacon.

Peel plantains and cut into pieces. (The resort cuts the plantains into strips about 2-inches long and 1-inch thick. You could also cut them into rounds.)

Wrap each piece of plantain in bacon and secure the bacon with a toothpick.

Either pan fry, broil or bake (in preheated 350°F) the plantains until the bacon is well browned and crispy. When cooking, turn the plantains as necessary to brown all sides of the bacon.

Remove toothpicks before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

¶ Posted 07 February 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BREAKFAST § RECIPES § RESORTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: bacon, Barcelo Resorts, beach, Dominican Republic, plantains

STAR DISHES FOR SAG AWARDS

Wow! Attended a press event previewing the food and wine to be served at the 17^th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.

Suzanne Goin meets the press.

Spent an afternoon sipping and sampling as well as watching and photographing the food paparazzi who were sipping and sampling and watching and photographing chef Suzanne Goin and actress JoBeth Williams in Suzanne’s Los Angeles restaurant Lucques. Suzanne is caterer of choice for the awards and JoBeth represents the show committee that helped choose the menu.

JoBeth Williams

Both women agreed that cooking for the 1250 super-stars and their entourages attending the event presented some challenges, not the least of which was choosing the five menu items that were to be arranged on one plate and placed on the table before the ceremony begins. Nominees for menu items had to meet rigid criteria. According to JoBeth, the food had to be:

1. Beautiful;

2. Able to sit at room temperature for a long period of time without diminishing in flavor or appearance;

3. Easy to eat (nothing to drip on satin gowns, nothing to leave small particles in the perfectly capped, whitened teeth of presenters and acceptors);

4. Accommodating to different diets (vegetarian, low calorie, no sugar, etc. etc. etc.); and

5. Truly tasty.

And the menu winners were:

Blood Oranges with Dates, Arugula and Parmesan

Beluga Lentils with Carrots, Pinenuts and Feta

Slow-Roasted King Salmon with Cucumbers, Yogurt and Ginger-Mint Chutney

Slow-Roasted Lamb with Chickpeas, Black Olives and Feta Salsa Verde

Fresh Baked Herbed Crostini with Parmesan, Chopped Thyme and Parsley

ARUGULA WITH BLOOD ORANGES, DATES AND PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

(Adapted from a recipe supplied by Suzanne Goin. Suzanne’s recipe calls for olive oil to dress the dish. The Blood Orange Vinaigrette recipe comes from one of Suzanne’s chefs at her Los Angeles restaurant AOC and makes a flavorful substitute for the oil alone.)

Yield: 6 servings.

4 large blood oranges

1/4 pound chunk Parmigiano Reggiano

2 ounces arugula

15 Deglet Noor dates, pitted and halved, lengthwise

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or Blood Orange Vinaigrette, recipe follows)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cut away all peel and white pith from oranges. Cut oranges, crosswise, into thin circles; set aside.

Place the cheese, flat side down, on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, shave cheese into 18 large, thin slices.

Scatter 1/3 of the arugula on a large platter.

Arrange 1/3 of the oranges, dates and cheese over the arugula. Repeat layering, letting the ingredients weave together, but not pile up on one another.

Drizzle oil (or vinaigrette) over the top of ingredients and season lightly with salt and pepper.

BLOOD ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

Yield: 1 cup.

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

About 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or enough to cover shallot)

6 tablespoons blood orange juice

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put shallots in a small bowl. Add lemon juice to cover. Let sit 10 minutes. Stir in blood orange juice and vinegar. Slowly whisk in oil.

HERBED CROSTINI

Yield: 6 crostini.

6 slices of baguette, each 9-inches long and 1/4-inches thick

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Brush both sides of bread with oil.

Place bread, in one layer, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan over top of each piece of bread. Combine herbs and sprinkle top of Parmesan coated bread, dividing herb mixture evenly among the 6 slices of bread.

Set baking sheet in oven and bake until bread is golden and crispy, 7 to 10 minutes.

¶ Posted 01 February 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BREADS § CHEESE § CONDIMENTS § RECIPES § SALADS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: arugula, blood oranges, crostini, JoBeth Willams, Parmigiano Reggiano, SAG, Suzanne Goin, vinaigrette

HOT COCOA CAKE

Of course you’ve heard of Zingerman’s. Who in the food world hasn’t? It’s been a food-lovers destination ever since Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig opened the deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1982.

Today’s food outlets operating in Ann Arbor under the Zingerman’s banner include a Creamery, a Bakehouse, a Coffee Company and The Roadhouse, a popular restaurant/bar. Zingerman’s partners also make candy, publish books, cater and run food tours

With mottos that include “praise the lard,” and a company policy that celebrates bacon, Zingerman’s defies diet trends. Instead, Zingerman’s hunts the world for the best of the best, and doesn’t care a wit about calorie content—it’s not what is good for you at Zingerman’s, but what is good, flavorful and top quality that counts.

Guess you have to be there (Ann Arbor) to indulge in the full monty, but you can sample some goodies by mail order. For example, Zingerman’s fabulous Hot Cocoa Cake is available in the Ann Arbor deli and Bakehouse, by mail order, and, now, even in your own home kitchen as Zingerman’s shared the recipe below. Praise the lard!

Zingerman’s

HOT COCOA CAKE

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Shortening and flour to prepare cake pan

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee crystals

2 tablespoons hot water

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs, at room temperature

3 egg whites, at room temperature

5-1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Sifted confectioner’s sugar, optional

Grease and lightly flour two 6-cup fluted tube pans or one 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Put flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

Put espresso in a small bowl. Add hot water and stir to dissolve espresso. Stir in vanilla and set aside.

Put butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly. Add sour cream and beat until well combined. Add eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add flour mixture and espresso mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until ingredients are just combined. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan or pans.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes for the small cakes or 50 to 55 minutes for the larger cake.

Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and set on a rack to cook completely.

If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

¶ Posted 03 January 2011 † Susan Manlin Katzman § BRUNCH § CHOCOLATE § COFFEE § DESSERTS § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: coffee cake, Zingerman's

SPONGE CANDY

Kathy McCarthy has one sweet job! She makes candy. Well, not just candy. Kathy, or Cocoa as she prefers to be

Kathy McCarthy

called, makes extraordinary, super-delicious, handcrafted, chocolate-coated candy, which she sells at the Sweet Spot in the Savory Spoon Marketplace in Door County, Wisconsin.

Although Cocoa’s specialties include chocolate-drenched toffees (for which she won a blue ribbon at the Arizona state fair), caramels and a divine peanut-butter confection, to me, her pièce de résistance is sponge candy (a crunchy, melt-in-the-mouth delight also know as fairy food, sugar puffs, sea foam and honeycomb).

Cocoa says that she started making sponge candy with her mother when she was a child growing up on a mink ranch in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has made it happily ever after for her family’s holidays and special events. Today, she makes the candy for other folks’ special occasions as well, selling the sweet at her chocolate boutique in the Marketplace shop and through mail order.

As generous as she is charming, Cocoa shares her family recipe below. But trust me, when it comes to Cocoa’s candy, one is never enough, so check out the Sweet Spot for more dark, delectable magic. MMmmmmmm.

SPONGE CANDY

Yield: about 1-1/2 pounds candy (about 40 pieces)

Butter to grease pan

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon baking soda

About 1 pound good dark chocolate (If you are going to temper the chocolate, use a block or bar of very good chocolate, rather than chocolate chips. See note.)

Butter a 9 X 9 X 2-inch pan and set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar in a large (3-quart), heavy saucepan. Set pan over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar completely dissolves. Without stirring, boil mixture until it registers 300°F on a candy thermometer. (At this stage a drizzle of the mixture will separate into brittle threads when dropped into cold water.) Immediately remove pan from heat, add baking soda and stir quickly until well mixed (the mixture will foam). Quickly pour mixture into the buttered pan. Set aside at room temperature to cool completely. When cooled, break candy into chunks.

Melt chocolate (see note). Dip candy chunks in chocolate and set aside at room temperature until the chocolate is firm to the touch.

NOTE: MELTING CHOCOLATE You can melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, or in a microwave set on defrost, but if you are using a fine couverture chocolate, a more professional approach would be, before dipping the candy, to “temper” the chocolate (which gives it a sheen and keeps the surface of the chocolate from appearing mottled or matted).

TO TEMPER ONE POUND OF GOOD DARK CHOCOLATE:

1. Chop chocolate bar or block into chunks.

2. Put 2/3 of the chucks in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water.

3. Attach an instant-read thermometer to the side of the boiler.

4. Stirring gently with a rubber spatula, heat chocolate until it is completely melted and at a temperature ranging between 105°F and no more than 115°F.

5. Immediately remove top of boiler with melted chocolate from the heat. Dry bottom of pan. Set on heatproof surface. Add remaining unmelted 1/3 chopped chocolate to melted chocolate and stir gently, with a rubber spatula, to melt the new chocolate and drop the temperature of melted chocolate to 88°F. (If temperature drops below 84°F you can remove any unmelted chocolate chunks from the melted and set aside for another use, and then set the melted chocolate over warm water and raise its temperature to 88°F.) Keep melted chocolate at temperature between 86°F to 88°F while dipping the candy.