Me, You, Blue River Stew

It has been a food education-palooza this week.

I’ve clocked approximately 8.7 hours of watching Food Network competitions and past episodes of Top Chef. I’ve made shrimp-less shrimp curry with fellow blogger and Wiley Publishing author, Allison Fishman, over Skype. And tonight, I’m taking a very prestigious course in chicories (read: free wine and fun Bi-Rite staff) at 18 Reasons. That’s a lot of info-cramming for one low sodium brain.

But of all the didactic shenanigans, I have to say that one of the must fulfilling (and filling) events in these past seven days has been recipe testing for food52.com’s latest contest: Short Ribs.

Quick aside: if you haven’t perused the lively food52.com site yet, leave this page immediately. And then come back. But definitely give it a visit.

Home cooks from all over the world (the WORLD I say!) gather at this interweb address to share their take on a particular ingredient, competing for a place in the second food52 cookbook. While principal creative chiefs, and chefs, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, pick two finalists every week, they also pick a group of runners-up, affectionately known as “Editor’s Picks.” And since the site and the contests are as much about community as they are about good food, Hesser and Stubbs leave some of the reviewing to be done by the people. Like me.

And this brings me back to stew. For the Short Rib contest, I was not only honored with an Editor’s Pick nod for my Char Sui Short Ribs, but I was also given the opportunity to test and taste escharlie’s Blue River Stew.

A hearty combination of beer, beef, and potatoes, this dish was as simple as pie and as All-American as…well, pie. And because the focus of the dish was meat, I didn’t need to do too much to the other ingredients to make it sodium-free.

So if grandpa winter is hitting your household this weekend, bundle up with a bowl of low sodium Blue River Stew. It will keep you warm and put some meat on your (short) ribs.

Chow on.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper and 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, mixed
• 4 beef short ribs with the bone in
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 Russet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 packet of Herb-Ox Sodium Free Beef Bouillon
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup of blonde beer or light ale with citrus hints (Blue Moon is a great choice!)
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Handful of sliced purple cabbage for each bowl

Directions:

1. Season the short ribs with pepper and smoked paprika on both sides.

2. Oil a large pot with olive oil and increase heat over medium-high flame. Add onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, 5 minutes.

3. Add the short ribs to the pot and brown on all sides, 5 minutes each side. Stir the onions to the side so they do not burn.

4. Add the beer, water, and beef broth and bring to a boil. When the water is rolling, stir in the corn and potatoes.

5. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Add additional water if the stew looks too thick. The meal is ready to eat when the meat easily falls from the bone.

6. To serve, place a handful of cabbage at the bottom of the bowl. Ladle stew on top and then garnish with some fresh parsley. Serve the stew with the bones in or take them bones out – whatever pleases and appeases your palate!

Hot Sauced

First, apologies for my absence on Wednesday. I had the flu (yuck) and thinking about food, looking at food, and most definitely eating food were all too much for my belly to handle. Yes, it was a travesty. But luckily, I’m on the mend and back to dreaming about low sodium cheese. And no, I’m not joking. I really did dream about a block of Helluva Good Cheddar last night. Don’t judge. I’m hungry.

So, to hop back into the low sodium saddle, I wanted to start with something simple, that wouldn’t upset my seemingly quieted stomach. And luckily I had some stock recipes up my sleeve.

A few weekends ago, I happened to be across the bridge at Cavallo Point – my personal heaven – on a day that their cooking school was offering a class called Sauced, which provided instructions on how to master four different rustic and traditional tomato sauces, all while pouring endless glasses of Italian wine. Very clever. Very appreciated.

While I’m saving the more detailed recipes for a later date, one continues to stick out in my mind. It was simple (almost mindless) to make and yet, it packed a boatload of savory, lip-smacking flavor, without needing salt.

What was it? Slow roasted tomatoes. Yes, the gorgeous halves of ruby red, veggie fruit that you see above were simply sprinkled with crushed black pepper, crushed garlic, some herbs (thyme and rosemary), and olive oil. They were then left to roast in a steamy oven (250 degrees) for almost three hours, during which their natural flavors became more robust. Just like a strong, Italian stallion.

The team at Cavallo’s Cooking School suggested that we use these tomatoes as a pizza sauce (merely spreading it into dough), chopped up and added to other tomato sauces (providing a smoky flavor), or laid expertly on top of small toast points for a poor man’s bruschetta (with a super rich taste). Or, in my opinion, you can simply pop them in your mouth and call it a day, because they are nature’s roasted candy and they are delicious.

So if you are harvesting some of summer’s last heirlooms or any other strain of succulent tomato, throw on the oven and get roasting. And don’t be shy. Cook up a huge pan of them and see how many ways you can use them to spice up your meals next week. As I always say, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. But when it comes to tomatoes, roast a big batch.

Chow on.

Do It Yo’self

Tonight I’m heading to a fundraiser for Room to Read that is being hosted by Parties That Cook and Crushpad.  Wine, food, and doing good? Sounds like a perfect evening to me.  The big event of the night is a hands-on cooking class that will cover an asian-inspired menu:

Curried Flatbread with Mango Currant Chutney

Vegetable Curry Cups with Basmati Rice

Peanut and Coconut Potstickers with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce

Coconut Blini with Cilantro Lime Creme Fraiche

Indian-Spiced Lamb Burgers with Cucumber-Lemon Raita

Lettuce Cups with Gingery Minced Pork

Fiery Prawns with Mint-Jalapeno Chutney

Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Bacon-Wrapped Dried Plums with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Honey Glaze

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Frosting

Sounds amazing, right?  Now for the let down – more than likely, I will not be able to eat any of these dishes.  So you might be asking, why put myself through the torture of seeing all of these spicy, glazed, saucy bites if I can’t even enjoy them?

Well, beyond supporting a good cause, this cooking class is about more than just eating good food.  It is about learning how to make good food as well. Once I know what makes these recipes tick, I can create legitimate, low sodium versions of them for myself back at home.  Cooking classes are the essential building blocks that will allow you to expand your low sodium repertoire.

The truth is, when dining out, really good, hole-in-the-wall, ethnic cuisine is difficult to order sodium free. While I can generally get something simple, like a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables, a colorful dish that is low in salt and soy is almost impossible to find.  So I usually use my experiences at such restaurants for inspiration, rather than instant gratification, and I take my cravings for sushi, spring rolls, and bibimbap back home.

One of my favorite things to DIY at home is sushi.  The texture and flavors of a really good seafood roll is something that I often miss. But instead of pining for these sticky, salty wraps, I decided to figure out how to make them myself.  Even though it takes years of training to become a master sushi chef, I found that with the right products and ingredients, anyone can make an amateur attempt at maki that will be equally satisfying.  And if you haven’t had a make-your-own sushi party yet, you should probably get yourself down to Japan town immediately and buy a few bags of goodies from the Nijiya market.  You will not be sorry.

If you think you can spend a long time winding down the aisles of a Whole Foods, just wait until you step into this market.  You will find an assortment of sushi wrappers, sesame toppers, and fresh, sushi grade fish that are all low in sodium.  Check the back of the packages, but many brands of nori (seaweed wrappers) have 0mg of sodium.  There are also soy wrappers from Sushi Party that come in five flavors (turmeric, sesame, paprika, original, and spinach green) and have only 20mg of sodium per sheet.  And finally, while most prepared wasabi has a lot of sodium in it, the wasabi powders, which you simply mix with water, have 0 mg of sodium.

Heat up your rice cooker, get out your bamboo mats, choose your filling, and go.  In no time, you will have flavorful, low sodium sushi that you can enjoy, guilt and salt free.  And the next time you are envying the pho your friend is slurping down, simply take notes and do some market investigating, and make a low sodium version for yourself at home.  Chow on.

The Wish List

It’s holiday time and it’s getting down to the wire for finishing your list and checking it twice. For those of you who are last minute shoppers, much like myself, I thought I would impart some gifting advice and help you navigate the world of food related presents that are easy on the wallet and require very little time to procure.

Thoughtful and useful, these knick knacks and do dads are perfect for those seeking to become more comfortable in their kitchen and more adventurous in their cooking. And if none of these suggestions strike a chord with your inner elf, you can always buy your loved ones a warm pair socks. I know I need some.

Cooking Classes

The best way for people to learn how to cook something is by actively watching and participating in its construction. And if your loved one is a classic type A, and wants the dish to be perfect the first time he or she attempts it, cooking classes will help them feel like an immediate master of the stove. As for the rest of us, cooking classes are also a fun and social way to get outside of your cooking comfort zone. So grab a gift certificate or save a date on the calendar for a class at one of these local culinary schools:

Salud, San Mateo Whole Foods

Tante Marie

Parties That Cook

Baking Arts

City Girl Cooks

First Class Cooking

Scents and Spices

Doesn’t saffron rice and truffle mashed potatoes sound delicious? But who really wants to spend upwards of $5 on oils and spices? This year, give the gift of ultimate flavor by supplying your friends and family with the taste bud tools that will take a no sodium dish from edible to extraordinary.

Penzy’s Spices

iGourmet – Flavored Oils and Aged Balsamics

McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil

Far West Fungi

Herb Tree

Cooking Utensils

One of the most difficult things about a dietary restriction is having to make the majority of your food from scratch. But by adding these few items to your tool belt, you can cut time and energy when creating home-made meals.

Immersion Blender

Microplane

Rice Cooker

Cookbooks and Recipe Resources

We all need inspiration and when learning how to cook sodium free, the more resources for culinary creativity the better. These food muses will ignite your cooking instincts and will help you better understand where sodium lurks and how to find flavor in its absence.

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium International Cookbook

Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods

Healthy Heart Living Magazine

Cooks Illustrated

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

Miscellaneous Stocking Stuffers

And for the no sodium chef that has everything, here are two more gift ideas that can round out any fully stocked kitchen.

Farmers Market Tokens from CUESA

CSA Memberships

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Last night, my humble kitchen (red diner booth and all) was filled with holiday cheer and lots of food. My family friend and foodie mentor, Bill, owner of the delicious Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, and his wonderful family joined Boy and me for a post Thanksgiving, turkey feast which included recipes from the Frog Hollow Farm Cooking Class and a side dish from my new Thomas Keller cookbook which I am officially in love with.

Two hours, one minor shopping mishap (ended up with one turkey breast instead of two), and a pot of slightly gummy rice later – dinner was served and devoured.

Beyond being salt free, this menu was rich in sweetness from fresh fruit and the Frog Hollow preserves. There was tang from cooking sherry and champagne vinegar and earthiness from browned butter. And fresh herbs, like dill, rosemary, and Italian parsley, gave the dishes extra brightness.

I braved new cooking techniques, like tying my turkey with twine and braising my vegetables, and discovered how delicious cooked radishes can be. The heat brings out a surprisingly deep caramel flavor. Who knew. Well, I guess sir Keller did.

So enjoy the following recipes and share them with your family and friends over the holidays. I am breaking the menu into a few installments – first the turkey, then the saffron rice, and finally, my take on Thomas Keller’s Sprouts and Radishes.

Enjoy and chow on.

Pan Roasted Turkey Breast with Frog Hollow Farm Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 turkey breast halves still connected (no bone), totaling 21/2-3 lb
• 2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 T fresh rosemary
• Smoked paprika, pepper, and Herbes de Provence to taste
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1 ½ cups of dried plums (aka prunes), soaked in red wine
• ½ cup of dried cherries, soaked in red wine
• 2 T olive oil
• Zest and juice from one medium orange
• 1 – 9oz jar of Frog Hollow Organic Pear Fruit Topping
• 1 D’Anjou pear, chopped
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 4 T champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock
• Cooking twine
• Meat thermometer

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Before prepping your herbs and shallots, soak the prunes and cherries in red wine for at least an hour. I used a half-used Malbec leftover from a holiday party the day before – remember to cook with wine that you would want to drink.

3. When finished soaking, take the prunes and cherries out of the wine and chop into ½ inch chunks.

4. Mix parsley, half of your chopped rosemary, shallots and fruit together in a bowl.

5. Open your turkey breast so that the two breast halves look like butterfly wings and fill one breast with the cherry, herb stuffing.

6. Sprinkle pepper, paprika, and left over rosemary on the inside of the turkey breasts.

7. Fold the other breast on top and tie together with the twine. This is a good video to use for tying instructions.

8. Spread pepper, smoked paprika, orange zest, and Herbes de Provence on the outside of the turkey breasts.

9. Heat olive oil in an oven safe pan over medium heat and brown both sides of the turkey – 4 minutes each.

10. Put leftover fruit stuffing and orange juice in the pan and cover with a foil tent – turkey camping!

11. Transfer oven to pan and roast for about 1.5 hours or until the thermometer inserted into center reads 165 degrees. To make sure you are testing the temperature of the meat and not the stuffing, do not insert into the absolute center but just above where you think the stuffing is. Also, if guests are on their way but the temperature is not quite right, take off the foil tent and turn your broiler on low for about 10 minutes. This should do the trick.

12. Remove the turkey from oven and let stand for 10-20 minutes. Wrap the turkey in the tinfoil tent to keep warm. Take the left over and now crispy stuffing and keep warm in a covered bowl or snack on it while you are cooking the rest of the meal.

13. Take the pan – which is now turkey free but filled with its juices – and reheat over a medium flame. Add the chopped pear pieces and sauté for 4 minutes until caramelized.

14. Add sherry, vinegar, stock, and bottle of Frog Hollow Pear Topping. Simmer until reduced to about ¾ cup or until it looks and tastes like a perfectly syrupy sauce.

15. To finish, slice the turkey crosswise so that you can see the rounds of the beautiful stuffing and serve with the pear sauce.

Stone Fruit Supper

I venture beyond the city for three main reasons: 1) to swim at the BAC, 2) to eat Shabu Shabu, and 3) to take cooking classes at Whole Foods in San Mateo.

check out how good Becky looks behind that beautiful counter

For those of you who are just venturing into no-sodium cooking, or let’s face it, cooking in general, these classes are a real deal and a steal. Most cooking classes in San Francisco are twice the price or higher.

At $35 a pop, you end up:

• Eating a ton of fresh food. The classes are in the store, so they can easily accommodate dietary needs. Don’t eat red meat, they’ll just grab you a fish fillet.
• Meeting a ton of friendly faces. It’s all about teamwork people.
• Learning great cooking techniques and impressive nuggets of kitchen wisdom.
• And drinking as much free wine (or sparkling water) as you can possibly handle.

Oh and I almost forgot, there is usually more than enough food for each participant to take home leftovers. Did I mention it was only $35?

While I usually prefer the hands-on classes, I ended up attending a demonstration class with Frog Hollow Farm co-owner, Becky Courchesne. This pastry chef, with a penchant for fresh food and peach farmers, really knows how to cook.

The evening’s menu was built around Frog Hollow Farm’s line of fruit toppings, a product that proved to be a true culinary chameleon. The peach, pear, and plum conserves dressed a Mesclun salad, stuffed a turkey, perked up a pork chop, fizzed in a holiday cocktail, and melted in a Filo dough, Mascarpone desert. Clearly these are not just for ice cream anymore. And what a wonderful way to enjoy stone fruit during the winter months.

For those of you with dietary needs, the Whole Foods cooking classes are ideal. In every class I have taken, from Thai to Italian, the chef du jour was more than willing to accommodate my needs. They are usually quite small and as I mentioned before, the classes are in the store, so it is very easy for the chef to pick up unsalted products as needed.

For the hands-on classes, I usually set aside my own salt free ingredients to make no sodium versions of the recipe. And last night, Becky was kind enough to cook my food separately so that I could enjoy her sweet and savory creations. Just check out this sodium free chop with pear sauce.

If you aren’t convinced yet, here are some other drool inducing shots. First, the Pear and Pt. Reyes Farmstead Blue Salad. When making this at home, I would substitute the Pt. Reyes cheese for farmer’s cheese which is now being carried at Whole Foods and Bristol Farm.

And then of course there’s the pan roasted turkey breast with plum sauce stuffing. Just make sure you buy turkey meat that has not been injected with a saline solution.

Sadly, my camera died as soon as Becky started making the “Beggar’s Purses,” a devilishly simple but impressive dessert. But do not fret, recipes and more pictures to come next week as Boy and I try to recreate the menu for a very special dinner guest. Don’t you just love suspense?