Broken Spaghetti “Risotto” – There’s a Good Reason for Those Quotation Marks

This broken spaghetti “risotto” is many things – a fun-to-make recipe; a visually unique pasta dish; and a great alternative to the same old starchy side dishes – but one thing it’s not, is a risotto. No rice was harmed in the making of this video.

The “risotto” refers to the similar technique used for that famous Italian dish. Like the grains of Arborio rice, the pieces of broken pasta are tossed in hot butter or oil before the liquid is added, but here we’re going even further, and toasting it to a gorgeous nut-brown.

This gives the dish its signature look, as well as adds a subtle nutty/toasty flavor. The rest of the process is similar to risotto as well, with the broth being added in increments, to be absorbed by the noodles before the next splash is added.

The broth amounts below should be very close to what you’ll need, but as I said in the video, depending on the pan, heat, and size of batch, you’ll have to simply adjust on the fly.

As long as you don’t walk away, you should be fine. Just keep stirring until the liquid is almost gone, then taste, and if the pasta is cooked, you’re done. If it needs more, add a little broth and keep going.

I did this as a simple side dish, but if you added some vegetables and shredded chicken, you’d be looking at quite an impressive main course. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see this dish re-imagined here in the future. In the meantime, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 small portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cut spaghetti, or regular spaghetti broken into very small pieces

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

about 1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth or stock, as needed

salt and chili flakes to taste

1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tbsp Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste

Colcannon – The Name Has Nothing to Do with Viking-Killing Leprechauns

You’ll be happy to know that since finishing this St. Patrick’s Day-inspired colcannon video, I’ve come to learn what the name actually means. Apparently, “colcannon” is Gaelic for "white-headed cabbage," which I’m sure everyone will agree is not nearly as interesting as my explanation.

Regardless of its etymological origins, colcannon is probably my favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipe. It combines the lovely, Spring-is-finally-here-greenness of kale and leeks with the always-alluring comfort of buttery mashed potatoes. Thinking about this next to some beautifully roasted lamb, makes me wonder why it’s only made once a year?

There are so many holiday-inspired recipes that are certainly easy and delicious enough to be added to the regular rotation, but for whatever reason aren’t. Why don’t we roast a turkey with all the fixings other times of the year? Wouldn’t Easter bread be just as awesome in November? Why we deny ourselves these things the rest of the year is one of the great culinary mysteries.

In fact, I think I’m going to heat up the last of my colcannon, sip on a Guniness or three, and carefully ponder this and other great questions. Anyway, I hope you give this a try soon, and may you all have a very happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Enjoy!

For the green mixture:

4 oz trimmed kale leaves

1 leek, light parts only, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tbsp room temp butter

*boil kale and leeks for 5-6 minutes in salted water, then puree with butter and onions in blender

For the rest:

3 pounds russet potatoes, boiled tender, drained VERY well

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup cream or milk, or to taste

butter and green onion for the top

Bonus Colcannon Coverage!

Check out this great video from my new friend, Jay del Corro aka The Aimless Cook. He's using a variation on colcannon as a base for lamb stew. Why didn't I think of that? I invite you to get the recipe, and read the original post here. Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes – Holiday Trick and Treat

I thought I was posting a video to show off the advantages of doing mashed potatoes ahead of time, but then I realized all that was nothing more than a diversion to distract you from the fact that I’m really trying to trick you into using an alternative to the standard holiday potato side dish.

These mascarpone mashed potatoes are certainly close enough to the classic recipe to keep any purists in the family happy, but the addition of the mild, creamy Italian cheese, a touch of egg yolk, and copious amounts of butter, elevate this to “special occasion” status.

Besides being a delicious change of pace, the advantages of the casserole delivery system are obvious. You don’t have to time your potato mashing so precisely, and this keeps warm in the casserole dish a long time, so it’s really nice for larger groups.

As always, feel free to alter this to your tastes. I do add a substantial amount of butter, but a few times a year I feel like I’ve earned that right, and do so unapologetically. I hope you do the same. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 1/4 pounds russet potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup milk

1 egg yolk

French Onion Green Bean Casserole – It’s Soupy!

If someone calls your green bean casserole “soupy,” it’s usually not a compliment. Here though, it’s completely appropriate. I wanted to rework the iconic Thanksgiving side dish, and wondered what would happen if I brought in some of the tastes and textures that make French onion soup such a favorite.

Somewhat strangely, the final product didn’t remind me at all of French onion soup, but was quite delicious nonetheless, and would certainly be well received around your holiday table. Caramelized onions and melted Gruyere cheese are never a bad idea together, and would make for a great alternative to the old, canned fried onion-topped version.

One small change I would make next time, and that I’ve added to the ingredients list, is a small splash of sherry vinegar added to the onion mixture. As you hardcore foodwishers know, that is the secret ingredient in our famous French onion soup recipe, and I believe it would have better balanced out the sweetness of the dish.

Of course, it goes without saying that you can use just about any cheese you like, and a nice sharp cheddar would definitely work very well here. Anyway, as you start to put together your Thanksgiving menu, I hope you keep this “soupy” side dish in mind. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the onions:

2 tbsp butter

2 or 3 yellow onions, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (stirred into the onions after they are caramelized)

For the white sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 1/2 tbsp flour

2 1/2 cups milk

pinch of nutmeg

cayenne to taste

1/4 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

For the topping:

2/3 cup panko or other style bread crumbs

2 tbsp melted butter

For the rest:

2 lbs green beans, trimmed, blanched

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz grated Gruyere cheese, divided

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pistachio Crust – Save the Mini Marshmallows for Your Hot Chocolate!

Of all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, sweet potato casserole scares me the most. Luckily, for the vast majority of holiday meals, I’ve been the one who got to decide on and cook the menu. But there have been the rare occasions when I’ve been a guest at someone’s home, and subjected to the horror that is the mini marshmallow-topped dish of sweet potatoes.

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to food, I’m as opened-minded as anyone...hey, one time, I actually ate a McRib...but I just don’t understand taking something already as sweet as sweet potatoes, and topping it with one of the sweetest ingredients ever.

Sure, my topping has some brown sugar in it, but I think it’s balanced nicely by the crunchy savoriness of the pistachios. I also forgo the usual scoop of sugar in the filling for a much smaller amount of maple syrup (which, contrary to what you learned in school, is a one-syllable word).

The result is a rich and decadent, yet not cloyingly sweet side dish. By the way, as I mention in the video, the sweet potatoes I used may be called “yams” at the store, but the fact is that all yams sold in American supermarkets are really varieties of sweet potatoes.

Having said that, my recommendation is for using “Garnet Yams,” if you can find them. If you can’t, literally any other variety will do. I hope you give this great side dish recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the sweet potatoes:

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes

salt to taste

2 tbsp butter

2 large eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of allspice

pinch of cayenne

For the pistachio crust:

1/2 cup chopped pistachios (I used roasted, salted)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp melted butter

Root Vegetable Gratin – Notes from the Underground

[I hope you enjoyed our first and last Dostoevsky reference] Whenever I see those big piles of rutabagas at the market, I always think to myself, “who the heck is eating all these root vegetables?” 

I understand that there’ve been times when we literally had no choice – it was either gnaw on a parsnip or perish, but nowadays with so many other delicious choices, why would anyone eat root vegetables on purpose? Has anyone ever stumbled out of a smoky dorm room late at night, in search of a big plate of steamed turnips? Probably not. 

So, while you’ll never catch me boiling up a batch of these fugly roots to enjoy their intoxicating sulphurous savoriness, I have been known to tolerate them in the occasional gratin.

Of course, I cheated and added some potatoes to mellow things out, but still, all kidding aside, this is a very delicious and enjoyable way to eat them, and would make a fantastic side dish for the holidays. And yes, I do know that potatoes are tubers and not roots, so save your emails. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 turnip

1 rutabaga

1 small celery root

2 yukon gold potatotes

1 parsnip

* root vegetable sizes and shapes vary, but bottom line, you’ll need enough to fill a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish up 3/4 of the way

salt to taste (be sure to generously salt the boiling water!)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup cream

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne

1 tbsp fresh picked thyme leaves

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Creamy Wild Mushroom Ragout – A Triple Threat of Fungi Flavor

This very easy mushroom ragout, not only looks and tastes great, but it one of those magical recipes that shines equally as bright whether you serve it with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We call these dishes, “triple threats,” and they’re important weapons in any cook’s arsenal.

Imagine this under a perfectly poached egg for breakfast – the golden yolk slowly running into the hot mushrooms and creamy sauce; all sitting on a thick slab of crispy toast. It’s almost too perfect to comprehend. I said “almost,” so try to comprehend it.

For lunch, I can’t think of a better meatless meal than this and a cold, crisp green salad. You could score bonus foodie points for using the same vinegar you used in the ragout, to make the dressing.

For dinner, the possibilities are endless. There are very few meat-based main courses this wouldn’t make a very handsome side dish for. Or, used as a sauce for those meats, or even just over a plate of pasta.

As I mentioned in the video, literally any combination of fresh mushrooms will work. If you can’t get fresh wild mushrooms, you can always use the trick of adding some dried porcini or morel to plain button mushrooms. These are now sold at virtually every large grocery store, and their funkier flavors will permeate the porous flesh of the regular ‘shrooms.

Anyway, I’m not in the habit of threatening my readers, let alone triple-threatening them, but I really hope you all give this outrageously delicious mushroom ragout a try soon. By the way, don't forget we showed you all how easy it is to make you own creme fraiche in this video. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs mixed mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp butter, divided

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 tbsp champagne vinegar, or other wine vinegar

2 tbsp cognac, brandy or sherry

1/2 cup crème fraiche

1/2 cup chicken broth or as needed

1 tbsp fresh herb

toasted bread

Stuffed Summer Squash with Merguez Sausage and Goat Cheese – Tastes Like Not Summer Squash

I always smile when I hear chefs say you should never cover-up or overpower the natural flavors of the main ingredient. Yes, sometimes you should, and this Merguez sausage and goat cheese stuffed summer squash recipe is a perfect example.

Show me a person that would honestly claim that these lovely summer squash would have been better had we not stuffed them with spicy lamb sausage and cheese, and I’ll show you a vegan.

This is one of those recipe videos where I want you to pay attention to the concept and the simple procedure, and not necessarily the ingredients I used. There are so many varieties of squash that would work here, and ten times that in sausage/cheese combos.

These stuffed squash will be especially useful if you’re living next door to the “why the hell do they plant such a huge garden?” neighbors. You know the ones; sweet, older couple, eight kids all moved out, and yet they still plant like two acres of zucchini and crookneck squash.

The next time they leave that 20-lb basket on your doorstep, give this amazing recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5-6 round green summer squash, halved

4 oz Merguez sausage, or any spicy sausage

2-3 oz fresh soft goat cheese

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste

breadcrumbs and olive oil as needed

Sufferin' Succotash Salad

I've been looking for a tasty way to show off this ultra-fast and easy barbecue sauce vinaigrette idea, and this almost raw succotash salad proved to be a perfect vehicle. And to think, I almost ruined it by doing it the right way.

Originally, I was going to grill the corn first, and then slice the cooked kernels into the salad. As I started to prep, I took a little nibble off the end of the ear, and it was so sweet and juicy that I decided to change the plan, and go au natural.

Thanks to the sweet, starchy crunch of the raw corn, the combination of tastes and textures in this salad is outstanding. Sure, you could certainly add more than the four ingredients called for here, but I'm wondering if that would really make this any more perfect.

This succotash salad is great for those occasions when you need to bring a side dish to the company picnic, or family reunion, and want to arrive with something that looks like you put in a lot more effort into it than you actually did.

As you'll see in the clip, the dressing could not be simpler, but will rely on a quality barbecue sauce to bring everything together. I used my wife Michele's famous SFQ sauce, but your favorite barbecue sauce should work out as well (assuming it's deeply-flavored, complex, and kind of spicy).

Anyway, this may not be the most exciting, or visually thrilling thing we've made around here, but what it lacks in aesthetic charm, it more than makes up for in everything else. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh sweet corn

1 large red bell pepper, small dice

4 green onions, chopped fine

1 can white beans, rinsed, drained

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Crusty Roasted Yellow Potatoes - Now with Extra Steps!

So, you know how I'm always saving you time and money by designing these video recipes with a minimum number of steps?

This time we're going the other way. I'm taking a perfectly good roasted potato recipe and adding another procedure.

The secret to these deliciously crusty potatoes is the pre-oven boiling in a salted and seasoned liquid. The potatoes not only absorb flavor and salt, but more importantly the surface of the potato cooks, which is what forms the great crunchy texture in the oven.

This is sort of the same idea behind the twice-fried French fries we featured in a video last year. By the way, it's very important to let the potatoes really dry well before coating with the oil. This will ensure a great crusty skin.

You can use this same technique, and flavor the cooking liquid any number of ways. If you like this recipe, you'll have lots of experimenting to do.

I hope you all have a fun Fourth of July planned! I'm almost done with the cured lemon quail recipe, so stay tuned for that soon. Have a safe and fabulous rest of the weekend, and as always, enjoy!





Ingredients:
2 pounds new yellow potatoes
3 sprigs rosemary
3 cloves garlic, whole, peeled, bruised
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of cayenne

This Pan-Fried Butter Beans Recipe Only Sounds Unhealthy!

I can see where a recipe title with the words "fried" and "butter" appearing one after the other may scare a few people off, but there's no reason to be alarmed. This pan-fried butter beans recipe is delicious, super-easy, and yes, good for you.

These big, creamy legumes are just perfect for pan-frying. The thick skins get all crackly, and crusty, and will soak up whatever you decide to flavor them with. Here they get a very traditional treatment of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. A little vinegar at the end to balance things out, and you have a beautiful summer side dish.

I'm posting this while waiting for my flight back from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, so we'll keep things nice and brief. Actually, now that I think about it, there's really not much more to say. So, I'll just finish with a little end-of-recipe advice.

This version is "dry," which is how I like these butter beans served, but if you want something a little moister, towards the end you can add freshly diced tomato, some broth, or even more oil olive and vinegar. Don't worry, you can't break this recipe…it's beans! Enjoy.




Ingredients for 2-4 servings:
1 can butter beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
garlic cloves as needed
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
couple sprigs of fresh herbs
1 tablespoon white wine or sherry vinegar

Can I Get the Onion Rings, Instead of the Fries?

Onion rings have an odd place in American cuisine. Everyone seems to love them, and they're on the menu at just about every burger joint in the country, yet their popularity as a side dish to meat on buns doesn't even come close to the venerable French fry.

The reason is as obvious as it is annoying – they cost extra. Fries always come with the burger, but if you want those crispy, golden brown rings of pleasure, it's going to be $2.00 more.

Sure you crave the crunchy goodness, but the thought of paying extra to upgrade a side dish at Big Bad Billy's Burgers and Beers seems downright un-American.

So, as much as you may want them, and as much as you may fantasize about what a nice treat they'd be while standing in line, when you come belly to cash register, you just can't pull the trigger.

Well, I have good news – this onion rings recipe is so easy, and so amazingly crispy, you can now make up for all those years of deep-fried denial by making these at home.

If fact, these are so good, you may want to consider charging your friends and family a little bit extra for the upgrade. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
big pinch of cayenne
1 cup cold club soda
2-3 cups Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), or as needed
fine salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
2-3 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
*Note: the amounts in the video were for a smaller batch. The amounts above will make a nice large batch, enough for about 8 servings.

Sufferin' Succotash? More Like Succulent and Super-Interesting Succotash!

When most of you hear the word, "succotash," you probably don't think of a delicious vegetable side dish, you probably think of Warner Brother's Sylvester the cat's catchphrase, "Sufferin' succotash!" But succotash really is a great, and very underrated recipe.

As I say in the video, this may be America's oldest vegetable recipe, coming from the Narragansett Indian word, "msíckquatash," which according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means "boiled corn kernels."

You can see from the photo, this is much more than that, combining an array of vegetables including corn, beans, and squash. These three ingredients were such an important source of nutrition for the Native American's they were referred to as "The Three Sisters."

The way they cultivated these three plants together was sheer genius. The corn's stalks were perfect for the climbing vines of the bean plants. In turn, the bean's roots captured nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil, producing larger crops. But it was the third sister that really made the system so brilliant.

Squash sends out long, winding vines with large leaves that stay close to the ground. This acts as an edible ground cover, which not only kept the weeds away, but also provided shade for the corn's shallow roots. It also kept the ground moist, which helped the beans grow, which helped the corn grow higher, which made for longer bean vines/yields, etc., and so on. Who knew succotash could be so fascinating?!

Anyway, I hope you give this easy and nutritious vegetable side dish recipe a try. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno or other small hot chili pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
4 oz green beans, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed
2 green zucchini, cubed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Creamed Spinach – King of the Steakhouse Side Dishes

While in Vegas, I had a marvelous steak lunch at the Strip House, located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Along with the beautifully aged steaks, we enjoyed two stellar sides.

One was a potato dish called Potatoes Romanoff, which Executive Chef John Schenk says he learned from his mother back in Buffalo, NY. I've posted the written recipe for Potatoes Romanoff on my American Foods site, in case you want to give it a go.

The other was my favorite non-potato steakhouse side dish, creamed spinach. Since creamed spinach is one of the side dishes I have to do for the cookbook, and since I haven’t had a new video up in a while, I decided to film this recipe while its creamy deliciousness was still fresh in my mind.

There is only one real secret to great creamed spinach…you have to really squeeze out all the water after you wilt it. If you do, the buttery béchamel sauce coats the spinach to form a thick, satisfying pile of greens that you can almost stand a fork up in. If you don’t, you will be amazed at how the water from the spinach turns your thick, tasty sauce into a pool of pale green disappointment.

Creamed spinach is an easy recipe, but it used to require quite a commitment to make, since washing and picking spinach is tedious and really no fun at all. Nowadays, big bags of pre-washed, baby spinach are common at the supermarket, which makes this recipe a snap. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1 stick butter
24 ounces baby spinach
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 whole clove
4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Red Curry Butternut Squash – When it Comes to Side Dishes, the Food Gods Hate a Coward

As you decide on what to include in your fabulous array of vegetable side dishes for the upcoming holiday feasts, keep one thing in mind. No guts, no glory. For some reason, normally adventurous cooks when faced with a house full of hungry relatives, play scared.

It's probably driven by the desire to want everyone to enjoy everything (you know that's impossible, right?). Serving something too exotic just doesn't seem prudent. I take a different approach. Since these holiday meals are one of the rare times we get to serve multiple side dishes, I think it's the perfect occasion for springing a surprise or two.

This lovely red curry butternut squash certainly fits the bill. Sweet, spicy, and mysterious – this turkey-friendly side dish won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for those at the table that let it work its magic, it promises to be one of their favorite parts of the meal.

Like I said, there are plenty of other side dishes on hand, so even if the worse case scenario happens and everyone from little Billy to Grandma Jean agrees this is the worst squash dish ever, so what? There are seven more sides to pick up the slack. Besides, after the third bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau who's really going to care?

If you've never worked with red curry before, be careful. It's really spicy, and you can always add more as it cooks. To be safe, you can even cut my measurements in half for the spices and then adjust. I hope you give this interesting butternut squash side dish a try. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
3-4 pounds butternut squash, peeled cut in 1-inch cubes
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp red curry powder (I used McCormick)
1 tsp red curry paste (I used Taste of Thai)
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 can coconut milk
1 rounded tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce (or sub to-taste with soy sauce or salt)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
*adjust for salt and heat before serving

Cool Beans! Fresh Corn and Shelling Bean Ragout a la Ramblas

At a recent dinner at Ramblas in San Francisco, Michele and I enjoyed an incredibly simple, yet deeply flavorful shelling bean ragout. Ramblas is our favorite Spanish restaurant in the City, and the big, meaty beans were stewed with corn, citrus, and currants.

In fact, I was so impressed with this dish I swore to myself the next time I saw fresh shelling beans, I would attempt something similar. A week later I was shopping in Berkeley and saw a beautiful pile of cranberry beans (another common name for shelling beans).

I was so happy, and my mouth watered thinking back to that great crock of beans. I'm sure as I stuffed them into the bag, I had one of those deranged smiles that had on-lookers wondering, "What the hell is wrong with that guy."

As you watch this video, I can understand if the combination of ingredients seems a little strange, but trust me, this is a fantastic vegetable dish. It's my new favorite side dish, which is funny since I can't seem to wait for the main course to eat it.

At the end of the video, I garnish the dish with a spoon of something called gremolata. I've already filmed this for another recipe, which isn't live yet, so you will get to see that made, but for now here's all you need to know. Gremolata is simply fresh parsley minced with some raw garlic and lemon zest, moistened with a little olive oil.

This sharp, raw green sauce, along with a little more freshly zested lemon takes a great bean dish and turns it into something spectacular. Enjoy!



Ingredients (these amounts are complete guesses):
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves sliced garlic
1 cup shelling beans
1 cup fresh corn
2 tbsp dried currants
chicken broth as needed (about 1 1/2 cups total, maybe, possibly)
1/4 cup diced fresh ripe tomato
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
To garnish:
gremolata (see description in post)
lemon zest

Susie Q's Santa Maria-Style Salsa (You can call it the ketchup of Santa Maria-style BBQ, but please don't)

We got to see and sample so many great recipes on our recent trip down to California's Santa Maria Valley, but my favorite may have been this Santa Maria-style salsa recipe.

This recipe was demonstrated for me by Susan Righetti, (also known as Susie Q on her website, where she sells local artisan food products). She is an authority on the local cuisine of California's central coast, and hosted us for a fantastic day of cooking and eating.

In addition to this great salsa, she also made a batch of Santa Maria-style pinquito beans, and her husband Paul showed me the real way to do a barbecued tri-tip (on a custom-made barbecue pit in the middle of the house!) I will be posting both those videos as soon as I can.

Susan joked about the Santa Maria-style salsa being, "the ketchup of Santa Maria-style BBQ," since it's always served along side the area's famous barbecued beef.

We had some version of this sauce at just about every meal (including breakfast), and it really did make the smoky meat even more delicious. Some places make a smooth version that's used as a sauce, others make a very chunky style, as seen here, which is eaten more like a side dish salad.

She had a big beautiful bowl of ripe tomatoes which she could have used in this video, but she said that canned tomatoes also work, and since most of you won't have regular access to big beautiful bowls of ripe tomatoes, I had her use the canned ones in the demo.

Susan has a website called Susie Q's Brand where she sells a large variety of local Santa Maria food products, including the magical red oak wood chips. If you are interested in learning more, or want to check out her stuff, here is the link. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
(this is for a half batch of the large bowl you see in the video - about 6 cups)
1 can 28-oz whole tomatoes
1 can 7-oz diced green chilies
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (may substitute garlic powder to taste)
2 tbsp chopped parsley (may also substitute or add fresh cilantro)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

*Note: Susie used a shake of her Santa Maria Seasoning, which I have broken down into salt, pepper, etc., here. You can see what's in her blend on the Susie Q's website.

Mr. Potato Head's Truffled Potato Gratin

I am Mr. Potato head. No, not because of my rather large cranium (hey, it has to be big to fit my huge brain), but because my thoughts are so often centered on potatoes.

Some people daydream about winning the lottery, or being hired as Scarlett Johansson's personal masseuse; I sit and dream about new potato side dishes like this one.

This amazing truffled potato gratin recipe was the star of my recent dry-aged steaks dinner, and was probably the best potato side dish I've had all year.

I love potatoes so much that when I'm looking at a menu in a restaurant, I will actually order my entrée based on what the potato is. I don't care what the main course is, if I see this potato gratin as the accompaniment, that's what I'm getting.

If you've never had truffles before, and are wondering what all the fuss is about, then this is the recipe to try for experiencing the real magic of these fabulous fungi. The great thing about this recipe is you don't need a fortune worth of fresh truffles to make it, thanks to an Italian cheese called sottocenere.

Sottocenere is a semi-soft, fairly mild cheese that's studded with fragrant truffles. When baked into a potato gratin like we've done here, you get the full punch of truffle flavor and aroma, but at a fraction of the cost.

Before you start whining about not being able to find it, check out your nearest big city's best cheese shop -- they can get it. If a store imports Italian cheeses they will have access to this miracle of mycological cheese making.

Speaking of mushrooms, I used a mix of brown and lobster mushrooms, which worked very nicely, but this recipe will be spectacular with any mushroom.

If you can find some wild mushrooms like morel, chanterelle, porcini, or lobster, use them -- but if you can't, use regular supermarket mushrooms and you will still be rewarded with a very memorable potato side dish. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
5 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
5 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
6 oz sottocenere cheese, grated
2 cups cream
1 cup chicken broth

French Fries – So Nice Because You Cook Them Twice

This how to make crisp restaurant-style French fries video recipe is probably more of any FYI – "oh, that's how they do it" demo, than an inspiration to actually try them.

I don't think most people realize that any decent French fry needs to be twice fried. The first frying in done at a lower temperature, which softens the potato and prepares the starchy surface for the second frying's crispification.

When done correctly, you get an amazing textual combination of light fluffy interior and thin crisp exterior. When you fry raw potatoes, even if the oil and temperature are perfect, there is really no way it will get and stay crisp just cooking it through in one shot.

I've been to so many restaurants that either don't know or don't care about this important fact. Why would they serve a limp fry when they could be making beautifully crisp fries? It remains one of the great foodservice mysteries.

Some people actually refer to these as "Belgium fries," since many food historians claim the technique was first developed there. If you research the history of French fries you will read many passionate arguments on the France vs. Belgium debate regarding this sinfully delicious side dishes' true origins.

I find these arguments amusing, not because there aren't legitimate cases for both sides, but because give or take a few bad movies and a couple museums, France and Belgium are like the same country. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
Russet or Kennebec Potatoes
vegetable oil or shortening for frying
salt

Creamy Corn Custard – This is How They Serve Corn in Heaven

If you checked out my top ten list of Aspen Food & Wine highlights, you read about Christopher Kostow's impressive roasted corn custard with truffles and popcorn. Ever since that Patron-soaked evening I've been craving the sweet, silky goodness of this extremely easy recipe.

Corn custard is a wonderful side dish for all kinds of meats. Since it is so soft and light, texturally, it makes a great foil for things like barbecue pork, grilled steaks, and fried fish.

One major difference between my corn custard and Christopher Kostow's (pictured here), or any other "real" chef for that matter, I don't spend 20 minutes straining it. If you really want the ultimate creamy corn custard experience, you need put the mixture through a fine mesh sieve several times to remove all the fibrous corn kernel skins (is there a word for that?).

Since Thomas Keller wasn't coming over for dinner, I used the puree as is, and it was fantastic. If you do strain out the corn solids, you get something closer to a flan, but since you will lose a good deal of volume, you won't need as much egg to bind.

I guess I'll just have to make that version sometime, so I can give you’re the exact measurements. In the meantime, give this method a try. By the way, this is just part one. I love to use this corn custard, along with some spicy shrimp, to make a beautiful, and very summery first course. So stay tuned, and enjoy!



Ingredients for six (6-oz ramekins):
2 cups corn
1 1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
butter