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Pat Friedman
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Scott Rowley
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Chef Jim Desmond
Pat Friedman
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Grace Raudales
Greta Staknyte
Pat Friedman
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Kate Durgin
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WELCOME! To the wild winter from the far reaches of the world. The theme for this season’s issue is FRONTIERS. Inside, talented chefs and home cooks – from across the globe – bring you scrumptious culinary secrets from their neck of the woods.
Living here in northern New England, where winter is always on the breath of the other seasons, it is, like any other circumstance. We make the best of it. We snap on our cross-country skis, snowshoes, or just our hardy boots. We trudge through pine and maple-studded forests; we watch in awe the colors of the North Atlantic, swirling from azure to eternity.
So dig in! To the bison tacos I created for you (a gorgeous, hearty and heart-healthy appetizer for four, at just $2.50 per person).* To the Wild Boar Dirty Noodles from the southern edges of Europe. Or the flapping, slapping salmon dish of perfection…created for this magazine by my talented California chef-brother, of whom I am so proud.
Enjoy and share the gifts within these pages: flip them, turn them, peel them over, just like the divine mushroom crepes that you’ll learn how to make from Lithuania, by our talented social media Director there. The world’s best is here at your doorstep, including our amazing Mocktail feature!
This winter, may all of your experiences – in and out of the kitchen – bubble up with love, peace, and a maybe a hint of peppermint.
Bon Appetit!
Pat
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AUSTRALIA
Nothing gets more down under than quintessential Wattleseed bread with slathers of honey.
COFFEE KLATCH
But the surprisingly frosty and healthy coffee treat will surely bring a smile to your lips.
8
12
18
CROATIA
Dirty Noodles with Wild Boar. Get the southern European spirit with this slightly twisted classic.
COLUMBIA
This vivacious, brilliant teacher & world traveler brings us The Queen’s Arm Cake.
HONDURAS
Shrimp cocktail made authentically & from deep within Honduran heritage.
6
LITHUANIA
In the well-seasoned kitchen of lovely Greta’s grandma making savory crepes to bring a tear to your eye.
14 POLAND
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30
You will absolutely WOW the humblest to the most dignified guests with this recipe.
USA – PACIFIC SOUTH WEST
Twist & turn your spoon through this bowl of goodness, like the salmon do on their wild trip across rivers and seas.
USA – ATLANTIC NORTHEAST
Perfectly cooked grassfed steak on the grill brings flame into the forgiving snowstorm & Israeli Couscous with VEG!
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32
16
BOWL-ING
Curious about --or expert at --the whole BOWL craze? We’ll make it simple, elegant and always way mixed-up.
GARDEN: BEST PESTO
Pesto never looked, felt or tasted this good. Makes your insides do cartwheels. And nut free??
GOOD BREAD
Wait till you start following our designer’s page, inside, you’ll see how he always RISES to the occasion…
20
GOURMET BLING ON A SHOESTRING®
We work hard to bring you these fabulously frugal yet super delish & pretty platters!
37 IN MINUTES
Cranberries raked in from the bogs, rolled with cinnamon & orange, spooned onto waiting dishes…this is one of many features you’ll see over the seasons.
11 MOCKTAIL BAR
Over the top? Heck yeah. This one is award-worthy; a frothy wintery oh-nohe-di’int glass of wintery perfection
40 ROOT CELLAR
34
What Goes Down Must Come Up
SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH
A dash of nostalgia, whipped with farm fresh eggs & avant-garde jazz, make for an applause-worthy feature.
This used to be one of my favourite recipes back when I was a child. I remember my grandma often making it for me, and even now it’s one of my go-to comfort foods. Yummy but not too heavy.
Ingredients • crepes
80 g f lour
1 egg
150 ml milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Ingredients • filling
300-400 g chicken, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
A little bit of onion
1 carrot
Salt, pepper, and Dill
Ingredients • sauce
200 g mushrooms
A bit of olive oil
½ minced onion
50 ml of heavy cream
Salt and pepper
method
servings 4
First, we make the batter. Mix the flour with salt.
1. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and mil k
2. While mixing, add the flour mixture. Now, we make the filling.
3. Grate the carrot and chop the onion.
4. Heat the pan with a bit of olive oi l
5. Saute’ the chicken with the onions
6. Once the mince is almost ready, add the grated carrot, pepper and salt.
7. Lastly, add the dill.
To fry the crepes, we use 2-3 tablespoons of batter per each crepe.
8. Once the crepes are cooked on both sides, add the filling and wrap the crepes as shown.
9. Return the wrapped crepes to the oiled, hot pan and fr y each side for an extra 1-2 minutes.
The final part of the recipe is the sauce.
10. Fry the onions, then fold in the mushrooms.
11. Once these are fried, add the heavy cream to the skillet and mix everything.
12. Top the crepes with the sauce and enjoy!
Lithuanians know how to serve up some magical, healthful dishes. Savory cabbage rolls in tomato sauce, herring in brine with garden veggies, and of course, the national dish, “Zeppelin,” which must be celebrated:
When Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin designed and flew the first Zeppelin in Germany in 1900, he inspired the new name – of a longtime favorite and traditional Lithuanian dumpling – which resembles the awesome airship. Hence the name Zeppelin, translated: Cepelinai (pronounced “sep-elle-in-ay”).
Cepelinai is for everyone. Vegetarians stuff these potato pillows of love with cheese curds; omnivores fill them with spiced minced pork. Velvety sauces and sour cream top it off, served with love.
“I guess we’re known as a country that worships basketball. The old town of our capital is very cozy, with classicism style buildings and lots of churches. The whole country is very green, with plenty of forests and lakes. Even the capital is one of the greenest in Europe. We have all 4 seasons, so the climate changes a lot here. Our cuisine is fairly heavy with potatoes and meat (mostly pork).” — Greta Staknyte
When serving ‘Dirty Macaroni,’ we follow the principle: “The early bird catches the worm.” This means that the one who gets served the last of the macaroni is left without meat and only gets the macaroni that is barely covered with the remnants of the sauce at the bottom of the pot –hence the name – dirty macaroni.
This well-known Dubrovnik meal is traditionally served at the Feast of Sv Vlaho (St. Blaise), the patron saint of the city. It is a rather filling
meal that satisfies big appetites and big families. It is also very practical, because the sauce can be made a day or two in advance, giving the flavour an extra kick.
This sauce is a carefully balanced combination of onion, garlic, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, red wine, prunes, and parsley. For a good sauce, we need a good cut of meat – usually beef shank.
Bucatini pasta is a must (thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center), as it holds on to a bit of the pasta water.
For the most fulfilling experience, grate hard sheep or goat cheese over it when serving.
Who can resist this delicious meal, even if you do only get the dirty macaroni from the bottom of the pot?
Traditionally in Dubrovnik we use beef shank. For the FRONTIERS theme of this magazine, we substitute with Wild boar meat, which is intense, sweet and nutty in flavour, which will “build” well with nutmeg, cinnamon, prunes, wine …
To me, cooking represents a trip into a world of imagination, a journey to another dimension where time doesn’t exist. Almost like a game, I harmonize flavours and aromas, colours and textures - balancing, improvising, going overboard, breaking rules ... It’s a step away from everyday life. A process that changes minute by minute. A world away from my main profession as an economist. All that cooking raises levels of oxytocin, the love hormone. How can I resist? I was born in Karlovac (northern Croatian) and studied Economics at the University of Zagreb. Love led me to Split and freed up a new energy from within, as with every one of the many travels I have been on with my husband and children where I got to try new flavours and aromas, learn new recipes and integrate them into my own everyday cooking.
— Tatjana Kezic, Cookbook Author, Culinary Teacher & Recipe Blogger
Blog: platesnplanes.com • lnstagram:
@plates_planesThis is a feast for the palate and soul.Pat Friedman on the wild road between Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia Photo by: Mato Perajica Recipe & Food Photos by Tatjana Kezic Tatjana Kezic
Ingredients
1⁄2 kg wild boar ( traditionally we are using beef shank )
3 tablespoons of home-made lard (or oil)
2 onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of roughly chopped parsley
5 cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon of cinnamon
3-4 prunes
150 mL of red wine (make sure it’s quality wine because bad wine will ruin the flavour)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
salt
pepper
macaroni
hard sheep or goat cheese
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
method servings 4
1. Remove the tough bits and the fat off the meat, and cut into 2-cm cubes (your butcher can do this for you).
2. Heat the lard in a pot and add the diced onions. When the onions start to look glassy, add the meat.
3. Sauté, stirring, until the cubes get lightly browned on each side.
4. Add chopped garlic, parsley and a little warm water. Cover with a lid and let it simmer 30 minutes.
5. Then add everything else (cloves, nutmeg, prunes, cinnamon, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Don’t forget to cover it with w ine).
6. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours. This allows for the meat to soften and the sauce to thicken.
7. Once the meat is done, cook the macaroni ‘al dente.’
8. Serve with grated cheese.
Recipe & Photos by Stefan Vallee
Hailing from the cold, dry winter season on the coast of Maine… by way of our northern brothers and sisters in Quebec, “Au Contraire” is here to bring all our favorite winter flavors together in one glass. This mocktail may require a few more
1 ½ oz - Honey Syrup with Ginger Root & Lemon Zest*
1 oz – Cranberry & Juniper “Tea”**
3 oz – White Cranberry Juice
The base of our mocktail…. A classic.
1 Egg White LINK
steps than you are usually used to, but it will make all the difference when you take your first sip and discover the power of texture & mouthfeel in a drink. Featuring the spicy notes of ginger root, bittersweetness of cranberry & juniper, familiar zest of a lemon and the luxurious fluff of an egg white, this mocktail is sure to impress you and all your family or friends.
method servings 1
1. First, add your favorite “cocktail” glass to the freezer and let it get happy in there.
2. Combine all ingredients to your shaker and add ONLY ON E (1)c ube of ice
3. When utilizing egg white in a cocktail or mocktail, it must be “dry” shaken beforehand. (Full disclosure… I cheat a bit and add the 1 cube rather than a true dry shake, I find it creates a much fluffier foam.)
4. Shake HARD until you can no longer hear the 1 cube dancing around in there.
5. Once the cube has disintegrated, fill ¾ of the shaker wit h ice and shake until cold
6. Strain into chilled glass & enjoy!
*SO easy!!! This was prepared in a standard mason jar. Shave the skin off a palm sized ginger root (more ginger=more spice) and slice into small chunks, add to jar. Next, take a knife and slice off the peel of 1 lemon, add to the same jar. Now you want to add in your honey, I’d say about 1 cup or enough to fill ¼ of your jar (I used
Naturoney from Quebec… so good!). Lastly, fill the jar with hot, hot water & mix. Set aside & let cool.
**Also, so easy!! Add 1/2 cup of juniper berries and 1/2 cup of cranberries to a pot with water and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (up to 90 mins), strain and set aside.
My culinary experience fortunately began in the kitchen with my parents. As a child, my family had somewhat of a strict schedule on weekly meals. Although there would be a healthy rotation of options from week to week, each individual recipe was pretty much the same as the last time we had it on our table. This is where I found the #1 ingredient that I’d go on to use daily throughout my life, imagination. Fast forward a couple decades, mix in 7 years of bartending experience and “Au Contraire” is born. — Stefan Vallee
www.555-north.com
Stefan Vallee
Cartagena, Columbia - Lush balcony planters along the street looking towards town square.
Colombia, the queen’s arm is a popular dessert, it is possible to see it in most of the bakeries in the cities and towns of the country, with different variations. I grew up watching my grandmother make it only with strawberries or with strawberry flavor. The different variations and cultural mixes have permeated Colombian culture and thus transformed the famous Colombian queen arm, its fillings are now infinite. Strawberries are a favorite ingredient in Colombian desserts, because this tradition of cooking with strawberries has made me want to keep my grandmother’s original recipe – because it reminds me of my childhood, my friends, and my neighborhood.
INGREDIENTS • sheet cake
5 eggs
125 grams of sugar
125 grams wheat flour (sifted)
5 grams baking powder
20 grams orange zest
INGREDIENTS • filling
500 grams milk or cream
125 grams powdered sugar
1 lb s trawberries cut into chunks
1. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius.
servings 6-8
2. Into a bowl beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer, slowly adding the orange zest. If you want to have a much spongier cake, separate the yolks from the whites and beat the whites separately until stiff. Then gently mix everything, in an enveloping way.
3. When the ingredients are well incorporated, add the sifted flour and the baking powder.
4. Keep beating until you have a homogeneous and creamy mixture.
5. Grease the baking tray (it must be large because it will be the base to create the roll) .
6. Place the parchment paper and pour the mixture carefully.
7. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Cool.
8. For the filling, in a bowl put the milk cream and the powdered sugar, beat with the mixer until you have a creamy mixture.
9. Then add the strawberry pieces and stir with a spoon. (Add a thin layer of jam if desired, without tearing the cake.)
10. Finally, spread the strawberry-cream mixture over the cold cake and roll up. Do this gently yet authoritatively. It can be served immediately or refrigerated for
Nadia (35) is a Colombian expat working and living around the world since 2017. Passionate about languages, cultures, teaching, hiking and cooking. She grew up with her grandmother in Bogotá where she began cooking from the age of eight — manifesting the typical flavors of her country. Since she began to travel, her recipes have developed more deeply with an international touch of mixtures and flavors. — Nadia
“Brazo de Reina” (The Queen’s Arm) Recipe & Food Photos by Nadia QuenguanNadia Quenguan
In Poland, we always eat dumplings served during Christmas time. It’s the most popular meal on Christmas Eve, together with beetroot soup. However, during the summertime, we prepare dumplings with sweet stuffing or cottage cheese. Preparing dumplings takes a while, and the most time-consuming part is folding dumplings. Every family has their own version of folding dumplings, sometimes you can use a special dumplings cutter, Dumplings are perfect for the idea of plate-sharing dinners - everyone is happy with different stuffing - sweet or sour!
INGREDIENTS • dough
300 g wheat flour
125 ml hot water
20 g butter
a big pinch of salt
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
INGREDIENTS • sweet stuffing
4 big apples
50 g butter
20 g sugar (or less, depending how sweet apples are)
a big pinch of cinnamon (or more!)
INGREDIENTS • sour stuffing
500 g cabbage
100 g dried mushrooms (penny buns are best)
salt, pepper, caraway- to your taste
3-5 bay leaves- to your taste
3-5 allspices - to your taste
method servings 4-6
Dumpling Dough
1. Pour the flour into a large bowl, add the salt
2. Put the butter in boiling water and melt, then gradually pour it into the flour, combining everything using your hands.
3. Knead into a smooth dough and turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 8 to10 minutes until the dough will be soft, flexible and fluffy.
4. Cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel and leave for approx. 30 minutes.
Sweet Stuffing
5. Wash apples and dice them into small pieces.
6. Thoroughly preheat the pan with butter, then add sugar.
7. After a minute, add apples and fry for 5-10 minutes until they are tender.
8. Cool thoroughly.
Sour Stuffing
9. Rinse the dried mushrooms, cover them wit h cold water and set aside for at least 6 hours (sometimes I leave them overnight).
10. The next day, drain thoroughly and cut them into small pieces.
11. Drain the cabbage (if it is too sour you can rinse the cabbage, even twice) and cook in water until soft with salt, pepper, caraway, 3-5 bay leafs, and 3-5 allspice (approx. 20-30 minutes), drain thoroughly.
12. Finally, combine cabbage with mushrooms
13. Cool thoroughly.
14. Pour the stuffing into a chopping board and finely chop.
Now we’re ready to prepare dumplings!
15. Divide the dough into 4-5 equal parts.
16. Roll into thin parties one after the other.
17. Cut out circles with a small glass, put the stuffing in the middle, fold in half and seal the edges.
18. Boil water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
19. Throw a few dumplings into boiling water, and cook 3-4 minutes until soft.
20. Sweet: serve with butter, cream or sugar.
21. Sour: serve with finely diced onions and bacon glazed in butter.
Hi! I’m Anna, I come from Poland, in Central Europe. I’m an HR and Recruitment Manager for an international European company in the digital media industry. I derive high satisfaction from my job - working with people and for people gives me power every day. Privately a lovely wife, a reliable friend, a crazy sister and a supportive daughter. In my culture, being with family and close friends is the most important value. That’s why my cooking philosophy is mostly based on social meetings’ mood, it’s always a food o’clock here!
Did you know scientists are researching to discover if yeasts are unique to you! Bread makers have taken advantage of natural yeasts and bacteria to bake bread for thousands of years. Yet, these organisms remain a mystery to us. Is it the flour we use, or do the yeast organisms come from water, air, or bakers’ hands? Find out more about this study by clicking HERE.
Sourdough bread making became a significant phenomenon during the COVID shutdown. Ironically, this is when I started my home bakery, Edward’s Kitchen. I have now been baking my simple sourdough bread for over 8 years. I started my starter in 2014 in Maine. During this time leading up to the opening of my home bakery, I discovered methods that greatly simplify the sourdough bread-making process. Before I introduce you to the tips and tricks, let me help you start your unique sourdough starter.
1.5 cups of any flour of your choice
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 3⁄4 cups of potato water at room temperature
You should get in the habit of smelling your starter. It will change subtly but should always have a pleasant yeasty, almost beer-like odor. If it smells unpleasant or stops bubbling or rising, the starter has been contaminated and should be thrown out.
amount 2 cups
1. Reserved unsalted potato water from your boiled potatoes you make for dinner
2. Measure the flour in a medium size glass or stainless bowl.
3. Add the sugar, then whisk to combine.
4. Pour the cooled potato water into the flour mixture, then stir with a wooden spoon until combined. You do not want to over-mix the flour; this will cause the gluten to form.
5. Cover loosely with a plate or a couple of cotton towels.
6. Leave the covered bowl in a warm dark spot in you r kitchen for 24 hours. (60° to 70° F)
7. After 24 hours, you should see that the flour mixture has risen or bubbles at the top of the mix. (If this has not happened, try stirring in a ½ teaspoon of some dry yeast from the store. Let it sit covered for another 2 to 4 hours.)
8. Put the starter in a jar with a screw-top lid. (This starter does not make enough to bake with. ‘See Feeding Your Starter’.)
9. Put this starter in your fridge to keep until you are ready to bake. Keep the lid loose to welcome more natural yeast to your starter.
Be sure to mark the jar as ‘Sourdough Starter’ to prevent someone from throwing it away.
Yes, you will need to feed your starter at least every 10 days. The process is simple; you will no longer need to use any reserved potato water. Most recipes require 2 cups of “fed starter”. If you are ready to make bread…
1. 10 to 12 hours before making your bread, mix the same dry ingredients above with 1 ¾ cup filtered water or tap water left out for 12 hours. This helps remove chlorine.
2. Take your starter jar from the fridge; it will have separated. The clear liquid is “hooch”. You can either stir the hooch into the settled flour in the jar or pour it out.
3. Pour the jar contents into your flour, sugar, and water mixture.
4. You now will have about 4 cups of sourdough starter.
5. Cover loosely with a plate or a couple of cotton towels.
6. Leave the cover bowl in a warm dark spot in you r kitchen for 10-12 hours. (Depending on how warm your kitchen is, your starter may have bubbles or a clear hooch on top after the allotted time.)
7. Give the starter a stir
8. Measure out the amount of starter you need for you r recipe, and put the rest of the feed starter in a clean ja r with a screw top lid.
9. Put this starter in your fridge for your next recipe Keep the lid loose to welcome more natural yeast to your starter.
TIP: If you cannot make bread after 10 days, you can keep your starter alive by mixing 1 ⁄ 2 cup of flour, 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon sugar, and 1 ⁄3 cup of filtered water. Which should make about 3 ⁄4 cup to feed your starter. Take your starter from the fridge. The starter will have separated, and the hooch on top will need to be stirred. Once mixed, pour out about 1 ⁄ 2 cup of the starter, then mix in as much of the 3 ⁄4 cup flour mixture that will fit, allowing for about 3 ⁄4 inch from the top of the jar. Once combined, loosely cover your jar and return it to the fridge.
Why I Bake – I started my baking obsession in the ‘80s, trying to make the perfect sourdough bread. I chose sourdough because I love the crunchy pull of the crust and the remarkable softness inside. I’ve attempted to perfect my skills with other bread, cookies, pies, granola, and now wheat-free. During this period, I’ve shared my experiments with recipes and baking techniques with family and friends, asking for their opinions. Some of my family now needs to be wheat-free, so I’ve dived into learning the techniques for using wheat-free flour. I’ve adjusted some favorite recipes and my family can’t believe they are baked without wheat flour. — Scott Rowley • edwardskitchen.com
You’ll find as many references to the origins of butter as you will recipes in which to use it.
Consensus is that butter was an accidental discovery around 8000 B.C. in Africa. A shepherd discovered that warm sheep’s milk curdles into something delicious, once having been “churned” through the motions of traveling a container of its milk on its back. Thus, butter originated by the milk of other animals than cows.
• Butter is not the health-hazard that some suggest. True, smaller doses will do you better. But you’ll find no artificial trans fats - found in margarine - linked with bad cholesterol. The good fats, Omega 3 and 6 are found here in this slippery, golden lover. It’s also fortified with vitamins A, E, D and K.
• With such luxurious flavor, hues and velvety consistency, ancient Irish butter is believed to have been offered to pacify their pagan deity/ies.
• By the Middle Ages, butter was universally loved and craved from the poorest to the most wealthy families.
• When we hear terms like, “butter could melt in his mouth,” it literally means that butter’s melting point is the same exact temperature as the inside of a human’s mouth. Most butter in the world is made in India, called “ghee.”
Once, when I was traveling, the owners of a B & B where I stayed, served up one of the most delicious brunches I’ve ever had. Their secret? landolakesbutter.com. Who can compete with some of those incredible recipes? The original shepherds? Naaaaaaaa!
Photos by Pat Friedman
Scott Rowley
The holidays shout “Shrimp Cocktail!” to many people around the world. But this very special and authentic, Latin-inspired recipe can be served anytime: in a cocktail cup or over tostadas. It’s just as gorgeous on the palate as it is to behold with the eyes.
Recipe & Food Photos by Grace Raudales
ingredients • shrimp
10-15 shrimp
1 garlic clove (chopped)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. ketchup
ingredients • chismol
1 tomato
½ white onion
½ red onion
1 yellow pepper
½ lime juice
Cilantro, salt, pepper & cumin to taste
ingredients • tostones
2-3 sweet ripe plantains
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
ingredients • Chimichurri
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
2 clove garlic
1 1⁄2 tbsp. vinegar
avocado and Serrano pepper or jalapeño (for garnish, to taste)
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
method servings 4
Shrimp
1. Boil shrimp briefly in the vegetable broth and fresh chopped garlic.
2. Once the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, drain.
3. In a small bowl, mix the light mayonnaise with ketchup (in this case I subbed Clamato juice for the ketchup for less sweetness.)
4. Fold in the shrimp and chill for 30 minutes to cool down.
Chismol
5. Chop into even sized pieces: tomato, onion, red onion, and yellow pepper
6. Mix together the minced cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin.
7. Fold in the chopped veggies and herbs.
Tostones
8. Cut plantains into thick wheels and then press them wit h two cutting boards or plates to get them thinner and to achieve that fun shape.
9. If you have an air fryer, put the tostones in for 10 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. — Or, fry in a pan with a little oil until well browned and cooked through.
Chimichurri
10. Blend olive oil, garlic, parsley and vinegar to make a little dressing/paste.
11. Drizzle onto the Tostones.
12. Garnish your choice of presentation with avocado and Serrano pepper or jalapeño if you like heat.
I’m Grace Raudales , born in Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras in Central America). My father: a diplomat, writer, producer and armed forces spokesperson. His passion for food grew with every country where he would travel. He’d try a traditional dish from each region and learn how to cook it. So, I grew up tasting unique flavors and exotic foods that weren’t around Latin America at the time. My mother is an environmentalist, and she grew up on a traditional, organic and healthy Mayan diet.
My early career in multi-media and modeling eventually led to one in banking once I completed my degree in business and restaurant management. For 18 years now, I’ve lived in Maine where I’ve worked in and consulted for restaurants and bars with a Harvard degree in mixology. I love to play with new flavors that are exotic but at the same time healthy! Thanks, Mom & Dad.
½ of a pineapple
1 small onion
1 roasted red pepper (fresh or from a jar)
2 s talks of celery
2 large cloves of garlic
Handful of chopped, fresh coriander (or any combination of wide-leaf parsley, basil, even a lite dill)
Pinch of hot pepper (fresh or dried: being sure to cut this last, and to wash hands before touching face or anything else. Promptly wash the knife and cutting board after mincing hot pepper/s.)
2 Tbsp of white vinegar (or other)
1 Tbsp of olive oil (if you have castor oil or “vegetable oil,” STOP: throw it away. Come back with olive, coconut, safflower, grapeseed – any other oils that help and not harm the body.)
Dash salt and pepper (taste first. . . this salsa may need none or VERY LITTLE.)
The trick to any good salsa is to take the time to carefully clean and chop each plant consistently in size; into neat, small, relatively even pieces. This helps you to get the Full Monty onto a chip or into one balanced mouthful.
1. Into a medium bowl, gently add all ingredients together, reserving half of the fresh herbs for last.
2. Drizzle the mix evenly with the vinegar and the oil.
3. Sprinkle with a smidge of salt and pepper if desired, then toss once - lightly.
4. Add half the fresh chopped herbs. Then toss once more, very lightly, while keeping everything intact
5. Sprinkle the top with the remaining herbs
Serve in a rustic bowl with banana chips or other flavorful “exotic” chips. Or serve as a compelling side dish for your favorite vegan, egg, fish or meat dishes.
Bear in mind: you still have the other ½ of the pineapple to use creatively and quickly. . perhaps in a blended drink to invite a little more “tropical” to your winter?
Shoestring Note:
This recipe costs pennies apiece . . . though the raves I’ve heard so far include “It looks too pretty to eat – but then when you dive in – it’s DELISH!”
How do you avoid the egregious, continuing gouging by the grocery industry, which has been continually profiting on the inflation that is crushing consumers’ lifestyle? Just don’t go.
1. Start with a dollar-store for nuts, dried fruits, tomato paste, brown rice, spices, frozen vegetables... you can walk out with a large bag of healthy ingredients like these for $10. (Not to mention the savings you get on zipper bags, kitchen, cooking and cleaning supplies.)
2. Stop at Big Lots or other large discount store for your coffee, and an array of pantry goods.
3. Surprise yourself at the Farmer’s Market: produce, meats and homemade breads, cheeses and desserts are less expensive than they are in most organics section of the supermarkets.
4. Find neighborhood outlet or salvage stores. They must sell safe and lower-thanretail groceries. They have endless arrays of unique and wonderful ingredients; just double check all expiration dates.
5. Go online. Get creative with your search and order great, discounted food & kitchen products to be delivered or picked up.
6. Frequent the little “mom & pop” shops in nearby neighborhoods, that often have limited inventory but great random deals.
7. Lastly, if you must go to the supermarket, be prepared: know what’s on sale. Use coupons. Don’t buy anything you don’t need. Follow only the SALE stickers & carefully compare prices PER UNIT.
1 lb ground bison or beef or any combination of ground meats if desired.
2½ can black beans
½ can corn
½ onion, diced
½ BULB of garlic (about four cloves)
½ bunch of chopped cilantro or parsley
2 small to medium tomatoes, preferably organic, chopped with juice and seeds removed
1 avocado, cubed (sprinkle with some lemon, lime or orange juice to prevent browning)
I hot/chili pepper, minced: make sure to use extra care washing hands and chopping area to prevent burns; avoid touching face when handling very hot peppers. Leave a few seeds for intensity
½ jar of salsa (premade or homemade salsa)
½ container of Mexican Crema, or sour cream for garnish
1 lime (½ for juice in the salsa and ½ to be sliced for garnish)
2 rounded cups shredded cheese
Liquid drizzle/s of your choice (salsa verde, guacamole cream.)
1 bag of tortilla/nacho chips (OR ½ package of small fresh tortillas, sliced into quarters and then quickly, lightly fried or baked until crisp and lightly salted)
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
1. If you opt for meat, seasoned to taste and browned lightly in oil until slightly pink inside, cover and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit.
3. Line a large cookie sheet with tinfoil.
4. Have all ingredients pre-measured and ready and be prepared to assemble this quickly, all at once. There is no time to waste, unless you want soggy chips.
5. Stack the chips higher in the center than around the edges.
6. Top evenly with meat mixture if opted
7. Next, drizzle the salsa all around.
8. With frivolity and a positive spirit, scatter even layers of your gorgeous ingredients, with the cheese and herbs covering it all last. Sprinkle a little cumin, onion powder and/or other spices if desired.
9. Put in the center rack of the oven until cheese melts and edges start browning. Check frequently. It should take under 10 minutes.
10. Serve right from the pan, as is, in the center of the table (with a side of crispy chips and/or a simple salad of cold shredded lettuce, cabbage and cukes, for a nice balance of temps and textures.)
11. Top with a dollop of crema if desired. And/or drizzle wit h your favorite taco sauce/s.
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Grass-fed bison can be found in most supermarkets, costs the same as ground beef, and is leaner and lighter. It does not taste “gamey.” Imperceptible from beef in this recipe - your guests will love the surprise!
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This gorgeous and simple recipe can be embellished by ingredients that you have in your pantry, refrigerator or freezer. Just remember that mixing flavors and textures within reason is good. But mixing aromas, fragrances and strong-scented ingredients can be perilous. Think twice when adding anything that has a strong, overpowering scent or flavor.
This satisfying, hearty appetizer serves four people for only about $2.50 each.
AND, half of most of the ingredients still remain… perhaps for tomorrow’s easy Mexican Veggie Tortilla Soup?
The Power of ONE … ingredient.
Winter Waldorf Salad
Food bowls have been all the rage for the last 5 years or so. They’re great opportunities for creative, healthy combos. Unlike Poke Bowls which feature fish, the protein in my creation comes from marinated eggs. NO! Those are not brown eggshells that you see ~ they’re hardboiled eggs soaked overnight in an Asian style broth. That scented hint adds sophistication to a simple dish. And the combination of textures is as fabulous as the flavors..
1-2 eggs per person
1 green apple, sliced thinly
1 orange, peeled & sectioned1
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 handful of sprouts
¼ of a green cabbage, chopped into small & even bits
2 scallions, chopped finely
1 package of ramen noodles
3 Tbsp white vinegar – for the cabbage marinade
1 capful white vinegar – for the boiled egg water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup broth (either use your own, or add a cup of H20 to the ramen seasoning and stir)
Dash salt
Dash celery seed if available (optional)
method servings 2
(NOTE: two elements will need to marinate.)
1. Boil egg/s: start with a capful of vinegar in a small pot of warm water / bring to a low rolling boil on med-high for 1012 minutes / dunk in cold water / peel when cooled.
2. Marinate the eggs 6-12 hours, in a deeper bowl, completely covered by the soy sauce and broth. Reserve the broth.
3. In a small bowl, toss the chopped cabbage in the vinegar, salt and celery seed. Refrigerate for 1-12 hours to let the flavors bloom.
4. Simmer low – until just tender – the chopped sweet potato, keeping intact. Gently drain and cool, laid out on a plate.
5. Cook the ramen noodles per instructions – do not overcook. You can omit these, or use GF noodles.
6. Build your bowl!
Cover half the bottom with the noodles and the other hal f with the cabbage. (Drizzle the broth over the noodle half… it will combine beautifully with the cabbage brine.) Design as shown, or however the spirit moves you. . .
It’s amazing how filling and energizing this culinary concept really is. Your leftovers, pantry, and especially fresh produce choices yield endless possibilities for gorgeous, healthful bowls of your own. Bowl-Appetit!
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
Recipe & Photo by Pat Friedman
2 lbs. fresh Haddock, Cod or similar ground fish
1⁄2 lb. bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
2-3 medium Yukon Gold, Russet or Baby Red potatoes – many people leave the skins on. NOTE: wherever you are in the world, just select the most local and hardy spuds available.
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 8 oz. bottle clam juice (or your fish stock. See CHEF JIM’S PERFECT FISH STOCK )
2 cups milk, cream, or ½ & ½
2 Tbsp flour
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Bay leaf
1⁄8 tsp dried thyme +/-
Salt & pepper to taste.
DO taste first: already the fish, bacon, clam juice and cream all contain salt.
1. Place chopped potatoes into a medium pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, turn heat to medium low to bring to a slow boil. Boil for 7 minutes, leaving the potatoes somewhat dense in the center. Drain. Set aside.
2. Place fish in large pieces with the clam juice/fish brot h into a medium pot and bring to a low simmer until fish i s partially cooked through. Do not stir the fish – try keeping it from breaking up. Set aside.
3. In a Dutch oven, fry bacon until slightly crisp and drain on paper. Set aside.
4. Place onions into the pot and cook in the bacon oil, on medium low heat 4 - 5 minutes, until slightly translucent with a bit of crisp is left on the onion. Set onions aside.
5. To the bacon oil in the pan, add flour (see our list of gluten free flours in our Autumn Issue), and stir, cooking on low for 1 minute.
6. Add milk or cream and bring to a simmer over low heat.
7. Stir often until thickened, which takes a few minutes.
8. Add potatoes, fish & broth, bacon, bay leaf, thyme, (and butter if desired.)
9. Simmer on low, stirring often and checking for you r desired consistency. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Chowder can taste even better the next day.
Just about as many recipes exist for New England chowder (“chowdah”), as there are New Englanders. Many opt for canned milk, use a layering technique of the ingredients, and omit flour (the potatoes are a natural thickening agent.) Either way, this creamy and pithy dish has been a staple in the Northeast U.S. for generations. Clams are commonly used here for chowders, or simply corn in lieu of fish. The Haddock in this recipe is found in the chilly waters of the Gulf of Maine, year-round.
My name is Kate Durgin . I was born and raised on the coast of Maine. I’m a wife, mother, and a self-taught cook. Learning over time by reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows, and trials with many errors. I also enjoy traveling to my surrounding states and learning about the local history and culture. I hope you enjoy this New England favorite, one of my tried-and-true recipes.
“CHOWDAH!”Recipe & Photo by Kate Durgin
During the winter months in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world, it’s the peak of the orange season! (I once wrote for a Japanese travel company on the amazing orange crops there – where they are leading the world in Mandarin excellence.) So even where the skies are dour and the wind whistles, an awesome bright note of orange can be added to ALMOST ANYTHING served year ‘round. To grate a bit of the peel will yield high citric notes; to add the juice is a choice that works well often, like here; but to really expel the oils and some of the beneficial fiber – inconspicuously – leave a half of one to float around while simmering. “ORANGE-youglad-that-I-shared-this-wedge-of-wisdom??!”
Something so simple, so complimentary, between orange and onion, right? Like a harmonic song from high school. Just fold in some fresh white fish and multi-colored quinoa to add texture, flavor and nutrients to my broth – so aromatic and easy to make – that it’s almost sinful.
1 s talk celery, evenly small-diced
2-3 l g onions: 1 evenly small-diced. (The other cut in ½)
½ bunch of scallions, mediumdiced (save one to slice on the vertical diagonal for garnish)
1 carrot, chopped into small & whimsical shapes/angles ~ keeping relatively same sized
1 large, juicy orange
3-4 large, roughly chopped cloves
garlic
Fresh herbs if available; or a combination; or dried – such as chives, thyme, parsley, dill other mild herbs.
Use in moderation, this is a very light dish focused on the flavors of onion and orange.
1 lb. fresh, flaky white fish; washed and patted dry as always
¼ cup, precooked, multi-colored quinoa (or other)
3 cups fish broth (SEE CHEF JIM’S PERFECT FISH STOCK )
N OTE: if no fish broth is available, use 2 cups chicken or veggie broth PLUS 1 cup water.
Dash celery seed or other like mustard seed if available (Reminder: a dash is about an 1 8 of a teaspoon – always measure away from bowl or pan.)
Salt & pepper to taste (Do taste first.)
¼ cup of cooking sherry, if desired.
1. Into a medium stockpot on medium heat, heat ½ cup of good olive oil (or healthy replacement, which excludes canola or “vegetable” oil) .
2. Toss in the veggies – save the garlic, orange and herb for later.
3. Add salt & pepper, stir frequently for 10 minutes or until tender, not brown.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Lay the fish onto the softened veggies.
6. Squeeze the orange juice all around. Place the orange in the pan.
7. Sprinkle the fish with a bit of salt and pepper – not to season but to balance.
8. Then top the fish with the BIG chunks o’ garlic, the celery &/or mustard seed, and herbs if they are available (reserve a bit for garnish if you have).
9. Gently pour the broth all over. Then a splash of cooking sherry if desired.
10. Add the uncooked quinoa and stir GENTLY – keeping the fish intact.
11. Simmer for 10 minutes or according to the quinoa recipe PARTIALLY cover, to keep in the steam.
12. Do not overcook.
Serve promptly. Smell. Taste. Love.
—
By Pat Friedman
Where to start? We’ll start at the present and work our way back. Currently (at publication time of this Winter 22/23 Issue), Poland has opened her arms to more than 8 million Ukrainian refugees – the entire population of New York City – during this time of unspeakable crisis in Putin’s war against Ukraine.
But Poland also has its own rich history and heritage, steeped in magnificent natural and architectural wonders. Endless sandy beaches, medieval forests, mountains, and Central Europe’s only desert make this country a tourist’s dream.
Dining in Europe’s oldest restaurant is one for the bucket list, too. The “Piwnica Swidnicka,” serving fresh, popular eats, in the city of Wrocław, has been open since the year 1275, making it one of the longest-lasting restaurants in the world. Around Poland, the cuisine is much more intricate than just their famous kielbasa sausage and those puffy potato pillows of goodness called pierogi. Even the modest and traditional tomato-based stew, leczo, with sausage, peppers, paprika and bay leaves will never disappoint. But don’t depart before trying the granny-apple tart known as Szarlotka, ideal for this – or anytime of year.
The northwest region of the U.S.A. is a spectacular, staggeringly beautiful range of sea and landscapes encompassing the states between northern California and Alaska.
Tip of the hat to the sports anglers out on those choppy waters – and especially all those who help keep the fishery managed. The Pacific Ocean hails 6 salmon species: King, Silver, Pink, Sockeye, and Chum. Out here, the salmon game is real. The heritage is an homage to the mighty wild salmon, a sea-run fish that spawns in rivers then lives in the ocean.
This recipe could be made with any salmon, or even a similar non-oily fish. For the tight budget, this recipe could even use canned salmon. This is not a thick, heavy chowder. It’s a light, healthy and brothy balanced dish that resembles chowder. It’s very warming, but is fine year-round.
You can buy or make your fish stock (fume’). Chicken stock can be used instead.
1-2 pounds skinless, boneless salmon, cut into 1-2 inch cubes (keep intact, don’t over stir when preparing)
5 cups fish stock (or 4 cups chicken stock with one cup of water)
¼ lb. smoked bacon, roughly/ rustically chopped
½ yellow onion, small-diced
2 celery stalks, small-diced
1 carrot, small-diced
2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (tap for “ Sweet Fresh Corn off the Cobb – All year long ” recipe)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine
1 bunch dill without stems, chopped (reserve some dill fronds for garnish)
1 bunch chives, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp quality olive oil (there are lots of ways to economize in the kitchen: don’t do it with your olive oil.)
Pinch salt & pepper
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1. In a medium stock pot, with a light drizzle of olive oil, sauté bacon over med-high heat for 3-5 minutes until the bacon i s rendered (released its oils) and is crisping/not blackening.
2. Set aside cooked bacon, reserving the bacon fat in the pot.
3. In the pot, sauté the mirepoix - with a pinch of salt - over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
4. Deglaze with the wine, simmering while constantly stirring lightly for 3 minutes.
5. Add stock and potatoes.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until potatoes are tender, appx 10 minutes. (Potatoes vary so widely in their density, even within the same variety, so carefully fork-test the potatoes at the 10 minute mark to prevent under or over cooking.)
7. Gently add the salmon chunks and corn.
8. Return to the simmer, till the salmon is just cooked through, appx 5 minutes
9. Turn off heat.
10. Carefully incorporate the cream, bacon and herbs at the last minute – while keeping the fish and potatoes intact.
11. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining fresh herbs.
12. Serve with a crusty sourdough bread. (tap for “ Easiest Sourdough Bread ” recipe)
Based in Sitka, Alaska, we’re a fishermen-owned co-op with a serious taste for tradition. We produce the finest wild salmon, halibut, black cod, rockfish, and more. Small Boats. Independent Fishermen. Co-op Values.
Recipes and soup photo by Chef James DesmondIngredients
4-5 pounds fish bones, having removed the head, tail and fins. (Rinse under water until it runs fully clear.)
1 lg yellow onion, peeled & quartered
2 med carrots, peeled & quartered
3 celery stalks, quartered
1 ½ cups dry wine
Heavy pinch salt (not for seasoning but to act as an agent)
3-5 peppercorns
2-3 bay leaves
Tied fresh herbs (bouquet garni): parsley, dill, thyme for example.
method yield 6-8 cups
1. Have ready a large, fine-mesh strainer/colander, a deep foodsafe vessel, and a large skimming spoon to Decalage/skim the foam.
2. Place cleaned fish bones and all other ingredients into the stock pot; cover with fresh water.
3. Quickly bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Immediately reduce heat, partially cover, simmer 30-40 minutes.
5. While simmering, gently skim the foam off the top and discard it, as necessary.
6. Remove from heat, cool a few minutes and then carefully strain it all into the vessel that is waiting in the sink.
7. Now you have a perfect fish stock: consider doubling you r recipe for future use. Fish stock will stay frozen well for
Chef Jim Desmond — Born in New York, Chef Jim grew up helping in his family’s delicatessen, and at an early age, began his career in the restaurant industry washing dishes and peeling vegetables. Eventually, his experience earned him a cook position on a Hawaiian Islands cruise ship. After several years of preparing meals for hundreds of guests, he felt the need to serve his country and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. Chef Jim prepared and served countless meals on land and at sea for admirals, dignitaries, and crew members while he dedicated over 12 years of active-duty service. His creative mindset and passion for food then drew him to the Art Institute of California, Orange County, where he graduated with honors, obtaining his degree in Culinary Arts.
Chef Jim spent the last seven years perfecting his culinary technique by working as a private chef and high-profile event caterer throughout Southern California. His comprehensive knowledge of local, and international cuisine, paired with his lifelong passion for pleasing people with amazing food is what makes him the culinary pro he is today.
This steak will work fine without the marinade: just olive oil, salt & pepper will do, if you want the more pure taste of the cut. If marinating, clean and then immerse the meat in the combined marinade ingredients for up to 12 hours. Many people over-marinate meat (muscle), which starts to degrade in the marinade beyond 12 hours.
Per Weber’s Way to Grill, the oil should be put on the meat, not the grill. (Who knew?) And forget about the network cooks clamoring for showy “crosshatch marks,” the crisscross marks often seen as the mark of a good steak. WRONG! A perfect steak is handled as little as possible; it’s seared on one side, then the other. A single, definitive line of marks = one much more tender meal. Shall I challenge Bobby Flay to a throwdown?
ingredients •
israeli (pearl) couscous
All couscous is pasta, like spaghetti; it is not a “grain,” like quinoa. Israeli couscous is a little nuttier, more fullbodied and luminous than its Moroccan cousin. Here’s how to maximize its flavor in minutes.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1.5 cups water or broth
1 1⁄2 tsp salt (if desired)
ingredients • steak
14-18 oz. of Delmonico steak (appx. 8 ounces per person. . . note: some fat does melt away, reducing the final weight)
Good olive oil, for grilling
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper (or ground steak seasoning)
ingredients • vegies
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 bunch of asparagus or broccoli, chopped small
1 carrot, ribboned (using a peeler)
1-3 cloves garlic, diced
¼ cup water or broth
Salt & pepper to taste
¼-½ cup good olive oil
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART affiliate
Couscous
2 serving
1. In a medium saucepan, heat a little olive oil on medium heat and rol l 1 cup couscous around in it for a few minutes until sizzling. (NOTE: You may choose to first have cooked down some onion and garlic before adding the couscous.)
2. Add water or broth, salt if desired, and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and simmer low for 10 minutes. Check. Continue for a few more minutes if water remains.
4. Move off the heat and set aside. Steak
5. Keep out at room temp for 30 minutes before grilling. For a good sear, have the meat patted dry, then oiled & seasoned.
6. Heat grill to medium-high.
7. Sear 5 minutes on the first side; then 3-4 on the other.
8. Reduce heat and continue cooking if desired. Using a thermometer, rare is about 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Medium-rare is about 140. Medium, 150. There will be some carryover cooking. (Using your face, touch the meat and if it feels like you’re touching the area between your cheek and nose, then it’s medium-rare.)
9. Let meat rest for a few minutes before serving on a bed of the couscous and veggies.
Sautéed Veggies (Substitutions abound!)
10. In a large frypan, heat the oil on medium heat.
11. Sautee, stirring the carrot and onions with salt & pepper for 5 minutes or so until softened.
12. Add the greens and saute’ for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently.
13. Fold in the garlic.
14. Drizzle the liquid and stir. Cover, remove from heat for a few minutes, until just ready to serve.
Healthy Hint: What, you ask?! A STEAK in the healthy pages of Life Recipe Magazine? Yep. Grass-fed local beef is more pricey than other meats – in the short run. But, like every food in the organic-sphere, as I like to call it, the cost of NOT including them in the diet ultimately leads to illnesses down the road -that cost much more than investing in abundantly available, chemical free, melt-in-your-mouth natural foods.
I have always loved grilling through the winter; the flames seem so much more rewarding to me during a snowfall, than in the increasingly brutal heat of summer. We feature a grilling recipe and technique here, in each seasonal issue of Life Recipe Magazine, designed expressly for you. My one word of year-round grill-n-chill advice: always remember the VEG!!
All ingredients for our products are grown in our garden in Župa Valley and picked seasonally or sourced locally. Our backyard also hosts a small orchard where we grow lemons, oranges, mandarins, and grapefruit. Steps away from our back door are our everchanging vegetable, herb, and flower gardens, with tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, rosemary, olives, lavender, and so much more…
The word “pesto,” in Italian, is derived from a word meaning to “pound or crush.” Italian purists insist that pesto can only be made using locallygrown Genoese basil – a small-leafed variety with a delicate taste – and that it must be made using a pestle and mortar.
As an Aussie, we tend to twist traditional and aim for freshness and fusion of ingredients!
Pesto has its roots in ancient Rome, where our ancestors prepared a lovely, palatable paste made with cheese, pine nuts, oil, salt and aromatic herbs, called “moretum.” During the Middle Ages, in Plebeian
cooking, the spread was called “agliata” (Italian for “garlic”). The pesto of modern times is from Genoa in northern Italy – its main ingredients are – basil, garlic, olive oil, grated hard cheese, pine nuts.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter.
So, fold it in just before serving – along with your cheese!
The reason pesto turns brown is because of a chemical reaction the cut basil has from being
The Most Important Rule … …of Cooking with Pesto: Don’t Cook
The high-heat sterilization necessary for canning and bottling ruins the basil. — So, make it fresh and freeze the rest!
exposed to air: “oxidation.” To prevent oxidation, especially if you want to freeze your pesto, blanch the basil leaves by dropping them for a few seconds in boiling water until they turn bright green, then into cold water to stop carryover cooking and to effectively “blanch.”
BUT: If you are going to serve the pesto immediately, skip this process.
This easy basil pesto sauce will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container. To extend its shelf life, add some olive oil on top before chucking it into the refrigerator. In our house, it’s made weekly!!
ingredients • fresh
2-3 large handfuls basil (based on hand size)
1-2 large handfuls parsley (ditto)
1-2 large handfuls baby spinach (ditto)
1 small bunch chives
1 small bunch dill
6 leaves sage
1 lemongrass leaf
1 ginger plant leaf
4 sweet potato leaves
1 sprig lavender leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig lemon thyme
3 sprigs mint
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
by Mikki Kojakovic (Mackay)
ingredients • more
1 cup of drinkable red wine
2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. Mikki’s Vegetable Booster (or an organic dehydrated vegetable powder)
4 Tbsp. quality virgin olive oil
1 cup grated hard cheese
1 lemon, sliced into quarters for garnish
method yields 2 cups
1. Roughly chop all FRESH INGREDIENTS removing any hard stems.
2. Into a food processor put ½ cup red wine, sunflower, pumpki n seeds and Mikki’s Vegetable Booster blend to a smooth paste
3. Slowly add the FRESH INGREDIENTS until smooth.
4. Add the remaining red wine as you blend.
5. Place the blended mixture into a serving dish
6. NOW fold through the olive oil.
7. Lastly, the cheese.
8. Garnish with lemon quarters.
Hi, I’m Mikki, owner of Mikki’s Croatian Kitchen here in the valley of Župa Dubrovačka, Croatia. I was born in Sydney, Australia. I married a Croatian seaman 25+ years ago and I moved permanently to Dubrovnik in 2003. We have a small property with 30+ free-range chooks (chickens), 50 lemon trees, amongst other citrus trees, a couple of olive trees and we grow our own vegetables and herbs all year round.
MAKING my son’s fresh, homemade baby food and freezing it into various cubes was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Tiny brag moment…he grew up to be a 4-season all-star athlete, academic scholar, played sax all through school and ultimately a successful college-educated, hard-working professional – but mostly – just a really good guy. Sunday Jazz Brunch became a big theme in our house and later at my large organic restaurant and arts mecca, Soup to Nuts Coffee House. Whether live music or otherwise, the Miles Davis and Brubeck Brothers clan piped out sunny tunes that lit up the space around all of the Sunday dishes I have served with love over the years. (Like I used to say to my 12 employees, “If you’re not feeling the love, get the heck outta the kitchen!”)
See Max’s healthy and delicious recipe from our Fall Issue, HERE
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5-7 large eggs, local or cage free if possible
4 ounces crab meat (or diced shrimp)
6-7 slender asparagus, chopped and par-steamed in hot water until barely tender and still crisp
1⁄3 of a large red (purple) onion, sliced extremely thinly into halfmoons
1 teaspoon fresh or dried chives if available. Parsley works fine too. A sprinkling of drained capers, if desired
1 cup shredded cheese or your cheese substitute/s
½ cup of cream or full milk
2 rounded tablespoons light olive, coconut, other healthy oil which is NOT vegetable oil
1 generous pat butter for flavor if desired. Not margarine.
1 teaspoon seasoned / or your favorite iodized salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes –for flavor more than heat – if you care to amp it up a bit
½ teaspoon onion powder if available
Shoestring Tip:
1. While the butter and oil are heating up – on medium heat – i n a medium pan with high sides:
2. Vigorously whip the eggs in a bowl with the cream mixture and hal f of the spices.
3. Preheat broiler to 425° Fahrenheit, with the rack near the center
4. Before the oil and butter start smoking, have whipped your eggs and milk into a lively foam.
5. Pour into the heated, well-oiled pan on medium-low heat.
6. Watch closely, pulling the egg mix toward the center away from the sides – carefully and gently – a few times. Evenly distribute the uncooked egg mixture around in the pan until it’s cooked about halfway through and the bottom is NOT turning dark.
7. Then pull off the heat, sprinkle the remaining ingredients evenly over the egg dish (the shellfish, veggies, cheese, spices, and then a bit of chives and/or parsley.)
8. Set the broiler on quickly, with the oven rack set to two or three levels from the top.
9. Using caution about the handle, set the pan under the broiler; leave the oven door ajar, watch closely. In about five minutes you see her beginning to bubble and rise. When there’s just a slight wetness left in the center, remove gently. USE CAUTION AND AN OVEN MITT!
10. Return pan to the medium-heated stovetop for one minute to sort of close the deal. It adds a nice last-minute “poof ” before the dish inevitably settles.
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes before sliding onto a serving dish or board.
12. Slice into four large, even wedges. Serve with a side of cut fruit and a glass of sparkling water or herbal tea with honey. If some GOOD BREAD i s available, a crunchy slice of toast with or without a bit of butter and orange marmalade would be a heavenly compliment to this healthy, beautiful and affordable treat.
This decadent meal is the result of a sale that I saw on canned crabmeat, a sale on capers and a sale on asparagus. The natural thing to do was just bring these ingredients together with some creativity and an egg whisk…Total cost for 4 people: $3.00 each. No need to be crabby about this grocery bill!
Perfect Pairings — 10 VEG Hash
My son Max and I celebrated the first day of every season – from his birth through college. Sometimes, on the first day of winter, we’d pretend it was summer: we’d hit the greenhouses, fill our lungs with dewy oxygen in the oddly warm, exotic, green spaces, cloaked in the silent outdoor snowfall. Then we’d grab a frozen shake somewhere. And finally back home, to find a place for the little plant we had just bought. Now that’s a holiday!
This wintery concoction is an homage to those memorable “First-Day-of-the-Season Celebrations.”
Why not start your own?
4 large cups of brewed, strong, bold, quality coffee (brewed
2X stronger than usual – to compensate for ice-melt)
3 cups crushed ice
4 tsp Agave Nectar, or desired sweetener, if any
1 cup cream, milk or milk replacement such as oat
4 Tbsp. chocolate syrup (or the equivalent in cacao)
2 Tbsp. caramel flavoring (or, your favorite flavor combos will work here)
4 sprigs fresh mint, if available
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
method
servings 4
Hint: Frost the glasses in the freezer overnight first.
1. Have all ingredients ready, along with a blender and 4 smoothie glasses.
2. Brew coffee.
3. Without blending yet, pour in the hot coffee and combine wit h any desired sweetener and any flavorings. USE CAUTION ABOU T SWEETNESS LEVEL AND TASTE TEST AS YOU GO.
4. Add cream or milk.
5. Lastly, add the ice. (This can be divided into 2-3 smaller batches, depending on blender size; just be sure to evenly distribute the ingredients. Never blend hot liquids unless in very small batches, starting slow before increasing speed, and vent. This recipe does not call for any hot liquid to be blended without ice and other cold ingredients.)
6. Blend on high, or frape’ mode.
7. Pour immediately into glasses.
8. Decorate with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a sprig of mint. Or just guzzle it up as it is! You’ll be ready to take on all that winter has to offer.
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Recipe by Pat Friedman Winter Photo by Scott RowleyLifeboost Coffee is 100% pure USDA organic coffee, single-origin, mycotoxin-free, GMO-free, pesticide-free, low acid, and quite possibly the healthiest, tastiest coffee in the world!
Recipe & food photos by Pat Friedman
The U.S. states of Massachusetts and Wisconsin are the world’s leading cranberry producers. But you can find these fascinating berries bubbling in bogs and swamps in many northern states until harvest time in the fall. They are incredibly affordable, and jammed with significant, lesser-known health benefits that range from preventing cavities and inflammation, to helping you keep a healthy heart and digestive system.
If only everyone knew the value and simplicity in preparing sweet & tangy cranberry sauce, the canned variety would disappear forever. Because it’s a snap! And my recipe is made with only a few whole, natural ingredients. Fabulous served warm, room temp or chilled, this heavenly addition makes a memorable side dish. Or, give your empty plates a generous smear of it, before topping that with your entre’. . .from poultry to greens, they will sit up and take notice. Just as will your guests.
1 bag whole fresh cranberries
1 orange or 2 small clementines
1-2 Tbsp local honey
1-2 Tbsp real maple syrup
method serving 4-6
1. Wash and drain berries.
2. In a small saucepan, put in the water and the berries.
3. THEN turn on the heat to medium-low.
4. Top with cinnamon sticks and sliced oranges (skin on).
5. Drizzle it all with the honey and syrup — remember, you can always add more but you can’t detract.
6. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Turn up the heat to medium / medium-high about 5 minutes, or until the berries do begin to POP!
8. Stir well.
9. Return to a simmer for 5 more minutes.
10. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 more minutes.
11. Remove oranges and cinnamon sticks before serving.
12. Garnish and serve.
This will last for several weeks in a sealed container in the back of the fridge.
Cranberries on bush. Machine loosening the cranberries from bush. Cranberry bog flooded when berries are ripe. Berries float to the top.
For many millennia, Wattleseeds have held a crucial place in the indigenous Australian diet. These seeds, which look like hanging yellow bunches of peas or beans, grow on native Australian acacia trees. The flower of the acacia plant – that produces the wattleseed – is Australia’s national emblem. The new green and gold flag, and uniforms worn by Australian sports teams, are symbolic of this stalwart plant.
Made exclusively by bees that feast on the nectar of New Zealand’s wild Manuka flowers, our raw Manuka honey is one of Mother Earth’s rarest gifts.
Acacia Tree Wattleseeds
Acacia Tree Blossoms
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Damper is also known as “bush bread” or “seedcake.” Damper is a European term that refers to a bread made by Australian Aborigines for many thousands of years. Damper is made by crushing a variety of native seeds, and sometimes nuts and roots, into a dough and then baking the dough in the coals of a fire. A staple diet for the nomadic lifestyle, this humble favorite is easy to make, cook and transport.
Later, white Australian settlers would substitute wheat flour for the native seed flour used by Aboriginals, and they named it “Damper.” Mangari is the Gurungyi tribe name for the bread, but other tribes had different names.
2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons Wattleseeds
1 pinch salt
1 cup water
In addition –
2 extra tasty must haves
— creamy butter and golden syrup — to smother over your slab of damper! LINK
1. If you’re using a camp oven, build a fire and get a nice bed of coal s going.
2. If you’re baking in an oven at home, lightly grease a baking tray and preheat the oven to 200˚C.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, Wattleseeds and salt.
4. Using a fork, make a well in the center.
5. Slowly start to add enough water until the mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl.
6. Combine until mixture begins to form a dough. — This is the most important step as you don’t actually want to knead it, you just want to leave it as it is.
7. Using your hands, cup the dough – and slowly work it – until you get a nice round shape. Do not knead the dough, as you will push out the air and make it dense.
8. Set the ball of dough onto the lightly greased tray and flatten gently to make a round 17 cm across
9. With a knife, score a cross, then half of eac h section again – giving you 8 section s
10. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the damper. (This gives the final damper a nice crusty top.)
11. Bake for 30 minutes until golden or until the damper sound s hollow when tapped.
Hi, I’m Mikki, Born in Sydney, Australia, I am the owner of Mikki’s Croatian Kitchen, in the valley of Župa Dubrovačka, Croatia. I married a Croatian seaman 25+ years ago and moved permanently to Dubrovnik in 2003. We have a small property with 30+ free-range chooks (chickens), 50 lemon trees, amongst other citrus trees, a couple of olive trees and we grow our own vegetables and herbs all year round. My love of cooking was re-ignited when we started producing everything on the property, nothing beats FRESH!! I love fusion food. Having been a part of many multicultural communities during my life, I know that food brings us all closer as a common denominator. I believe we can mix recipes from around the world just like we can mix our love for each other.
If you’re ever in Dubrovnik, join me for a cooking class or drop in to see our sustainable life style and pick up some of my all-natural cooking and body products grown on site: CHECK IT OUT!
Recipe & food photos by Pat Friedman
MY way of looking at it is, and you can quote me, “Hash Ain’t For Sissies.” Almost anything can go into a great hash – no two are alike – but here we look at how to perfectly cook any hash. . . whether humble or over-the-top. YOU HASH IT OUT!!
Rule #1: It’s the order of -- and time spent cooking each ingredient -- that makes a foolproof hash. Have all your ingredients ready, and plan to cook them in order described in the METHOD, below.
Rule #2: Stick to your own rules: if you insist on deep fried potatoes in your hash, then that’s how you cook them. Air-fryer? Fine. Baked in the oven until crisp? Great! Rolled skillfully once after 10 minutes of high cooking with oil and salt in tin foil tightly wrapped on the grill? Awesome. Or, the iron pan stovetop method used in this recipe. No matter your choice of how to cook your potatoes, do them separately, in the order below.
Rule #3: Resist temptation to stir potatoes too often. Leave them alone to crisp before turning. Really. Browning these ruddy roots takes time. Then try the “flip” method if you can, minimize the use of a spatula on the tender spuds.
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4 large Russet-style potatoes / or 6-8 small potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
3 shallots, cut thinly on the diagonal
2 cups green cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, cut thinly on the diagonal
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 eggs, poached after the hash is ready
Pancetta, cut into thumb-length pieces
Salt, pepper & selected spices
Fresh herbs if available: sage, parsley, thyme…or dried works well…just add them early on, giving maximum time to release the flavors and infuse the oil.
I used Pancetta here, something I rarely buy. But it’s elegant once in a while. You can use Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Corned Beef, Brisket/Other Tender Meats, Leftovers, Plant Based Meat Products, Walnuts, (or just no protein but the egg on top!)
(NOTE: either omit the garlic or wait until the last few minutes of cooking: garlic quickly burns in a recipe like this, leaving an acrid taste and texture.)
LINK TO EASY CONVERSION CHART
Spicewell is not just a food company, but a movement to take on Big Food and demand better for us and the earth products. Spicewell is the world’s first nutrient dense, Ayurvedic salt and pepper. Made with vitamins derived from organic vegetables like kale, broccoli, cranberry and maitake mushrooms to name just a few - it delivers 10% of your daily vitamins in a half teaspoon serving size. The vitamins are heat resistant and excellent to cook or season with.
Editors Note: Outdoor cooking up here in the farthest American reaches, (the vast, wooded hinterlands of Jackman Maine, on the border of Quebec, Canada) reaches straight down to the soul. Here, a little wilderness soul-food is created as an homage to my wonderful friends in the magical FRONTIER of Jackman, where I spent so many years living and visiting year-round since the ‘80s!
1. Peel the potatoes, slice into cubes or random, consistently-sized shapes, then place them directly into a large soup pot filled ½ way with clean water. Rinse & drain carefully. Place them back into the pot now filled wit h salted water – enough to cover the potatoes by an inch or more.
2. Boil at a low roll for 10 minutes – do not stir too often – the less contact with the potatoes, the better.
3. Remove and drain spuds. Gently pat them dry. Food that is wet will not brown properly.
4. Carefully crisp the pancetta on a lightly oiled iron pan at medium heat (or, have your cooked protein ready to add at the end). Remove pancetta crisps from pan, reserve the oil.
5. Return the oiled pan to the stove, adding ¼ cup of quality oil. (coconut works really well)
6. Turn up the heat to medium high and stir- carefully but continuously for 5 minutesall of the veggies and herbs except the potatoes and garlic.
7. Remove and put aside the veggies onto a cookie sheet while they are tender but stil l retain some crispness. Do not overcook.
8. Return the iron pan to the stove, turn heat down to medium. Heat ¼ cup of oil – add a bit of butter for a rich flavor and as a nice browning agent. Carefully pour the drained, patted dry, par-boiled potatoes into the pan, quickly and lightly spread them out evenly in a layer on the melted oil/butter.
9. Add salt, pepper, and any extra herbs or spices (easy and delicious: onion powder + steak seasoning…)
10. THEN LEAVE THE POTATOES ALONE for 5-10 minutes until the bottoms are browning and crispy.
11. If you can, flip them in the pan, try turning all the potatoes very carefully, keeping them intact. You don’t want mashed potatoes here. NOTE: there are thousands of varieties of potatoes (in Peru alone!) Your cooking time will vary, depending on the potatoes. Once the spuds are flipped, top with the veggies, add the garlic, and any proteins. Sti r very lightly – just 2 or 3 turns with a large spatula – just heat for 2-3 more minutes, avoid stirring unless necessary. Move off the heat: there will be carryover cooking from the iron pan. Poach the eggs. Evenly divide the hash into 4 bowls and top each with an egg, a dash of blac k pepper or your fav flavors. (A couple dabs of hot sauce on the edge of the dish looks and tastes striking, too.)
16. Who says hash has to be “onenote?” This one is a veritable party of healthy and hearty; fluffy inside and crispy outside, these potatoes are happily married to the gorgeous veg & herbs.
17. Serve with a thin slice of toasted sourdough (GOOD BREAD) or your choice of GF products.
