43 posts tagged “kcrw.com”

The owner of a barbecue joint in New Jersey might be the answer to figuring out how to deal with North Korea.  Rebecca Mead tells us about Bobby Egan and BBQ diplomacy.  Jonathan Gold gets us into Peruvian food.  Picnics mean pasty potato salad.  Chris Kimball of Cook’s Illustrated has a solution. Liran Mezan has some ideas for meat cuts and Mark Bittman sorts out the dilemma behind buying and eating fish.  Bourbon, corn, rye or straight – there is a big difference between these whiskies, says Scott Gold.  Mary MacVean tells us what state budget cuts are doing to our budding chefs.  And Laura Avery eats green beans at the farmers market.

Nectarine Gallette

A gallette is simple a circle of dough gently folded over a big pile of slightly sweetened fruit.  It is the best work to kudos ratio ever for the home cook.  At Angeli we use firm nectarines so we don't have to peel peaches (and chef Kathy and I love the pink tinge the skins give the filling). We cut the nectarines into slices and toss them with a touch of lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons each of flour and sugar.  Then we roll out the dough, usually a very short and rich pate sablee. 

The dough circle is placed on a parchment lined baking pan where the fruit is piled on and the edges are folded up to slightly enclose the filling.  We then brush the pastry with a mixture of beaten egg mixed with a little milk or cream to give the dough some extra color.  You can see how impressive they are.  It's impossible to make a mistake.  Just looking at the photo makes me want a slice.  You?

Nectarine Gallette

Laura Avery takes to the market to taste fresh cantaloupes and summer melons.  Josiah Citrin gives a recipe for a delicious potato soup.  Bob Carlson is a super-dad who resorts to putting on a show for his kids to get them to eat vegetables. And how pro chefs feed their kids according to sisters Jewels and Jill Elmore. How to de-bone a duck foot and why you'd want to from Eddie Lin.  Plus Helena Echlin weighs in on the etiquette of photographing your restaurant meals. Cathy Wu makes rings and art from dried fruits.  And Scott Daigre, Mr.Tomato, tells us which varieties of tomatoes are worth planting. The best of summer cookbooks courtesy of NY Times' Christine Muhlke. And Jonathan Gold gives us a restaurant to try.

Ice cream headaches and what's in charcoal. Answers to nagging questions courtesy of columnist Roxanne Webber. Susan Marx lives in Afghanistan and shares the rich food culture. Be afraid of plants. Some of them can kill you says Amy Stewart.  When Barbara Kowalcyk's 2 year old son died after eating a tainted fast food hamburger she became an activist to change food safety rules.  Marion Nestle explains the unbelievable maze that makes up our food safety system.  The challenges of keeping bees in Los Angeles according to beekeeper Kirk Anderson.  Then, Armen Petrossian describes the how to enjoy the delicacy of fine caviar.  And Laura Avery shares tales of wild blueberries at the farmers market.

A listener recently wrote to us asking about books on making wine.  We asked our wine expert and guest blogger, Stacie Hunt:

From Vines to Wines

"Once you start enjoying the pleasures of wine, a new passion begins to form, way back in your head.  It starts as a little thought, "Maybe I might like  to  make my own wine..."

That thought takes root, so to speak, and sprouts to, "Maybe I'd even like to try my hand at growing grapes..."  It's not long before you notice a patch in your yard, or even a large, 30+" diameter pot and you inch closer to seeing vines in your future.  Well, you're not alone!  Take a look at some of my favorite books on the subject, ranked by my priority:
 
From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine, by Jeff Cox
This book isn't intimidating; it's easy to understand, especially on the second reading

Vines, Grapes & Wines:  The Wine Drinker's guide to Grape Varieties, by Jancis Robinson
A great book that identifies grape varieties and helps you select types that you can grow, plus it offers great history on each variety.

The Home Winemaker's Companion:  Secrets, Recipes and Know-How for Making 115 Great Tasting Wines, by Gene Spaziani
Easy to read and follow instructions, plus a few secret short-cuts.

First Steps in Winemaking:  A Complete Month-By-Month Guide to Winemaking, Cyril J.J. Berry
Steps for each month from the ground to the glass.

The Grape Grower:  A Guide to Organic Viticulture, Lon Rombough, Roger Swain
For the organic composter.

There's also a great online resource, courtesy of UC Davis called, "Making Table Wine At Home."

And, while you're waiting for bud break, which is scheduled for around April 1st, pull the cork on a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Temecula Valley and give Patrick Bartlett a call at: 951.699.8896, or email him.  He's started a facility where you can have a secured space for processing your own grapes and produce your wines under his and winemaker, Tim Kramer's careful eyes.  He'll even help you with marketing of your wines and is planning a restaurant placement program for his members' releases.  

Woolly Mammoth

10,000 years ago, when the woolly mammoth was becoming extinct, humans started looking for alternative food sources.  So, they turned to plants.  Some of these prehistoric plants, like lily bulbs and wild onions required extensive cooking times.  Cooking over hot coals didn't cut it so they turned to piles of hot rocks, where they could cook something for days.

Here's a fantastic article from the LA Times about prehistoric slow food.

According to a study done by a team at the University of Wales, there is some similarity in Prehistoric food to what we eat today - except for a hedgehog or two.  Nettle Pudding was one of the most popular prehistoric dishes:

Nettle pudding

Ingredients
1 bunch of sorrel
1 bunch of watercress
1 bunch of dandelion leaves
2 bunches of young nettle leaves
Some chives
1 cup of barley flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Chop the herbs finely and mix in the barley flour and salt. Add enough water to bind it together and place in the centre of a linen or muslin cloth. Tie the cloth securely and add to a pot of simmering venison or wild boar (a pork joint will do just as well). Leave in the pot until the meat is cooked and serve with chunks of bread.

Taken from Prehistoric Cooking by Jacqui Wood (Tempus, 2002)

Jonathan Swift

In last week's Good Food, Christophe Happillon referenced the above quote.  It turns out that it's from Jonathan Swift who was quite fond of the oyster.  He wrote this poem called "Oysters":

Charming oysters I cry:
My masters, come buy,
So plump and so fresh,
So sweet is their flesh,
No Colchester oyster
Is sweeter and moister:
Your stomach they settle,
And rouse up your mettle:
They'll make you a dad
Of a lass or a lad;
And madam your wife
They'll please to the life;
Be she barren, be she old,
Be she slut, or be she scold,
Eat my oysters, and lie near her,
She'll be fruitful, never fear her.