collecting quotes

Part of what I do all day in this office is read.  A lot.  I read something, which leads me to something else, and then I decide that I need to become an expert in some arcane field of research so I ask my grad student friends to order books through the inter-library loan for me, and then I read more and more and more.

I suddenly understand why it takes some people twenty years to finish their Ph.D.s  I mean, I couldn't possibly write even a sentence on how people learn and become proficient in a skill without first consulting The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (only 899 pages), right?  (If you're curious, that's the paper on which Malcolm Gladwell based his 10,000 hour rule.)  Shoot me now.

Anyway, in all of this reading, I'm coming across some really lovely thoughts on food and cooking.  I've been recording them on sheets of butcher paper I've hung on the walls and stuck to my desktop, but I keep wanting to share them with you, and also to type them up and have them somewhere so I can refer to them.  So I think I'm going to start posting them here from time to time.

I hope they inspire and teach you as they have done for me.

Recipes do not make food taste good; people do.
--Judy Rodgers, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

Experience is a good predictor of how you'll need to season and adjust food, but it is no substitute for vigilant tasting.  --Judy Rodgers, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

This is not a manual of cookery, but a book about enjoying food....Anyone who loves to eat, can soon learn to cook well.
--Jane Grigson, Good Things

No amount of cooking skill in the kitchen can produce a fine meal on the table, unless it is preceded by selective skill in the market.
--Roy Andries de Groot, Feasts for All Seasons


p.s. I actually only have to read two short chapters in the big book.  I'm not that insane.

Resource Guide for Home Ec: Understanding Salt

image source

A list of resources and links I find really informative:


Articles & Blogs
That's So Salty!  It's Not Salty Enough! by Jill Santopietro on Chow.com
In Salts, a Pinch of Bali or a Dash of Spain by Harold McGee in the New York Times
Salt of the Earth about Judy Rodgers by Russ Parsons in the LA Times
An Introduction to Gourmet Salt by Mark Bitterman (pdf version here)

Books
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Salted by Mark Bitterman
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee

Purveyors
San Francisco
Little Vine
Bi-Rite Market
Boulette's Larder
Rainbow Grocery

East Bay
The Country Cheese Shop
The Pasta Shop
Berkeley Bowl
Monterey Market
The Spanish Table

Purchase Online
The Meadow: the Mecca of Salt, a shop in Portland, Oregon
SaltWorks: pretty much sells every kind of salt, ever
Celtic Sea Salt, aka sel gris: buy the big bag and use it for everything
Bulk Maldon Salt


and finally:

Tartine Afterhours: Wednesday, February 29th

It took me a little longer than usual to figure out this month's menu, but when I got it, I really got it! Inspired by French street food, we'll be making merguez sausage sandwiches on special Tartine buns and for dessert, stacks and stacks of sweet crêpes, served with all sorts of toppings and garnishes for you to choose from at the table. I'm gonna see if we can find an accordionist to come play, too! I. CANNOT. WAIT! Come eat with us!

image source

THE DETAILS

WHO:  the fab folks at tartine and me
WHAT: a three course family-style feast inspired by French street food
WHERE: tartine bakery (600 guerrero st. sf, ca)
WHEN: wednesday, february 29th at 8pm
WHY: to highlight the joy of good food and good company
HOW MUCH: $45 plus wine and gratuity. cash only, please!
TO RESERVE: please fill out this form to submit your name into the lottery. due to the overwhelming popularity of our dinners, space is extremely limited so we now select guests by performing a lottery. we'll email lottery winners by wednesday, february 22nd; if you don't hear back from us, please try again next month!

Creative Growth Fundraiser: Friday, March 16th

Come join me, Charlie and Cal, along with all of these other fabulous people, on Friday, March 16th for a fashion show and fundraiser in support of Creative Growth.

Lauren McIntosh is gonna totally yak the place out, we'll be cooking all sorts of delicious things, and I heard a rumor that there's even gonna be a parade, one unlike any other you've ever experienced.  Trust me, it's gonna be awesome.

If you are interested in volunteering with me for this event, please send me an email at ciao {at} saminnosrat {dot} you know.

something out of nothing: cabbage slaw

Festive Slaw, a photo by PeaSoupEats on Flickr.

if you've ever been over to my house for dinner, you have probably eaten some version of this slaw. it's a variation of the slaw they make in the chez panisse cafe, and hence, a variation of alison's slaw over at bakesale betty.

at this time of year, when a little brightness on the plate is something we can all use, it's a great addition to anything from a humble dinner of beans and rice, a scrambled egg with tortilla, fish tacos, or even a steak. if you were to use a bit of rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger instead of red wine vinegar, and olive oil, you could serve it with any number of asian-inspired dishes.

slaw. so clean. so good. basically made out of nothing.

bright cabbage slaw

serves 4-6 people as a side dish

1 small head of cabbage--red, green, napa, or any combination of the three is fine
1 small red onion
2 jalapeños
1 small bunch cilantro
red wine vinegar
1 lime
1 lemon
salt
good olive oil

Halve the head of cabbage, remove the core from each half with a V-shaped incision, and slice thinly. Place in a big salad bowl and sprinkle generously with salt.

Let the cabbage sit for at least 20 minutes to release some of its water.

In the meantime, peel and halve the onion. Remove the stem end and slice thinly. Macerate with red wine vinegar.

Halve, seed, and slice the peppers.

Roughly chop the cilantro. Both leaves and stems are delicious, but trim any woody ends the stems might have before chopping.

When the cabbage has released a good amount of water, drain it, then add the onion (but not the vinegar), cilantro, and appropriate amount of peppers for your liking.

Dress with olive oil.

Now comes my favorite part: layering the acids. You've already introduced some acid with the macerated red onion, and vinegar is a sort of heavier form of acid, so try to balance it out with lime and lemon juice. Probably the entire lime and half the lemon is a good amount to start with.

Taste, adjust salt and oil if needed. Then, start to tinker with the acids. Does it need more vinegar? More lemon? Taste and adjust, taste and adjust, taste and adjust.

I like my slaw on the acidic side, since I usually serve it with fried or rich foods as a foil. If you're just eating slaw and say, grilled chicken or fish, it might not need quite as much acid. It's all about context, you know?

best.granola.ever.

Image Source: Food52

"there's a new granola on the block."

the block, that is, being the internet.

that's what i told aaron, shelley and seamus a couple of weeks ago when we were having brunch at nopa, where shelley and seamus ordered granola and pronounced it delicious.

i'd just seen this recipe for nekisia davis' farmhand's choice granola on food52 and decided to make it. i was putty in the hands of all of those pecans and coconut shards. and, i've recently fallen for pumpkin seeds.  a week later, when orangette posted about it, i knew i was onto something.

unsurprisingly, i have very strong feelings about what should be used to sweeten granola, and honey is not on the list.

and, i replace canola oil with olive oil reflexively in recipes, so the fact that this one starts with olive oil was a positive.

also, as i'm sure you know by now, i'm all about salt, and this recipe certainly doesn't ask me to control my natural urges.

let me clarify something, though: i don't really like granola to begin with. never have. that's what makes the fact that i've had a bowl of granola every day since i made a batch of this stuff last week even more incredible. it's just so salty, nutty, toasty and sweet. it's so crunchy it stands up to the straus yogurt i drown it in for over half an hour.  i'm eating a bowl of it at my desk as i type this.

and, the recipe is really well-tested, fitting exactly on a single cookie sheet and cooking exactly as long as it says. considering that i think most recipes are worthless, this should serve as the ultimate endorsement.

the only thing i might change next time is to reduce the sugar and maple syrup. as much as i love sweet things, this is a little too sweet for me, but i'm posting the original recipe below for you to try and judge for yourself.

Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil and Maple Granola

adapted slightly from food52

Makes about 7 cups

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled

1 cup unsweetened coconut chips

1 1/4 cup raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped (I like to leave them whole)

3/4 cup pure maple syrup (Grade B is best)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

Coarse salt.  I used sel gris, but kosher salt is fine, too!


Heat oven to 300°F.

Place everything in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.  I was making this right before I went to be, and I got lazy at the end, so I turned my oven off and left the granola in there overnight to get really dry and crisp.

Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.