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February 9, 2010

Cooking with Kaz – The Novel

I’m sure none of you could sleep well last night, awaiting today’s big reveal of Kaz’s five-course, Shojin feast. I think I’m personally working on about four hours of sleep. So let’s jump right in and get to the good stuff. I just can’t wait any longer. Last Friday, I invited three friends over to share in my low sodium, Japanese cooking project and our evening with Kaz couldn’t have been more special. He is one of the warmest people I have ever met and Kaz immediately made himself at home. He regaled us with stories from Japan, LA, and […]

January 28, 2010

A Tale of Two Cods

One of my proudest achievements so far, as a low sodium cook, has been creating a recipe for Faux Miso-Marinated Cod. If you have never experienced the real thing, a two-day, miso/sake/mirin bath gives this already fatty fish a sweet and silky flavor that really does melt in your mouth. I personally believe it is one of the greatest ways to prepare fish. The texture is satisfying and the taste overcomes any remnants of fishy-ness that might displease your palate. It is an utterly decadent dish and as an added bonus, incredibly easy to cook. The problem? Miso contains over […]

January 25, 2010

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the Lunch Edition

Last week, I played caterer to a very special guest. Apron tied on tight, prep bowls aplenty, and a glass of white wine to keep me cool under pressure, I served a three course meal that was light, bright, and of course, low in sodium. While my companion’s identity will remain anonymous – sorry, I’m keeping this one to myself – I will share with you the secrets that made this mid-afternoon feast an easy success. I went simple, choosing recipes that I could make the evening before, that required minimal attention, and that, well, honestly, had a lot of margin […]

January 19, 2010

Soup's On

Say hello to a bowl of caramelized fennel corn chowder. It was noon thirty on Sunday and I was hungry. But it was raining, I was pretty full from breakfast, and what I really needed to focus on was cleaning the house. Never a good sign when your feet turn dusty gray from walking around barefoot. So I did what I always do when I want something healthy, light, and quick to eat. I made soup. But I’m not talking pour-it-from-a-can, chunky chicken and wimpy noodle soup. I’m talking about a delicate, earthy soup that is complex in flavor and […]

January 14, 2010

Holly Holly Hollandaise

Happy Semi-Hump Day (just two more afternoons to go until the weekend) and a special thank you to those readers who wrote in their votes for this morning’s post. The winner, of course, was the perfectly poached Eggs Benedict that Mom whipped up during Stanford’s bowl game on New Year’s Eve. The origin of this dish is still a mystery. Multiple people and places have been accredited for its creation, from a special order by a hungry (and demanding) patron at the Waldorf Hotel circa 1894, to a traditional French cuisine named œufs bénédictine, consisting of a toasted piece of […]

January 6, 2010

Not Your Average Tamale: Part Two

Now that you have your carnitas filling ready to go, it is time to prepare the salsa, the masa, and the corn husks. So let’s wrap this dish up, literally, so you can get your tamale on the table and chow on. Pineapple and Serrano Chili Salsa Ingredients: 1 whole pineapple, cut into 1/4 inch cubes 3 tomatoes 2 tomatillos 2 serrano chilies 1 white onion, diced 8 cloves garlic, diced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Directions: 1. To prepare the tomatoes, wash and remove the stems. For the tomatillos, remove stems and the outer leaves and wash off the […]

January 5, 2010

Not Your Average Tamale: Part One

Here we go, everyone. We are about to embark on a journey through the creation of homemade, low sodium, high-kicking tamales. A two-part adventure filled with mouth watering photos and step-by-step instructions will whisk you off to a world where fresh herbs, roasted tomatoes, and a juicy pork butt are transformed into a decadent and edible celebration for your mouth. For those of you who have never been privy to the fun of these little steamed presents, a tamale, or tamal, is a Latin American dish that traditionally consists of corn husks filled with masa, meat, cheese, chilies, salsa, and […]

January 4, 2010

Crispy Fried Chicken

Happy new decade! I have a great feeling about this one and since I am always scheming on how to push the boundaries of low sodium cooking, I have a lot of fun low sodium projects ahead. The last weeks of 2009 were filled with a host of low sodium feasting and as promised, these next few days will be spent recapping each delicious bite: low sodium tamales, low sodium Chinese chicken salad, low sodium dream bars, low sodium gumbo. They are all coming your way and will blow your mind in due time. But to kick us off, I […]

December 10, 2009

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – Part Two

So you’ve perfected the turkey roulade. Now its time to get cracking on those scrumptious side dishes: saffron rice with dill and tart cherries and butter braised sprouts and easter radishes I apologize for the rather sepia toned pictures of the meal. With low light in the kitchen and some tan colored plates, it is rather difficult to get appetizing and colorful pictures of the food. So my delicate wordsmithing will have to do the trick for now. More professional photography to come soon. Promesso. On to the rice. Ingredients: 1 cup white rice (short or long grain) 1/2 cup […]

December 9, 2009

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

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

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