My Kitchen My Table

Greek Parsley Salad with Tahini Dressing

Here’s the tahini that blew out my blender! This is a really tasty appetizer and so easy to make. I left the pine nuts whole and mixed them in. See the Middle Eastern Hamburger post for the tahini dressing recipe.

Greek Parsley Salad with Tahini Dressing

While called a salad, this is really a meze spread to be served with pita bread. I sometimes toast pine nuts to add to the parsley and tahini mixture, as I think they add texture and sweetness. If you don’t have green onions on hand, you can use 4 tablespoons chopped chives instead.

½ cup tahini dressing, plus more if needed
Water
Sea salt
1 ½ to 2 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Pita bread, cut into triangles and warmed

Put the tahini dressing in a blender or a small food processor and beat in a bit of water to make it thin enough to coat the leaves. Salt is crucial for the balance of flavor, so dip a leaf of parsley into the dressing and add salt if needed.

In a salad bowl, toss the parsley, green onions, and toasted pine nuts with the dressing. Serve with the pita bread for scooping.

Greek Parsley Salad p.63
Tahini Dressing p.303
Mediterranean Fresh
Copyright © 2008 by Joyce Goldstein
Published by W.W. Norton & Company

Moroccan Salad of Raw Grated Carrots with Citrus Cinnamon Dressing

This recipe was easy to make in advance. A Cuisinart was used to grate the carrots vs. a box grater. We also added raisins, as they were in the photo and were a nice compliment. We didn’t warm the carrots as suggested in the head note and found that the dressing absorbed nicely anyway. The texture and multi-faceted flavors were popular with our group.

Moroccan Salad of Raw Grated Carrots with Citrus Cinnamon Dressing

Thinly shaved or grated carrots are added to raw leafy salads mostly to contribute a note of color and contrasting texture. For carrots with a bit more body and texture, you need to cook them briefly, as they are not porous enough to absorb the flavors of a salad dressing. For optimum flavor, dress carrots while they are warm. You may warm the grated carrots in the dressing or serve them as is.

4 large carrots
¼ cup citrus cinnamon dressing
Chopped walnuts of almonds (optional

Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater. Toss with the dressing, top with chopped walnuts or almonds if desired, and serve.

Citrus Cinnamon Dressing

A little exotic, this dressing can waft you to Morocco and the Middle East with ease. Orange, beet, carrot, and radish salads as well as couscous salads come to mind.

½ cup mild olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 table confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Orange flower water (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, then add orange flower water to taste if you like.

Moroccan Salad p.115
Citrus Cinnamon Dressing p.294
Mediterranean Fresh
Copyright © 2008 by Joyce Goldstein
Published by W.W. Norton & Company

Middle Eastern Hamburger

This is the recipe that was responsible for the death of my immersion blender. Enjoy!

The MKMT cookbook club gave the Middle Eastern Hamburger high marks. Similar to falafel, the Middle Eastern Hamburger is made with kafta (meat patties). A few in the group found it to be a little dry and added hummus to the pita in addition to the tahini. An English cucumber was used and seeded but not peeled and since heirloom tomatoes were in season I used them. I didn’t use the cayenne in the tahini.

The only thing that didn’t quite add up in the recipe is the measurement of the ground beef – 2 lbs (32oz) didn’t equal 12 4-oz keftas. I was able to make 12 3-oz keftas. It was easy to make everything in advance and assemble shortly before guests arrived. I put the platter in a warm oven and sprinkled a little Italian parsley over the top before serving.

Middle Eastern Hamburger

Here is tahini dressing at work in a sandwich format. To my palate, a kefta burger tastes much better than a regular burger, but then, I’m a Mediterranean gal.

For the Kefta
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, grated (about ¾ cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons ground cumin, toasted
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 pita breads
¾ to 1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes
¾ to 1 cup chopped peeled cucumbers
1 cup tahini dressing (recipe to follow)

Combine all of the ingredients for the kefta and knead together with your hands. Then form into two small oval patties per person, or twelve 4-ounce keftas.

Preheat a broiler or gas grill or make a charcoal fire. Broil or grill the keftas, turning once, until done, about 6 minutes total. Or fry them in a cast-iron skillet, turning once.

To serve, warm the pita breads in a microwave or conventional oven. Cut the breads in half crosswise. In the bottom of each half, put about 2 tablespoons each of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and some of the tahini dressing. Then slip in the kefta. You may want to spoon a little more tahini over the meat. Serve immediately.

Tahini Dressing
1 cup sesame tahini, preferably Al Wadi brand
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup cold water, plus more if needed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon toasted cumin seed, ground (optional)
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Combine the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor or blender and puree. Add water as needed to thin to a spreadable consistency for a dip and even thinner for salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and with cumin and cayenne if you like.

Middle Eastern Hamburger p.256
Tahini Dressing p.303
Mediterranean Fresh
Copyright © 2008 by Joyce Goldstein
Published by W.W. Norton & Company

Immersion Blender Blow-Out

It finally happened – I burned through my Braun immersion blender. I’ve had this oft used kitchen tool for a decade or more so it was bound to happen but did it have to be the morning of the Cookbook Club while I was making tahini? In the midst of mixing, smoke began streaming out of the top and something smelled like it was burning. At first I didn’t realize anything was wrong; I was completely focused on getting the tahini to the right consistency. It wasn’t until Paul called from upstairs “Is something burning down there?” that I realized, yes, there was, and it was in my left hand!

Now I am in a quandary – what to replace it with? I imagine that in the past 10 years immersion blender technology has changed, improved, attachments are more robust….the old Braun came with a whisk and bowl w/ blade attachment, the “chopper” they call it – all very handy although the chopper blade broke last year.

Do I stick with the Braun or is it time to look toward a different brand – Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid, Bosch, Viking all have similar offerings. I appeal to you for your feedback… what kind of immersion blender do you use? Would you buy it again? Recommend it to a friend? Thanks for the advice! ~ L

The Secret Sauce!

This recipe was the hands down winner at the MKMT table. While it was served with the Moroccan Lamb Sausage, we tried it on just about everything with such positive results we dubbed it the “secret sauce”! Double or even triple and keep refrigerated as a kitchen staple.

Moroccan Charmoula

Charmoula (Sometimes Spelled Chermoula) is a signature sauce in the Moroccan kitchen. Aromatic spices such as cumin, sweet paprika, and black or hot pepper are combined with chopped parsley, cilantro, and garlic in a base of olive oil, with either lemon juice or vinegar as the acid component. There are many different versions of this traditional sauce. Some have sweet spices such as cinnamon and ginger, and some include saffron. Others have grated onion or slivers of preserved lemon. Charmoula is most often used as a marinade for fish, poultry, and lamb.

Charmoula is incredibly versatile. Just like the Moroccans, we can use it as a marinade for fish, poultry, and lamb. It can be a finishing sauce and can be spooned over grilled fish or shellfish or stirred into fish soup for an herbal jolt. As a dressing, it is excellent on grilled vegetables, bean salads, potato salads, grain salads, and couscous salads. For the acid factor, I usually opt for lemon juice, but if the lemons are mild and you want greater acidity to set off the spices, add some red wine vinegar.

About ½ cup fresh lemon juice, or ¼ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup red wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika or pimentón dulce
2 teaspoons ground cumin, toasted
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped preserved lemon (optional)

Mix the lemon juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne in a mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in the parsley, cilantro, and olive oil. Taste and add more oil if necessary and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in a little preserved lemon if you’d like.

Moroccan Charmoula p.326
Mediterranean Fresh
Copyright © 2008 by Joyce Goldstein
Published by W.W. Norton & Company

Mediterranean Fresh Cookbook Review

The revival of the cookbook club and our first gathering to cook from Mediterranean Fresh by Joyce Goldstein was a huge success. The group gathered around my table consisted of 4 people from our original group and 3 new faces. The consensus was that so many recipes looked good it was difficult to choose which ones to make. And the proof was in the pudding as they say. Between 7 people, over 30 recipes were made. Everyone out did themselves. Most people came with 2-3 dishes and since each dish requires 2 recipes (one for the dish and one for the dressing) I can honestly say that the group went to town in the kitchen – and on the grill! We picked up as if we’d never stopped. It was a fine reunion.

Mediterranean Fresh is one of those cookbooks that become a kitchen staple. The 351 pages between the covers are chock full of recipes, pairings, tips, and anecdotes that we all felt that Joyce was with us in the kitchen while we were cooking. Her voice is so natural, tips so forthcoming that her years of experience in the kitchen and writing cookbooks shine right through and make the book extremely readable and interesting.

Headnotes were all relevant to the recipe, most contained tips, suggestions, and stories. We ended up reading several out loud when discussing a respective recipe. One guest even chose the Beets and Greens with Yogurt Dressing p.124 because of the headnote – “This dish is a visual bombshell because the beets tint the yogurt an electric pink” – how often do we get to make and serve something that’s electric pink?!

After meeting some of us went back and re-read much of the text for a second time – referencing recipes we didn’t make and clueing into things that we hadn’t the first time. As far as making the recipes, the general consensus was that they were all pretty easy – on a 1-10 scale, most were ranked in the 2-4 range. And while they were not terribly difficult to make, some were time consuming and some have several ingredients which could be intimidating.

We all loved that each recipe had a primary dressing then alternate dressings as well as ingredients that could be added to offer options and variety. We also liked the dressing section in the back and appreciated the lists of recipes that the dressing worked with. A couple people thought that the dressing section should have been in the beginning of the book.

We tried really hard to come up with our list of the top 3 recipes but found it impossible. The top dressing was the Moroccan Charmoula p.326 – it was served with Moroccan Lamb Sausage p.255. We coined it “secret sauce” and decided that it went well on the Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls p.89, mixed into the Greek Country Salad, p.77, and drizzled atop the Couscous Salad p.176. One guest was on a mission to try it with just about everything on the table! In the end, we all made a note in the margin to double the recipe and have it on hand as a kitchen staple.

Other recipe winners included Moroccan Salad of Raw Carrots with Citrus Cinnamon Dressing p.115, Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls p.89 (better warm than cold), Scallop Carpaccio with Meyer Lemon Dressing p.209, Seafood, Potatoes, and Green Beans with Pesto Vinaigrette p.230, and the Middle Eastern Hamburger or Kefta p.256.

And cheers to Tom. This book doesn’t have desserts so Tom, the overachiever and baking man that he is, referenced one of Joyce’s other books, Cucina Ebraica and made Caramelized Figs with Crème Fraîche for us for dessert. Yum!

We reluctantly left the table, packed up the leftovers, and went home with full bellies and big smiles.

Check back soon for some of the recipes!

The Sip and See Recipe

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a “Sip and See” in honor of the birth of a dear friend’s third child. I wasn’t familiar with this type of affair until the invitation arrived. Apparently when one has a third child, there is not a baby shower. All of the gear is left over from previous kids. So, women gather to meet the baby and present the family (new mom) with casseroles to help keep everyone properly nourished during the first few months when Mom is busy with the new little one. For this occasion, I chose a classic that I thought the whole family would enjoy.

Mom’s Chicken Noodle Casserole

Olive oil or other non-stick spray
1 8oz package egg noodles, cooked according to directions
2 lbs skinless chicken breast and thigh meat
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
1 16oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups chicken stock
2 cups frozen peas
¼ lb sliced mushrooms
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9”x13” casserole dish thoroughly with non-stick spray. Spread cooked noodles evenly over the bottom.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill on the bbq or in a grill pan until done. Slice into 1 inch cubes.

In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook, stirring until mixture is bubbly then slowly add cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and 1 cup chicken stock. Stir, adding chicken stock if necessary, until thick and smooth. Add peas, mushrooms, red pepper, and chicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir until everything is combined and warm.

Pour evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. (If you’re giving to someone or saving for later, stop here, cover with foil and refrigerate or freeze depending on when you plan to serve). Otherwise, bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly around the sides and the breadcrumbs brown.

Serve with a fresh green salad and you’re good to go.

Inspired by The Best Casserole Book Ever by Chronicle Books ©2008

Private Chef in Tahoe

It was the picture perfect summer weekend in Tahoe. Warm, bright blue sky, bunnies nibbling grass in the back yard, wildflowers aplenty, and a refrigerator full of chilled wine. We settled into our luxe yet comfortable home in Northstar. This home gets serious “Sassi Stars” the term that has been coined for my husband, the traveler with high standards. He would have loved it – in fact, I’m bringing him back in Oct and he WILL love it!

Sassi Stars aside, the real star of the girl’s weekend was the chef we hired to make dinner for us on Saturday night. What a treat it was to have someone prepare, serve, and clean up after the meal.

Our menu commenced with the cheese and fruit platter. Red, green and black grapes, figs picked that morning, and apricots paired with baked brie en croute, and a tangy goat cheese were featured. This starter is a winner and so easy for anyone to make at home – all it takes is a trip to the farmer’s market or specialty grocer and then it’s just a matter of assembly on a beautiful platter.

Next was an heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella and basil dressed with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar – yum! Heirlooms are the only kind of tomato I eat so I eat them every day this time of year!

The our entrée was a choice between a chicken breast stuffed with feta and dried cranberries, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus or ono (flown in from Hawaii on Friday) with mango salsa, orzo and asparagus. I had the ono which was moist and meaty. The mango salsa was a refreshing accompaniment. I would have swapped the orzo for the scalloped potatoes which were To Die For and the asparagus was expertly steamed and slightly crunchy.

For dessert we indulged in a mixed organic berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. There was quite a bit left over which was enjoyed for breakfast Sunday morning!

Aside from the stellar meal, I have to say that Northstar Rocks! Between the complimentary shuttle that picks up curbside, to the gondola and chairlifts that took us to the launching points of two memorable hikes, to lounging poolside, summertime is a great time to visit this resort.

If only we were there for a few more days we could have played golf, gone horse back riding, caught some fish, and explored more hiking trails while staying in our home with Sassi Stars….

Farmers Market in Santa Cruz

In case you were worried, my trip to Santa Cruz was not all about the Corn Dog. In fact, my second trip was centered on the Saturday morning farmer’s market at Cabrillo College. Paul and I were to meet friends there at 9am – sharp – so not to miss the best of the pickings.

I am spoiled. The San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market is a short walk from home. I went to Santa Cruz, but with a raised eyebrow – would it really be as good? Plus, I had to be in the car by 7:15am on a Saturday morning to be there by 9am… for a girl who likes to sleep in on the weekend, this was becoming a hardship.

The Santa Cruz market did not disappoint; in fact, it exceeded expectations. I don’t think that anything there came from more than 30 miles away – including the line caught wild halibut that we bought to eat for dinner. YUM!

As we wandered through the three levels of the market we were challenged by all of the options and found it difficult to decide what we were going to make for dinner that night and what we wanted to stock up on for the next several days. There were so many choices!

There was hybrid corn, heirloom tomatoes, baby spinach, little gem romaine, rainbow chard, mushrooms, fresh baguettes, peaches, plums… the abundance of fresh produce one would expect to see in the middle of farm country in the summer.

And did someone mention flowers? There were just as many flowers as there was produce – everything from mixed wild sunflower arrangements, to award winning begonias – yes, Santa Cruz is official begonia country but that’s another story, and dahlias to die for!

I left the market with my basket overflowing and looking forward to spending the afternoon in the kitchen preparing all of the goodies I brought home for dinner with friends.

When Was the Last Time You Ate a Corn Dog?

I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question a couple of weeks ago but now, I can proudly say that I have had 2 since mid-July. And with this confession, I’m scared… but let me explain… there is good reason for the corn dog consumption…. the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – twice in 3 weeks! The motive was to ride the Giant Dipper but who can go to an amusement park without eating the requisite corn dog… especially when the concession is adjacent to the Dipper?

So this got me thinking…. How often does the average person eat a corn dog and where can the best dog be found? I don’t know the answer to these questions but I’ve learned that a lot of people like to indulge. National Corn Dog Day is celebrated in all 50 states of the union, the District of Columbia, and in 6 international locales with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer as the official sponsor. Mark your calendars for sometime next March (last year it was the 22nd) and seek it out in a city near you…or better yet, host your own corn dog celebration… I’m inviting him…

Making corn dogs at home sounds easy. Here is a recipe adapted from the National Corn Dog Website – pinched, not tested, so make at your own risk. Now if someone could figure out how to infuse the Corn Dog with mustard so it’s between the dog and the batter that would be a real winner of a wiener.

Basic Corn Dogs

1 gallon vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
6 all beef hot dogs
6 wooden chopsticks

Heat oil in a deep fryer or a large, deep, heavy pot to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together remaining ingredients except the wieners. Transfer to a plate or flat pie pan. Insert chopsticks into wieners about 1/3 through. Make sure there’s plenty left to hold on to! Roll wieners in the batter until thoroughly coated. Dip in the fryer and deep fry for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately with mustard and ketchup and a ice cold beer!