GerryFurth-Sides

Pink Pineapple Updates The Original Smoothie: Indian Lassi

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Everyday is a celebration of dairy at KAPOOR’s with variety of Indian Lassi’s.

National Dairy Month started in June,1937 as a way to sell excess milk in the warm summer months. Within two years, National Dairy Month moved to national prominence. Today it’s a full-blown celebration of all things dairy, with parades, festivals, and farm-inspired activities all around the U.S. in the month of June.

This past year we discovered surprising new favorites from (1) home baking, (2) a new farmers market visit that led us to Stepladder Ranch cheeses (part 2 of this article), (3) winning a pink pineapple competition that inspired a new Indian Lassi flavor, and another dairy story: buttermilk.

Stepladder Ranch Cheese and Big Sur, our favorite!

Classic Indian lassi was actually invented as a way to use up the “buttermilk” or rich liquid that remained after cream was churned into butter. The leftover liquid is termed as Buttermilk, which is commonly known as ‘Chaati ki Lassi’. Thousands of years old, the drink originated in the Punjab in northern India.

Chef-owner Avinah Kapoor remembers drinking it this way, when he was a kid on a farm in northern India. So did others at our table (see above): Avi’s Katie-roll Partner, Sri Sambangi, growing up on a south Indian farm; Cathy Arkle on a farm in the heart of the country, and even me, who has family with a beloved “gentleman’s farm” that included dairy cattle, near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

These days it is made with milk and yogurt, at all Indian restaurants, including his Kapoor’s Akbar in DTLA and Akbar in Marina del Rey, . And sugar. Chef Avi Kapoor discovered that with very sweet pink pineapple “there isn’t even a need to add sugar!”

Chef Avi Kapoor’s making a milk, yogurt pink pineapple lassi

Every Indian restaurant serves lassis. And there are many, many easy to follow recipes to make your own lassi at home. And videos that prove how easy it is to make.

pink pineapple from Costa Rica – sweet enough for smoothies without sugar

Still, Lassi not only is refreshing but it it healthy, loaded with good bacteria that promotes a healthy gut and can help healing the stomach.  the probiotic content in lassi makes it a perfect dose to cure several digestion related issues. The calming effect of lassi is known to prevent sun strokes. Healthy protein helps in building muscle mass, and also improves bone mineral density and aids in weight loss.

Bakers lament because commercial “buttermilk” is only sold in quart containers and they have unusable leftovers. We used what we needed for a recipe and wound up happily drinking the rest of the buttermilk, straight. Turns out I am not the only one who loves the stuff. Buttermilk bars were set up by the Salvation Army during Prohibition as a refreshing alternative to alcoholic drinks.  And it was a favorite of my own mom.

Lassi these days comes in a variety of fruit flavors and also pistachio.
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Everyday is a celebration of dairy at KAPOOR’s with variety of Indian Lassi’s.

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Chef Avi Kapoor’s making a milk, yogurt pink pineapple lassi – sweet enough without sugar
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Lassi not only is refreshing but it it healthy, loaded with good bacteria that promotes a healthy gut and can help healing the stomach. The calming effect of lassi is known to prevent sun strokes. Healthy protein helps in building muscle mass, and also improves bone mineral density and aids in weight loss.

Bakers lament because commercial “buttermilk” is only sold in quart containers and they have unusable leftovers. We used what we needed for a recipe and wound up happily drinking the rest of the buttermilk, straight. Turns out I am not the only one who loves the stuff. Buttermilk bars were set up by the Salvation Army during Prohibition as a refreshing alternative to alcoholic drinks.  And it was a favorite of my own mom.

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And It turned out that we were not drinking real buttermilk this year because buttermilk is made from cream, not milk like the ones on the market now. Buttermilk is the liquid that’s left when cream is churned into butter, the very same that inspired the Indians to create “lassi” in the first place.  If you look carefully, you will see that “buttermilk” sold in cartons at the supermarket is labeled, “cultured skim milk.”

The only true buttermilk commercially available is Kate’s Real Buttermilk from Maine, found in Northeastern supermarkets. The Federal Government recognizes that cultured skim milk isn’t buttermilk, but it’s not a big enough problem to force dairy companies to change their labels

 Real buttermilk contains amazing emuslifiers that can only be found in cream. Dr. Robert Bradley, Professor Emeritus in the Food Science Department at the University of Wisconsin explains, explanation: “Phospholipids are the emulsifiers in cream. They are part of the fat globule membranes. Churning cream causes collisions of the fat globules. When the collisions occur, the membranes are stripped off and go into the buttermilk.” 

And that’s why Real buttermilk is the secret to exceptional baked goods. Its resounding emulsifiers make cakes, biscuits, and muffins more tender and taste richer and moist even though buttermilk is low in fat. 

As kids at home, we always drank milk, which my mother walked to get in half gallon glass bottles from a neighborhood dairy story. My parents did not drink although my mom’s favorite things in the world in addition to buttermilk was cheese (and salad greens – a real California girl born in Europe!).

This lockdown year of reflection, it occurs to me that I have never given milk a thought since the “food police” have frowned on dairy for decades. This is not to say that I don’t put 1/2 and 1/2 into espresso when it is available, eat ice cream and an egg every other day!

Dairy in our favorite iced coffee, hot espresso and baked goods!

Three New Must-Try “Insider” Garlic Surprises

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Mariam Elghani delivers her Garlic Goodness directly to us!

(Gerry Furth-Sides) 1. Mariam’s Garlic Goodness. Mariam Elghani really wanted me to try her family recipe “toom.” So she cheerfully dropped off a bag on her LA delivery trip back to Bakersfield!

We loved it so much we had to share. Mariam’s Garlic Goodness, a plant-based Lebanese garlic dip, known as “toom” in Lebanese, has always been popular throughout the Mediterranean.  Mariam’s is made exclusively with Gilroy, California garlic and infuses the rich flavors of raw garlic, lemon juice, natural oils and zesty spices.

The healthy dairy-free ingredients are gluten-free and keto-friendly. The list of uses for the dip is longer: it can be used as a dip for crackers or chips; as a condiment on sandwiches and wraps; as a sauce, dressing, or as a marinade to add a subtle or intense kick to fish and proteins.  

Flavors include a mild Garlic, Chili Pepper and really spicy Jalepeno. It is now available at fine retailers, including Andronico’s Community Markets, Erewhon Market, Woodlands Market, Berkeley Bowl Marketplace, and more throughout California.  For more information, please visit www.mariamsmediterranean.com/ or follow on Instagram and Facebook @GarlicGoodness.

Garlic Goodness was founded by Berkeley-based entrepreneur Mariam, who was inspired while growing up working in her family’s Silicon Valley restaurant, Falafel Bite Mediterranean Grill. Elghani worked with her father to perfect traditional Lebanese recipes.  The turning point arrived when they started dressing wraps with their own handmade toom, customers began asking for the condiment as a side dip and it became an instant hit.

“My family’s restaurant catered events for a lot of Valley-based tech companies.  When we first introduced toom, they started requesting side order containers of it for their events.  Soon it became so popular, they were requesting entire trays of toom,” as Elghani recalls. “By 2018, demand became so great, I realized we could be producing more for people beyond the Valley. And now it is thrilling to know its available in stores all over the state.” 

We took the Mariam’s Garlic Goodness to Kapoor’s restaurant for a tasting with naan.
Delicious! A spicy level for each of us!
@Table Conversation and Sri Sambangi of Clorder taste Garlic Goodness on naan

2. Black Garlic and Elephant Garlic continues our own garlic love affair with a subtle bulb that is less pungent in smell and taste than the standard garlic. //www.melissas.com/products/black-garlic It is available online at Melissa’s Produce, along with sectioned, peeled regular garlic.

Our new favorite way to use it– one becoming very fashionable it appears- is in Roasted Garlic Jam. Black or Elephant garlic makes the “jam” almost sweet rather than pungent with less of a smell, like classic garlic. We have also use it, minced with our fingers, to dot vegetable galettes. And it makes a perfect, unique and original gift in a little reusable canning jar. The recipe is below.

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Melissa’s Produce Black Garlic dots adds a perfect subtle, jammy addition to veggie tarts

Roasted Garlic Jam

 Ingredients:

  1. 2 large sweet onions (we used Hatch sweet onions from Melissa’s produce)
  2. 2 Tablespoons olive oil (we use a rich Spanish olive oil or grapeseed oil)
  3. 2 Tablespoons butter (we use Kerrygold unsalted)
  4. 2 heads of Black garlic, peeled and roasted 
  5. 1 head of Elephant garlic, peeled and roasted
  6. 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (we used dark brown organic)
  7. 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (we use rich Spanish balsamic vinegar)
  8. 1/8 teaspoon Meyer lemon (from the garden of @Table Conversation!)
  9. Freshly ground black pepper and herbs (we sometimes use Melissa’s Produce garlic, herb grinder)

Directions

Peel the onions and slice or cut into a rough dice. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.

Place in a pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and tender. Add the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and deep golden. Cool. Place in a glass jar with lid. Refrigerate until needed. The spread can go into the freezer for about a week.

Our Melissa’s Black Garlic jam gift to our cousin, Tim. He spread it on sourdough bread with a spot of classic yellow mustard
Gilroy Garlic Festival 2021

3. The renowned Gilroy Garlic Festival Association will present its 2021 “legacy events” the weekends of July 23rd-25th and July 31 with a variety of socially distanced and virtual events designed to showcase and honor the bulb which made Gilroy famous.

The festival is wildly popular for offering up garlic in every form imaginable from savory garlic-infused batter to sweets such as garlic ice cream. Almost as important, the camaraderie and food tastings of this unique bulb make for the most friendly, fun and tasty time ever — rivaling mushrooms for the title. This year planners are working on a variety of creatively reimagined events (socially distanced, virtual, and more). Please see the website for up-to-date schedules and details. //gilroygarlicfestivalassociation.com

On the list: a series of drive-thru events at Gilroy Presbyterian Church, a Farm-to-Table dinner at Fortino’s Winery, and a Golf Tournament at Gilroy Golf Course.

A Savor a Farm-to-Table Dinner at Fortino’s Winery (located at 4525 Hecker Pass Highway) the evening of Saturday, July 24th. The feast bring farm-fresh flavors in food and wines directly to the table. 

A Savor a Farm-to-Table Dinner at Fortino’s Winery at the 2021 Gilroy Garlic Festival

Drive-thru Gourmet Alley, scheduled for the weekends of July 23rd, 24th and 25th, and July 30th, 31st, and August 1st, takes place at the Gilroy Presbyterian Church, located at 6000 Miller Ave., Gilroy, CA 95020. 

Gourmet Alley at the 2021 Gilroy Garlic Festival

A Make a Hole-in-One at the Garlic Festival Gold Tournament “for a cause” at the Garlic Festival Golf Classic, which will be held Friday, July 30th at Gilroy Golf Course, located at 9402, 2695 Hecker Pass Road.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has distributed more than $12 million to the community through its annual festivals since 1979. Their goal: to be a chain that links together residents, businesses, nonprofits, faith groups, schools, and other local institutions in a collaborative and supportive expression of “community.”

The Festival works closely with the Santa Clara County Health Department to get approval for the Gourmet Alley Drive-Thru.

GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
PO Box 2311
Gilroy, CA 95021

Elegant Caulipower Pasta Direct from Italy

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) It wasn’t enough that CAULIPOWERare already the makers of America’s #1-selling cauliflower crust pizza. Just in time for Celiac Awareness Month, the brand adds a sixth grocery category with healthy, whimsical Cauliflower Pasta, to the frozen food aisle of many market. 

Caulipower pappardelle (photo credit: Caulipower)


CAULIPOWER uses the power of veggies to make healthier, easier versions of foods almost everyone craves. And they actually taste like the foods, and even have the same textures, as with their new Cauliflower Pasta. We were so excited we planned a menu and set the table for a dinner with it as the star. Made in Italy, the pasta is available in two varieties, Linguine and Pappardelle, to divide into 1/3 cup veggie servings.

The abundanza box we received on our doorstep as only the Italians can create!
The table is set for our Cauliflower feast

Caulipower cauliflower pasta is also cost effective and time efficient. At $5.99, the delicious plant-based pastas feeds an entire family. It’s three-minute cook time, saves time in the kitchen.

This left us plenty of time to make our own pesto in the morning, to store until mealtime. It gives the meal an individual touch. Homemade pesto can also make additional, unique meals by changing the seasoning, nuts and herbs in it. So can versatile tomato sauces. Please see our post on Italian POMI tomato sauces for more ideas. (//localfoodeater.com/fresh-italian-pomi-tomatoes-come-home-to-america/

CAULIPOWER’s Extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic power and dried oregano. And buy carrots at the farmers market.

CAULIPOWER’s Extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic power and dried oregano
Freshly made pesto the morning of the feast add a special touch to the CAULIPOWER’s Cauliflower Pasta
Farmers Markets Carrots ready to roast pair with CAULIPOWER’s Cauliflower Pasta

CAULIPOWER’s Cauliflower Pasta is available nationwide on Amazon, as well as in the freezer aisle of select retailers across the country including Shoprite, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Direct, and Jewel.

CAULIPOWER pasta looks and has the same texture as any other wheat paste
We added Marquez sausage, our own homemade basil pesto and baby artichokes to the CAULIPOWER pasta
A simple salad dressed with Caulipower olive oil starts off the meal of cauliflower pasta
Our Marquez sausage, homemade basil pesto and baby artichokes CAULIPOWER cauliflower pasta garnished with pinenuts

The product will be also available at Walmart at the end of September, and in more than 14,000 stores including Gelson’s, Big Y, Dierbergs, and Kroger by the end of 2021.

An Italian tiramisu, vanilla gelato and fruit tart fitting for a We added Marquez sausage, our own homemade basil pesto and baby artichokes to the CAULIPOWER pasta feast!

New Kati + Frankie at Katirollco Now in LA!

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Los Angelenos can discover  whether they prefer a Frankie or a Kati – or both- with an order at Kati Roll Company (#katirollco).  The new company brings authentic, lively Indian Street food to LA with the Kati  and  Frankie in wrap and in bowl form. Add to this a line of side dishes and unusual fruit drinks. To order food online, please see: //katirollco.com.

On the Kati menu:  Chicken Tikka Kati Roll ($8.99);Fried Chicken ($8.99);Crispy Fish ($9.99); Paneer Makhani Kati Roll ($8.99); Tofu Makhani Kati Roll ($8.99).

Katiroll offers Frankies filled with Chicken Tikka Masala  ($10.99); Crispy Fish ($12.99); Paneer Tandoori ($8.99); Aloo Gobi ($8.99)

Bowl dishes include:  Saag Paneer Bowl, Channa Masala Bowl, and Dal Bowl (Yellow/Dal Tadka)at $8.99; Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl ($9.99) and a Salmon Bowl ($14.99).

Sides include Spicy Potato Fries ($3.99); Plain Roti ($2.49); Spinach Roti ($2.49; roasted Brussels Sprouts ($9.99); Cheese Naan ($4.99). 

All of the dishes go beautifully with refreshing fruit Lassis, a carefully prepared house-made blend of fruit, organic yogurt and milk. The most famous is Mango Lassi, here Alfonzo Mango. Also on the menu: blueberry, strawberry and mixed berry ($4.99) 

Street vendors in Mumbay and Calcutta thought up the concept when they didn’t have time to wash plates between customers. So they started serving their marinated and grilled kebabs wrapped in hand-held roti wraps – and, presto, no need for plates.

Lassis, a house-made blend of fruit and organic yogurt.The unusual drinks on the menu at Lassi’s in Alfonzo Mango ($4.99), Pistachio ($5.99) and Mixed Berry ($4.99)

Everyone affectionately calls the “Kati (or Kathi)” that originated in Kolkata (Calcutta) the “roll” in Bengal. The word Kati in native Bengali roughly translates to “stick”, referring to how they were originally made on skewers.

Stuffing variations include assorted veggies, cheese, meat, paneer, soy.  The traditional Kati fillings include coriander and chutney, with egg, and chicken proteins.   A warm, lingering layer of flavor comes from the addition of a sparkling array of spices.  Plain roti or a parantha that has some lamination is used as a Kati roll wrap. 

Fruit lassis are the perfect pairing with a Frankie or Kati, or on by themselves!

The Frankie was created in Mumbai (Bombay) in the north and is unique to this area.  A Frankie is an Indian wrap best described as a “Mumbai Burrito” with no rice or beans. The standard Mumbai version wrap is roti.   Stuffed with a veggies, cottage cheese cutlet, it is seasoned with a combination of tangy sauces, then  rolled into an omelette-like layer on the inside.    Frankies are also distinguished by  the practice of egg washing the casing of the wrap.   

In American versions of the Frankie, naan baked in a tandoor oven is used, whether traditional nan or the roti with darker wheat. Naans are slightly puffy with a crackling thin, crisp crust spotted with bits of smoky char that breaks open to reveal airy, stretchy, slightly chewy bread underneath.

Each dish is carefully sourced for ingredients, prepared and wrapped. The food is prepared at in the kitchens of Kapoor just northwest of DTLA, popular and well-respected for two generations in the city. Indian restaurants run by Indian families in recent decades, in Canada and the United States, have propelled the Frankie and Kati into a “favorite” ranking in take-out restaurants.

Pick up a Kati and a Frankie at Kapoor’s Akbar Indian Restaurant, 701 W. Cesar E Chavez Ave., Suite 107, Los Angeles, CA 90012. (213) 372-5590.

Are you a Kati or a Frankie? Find Out at KATI ROLL CO

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The foil wrapping tells you if it is a Frankie or Kati!

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Are you a Frankie or a Kati? Do you know the difference? You will soon when Kati Roll Company (#katirollco) comes to to town, bringing authentic, fun Indian Street food to LA. And second generation, Avinash Kapoor, who is bringing it to Los Angeles, already owns two of the most popular Indian restaurants in Los Angeles.

Both concepts started because street vendors didn’t have enough time to wash their plates between customers.  So they started serving their marinated and grilled kebabs wrapped in paratha or roti (Indian flatbread), serving the two items together without dishware.

And both go beautiful with refreshing fruit Lassis, a house-made blend of fruit and organic yogurt. The most famous is Mango Lassi shown below. Other flavors include blueberry and strawberry.

Lassis, a house-made blend of fruit and organic yogurt.

I start with the Kati, because it is my preference!  The Kati (or Kathi ) roll originated in Kolkata (Calcutta).  It has come in Bengal to be simply known as “roll”. The word Kati in native Bengali roughly translates to “stick”, referring to how they were originally made on skewers.

It has stuffing variations chosen from assorted veggies, cheese, meat, paneer, soy.  The traditional Kati fillings include coriander and chutney, with egg, and chicken proteins. A warm, lingering layer of spiciness comes from the addition of a sparkling array of spices.  Plain roti or a parantha that has some lamination is used as a Kati roll wrap.

Fruit lassis are the perfect pairing with a Frankie or Kati, or on by themselves!

The Frankie was created in Mumbai (Bombay) in the north and is unique to this area.  A Frankie is an Indian wrap best described as a “Mumbai Burrito” with no rice or beans. The standard Mumbai version wrap is roti.   Stuffed with a veggies, cottage cheese cutlet, it is seasoned with a combination of tangy sauces, then  rolled into an omelette-like layer on the inside.    Frankies are also distinguished by  the practice of egg washing the casing of the wrap.   

In American versions of the Frankie, naan baked in a tandoor oven is used, and an extra cost is made for the darker wheat, thicker roti, possibly because roti seems more exotic. This is a lot like the choice of a hamburger sandwich bun simply being on a soft white bread or whole wheat. 

Naan, an ancient Indian staple is perfect for a folded over quesadilla-like sandwich.  It’s a soft dough cooked at extremely high temperatures in substantial metal or clay cylindrical oven. Yogourt is added to the dough to soften it, and ghee to give it a gloss before the chef gently slaps it onto the side of the oven, where it sticks until it is baked. Naans are slightly puffy with a crackling thin, crisp crust spotted with bits of smoky char that breaks open to reveal airy, stretchy, slightly chewy bread underneath. Your mouth waters just to read about it!

Kati rolls are packed in paper whereas Frankies are rolled in foil.  So the Kati paper can be torn around the side as you eat it.  The Frankie can be slid up through the foil circle instead. This makes both of them convenient!

To get a better idea about how loved these two street food favorites are, consider this debate as the Indian counterpart to the American obsession with NY style versus Chicago pizza style.  The NY style has the thinnest of crusts and baked in a wood-burning oven at its best for a crunchy, flatbread canvas for usually light ingredients – like the Kati.   The deep-dish Chicago adds a doughy crust, more like the Frankie!

And, like the intense New York style vs  Chicago-style pizza style debate in America, the Indian one depends on which style Regional food you like best.    You can also compare the affection outside Indian for these two handheld street foods as the counterpart to the French obsession with cous cous.   And with the Brits who fell so much in love with Indian cuisine in India during the Raj that they blended their own flavors into the dishes and brought them back to England, where they are ranked ahead of Anglo food in annual surveys!

Indian restaurants run by Indian families in recent decades, in Canada and the United States, have propelled the Frankie and Kati into a “favorite” ranking in take-out restaurants. Now it is available to you to make own choice to see which you are: a Frankie or a Kati!

The Ojai Pixie Fairytale Story

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Bottled magic: An Ojai Pixie spray from the Ojai Valley Inn & Resort. The store still sells Pixie products

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The story about Pixie’s coming to market is of fairytale nature. This spring cleaning we came upon a SPA OJAI bag with a pixie tangerine spray tucked inside fit that felt just as magical. Its fragrance was as fresh as when we first made it in the Artist Cottage Cottage, a working artist studio and apothecary for instruction in aromatherapy oil blending at the resort. Because we first were introduced to the pixies right in their own home, Ojai, so eating them takes us back to the Ojai Valley Inn and Resort. Our beloved Ojai Valley Inn and Resort is back open and you can purchase pixie products there or in town!

Ojai Pixie Tangerine Jojoba Cream Polish available year-round!

The love that the pixie story has added to it the winter holiday glow because at the time of its release in 1965 “tangerine season” was considered to be around Christmas time. So the Pixie came ripe at a time when no one was expecting to buy or sell tangerines.

Even the origin of the Pixie Tangerine is shrouded in a bit of mystery. Scientific literature says that the Pixie Tangerine is “a second generation hybrid (or possibly a self) obtained from open pollination of an F1 hybrid called a Kincy,” meaning that the “seed parent” was a tangerine variety called a Kincy (a cross between a Dancy and a King).  Still,  no one has identified the pollen parent.

Sweet as a tangerine but just the right endearing size for a satisfying snack, a breakfast side dish, salad OR the squeeze of citrus on a salad to make it pop. The tangerines are picked as close to packing as possible so that customers receive  them within two days.  They are put in 1000 pound bins.   With the smaller number of growers aiming for flavor, the high natural sugar content ranges from 13% to a whopping 17%.   

Let the pixies speak for themselves: “We are not Cuties, Halos, Sweeties, Delites or Smiles– we are Ojai Pixies; that is, Pixie tangerines grown in the Ojai Valley. Ojai Pixies are grown by a dedicated group of farmers working on small family farms. We grow and market our own fruit.” For details please see: www.ojaipixies.com.

And these same fruit growers in Ojai love to casually drop the fact into a conversation that pixies outnumber people in the city. It’s just the perfect quirky fact about this magical little town that is the perfect home to this lovable little tangerine with the fairytale story.

Citrus breeder Howard Frost obtained the parent seed in 1927. Actual development and testing of the fruit didn’t begin until many years later, at the University of California at Riverside. UCR breeders spent a couple of decades planting out trees to see how they would grow under different conditions and what their fruit was like. In 1965, UCR plant breeders, James Cameron and Robert Soost, finally released the Pixie, which at the time they recommended only as a “backyard tree.”

Yet even from the start, commercial value was considered limited at best because trees don’t  fruit worth harvesting for at least 4 years, and the tree doesn’t come into anything approaching full bearing until 8 years. This was augmented by the fact that pixie’s are alternate bearing – meaning a cycle of heavy and then light crop years.  So when the pixie tangerine variety was introduced, it was designated as a “backyard tree.” Seasons are still limited to a little bit of an extension from March to May.  

But the saving grace was that for such a delicate growing life, the pixie can retain its flavor and quality if stored in the home fridge for a outstanding long time. So, ignoring these citrus marketing conventions, two Ojai growers, Tony Thacher and Jim Churchill, planted commercial quantities of Pixie tangerines in the early 1980’s. It turned out that Pixie Tangerines grown in Ojai soared to popularity with their sweet, seedless, easy to peel characters.  By the mid-1990’s, other local growers joined the Ojai Valley Pixie Party.  Soon afterward, a Ojai Pixie Growers’ Association was created to share information about cultural practices and to develop a market for the locally grown fruit.

The front lawn of the Ojai Inn and Valley Resort near the pixie fields

Back to the Pixie and the Ojai Valley Inn and Resort, where I so vividly remember an Ojai Valley Inn and Resort manager grabbing hold of my arm one evening to point out the pink-striped sky.  Ojai’s breathtaking sunsets, which appear other worldly though they actually derived from electromagnetic forces, have been affectionately labeled by residents as “pink moments.”

The history of the Ojai Valley Inn began in 1923, when wealthy Ohio glass manufacturer Edward Drummond Libbey commissioned architect Wallace Neff to build a clubhouse for his private golf course. This became his personal winter retreat in Ojai.  And now for guests around the world.

View of the hills that the Chumash also called home 10,000 years ago
Breakfast is served on the veranda of the Ojai Valley Inn and Resort

You could feel the Chumash Indians there, too, the same tribes who developed an incredibly sophisticated waterway system for food and product commerce those 10,000 years ago.  These days you can at least you can easily duplicate a part of the experience right in your own home, with Ojai Pixie tangerines for inspiration.

Brunch with root vegetable hash, hard-boiled egg and stone crackers
Brunch with a side of pixies at the Ojai Valley Inn & Resort

Celebrate Easter at Our Favorite Celestino, Pasadena

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Your Easter table is ready at Celestino, Pasadena (photo credit: acuna-hansen)

Happy Spring and Easter celebrations at one of our favorite family of restaurants that brought us “through the pandemic” with their to-go specialties and dining outdoors as soon as it opened up: the Drago brothers – who also happened to be our last public event we attended a year ago! And we found a way to eat their food from the very beginning of lockdown. Even though we missed the family hospitality so much, the staff tried hard!

The Drago brothers at the fantastic last public evening event we attended in 2020
Drago Bakery helps replicate the Drago dining experience at home during lockdown!

This Easter Sunday celebrate Sicilian style and let Owner and Executive Chef Calogero Drago prepare a happy Easter Dinner on one of Celestino Ristorante’s gorgeous Outdoor Patios, in the Dining Room by placing an order for Takeout orDelivery to enjoy a phenomenal meal and maybe an Easter egg hunt at home.

Chef Drago celebrates this symbolic day by featuring his full Classic Menu showcasing signature items like the Ravioli filled with Duck, Mushrooms, & Porcino Blueberry Sauce, Tortellini Stuffed with Pumpkin Cream, Butter & SageRisotto with Red Beets & Goat Cheese, Ossobuco, Bistecca, and his Homemade Authentic Family-Style Lasagna Menu that can be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance. For something sweet there are decadent but light desserts to share:  TiramisuPanna Cotta (Vanilla Custard with Strawberries). Our favorite has always been the Torta Al Ciocolato (Flourless Chocolate Cake) for a perfect, satisfying and not-too-full finish.

A perennial favorite on the Easter menu at Celestino (photo credit: lacuna-hansen)

Easter Chocolate Flourless Cake at Celestino Ristorante (photo credit acuna-hansen)
What better Italian Easter sweet than tiramisu at Celestino Ristorante (photo credit acuna-hansen)

Celestino Ristorante will be open Easter Sunday, April 4th, 2021 for Indoor DiningOutdoor Patio DiningTakeout, Delivery, and Curbside Pickup from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm; 141 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105; 626.795.4006;www.CelestinoRistorante.com

Easy French Dinners with Susan Loomis’ PLAT DU JOUR Book

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Today I am an American in Paris from afar. And I share with you a revelatory brunch and lesson by way of Susan Herrmann Loomis’ definitive new culinary lifestyle book, PLAT DU JOUR French Dinners Made Easy. 

Poached Eggs with a Wine Sauce from Susan Loomis’s newest definite book on French culinary lifestyle, Plat du Jour, French Dinners Made Easy (photo courtesy of the author)

The French have always been known to love food, even everyday meals. Featured on bistro menus and dinner tables throughout France, the plat du jour, plate of the day, is the centerpiece of a two- course meal.  Parisian, Susan Loomis uses this idea ingeniously in her newest book, Plat du Jour, French Dinners Made Easy.  Dishes can also be a part of  a bigger meal or served on their own. There are also marvelous histories

Antoine-Auguste Parmentier and how potatoes came to even be eaten, and why his name is on most potato dishes is one of the engrossing stories in Plat du Jour, French Dinners Made Easy. (photo courtesy of the author)

By pairing substantial main dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Poule au Pot, and Bouillabaisse with just the right starter, side, and/or dessert, Plat du Jour is advertised as getting dinner on the table as easy as un, deux, trois. But even though this “one, two, three” time may feel flowing, we found it can take hours and hours  of cooking before we start on the pile of pots and pans. So we used American short cuts.

The dish we tried first was Poached Eggs on Carrot Purée with Red Wine Sauce and Bacon. And it may not have been as complex as the original version by Burgundy Chef Bernard Loiseau. We used a modern egg poacher to do our eggs.

We had such a “French time” farmers markets experience preparing our meal from PLAT DU JOUR French Dinners Made Easy. . Here is the Parisian and the American story in pictures!(top left and bottom left photos courtesy of the author)

 

We happily found the same sort farm vegetable displays in America with the earth still clinging to them, and also the strong (made in Mexico) old Oster blender to make the carrot puree AND a kitchen scale to measure the baby carrots
We used a modern egg poacher to do our eggs for our breakfast from PLAT DU JOUR French Dinners Made Easy.

Otherwise we loved our “French” experience. It was filled with the simple yet sophisticated Parisian pleasures I longed for after reading Susan’s stories – walking at the markets, knowing your vendors and history of the dish you are preparing and taking the time to focus on each of the many steps as you cook.

Susan and this beautiful, bold book with photos of each dish are complete with her accomplished teacher ASTUCES or tips. I read all of her engrossing histories even before marking the pages for “must-make” recipes. 

A sample of a recipe with tips in PLAT DU JOUR French Dinners Made Easy (photo courtesy of the author).

Delvigne Bakery added a French flourish to our market trip in California with an extra bouchon, our favorite chocolate thing in the world, added to our bag as a surprise

Delvigne Bakery at the Culver City Farmers Market added a French fluorish to our trip.

Country Omelet with Wild Mushrooms and Potatoes was another dish we tried from PLAT DU JOUR. We quickly learned that cèpes is the French name for Italian porcini Mushrooms. And it is one that has directions for making an omelette the classic, (almost runny) French way, other than a la Julia Child, where the pan is gently shaken until the omelette is done, which is always use.

Mushrooms and Potatoes Omelette Campagnarde Aux cèpes et Pommes de Terre from PLAT DU JOUR (top left book photo courtesy of the author)

When Parisian Market gardener Baptiste Bourdon convinced our cookbook author friend, Chef Susan Loomis, to cook potatoes his way, Susan fashioned Baptiste’s New Potato Fries into a recipe. I was reminded of weekly home dinners with a version of these potatoes and could not wait to try them. I already knew that horizontally sliced and baked potatoes were the best ever because my European mom (French cooking school) changed to this version – always with roasted chicken 😋 – after reading a magazine article about how unhealthy her fabulous deep-fried french fries and chicken were for us. 

Batiste adds blanching them first to add a more tender potato interior to contrast with the crispy outside. Of course, called them “frites” makes them even more delicious! And so does the continuing story. 

Susan fashioned the potato creation of market gardener vendor, Baptiste Bourdon, into Baptiste’s New Potato Fries from PLAT DU JOUR. Our version here

Susan is a France-based (she and her husband live in a converted convent!), award-winning author with fourteen books to her credit, a professionally trained chef, and a cooking school proprietor. Included among her titles are The THE GREAT AMERICAN SEAFOOD COOKBOOK, FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK, CLAMBAKES AND FISH FRIES, FRENCH FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK and ITALIAN FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK, (all Workman Publishing, Inc.). ON RUE TATIN (Broadway Books. 2001) a narrative about her life in France, with recipes which won the IACP best literary food book for 2002, TARTE TATIN (Harper Collins UK, 2003), the sequel, COOKING AT HOME ON RUE TATIN, (William Morrow, May 2005) and NUTS IN THE KITCHEN (William Morrow 2010), IN A FRENCH KITCHEN (Penguin, 2015). FRENCH GRILL (Countryman, 2019); PLAT DU JOUR (Countryman, 2020).  All are available online.  Loomis has contributed to many newspapers and magazines including the NEW YORK TIMES, LA TIMES, BOSTON GLOBE, COOKING LIGHT, CULTURE.  Loomis has participated in many television and radio shows, including Good Morning America (ABC), Home Matters, Epicurious/Discovery, The Splendid Table with Lynn Rosetto Kasper@ (MPR); A Food Talk with Arthur Schwartz@ (WOR); A Good Food Hour with Evan Kleinman@ (KSRO).   Loomis, who has lived in France for more than thirty years, teaches cooking and the history of French gastronomy in Normandy, Paris, and in the U.S.  

 

Tips, Techniques and Recipes for an Authentic Spanish Thanksgiving Feast

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(Gerry Furth-Sides) Dishes from Spain will once again be on our Thanksgiving table this year.   And we will toast to all of it with Spanish Rioja and Temperanillo. This is after learning that the first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565 as documented by archaeologists at Florida’s Museum of Natural History.

On the menu are: a chestnut soup, Tortilla La Espańola with potato and onion, flavored with wild black garlic.  A cheeseboard filled with specialty items from Spain will be offered so guests can choose from savory Salamanca dry-cured Iberico de cebo pork salchichón;  Idiazabal do (Craw Sheep milk smoked basque, aged 60 days); Spanish green and black olives; quince paste  and a roasted garlic tomato to spread onto barra (like a French baguette), and tomatohazelnuts from Galacia. To choose from on the sweeter side:  a dense fig almond cake; almendra garrapiñada (sugar coated almonds), black dried raisins and fresh grapes.
García de la Cruz was founded in 1872, and the table set here is in 1905 so we are sure that our Thanksgiving feast highlighted by the extra virgin olive oil is “Gran Hotel” worthy – and may have even served at the real hotel!

 

Fine olive oils should only be used for dipping finishing touches to dishes, and only when they are cool because the flavor of the oil changes when heated.  This is especially true with refined García de la Cruz, the early harvest olive oil in its exquisite bottle.  Even its regal citrus green color reflects the fullness of the fruit at the time of its harvest, giving a hint of the elaborate aromas and flavor to follow.

No goblet is too good for the Garcia de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil, which we have on our Spanish-themed Thanksgiving table alongside fresh bread.

And we also loved using a little bit of it to give an added oomph to these homespun classics we make regularly.  Just open the bottle and add a layer of the oil to make the flavors come alive and vibrant.

A layer of García de la Cruz olive oil over the roasted tomatoes, homemade mayonnaise and pesto gives it an instant, added vibrancy

Roasted Tomato  (www.wimpy vegetarian.com,  via shockinglydelish

All you need to make these roasted tomatoes in a bottle are tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil,  salt, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and garlic. This is more to a cook’s taste than exact amounts. Because the tomatoes are being roasted, it is better to use firm, older one.

Simply slice tomatoes and drizzle them evenly with the rest of the ingredients.  Roast at 350 degrees until they look crisp around the edges.  Cool and bottle.

Homemade Mayonaise

  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
  • 1 cup grapeseed oil
  • generous drizzle of García de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon juice, optional

Place the raw egg in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Add the mustard, vinegar, and salt, and process another 20 seconds.

Scrape down the bowl sides in the food processor.  Slowly add ¼ of the oil in drops to emulsify. Once emulsification begins, gently stream in the rest of the oil.  Scrape and process an extra 10 seconds.  Taste and adjust with seasonings and lemon juice for taste. 

Pesto

  • Cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive or grapeseed oil

Combine basic, garlic, pine nuts and Parmasan in the food processor bowl. Season with a slow stream of oil until emulsified.  Season to taste.

The García de la Cruz inspired tart with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil on top. Spanish chorizo lends heat to the potatoes, , shallots, garlic and parsley

García de la Cruz Tart

Spanish Sweet paprika gave the country’s chorizo its characteristic and now world-famous color.

For the García de la cruz tart filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 leafy sprigs sage (about 10 medium leaves)
  • 8 ounces basque cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped
  • black pepper to season
  • 5 small potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnuts, chopped

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strip the leaves from one of the sage sprigs, chop the leaves, and stir into the onions. Set aside.

Combine the basque cheese cheese, ricotta cheese, garlic, and parsley in a medium bowl. Season with black pepper.

Slice the potatoes thinly. Place another tablespoon of olive oil and salt into a bowl and stir in the potato slices, making sure they are all coated with oil.

Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thick and trim any uneven edges until you get a circle about 14 inches across.  Place the dough circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the dough, leaving a 3-inch outer border. Spoon the cheese mix over the onions and fold up the edges of the dough, tucking and pleating as you go a bit rustic.

Arrange the oiled potato slices  close to each over the visible cheese mix, overlapping slightly (the crostata will expand), and brush some of the previously reserved egg white, thinned with a splash of cold water, evenly over the crust.

Bake the crostata 40–45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving. Chop the leaves from the second sprig of sage and sprinkle over the finished crostata. This is quite rich, so I like to serve it with just a simple green salad.

Our Wild Basque Tart with wild mushroom, black wild garlic, pearl onion, Cabrales, orange preserve, chestnut, hazelnut

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons plain flour
  • 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • a pinch of salt
  • 10 small pearl onions
  • 1 large Melissas’s wild black garlic clove
  • 4 cups mixed Melissas’s wild mushrooms
  • 2 ½ Melissa’s steamed, peeled chestnuts
  • 3 tablespoons orange preserves with peel, sweetened with grape juice
  • 1/4 cup Cabrales (Asturian strong blue cheese)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Method
Finely slice onions and mushrooms, mush garlic and chestnuts into a soft, flat paste.

Heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add onions, stirring constantly until caramelized. Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme and chestnuts, cooking until mushrooms are golden brown. Season to taste and cool.

For the shell: We used the JOY OF COOKING (p. 692) ruff pastry, mixed with ground Mrs. Cubbison). Blind bake at 350 degrees. Cool for five minutes.

Add the mushroom mix to the pastry shell and bake 20 minutes 350F

For the perfect finishing touch, drizzle with García de la cruz extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. 

Comida Feliz!

Accompany your Spanish Thanksgiving with a hearty temperanillo from Spain and a cream sherry with dessert
Chestnut flan with hazelnut garnish and in the Nutella couli finishes off a Spanish Thanksgiving feast

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at Home

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(Gerry Furth-Sides, Roberta R. Deen) St. Patrick’s Day everywhere is thought of as a joyous national celebration of all things Irish and green – and goes for food, drinks, and fashion to honor “the Emerald Isle.”  Corned beef and cabbage enjoy a special place on the table.  So does soda bread.  Both are proof that this holiday has come a long way from being a day of mourning for the patron saint of Erin into an Irish parade of rebellion against discrimination in American

corned beef

Our corned beef (flat cut for less fat!), cabbage, spring asparagus and baby carrots cooked in a Sitram pressure cooker at home

Or simply add a spread of avocado and a green salad to your poached eggs and greens

Irish Soda Bread can even be prepared with Gluten-Free Flour.  Here is Roberta Deen’s account from (//localfoodeater.com/easter-bread-chickpea-flour-cookbook/)

This soda bread  dough mixture blend using the chickpea flour and flax seed meal for a texture comes closer to corn bread than real soda bread but does include the classic buttermilk and baking soda for rising with the addition of eggs and a touch of honey for sweetness. It mixes up very quickly and easily into a soft and somewhat sticky dough. I recommend using a “granny fork” (a heavy duty, old-fashioned 4 tined mixing fork) to blend the dough efficiently. I used a 12-space regular-sized muffin tin and spray greased the cups.  The dough was easily portioned with a regular-sized ice-cream scoop filling the cups almost full (the dough rises but not dramatically so you fill the cups more than with cake or muffin mixtures). It took a bit longer in my oven to fully cook but I think that is due to the density and heaviness of the dough.  The topping can be a bit overwhelming if used with a heavy hand (mine – more is always better) but there are plenty of alternatives offered with the recipe.

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The flour (bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

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The  egg, honey, buttermilk flour blend whisked together(bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

IMG_1148The “everything” bagel topping (bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

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The resulting dough (bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

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The filled muffin tin (bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

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The finished soda bread on white Wedgwood (bread directions, photos courtesy of Roberta R. Deen)

We think any day is a good one to celebrate anything at The Raymond 1886.   Duplicate the  historic, cozy craftsman cottage in SouthPasadena to ring in the Irish holiday,  with a holiday cocktail from Head Barman Peter Lloyd-Jones. The Tipperary, that you can craft with Tyrconnell Irish whiskey, Green Chartreuse, and Carpano Antica.

Tipperary

The Tipperary, (Courtesy of The Raymond 1886)

Birds & Bees, Bar Manager Bethany Ham createdThe Irish Grasshopper ($8) cocktail for the holiday.  Ham’s take on the ubiquitous Irish Coffee by blending hot coffee with Jameson Black Barrel whiskey, sugar, Amaretto cream, and dark chocolate shavings to make the perfect cocktail.

Irish Grasshopper (Courtesy of Birds & Bees)

St. Patrick, born as Maewyn in Wales around 385 A.D., had a history of being kidnapped, enslaved and becoming a shepherd in Ireland before he was 20.  Through it all, he developed a strong faith in God.  After his escape and a long period of monastery study, he was ordained to the priesthood and returned to Ireland, where he was subsequently appointed as the second bishop.

St. Patrick not only converted thousands of Irish to Christianity, he founded hundreds of churches and known to have, “driven the snakes out of Ireland,” symbolizing the victory of the Christian faith over pagan rituals.  Why the three-leaf lucky shamrock?  Patrick explained the Holy Trinity doctrine to local tribesmen with it, the green color symbolizing renewal and the coming of spring after winter and the “pagan” darkness (much the same as the Christmas tree did at the winter solstice.

These days a tea at home is more in order. The here was prepared by Roberta R. Deen

The downtrodden Irish population of Boston marched in the first St. Patrick’s Day on March 18, 1737, to make a statement about social status and job discrimination against them.  Ireland’s very first Irish St. Patrick’s Day parade, in Dublin, took place in 1931.