A quick and easy bread – good not just on Thanksgiving but all year round!

3 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda

4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven 350F

1. Oil two 1 lb / 9 X 5 ” baking loaf pan, dust with some of the measured sugar
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda together, set aside
3. In  large bowl, whisk oil and sugar, followed by eggs one at a time
4. Fold in the pumpkin puree
5. Fold in flour mixture until just combined
6. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 60 mins or when golden/ skewer comes clean.

Makes 2 large loaves

I just can’t get enough of the dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes.  You can have it in a classic Caprese or top it on top of a good slice of crostini to make a light dinner.

Chef’s tip: To chiffonade basil, stack the leaves.  Roll tightly into a compact cylinder.  Using a sharp knife, slice thinly horizontally across the roll.  Fluff up the basil.

1 loaf sour battard, cut into 8 thick slices
The best EVOO you have
2 cloves garlic

2 lbs Early Girl tomatoes, preferably from Two Dog Farm
Your favorite sea salt
1 lb Goia burrata
16 basil leaves, chiffonade
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the crostini:
1.  Slice bread into 3/8 inch thick pieces. Place bread slices on a sheet pan, brush one side with olive oil.
2.  Bake in a 375F oven for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Immediately rub with a piece of garlic.
To make the caprese salad:
3.  Squeeze tomatoes of excess juice.  Cut into small dice.
4. Toss with salt and some extra virgin olive oil.
Assembling:
5. Spoon tomatoes over the crostini.  Sprinkle on basil.  Top with a generous portion of burrata.
6. Finish with more olive oil, salt and pepper.

Serves: 4

Nothing beats a classic mac and cheese.  I like to use Gruyere for its nutty flavor, but you can use any good melting cheese like a sharp cheddar or for a milder flavor, to wean your child from Kraft’s box mac ‘n cheese, a Monterey Jack.

Chef’s tip: The key to making a bechamel sauce is making a good roux, followed by tempering the milk into the roux.  Heating the milk and adding it a little at a time will ensure a smooth sauce.

Mac and Cheese:

1 lb macaroni or pasta shape of choice
1 Tablespoon butter

4 cups whole milk (for richer flavor, use half & half or heavy cream)
6 Tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups (12 ounces) Gruyere or a sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Some butter to grease a 13X9X2 baking dish or 8  1 large ramekins
1 cup coarse, good quality breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven 350°F
1. Preparing the pasta:  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt.  Add macaroni and cook at a rolling boil until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 Tablespoon of butter.
Preparing the sauce:
2. Bring milk/ cream to just about simmer or when steam begins to form.  Set aside.
3. Make a roux:  In a heavy saucepan, melt 6 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Do not brown the butter.  Remove from heat, sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk or a wooden spoon then return to medium heat, while stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Make a bechamel sauce: Add the hot milk to the flour mixture, in small batches and whisk well.  Add salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg.  Return the pan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Assembling the mac and cheese:
5.  Add macaroni to the sauce, add half the shredded cheese mixture and toss well to coat.
6. Butter a oven-proof baking dish or ramekins.  Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish.  Distribute remaining shredded cheese on top, followed by the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
7. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven.
8. Place the dish under the broiler, 4 inches from the heat, for 2 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 8.

Autumn’s take on the lasagna.  Layers of butternut squash and ricotta.

Chef’s tip:  If you’d like, make a crunchy gratin by mixing some crushed amaretti with the Monterey Jack cheese.

1 medium butternut squash

4 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, diced fine
4 Tablespoons AP flour
2 cups milk, warmed
10 pieces sage, chiffonade
1 cup vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons sherry
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

2 cups ricotta
2 cups Monterey Jack, reserve 1/2 cup
1/2 packet/ 8 oz egg spring roll skins

1/2 cup Parmesan

Preparing the butternut squash mash:
1.  Preheat oven 375F.  Cut squash into 2 lengthwise, remove seeds.  Oil a baking sheet, place squash with cut side down.  Bake until tender about 25 minutes.
2. Remove from oven, let cool, and scrape out flesh.  Mash with a fork if needed.
Preparing the sauce:
3.  Melt butter and saute the diced shallots till soft, about 2 minutes.  Add flour and stir vigorously for 3 minutes.  Slowly add in the warm milk, while whisking and incorporate till a thick sauce forms.  Add sage, stock and sherry and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
Assembling the lasagna:
4. Butter a 8X8 lasagna dish.  Ladle on some sauce, line with a spring roll skin, followed by the squash mash.  Cover with another layer of springroll skin, followed by more sauce, a layer of ricotta and a sprinkle of Monterey Jack.  Repeat till the ingredients are all used.  Finish with a thick layer of reserved Montery Jack and Parmesan on top.
5. Bake in oven 375F for about 40 minutes, until top is golden.

Serves: 6

If you like beets, this is a flavor explosion way of preparing your beets.  It’s really my mother-in-law, Pia’s, recipe, and I have added the measurements to her list of ingredients.  Pia loves her spices.

Chef’s tip: Save the beets tops.  Saute with some garlic and oilve oil and it makes a wonderfully nutritious dark green dish.

1 bunch beets, about 4 pieces, tops removed

1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 Tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons flax oil
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Roast beets, wrapped in foil, in 375F oven for 30 minutes, until tender.  Cool, peel and slice into quarters or one-sixths.  Alternatively, you can steam it.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
3. Toss together and let beets marinade for at least half a day.

Serves: 4 as a side

As October comes to a close, I try to preserve the summer’s bounty by making some raspberry jam that will last me the next 9 months.

Chef’s tip: You really don’t need to have the fancy canning implements to make jam. A set of tongs, and something to grip the hot bottles (I use a Chinese steam plate holder that I get from Chinatown for like a dollar). Just make sure you buy the Kerr or Ball mason jars and lids that are perfect for boiling.  I like the short ones so that they fit in a pot easily!

8 6-oz flats raspberry, rinse and left to drain and dry thoroughly
1 1.75oz packet Sure-Jell No Sugar Needed pectin
4 cups sugar

8 1-cup mason jars with canning lids and bands

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and start to sterilize the jars and lids. Make sure they boil at least 5 minutes. Keep jars in simmering water until ready to use.
2. In another large heavy-bottom pot, mash the berries,
3. Mix the pectin with 1 cup of the sugar. Add to the mashed berries.
4. Bring the berries to boil at high heat, stirring constantly. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the remaining sugar. Bring it back to a boil and boil for exactly 1 minute.
5. Remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, drain it. Let it dry slightly. Ladle the hot jam into the jar. Cap it and screw on the band tightly. Return the closed jar into the boiling hot water, making sure the water covers the jar by 1 inch. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
6. You should hear a popping sound of the lid being sucked in by the vacuum, after which, the lid is flat and somewhat sunken. If it’s not, then the vacuum did not work, and you will need to store the jam in the refrigerator. Otherwise, the canned jam can be stored at room temperature in a cool place for up to a year.

Even though we are in October and technically in the fall, we still find lots of summer squashes in the market.  I like using a combination of the yellow crooked squash with zucchini in this deliciously light pasta.  You can whip up this meal in the same time in takes to boil the pasta.

Chef’s tip: To chiffonade basil, stack the leaves.  Roll tightly into a compact cylinder.  Using a sharp knife, slice thinly horizontally across the roll.  Fluff up the basil.

Ingredients:
8 oz dried spaghetti
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 yellow squash, grated coarse
1 medium zucchini, grated coarse
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon long pepper, freshly ground

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add pasta and cook till el dente, about 12 minutes or according to package instructions.  Drain pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid.
2.  While pasta is boiling, grate squashes.  Chiffonade basil.
3.  Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat, when the oil begins to ripple, add garlic, saute until light golden, about 1 minute.
4. Add the grated squash and zucchini and suate until limp, about 2 minutes.  Layer on salt as you cook.
5. Add back the pasta.  Remove from heat.  Toss to mix.  Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed to make the pasta strands easier to mix.
6.  Toss in feta, half the basil and the long pepper.  Toss lightly and serve.  Garnish with remaining basil.

Serves: 4

This madeleine recipe is from my friend, Diane Quan, who is a very talented pastry chef.  Months ago, I tried my hand at madeleines – all the recipes I found were too complicated…one asked to leave the batter overnight in a refrigerator which resulted in the butter floating up and solidifying!  I even tried dusting off my very little knowledge of French and used a recipe book I picked up in Nice.  Tout ne success pas.  (I really think it was my rusty French not the recipe!  So much for remembrance of things past!)  Finally, I asked Diane to show me how, and she generously shared the recipe for this tender, yet moist cookie.  It has been a breeze ever since.

I have adapted the recipe to fool-proofed it for my own sake.  I have adjusted it to my taste (yes, less sweet) and converted the measurements to grams for precision …thanks to my digital scale (a must have for any who wants to bake).  I prefer to weigh my ingredients when it comes to baking rather than to rely on cup measurements.  Cake flour, for example, as it compacts easily, asks you to sift the flour prior to measuring, so with weighing, you eliminate any discrepancies.  It is very important to stick to the type of flour specified because of the gluten content.  It will determine how tender your madeleines will be.  If you ever want to learn more about flour types and why, or any science related to food, get the Harold McGee bible On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.

Chef’s tip: Butter, egg must be at room temperature to ensure a fluffy and light dough.  Also, use the silver madeleine pans (not the nonstick ones) for better heat distribution.   Just butter it with room temperature butter generously with your fingers, then sift in flour, tap it over the sink and voila, you will have a nonstick pan!  Amazon carries very good tin-sheet madeleine pans at a good price.  

6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
140 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
95g cake flour
35g all purpose flour
2 “AA” eggs, room temperature
Zest of 1 orange, meyer lemon or tangelo
1 teaspoon cardamom, finely ground

2 Tablespoons butter for greasing the pans
Some flour

Preheat oven 350F
1.    Beat butter and sugar till very light.  Add vanilla.  Beat to incorporate.
2.    Sift together the flours.
3.    Beat in the flour in 2 batches, alternating with egg, into the butter mixture.
4.    Fold in orange zest and cardamom
5.    Grease 2 madeleine sheets (shiny ones)  well with butter.  Dust with flour and shake out excess flour.
6.    Using the help of an additional spoon, drop in 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter into the madeleine moulds – to fill about ¾ full.  Smooth out any peaks.
7.    Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are browned.  Turn out onto a cookie rack to cool.
8.    Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes: 24

You see nasturtium everywhere in San Francisco.  Its bright multi-hue orange flowers are wonderful on salad – besides giving a burst of colors, its peppery, watercress-like flavor lends a refreshing flavor explosion.  I picked so many flowers, I decided to make a pesto out of it.  The goat cheese complements the spiciness of the flowers.  And the bright orange pesto makes a stunning presentation.

Chef’s tip: Save the leaves for salads. Its peppery watercress-like flavor adds a zing to any salad.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced 3/8-inch at a diagonal
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic

6 cups nasturtium flowers, stems removed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely grated to make 2 cups
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Some freshly cracked black pepper

4 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
Some nasturtium flowers for garnish
Pine nuts for garnish
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
To make the crostini:
1.  Slice baguette into 3/8 inch thick pieces. Place bread slices on a sheet pan, brush one side with olive oil.
2.  Bake in a 375F oven for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Immediately rub with a piece of garlic.
To make the pesto:
3.  Place flowers, olive oil, grated carrots and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Puree until a smooth paste.  Add pine nuts, and salt and pepper.
Assemble:
4. Spread some goat cheese on the crostini, top with a tablespoon of pesto.
5. Garnish with some nasturtium and pine nuts.  Drizzle on some extra olive oil.

Serves: 6

Two Dog Farm’s Dry-Farmed Early Girls are back!  There is no better way to savor their sweetness than to generously drizzle the tomatoes with the best extra virgin olive oil you can get, a splash of balsamic, a sprinkle of Maldon salt, and some fresh mozarella or even better, a scoop of burrata.  Top with some fresh basil.

Chef’s tip: Burrata comes from Puglia and it’s pretty hard to find even in food-obsessed San Francisco.  A local brand called Gioia (I believe it’s made right here in the East Bay) is pretty good. Burrata is essentially cheese curds wrapped with sheets of mozarella. It’s highly perishable, so use it the same day you by it. Frankly, it’s really not that hard!

Chef’s tip: Do invest in the time in using fresh beans.  While it may take you a a 20 more minutes to shell, blanch and peel them, it’s like a whole different bean from those muddy brown dried or canned ones.

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced 3/8-inch at a diagonal
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 lbs fava in the pod (yields about 2 cups)
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
A wedge of pecorino
1 lemon
Lemon oil – “O” Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

To make the crostini:
1.    Slice baguette into 3/8 inch thick pieces. Place bread slices on a sheet pan, brush one side with olive oil.
2.    Bake in a 375F oven for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Immediately rub with a piece of garlic.
To pod and peel the fava beans:
3.    Break off the top of the pod, and then slide your thumb along the pod’s vein to split the pod into two. DO this over a colander to catch the falling bean.
4.    Now you will see a very white bean. You still need to peel this thick membrane. To do so, bring a pot of salted water to boil, blanch the beans (30 secs) and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Drain. Pick up a bean, and make a small tear at the top of the bean – where it used to connect to the shell. Then gently squeeze /pop out the bright green fava bean. Set aside – refrain from munching on them.
To make the garlic confit and spread:
5.    Put the olive oil and whole garlic in a small pot and bring to a simmer. lower heat and gently roast the garlic for 20 minutes until the garlic is soft and tender.
6.    Place the fava bean, the garlic confit (oil and all) into a large bowl and gently mash with a fork. For a rustic texture, leave some chunks behind. Add basil and salt and pepper.
Assembling the crostini:
7.    Spread a tablespoon of the fava bean mash on the crostini. Using a microplane rasp, zest some lemon zest on top of the mash. Using a vegetable peeler, gently shave a thin slice of pecorino and place on top of the crostini. Finish with the lemon oil and a twist of black pepper.

Serves: 6

Nettle is a weed really, and you can find them in the fields if you just look. Don’t go picking them as its sting is quite painful. You need to protect your hands with a pair of rubber gloves when handling nettle. Hence, you will gladly pay for the $6/lb at the Ferry Building.

I grow my own nettle in my little urban “potager” on my balcony 271 ft above ground level (thanks Google Earth!). I took the washing liquid from a bunch of nettles I got from Star Route Farm and poured it onto a big pot of soil. Kept the soil moist and lo and behold, a few weeks later, tiny nettles began sprouting and they just grew and grew! Here’s a picture of my nettle “crop”. If you are planting nettles in the garden, do remember it’s pernicious and has a pretty potent sting, so you don’t want your dogs or toddler running into it!

Chef’s tip: Even tho its sting may intimidate you at first, just use a pair of tongs to handle it. Store-bought nettles are pretty sandy.  Rinse them in lots of water, shaking them with the tongs.  Nettle loses its sting when cooked even 1 minute in boiling water; its flavor is well worth the trouble!

Filling:
1 lb ricotta
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup finely grated parmesan

32 pieces wonton skin squares
Some rice flour for dusting

Pesto:
1 lb nettle
2 tablespoons butter/ EVOO
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
Parmesan wedge for grating

To make the ravioli filling (Omit if using store bought cheese ravioli like the picture in this post!)
1.    Mix together ricotta, lemon zest, salt and parmesan for the filling.
2.    To fold the ravioli, lay out wonton skin squares, 4 at a time. Brush edges with a water (just slightly damp). Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square and fold over to make a triangle shape, pressing edges to seal. Take the two corners along the long edge of the triangle and bring together to have both bottom sides meet (as if the raviolo is clapping with the back of its palms; the raviolo will look twisted) and press the tips to fuse together. Place finished raviolo on a baking tray dusted with rice flour. Repeat and set aside until pesto is done.
To make the nettle pesto:
3.    Rinse and wash nettles using rubber gloves and a pair of tongs. Drain and spin-dry with a salad spinner. Remove any large stems (they make great compost as they give out lots of nitrogen, no seeds nor flowers, though).
4.    Melt butter in a medium saucepot over medium high heat and add sliced garlic; sauté until golden brown. Add nettles, cover immediately to capture the aroma and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add cream and salt, let the liquid reduce to half; about 1 minute. Taste. (Make sure nettles are cooked before you taste them; they loose their stinging qualities once cooked.)  Finish with some black pepper.
5.    Using a handheld blender, puree nettle until smooth. Keep warmed.
Cooking the ravioli:
6.    To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop half the ravioli gently into the water, wait until all float to the top. Remove and drain. Repeat.
7.    Spoon the nettle pesto over the cooked ravioli. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve with some grated parmesan.