Sip Snap Savor

Empanadas with the Morales' - Alameda, CA

2009-11-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

"My grandmother used to make tortillas. So this empanada making is similar." - Polo Morales

Fusion is a common theme amongst most families we encounter during our culinary road trips. But no where was it as prevalent as in our most recent dinner in Alameda, CA with Claudia (6months pregnant) and Polo Morales.

He is the son of Mexican parents, his Father is from the Zacatecas and mother & grandmother from Jalisco. His mother is very proud of her cooking and passed along recipes and techniques to her children. Stews in his family were common and were based on what part of the pig was being used for that nights meat portion of the meal. "The cut of meat makes the meal!" - Polo

She is the daughter of a Colombian-born mom and an English-Canadian dad. Since her mother handled most of the cooking in their family most of everything she knows is steeped thickly and heavily in the culture of her mother's family back in the Quindio coffee region of Colombia.

"Je no soy gringa!" - Mama Ross

Claudia recounts the story of her mother and how she came to the United States.
"My mother saw her sisters and cousins getting married very young, around 13 years old, and starting families. She wanted more for herself. So she went away and became a nun. She earned her degree and eventually became a superintendant of a local school district. And at 25 years old when she decided she wanted a family she was essentially an old spinster.

The War of Colombia had diminshed the marriable male population. She saw how equal the gringos in the peace corps were. How the women were treated the same as the men. And she wanted to marry a gringo. So she came to the US, met my father, had my brother and I." - Claudia Ross

Ballsy

"The filling needs to be really strong, because you only use a little bit of filling for each empanada and the masa is almost tasteless." - Claudia

Tips for making Empanadas

1. Firm Binding Technique: use wax paper to fold over the empanada, it won't stick and it will help you get the hang of creating the dumplings.
2. Keep practicing.
"They get better as you go, just watch, they'll be beautiful." - Claudia
3. Use less filling than you think you need
4. To make the ridges, "just pop your finger in and create them manually." - Polo
5. Use a cup to form the domed shape of the empanada.

Smashed Plantains: Slice 4 plantain "bananas" into 1/2" thick disks. Heat 3-4 inches of corn or vegetable oil in a skillet. When hot, add plantains. When the float, fish them out of the oil, smash them with a spatula, return to the oil for another 3-4 minutes, Drain and salt them.

Empanada Masa Dough:
Take 2.5 C of warm water, 2 C Pan Masa (found in hispanic grocery sections or supermercados) and 8-10 cucharditos (teaspoons) of salt and mix in a large bowl. Knead until smooth and let rest for a few minutes.

Empanada Filling:
Fry 4 potatoes diced, 2 whole, diced onions and 4 cloves of garlic on medium heat with a little oil to coat the pan. Add a pound of ground beef or ground turkey for a lighter filling. Also add a bunch of diced cilantro, several tablespoons of cumin, salt and pepper to taste. As the mixture cooks add the juice of 6-10 limes and a cup of fresh peas (canned or frozen are fine).

Empanada Hot Sauce:
Create this fresh, raw sauce for topping off your fried empanadas. Combine 1 onion, diced, 1 fresh chile diced & 1 bunch of cilantro, diced into the juice of 10-15 limes. Salt the sauce to taste.

1. Form a disk in your hand the size of your palm, about 1/4" thick.
2. Add filling in small spoonfuls, fold the disk in half.
3. Use a small cup or bowl to secure in place.
4. Pinch in place and to seal closed.
5. Fry for 3-5 minutes per side, in corn or vegetable oil.

Top with hot sauce and serve alongside, hot salted plantains.

Burlesque - Caramel Brioche with Port Whipped Cream

2009-10-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that you should know about making caramel, brioche and port whipped cream, says Jason Moore.

1. Caramel is fucking HOT!
2. Making caramel in the summer is a fail. Making it in the winter is a win.
3. Never stop whisking. I got yelled at so many times.

Alicia Streight and Jason Moore are a cooking circus, based in Oakland, Calif. They can make anything and they do. Sometimes in costume, sometimes naked, sometimes for fun and sometimes, even, when they are just plain hungry.

If you are lucky enough to be invited to a dinner party at one of their houses you should do anything and everything in your power to attend. For serious.

Ingrediants: Brioche: cut into cubes or large croutons; Port Whipped Cream: 1 C. Port and 1.5 C Whipping Cream, blended together in a mixer on medium high until foamy and thick; Caramel: 1 C. Sugar, 6 tblsp butter, 1/2 C. heavy cream.

Instructions (Caramel): Heat sugar until hot. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add butter. When melted, stop heat. Wait 3 seconds. Drizzle in heavy cream, stir, and put into a mason jar.

Stack brioche crouton on a plate. Drizzle with caramel and add a dollop of whip cream and top with a second brioche crouton to make a sweet sandwich. Drizzle with caramel to soak and top with last pizzazz of whip cream.

Team Lexington Burlesque Dinner - Quiche

2009-10-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

The gothic goddess glided into the kitchen and stopped everyone short. We had no choice but to admire her confidence, beauty and presence. The seas parted. Even with her little prizefighter red robe on, everyone knew what was lying in wait underneath.

But just like any normal everyday Susie Q. Homemaker, Raquel Van Nice went about her business setting out ingredients for her quiche. Food bonds people together and makes everyone feel comfortable. Because we are all familiar with food.

Food and dancing are two constants.

"When I'm done with this, lets have a dance party! Remind me to cut this into smaller slices so it gets all the way around this crowd." - Raquel Van Nice

Squashy, Asparagusy, Bacony QUICHE!
(makes 2 pies)

Ingredients: 3/4lb asparagus (diced), 1/4lb zucchini (diced), 10 slices bacon, 6 eggs, 2 8" pie crusts, 1 egg white (beaten), 1 1/2C heavy cream, 2C shredded cheese (you choose, Raquel used 1/2 swiss & 1/2 manchego), 1/4tsp nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile Steam aspragus and zuchini for about 6 minutes on the stovetop. In another pan, fry up bacon, drain and crumble. Brush pie crusts with egg white. Sprinkle in steamed, diced vegetables and bacon.
In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs, cream and spices. Fold in cheese. Pour over vegetables in pie crusts. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until firm and golden brown. Cool 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Burlesque Dinner - Fried Rice

2009-10-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Fried Rice is totally a recession food. HAHAHA. Ham Flied Lice. Joo Won Sum Fried Rice." - Jen Ford

Imagine a 5 foot 6 inch brunette, dressed head to toe in leopard, charging into a kitchen at full speed. Whipping around so fast it was nearly impossible to capture her on film. What wasn't tough at all? Eating. The hang over food to cure all hang overs, ills or walks of shame: homemade fried rice.

You can essentially take leftovers from your fridge and dice, dice, dice them into a hot wok. Toss everything together, crack a few eggs, give that wok a little hand stir action. Soon, friends, you will have a crazy easy, crazy delicious dinner entree.

"Eat like your life depends on it!" - Jen Ford

Ingrediants: steamed jasmine rice (1lb), diced ham (1/2 lb), green onion (1 bunch, chopped), 1 stick butter, garlic (2 chopped tbsp), 6 eggs, peas (1 cup, thawed if frozen), soy sauce to taste

Instructions: Warm butter in wok or large pan. Add garlic, green onions and ham. Saute until warmed throughout (2-4 minutes). Add rice and soy sauce. Cook until hot. Crack the eggs directly into the wok or pan. Stir until eggs are dry and distributed throughout the rice mixture. Add peas to taste and serve.

Team Lexington Burlesque Dinner - Ratatouille

2009-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

"It's harvest time. These are all things in my garden right now. All the herbs, vegetables, everything is in season. Eggplants, zucchini's, peppers, basil, marjoram." - Melissa Duscha

Melanie Neault and Melissa Duscha showed up to Martini Oaks with baskets of veggies under one arm and floaty feathers piled into their hair. They eased around the kitchen, dresses swirling, fishnet legs darting and ducking, feathers trying desperately to keep up with heads that swiveled to talk and concentrate on chopping.

Duscha, is recently returned from living in Shanghai. She peppered our conversation with asides from living in China. Though she learned this ratatouille recipe from a fellow student, during a study program in France.

Here are her tips for a delicious french vegetable stew:
1. Chunks: all the vegetables should get cubed up into manageable pieces
2. Be really liberal with the herbs de provence
3. Don't be afraid of olive oil or garlic. Fry them up together.
4. Use home grown vegetables when possible, they have more flavor.
5. It's easier to cook half naked about 10 minutes into it. You are concentrating more on what it's front of you and less on what's jiggling behind you.

Mel'n'Mel Ratatouille

Ingredients: tomatoes, eggplants, zuchini (or in-season squash), belle pepper, chilis, garlic cloves, olive oil, pepper and salt, lemon juice (to taste) , pinch of sugar, white wine (to taste), herbs (fresh marjoram, basil, rosemary, oregano & bay leaves)

Instructions: Heat olive oil in a skillet and add (chopped) garlic and (chopped chilis). Control the spiciness of the stew by adding fewer or more chilis. Let fry for a bit (3-5 minutes). Do not let burn. Add eggplant and bell peppers and saute for 7-10 minutes depending on amount and heat. When soft, add remaining vegetables. Let cook down for another 15 minutes. Add wine, lemon juice, herbs and salt & pepper. Let simmer another 30 minutes. Serve.

(I heart Cody) Team Lexington - San Francisco

2009-10-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

"I'm burning Bok Choy, apparantly," said Cody Giannotti as he posed for a photo wearing bunny ears with two leopard clad women.

Giannotti is the coach for the San Francisco Burlesque/Theatre troupe Team Lexington. They started out several years ago as a gaggle of friends who occasionally scored gigs.

"Hey, Dude, I got a music gig. Anyone want to dance in the background?"

(Giannotti with his Nonna's cookbook)

On August 6th, 2007 at Mr. Smiths on 6th Street they performed Squibbina's Last Stand which netted them the notoriety they needed to be taken seriously. The show starred Christina Lowry in a mermaid costume she'd made herself, the costume allowed her strip off her scales and show the bleeding, beating deep red of a mermaid's insides.

As of late, Team Lexington, dreamed together a spy musical written by Lee Goldin. It's their second full length feature they've produced. They also are experimenting with Burlesque Opera. In between all the performing - there are the photo shoots.

Which Giannotti describes as clean, organized, quick and marketable. This particular Sip Snap Savor dinner was really just one, elaborate theatrical photo shoot with food and knives for props.

That said, Giannotti can really cook. Really. He was a maestro: a jovial, unflappable director on all the stages and in the kitchen. He braised vegetables, directed the creation of an apple pie and made an upside down, inside out shepherd's pie.

Stay tuned all this week for recipes from our Burlesque photo shoot.
To book Team Lexington, contact Team Coach Cody Giannotti.

Autumn Apple Delight - Worth The Whisk

2009-09-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

"We're experimenting as we go along on this dessert." - Patti

It's Autumn and apples are in season. Crunchy, crisp, juicy, tart and juicy apples. For a complete guide to everything apple related, click here.

When you are experimenting with fruit desserts the most fun variable is the fruit itself. Play with heirloom varietals and combinations of fruits. My personal favorite dating back to the early 80's when my grandfather would make it for me, fresh from his garden, is strawberry rhubarb pie.

Mmmm

Patti Londre runs Worth the Whisk, a complete cooking bible online. She hosted our finale dinner over the 09 Fourth of July holiday weekend. When I saw the apples coming towards me, I was pretty excited. Apples have large amounts of quercetin which is known to activate energy levels in your body.

We had a LONG drive home in front of us. So Patti graciously donated the whole batch of Apple Delights to us and our road trip home to San Francisco.

MWA Patti!

Apple Delights

1. Unfold slightly softened puff pastry sheets. If the sheet defrost too much and come to room temperature, they may become difficult to work with. Pop them back into the freezer for a few minutes.

2. Cut the puff pastry into little squares, about 2". Plop each square into a greased muffin tin opening.

3. Scopp heaping spoonfuls of applesauce into each puff pastry opening. Use Chunky apple sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon after each scoop.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.

5. Let cool and Enjoy!

Patti & Larry - (Westwood) Los Angeles, CA

2009-09-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

"You'll notice I have a two drawer dishwasher. Pug dogs think an open door is a buffet table. So we put these pull out drawers in to keep Sake out of the dishwasher." - Patti

We were greeted by Penny the mischevious kitten and Sake the heavy breathing albeit laid back pug. They both eyed us for a moment. And then Penny went into attack mode on my leopard dress. She wouldn't give up until the queen of the jungle, my very unalive printed dress, knew who was BOSS in this household.

Hilarious.

Patti is a foodie-pro who runs Worth the Whisk. Her husband, Larry is a professor at USC. Together they run a very pretty household just a mile from Marilyn Monroe's tucked away gravesite and a stones throw from UCLA.

"You girls ought to go down to Marilyn Monroe's grave, it's a quick mile walk from here. Here lemme show you on the computer." - Patti

So we did. We went.

But not until we had stuffed ourselves silly with Lasagna. Patti was making an extra lasagna for a friend who had just had surgery. She's ridiculously sweet and kind like that.

"You can never have enough cheese. Never." - Patti

"Everything about lasagna is on the 'or so' side of measurement." - Patti

Londre Lasagna

1 Box Lasagna Noodles (whole wheat will absorb everything in the pan and get mushy. Use white pasta for lasagnas)
1 Pint Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/3 C Shredded Parmagiana Reggiano
Several Cups Shredded Mozzarella (it's up to you how much to use)
1 Can Spinach (or two handfuls fresh spinach, reduced down on the stove top)
Small Can of Black Olives, sliced
"This is the part where I start looking in my fridge for things I can sneak into the cheese mixture and hide in the lasagna." - Patti
1/4C Egg Free Eggs or simply 1 egg
Several Cans Chopped, Peeled Tomatoes blended in a bowl with Tomato Basil Classico sauce
1 Tsp Dried Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
EVOO

1. Heat a large pot of salted water to a slow boil. Add noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes or until soft. Strain and cool until they can be handled.

2. Combine egg with cheeses and cottage cheese.

3. Take a large baking pan and drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles until pan is covered.

4. Spoon cheese mixture atop the noodles. Layer olives, tomatoes and cheese noodles.

5. Repeat.

6. Top with remaining tomatoes and cheese.

7. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Burlesque Dinner with Team Lexington (SF)

2009-09-09T22:00:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Burlesque Opera group, Team Lexington will be hosting a dinner @ The Martini Oaks. Should be VERRRY interesting. Stay tuned. If you'd like to participate in this group dinner, please shoot an email to: sipsnapsavor@gmail.com

Liza Cortez's Mojitos

2009-08-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

"You Feel GLOWY with these drinks." - Liza Cortez

Mojitos
3 dozen mint leaves, muddled in a large cup with a fork or wooden spoon
7-8 limes juiced (more limes if you use smaller key west limes)
1 1/2 C simple syrup
1 bottle Cachaca
1 liter of sparkling water

Add lime juice, simple syrup and mint leaves to punch bowl. If you have not muddled the mint yet, do so now. Add cachaca and sparkling water. Ladle into cups over ice.

CHEERS!

La Familia Cortez - Inglewood, CA

2009-08-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

"These recipes are mother to mother recipes. Mine comes from my mother and her mother and her mother's mother in El Salvador." - Ana Cox

Misconceptions are horrible 'ceptions. Maybe it's because I had listened to Snoop Dogg and he was always rapping about Inglewood being up to no good. But I was nervous about the Inglewood Sip Snap Savor dinner.

It turned out to be the most lovely experience with the most loving family. I sort of wanted to move in - Mom & Dad Cortez have four squirmy, giggly, classy daughters. Each with her own ideals and goals. It was fascinating to sit with them for a few hours in their kitchen and then in their garden patio for a long Sunday lunch.

When Jamie and I walked into the house, Fleetwood Mac was belting out in the living room. Sister Liza, was rolling limes along the length of the kitchen table in preparation for Mojitos. Mom Ana was buzzing around the kitchen and came out to greet us with hugs and smooches on our cheeks.

It already smelled incredible. Chayote Chilaquiles and Arroz Frito was in the air. The sun was shining. I was starving.

Salsa De Chilequiles
4 tomatoes
1/2 green or red bell pepper
1/2 white onion
1/2 slice of bread
1spoonful of paprika and Knorr tomate caldo
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put all vegetables, seasonings and the bread into the blender. Top off with water. Blend the "salsa" until smooth. The bread adds textures.

Heat over medium low heat. It perfumes your whole house and a slow heat allows all the flavors to coagulate.

Chayote: also known as sayote, tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophene, mirliton, and vegetable pear, is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.

Chilequiles: The name chilaquiles is derived from the Nahuatl word chil-a-quilitl which means "herbs or greens in chile broth".

El Salvador: is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 6 million people

"We don't put alot of condiments or heavy spiced sauces on our foods en Salvador. We preserve the way things really taste. It's why I like fresh Asian foods so much. Fresh. Vibrant. Flavorful. Natural." - Luz Cortez

"Wow! There's no masking it's natural flavor. This is Chayote. I will never forget it." - Melissa

"Yes! Yes, its why I enjoy cuisines that serve fresh radishes and pickled vegetables. Lemon wedges. A little chile. Those natural condiments that preserve everything and bring it together. Not mask and hide. You have to have food integrity you know." - Luz Cortez

"The center of the chayote is the tan rico part!" - Liza Cortez

"Eating meat all the time is too heavy. You feel better if you eat some vegetables. You can make these ahead of time, two or three days in advance. Store them in tupperware in the fridge." - Ana Cortez

"This is a make you pretty dish. Full of proteins vegetables and it's so simple!" - Luz Cortez

Chilequiles
Serves 10 people

6-8 Chayotes, peeled and sliced into disks, just as you would slice a cucumber into disks
1 pckg Ranchero soft Farmer Cheese
4Tblsp Crema Salvadorena
5 egg whites (save yolks)
1/4 C vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper

Soft boil the chayote disks. When soft, 8-10 minutes, let drain and cool. They need to be cool enough to touch. Meanwhile crumble the package of Ranchero cheese into the tablespoons of crema in a small bowl. Set aside cheese mixture.

When chayote is cool enough to touch. Spread cheese mixture on one side and top with chayote to make a sort of chayote/cheese sandwich. Set on plate and make another sandwich. Continue until all chayote has been sandwiched with cheese.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add in 2-3 yolks after peaks form. This egg meringue will be the coating on the chilequiles.

Heat large skillet on medium high heat with bottom of skillet filled with half of the vegetable oil. When hot enough, coat a chayote sandwich in the egg meringue and set into skillet.

Do not crowd chayote sandwiches as they fry. Depending on the size of the skillet, fry 5-6 sandwiches at a time. The sandwiches will bubble and foam up like little marshmallow puffs.

Continue frying in batches. Stop and stir Salsa de Chilequiles occasionally. Ensure the Salsa hasn't gotten too hot.

When done frying arrange all chilequiles in a bowl. Top with Salsa de Chilequiles. Rice is a great side dish to this meal and for sopping up the beautiful Salsa.

Enjoy!

Red Red - Ghanaian Stew

2009-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

"I always see the women doing the pounding." -Jamie Lloyd
"Not me. I always see the men doing the pounding. Say! Have you eaten Anteater?" - Tom Neuhaus

Ghanaian cuisine has diverse traditional dishes from each ethnic group, tribe and clan from the north to the south and from the east to west. Generally, most Ghanaian foods are made up of a starch (rice, fufu, banku, tuozafi, gigi, akplidzii, yekeyeke, etew or ato) and a sauce or soup.

An alternative to the starch and stew combination is "Red Red", a very popular and easy to find dish. It is made up of a mashed bean stew served with fried plantain. It earns its name from the red spices that tint both the stew and plantain.

Ghanaian food is quite sophisticated with liberal and adventurous use of exotic ingredients and a wide variety of tastes, spices and textures. Herbs such as thyme, bay leaf, vegetables such as wild mushrooms, garden eggs (similar to egg plant) various types of pulses, ginger, garlic, smoked meat and fish, crab, trotters, shrimps octopus and duck all feature in Ghanaian cuisine.

Dr. Tom Neuhaus of California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo launched the first cocoa program for undergraduate students to physically produce chocolate. He sources his cocoa from Ghana and several other West African nations.

California is to Wine as West Africa is to Cocoa.

In a lecture at the University of Connecticut, Robin Romano, a photographer who extensively investigated slavery and child labor in Côte d'Ivoire, quotes an enslaved worker as saying, "Tell them when they are eating chocolate, they are eating my flesh."

Indeed, over 40 percent of the entire world's conventional chocolate is harvested from Côte d'Ivoire, and according to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, one million West African children drudge in the cocoa fields, only so we can appease our chocolate cravings.

Fair Trade certified chocolate is the way certify that you are not in fact eating a child's flesh in addition to delicious tannic sweetness, known as chocolate. Order sweets from Sweet Earth Chocolates, Dr. Neuhaus' Fair Trade Certified label.

Our very own Sip Snap Savor photographer also runs a photography program for kids in West Africa. You can check it out here.

Red Red is a popular stew throughout Accra (capitol city of Ghana) and into the countrysides and jungles. Following is Cordon Bleu trained Chef Neuhaus' recipe.

"Use plantains. They are the kind of starch that holds things together better than bananas" - Tom Neuhaus

1 onion, chopped
1 c palm oil
3 cans cow peas or black eyed peas, drained (use left over bean juice to make vegetable stock)
4 plantains, peeled and diced
1 medim sized whole chicken, de-boned and chopped with skin intact

"Chicken isn't normally in Red Red. I'm just doing it as a service for you." - Tom
"No Vegetables? Oh yes. This IS food from Ghana, after all." - Eve

Slowly heat several tablespoons of red palm oil in a skillet. Add chopped onions. As they cook and soften, add in chopped chicken. Saute until nearly cooked completely.

Meanwhile heat additional red palm oil in another skillet. Add chopped plantains. Saute and flip around the pan until cooked.

Drain contents of both saucepans, by flipping contents of skillets onto plate or tray lined with paper towels.

"Palm Oil is high in Vitamin A. So don't be bashful using it." -Tom

Turn the fire or heat to low. In a large pot add beans and remaining Red Palm Oil. Simmer slowly for an hour. Just before serving add onions, chickens, plantains and salt & pepper. Serve with rice or on it's own.

Tom would like you to check out The Global Giving Circle while you simmer the beans for the Red Red.
Enjoy!

The Neuhaus Family : San Luis Obispo, CA

2009-08-09T20:07:00.001-07:00

"The family that opens cans together, stays together!" - Dr. Tom Neuhaus aka Casanova

In sunny San Luis Obispo it can be hard to find anything that deviates from the main populace formula of rancher/farmer chic or college undergraduate hipster. So it was a treat for Jamie and I to find ourselves in the progressively artsy home of two pioneering Chocolatiers and their families, cooking up West African delights in the coziest, friendliest kitchen.

"This whole project idea is marvelous. Bringing people together, aaah. Food is so close to everyone's heart!" - Eve Neuhaus

Tom Neuhaus and his wife Eve run Sweet Earth Chocolates - a fair trade, ingredient driven sweets company. But they really run a lifestyle brand complete with West African Fair Trade socio-economic information that will convince to drops your Mars Bar with a quickness. Their extended family includes daughter Elise and son-in-law Martin who help run COG, a coop grocery in Berkeley.

"Don't be bashful! Just cook. just. cook." - Casanova

While we were perfectly content to marvel at the trials and tribulations of 80's rap and hiphop artists. Eventually the conversation covered topics ranging from Dutch & English colonists to finding a modern day Sir Isaac Newton. Son-in-Law Martin, humorously spanked out his laptop to fact find and fact check throughout dinner. Forgot the name of an obscure spice, explorer or 17th Century Canadian politician? No problem.

He's got you covered.

Our dinner conversation went something like this:

Berbers?
NO! Bergers.

What? A marsupial?

Thats the Italian way to roast a chicken.
450 degrees for 10 minutes

The Brits were the best. Everyone hated France, ya know.

The best African colonies were Nigeria and Ghana. They were British Colonies.

The KING OF BELGUM! BISMARK?!?!
Henry Stanley, you know Morgan Stanley, helped carve Africa. That's how the Belgian got The Congo.

They smoked baskets of hands.

My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was the food taster for King Louis the XIIII!

Well, juju comes from Togo. TOGO. JUJU.

For dessert we had homemade fair trade chocolate marshmallow men. Dinner couldn't have ended on a more fun note. Bellies full of delicious West African Red Red, Plantains and Heads filled with even more delicious world topics and stories.

To learn more about Fair Trade Chocolate click here.
To visit Sweet Earth Chocolates click here.
To glimpse inside the coop grocery in Berkeley, CA click here.

"We believe that capitalism comes in different flavors--not just the survival-of-the-fittest sort, but a softer, kinder, and more sustainable way of doing business that considers the needs of our planet and its people. Chocolate that's better for the environment.Chocolate that's better for the earth. Chocolate that's better for the people." - Sweet Earth Chocolates

Smoked Sailfish

2009-06-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ted Dasher is many generations deep in South Florida. He comes from a legendary wrecking family and fishing family. He basically IS South Florida.

"Bloodier fish make for a drier smoked fish, so you smoke'em less. Sailfish and Tuna are pretty damn dry. Permit and Amber Jack are not as bloody so they're moister." - Ted Dasher

His guide to smoking is a book from the early 70's. If you'd like to scoop up a copy of the book "How To Smoke Seafood, Florida Cracker Style" by Ted Dahlem, you can buy one here.

Build your brine (this recipe was told to me aboard a fishing boat) and I recorded it many hours later. When I went to confirm the exact recipe some of the ingrediants and amounts changed. So that tells you that you can get VERY creative with your brine. Play and have fun. South Florida style.

Brine: 1 Big Bottle Lousiana Hot Sauce, Whole Bottle Liquid Smoke, Cup of Bronw Sugar, Cup Kosher Salt, 6-Pepper Blend (6 shakes), 1 bottle Worcestshire Sauce, 1/2 Gallon Orange Juice (fresh squeezed), Cup or so of Lime Juice and enough Water to cover all the fish.

Smoke: For 2 hours at 225 degrees in an electric smoker. Ted uses the Cookshack Smokette MO 025 ($600)

The "It's ALL about the FISH" Veach Family - Key West, FL

2009-06-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Chippy is consistently voted Best Fishing Captain year after year in Key West, Florida. His two brothers Ryan and Tyson make up the other parts of the super successful Super Grouper fishing squad. These boys aren't messing around.

It may be ALL about the fish, but at this dinner it was all about Chippy's two daughters and his extra special Conch Ceviche. The real stars of the show.

What pairs well with Conch Ceviche? Spanish sparkling wine, Cava and the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen in your life. Et voila!

Mama Veach (above) is a hero in her family and in my book for these pesto palmiere she made before dinner started. They worked really well to cure the grumbles from everyone's tummies. Most of us had been out fishing all day that day ... from 6AM until late afternoon. And after awhile, beer just doesn't fill you up anymore.

The yellowtail snapper we'd caught that day had been marinating in lemon, green onions, white wine and salt & pepper for the better part of an hour. It would be lightly baked and served piping hot alongside fettucine and salad. Simple and Delicious.

Shadow the African Gray Parrot snacked on smoked fish, alongside everyone else. Baked fish, grilled fish, smoked fish, fish dip, breakfast fish burritos. It's ALL about the fish down in Key West.

For dessert we had a southern sweet. Nacho Mama's Banana Cream Pud'n. Something without fish in it? Really? For real? No! Yes, yes, yes !!

Chippy's Conch Ceviche
1. Chop enough conch fillets to make about 6cups of diced conch. Put in a bowl. Add in 1 cup diced white onion, 2 TBLSP lime juice, lemon juice and orange juice.

2. Enjoy!

(Do not add salt to this "ceviche" as it makes the conch taste too tangy. This is a very fresh, local treat)

Mama Veach's Pesto Palmiere's
1. Take a roll of puff pastry and unfurl it on a counter top. Cover it with homemade pesto (ground pinenuts, basil and evoo).

2. Roll the puff pastry into two different directions.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Meanwhile cut the "infinity" shaped puff pastry into 1/4"-1/2" slices. Arrange on cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remember the puff pastry will double in size.

You gotta fight. For your right. To PAAAASTAAA!

2009-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Lauren Danziger is a trained chef who discovered she had Celiac Disease some years ago. She was despairing about life being over (No More Pasta!) when she decided to put her chef skills to the test. She wanted to create all her favorite foods so life could be colorful and hearty once more.

"Oh man! When I found out I couldn't have pasta anymore I got seriously depressed!" -Lauren

Thankfully, Lauren has figured out the secrets to beautifully crafted pasta sauces and gluten free brown rice pastas. So really, the world is right again.

Lauren's Heavenly Pasta Sauce with Brown Rice Gluten Free Pasta

1 lb beef

1 lb veal or pork

1/2 bottle red wine (syrah, cabernet)

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup dried currants

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 can whole tomatoes, chopped (optional)

 1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp, chiffanade, basil salt and pepper, to taste

Salt and pepper the meat well.

Brown the meat in a pan. Deglaze with red wine.  Add the tomato paste and stir.

 In another pan, toast the pine nuts and set aside.  Add more wine as the meat

 cooks, along with the currants and pine nuts.  Keep adding wine till the meat

 is cooked and had a purple tint. Add the seasoning, cook for a nother minute

 or two, and serve over pasta.

Carole Dasher's Alabama Garlic Blue Cheese Dressing

2009-06-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Don't tell your cardiologist what's in your salad dressing! - Carole

Carole Dasher is THE go to home chef. She tasted a salad dressing at a restaurant in Birmingham, AL some years ago and decided to re-create it at home. After perfecting the composition, she shares her wealth of knowledge here.

Honey, it's DELICIOUS. Try it with your next salad.

Garlic Blue Cheese Dressing
(Keeps for 4-5 days in the fridge and serves 6-8 people)

12 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1/2 C EVOO or salad oil
6 hard boiled eggs, crumbled
3 OZ blue cheese, crumbled
1/5 C mayonnaise

Add garlic and eggs to a bowl. Introduce oil and whisk with a fork for 1-2 minutes until well blended. Add vinegar and continue whisking for another 20-30 seconds. Scoop in mayo and crumbled blue cheese. Fold gently.
Serve with crisp Romaine salad leaves.

Manhattan - Lauren's Gluten-Free Kitchen

2009-06-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

"I think I oversoaked the lady fingers!" - Abigail Thompson

"Now. Now that's a sentence you don't hear everyday..." - Dana Cooper

If Giggletown was an actual place, then an apartment on 18th Street at 9th Avenue, on Manhattan's west side, would be the epicenter. Or maybe Giggletown is a spontaneously constructed place that occurs whenever more than 5 girls, 5 bottles of wine, music and cheese assemble.

I happen to love any staycation I have in Giggletown. What could be better than a diet of steady laughing, dancing, pasta, sparkling wine and throaty red wine, multiple desserts and more laughing?

Perhaps knowing everything you ate was gluten-free. Lauren Danziger is a trained chef who discovered she had Celiac Disease some years ago. She was despairing about life being over (No More Pasta!) when she decided to put her chef skills to the test. She wanted to create all her favorite foods so life could be colorful and hearty once more.

"Oh man! When I found out I couldn't have pasta anymore I got seriously depressed!" -Lauren

Thankfully, Lauren has figured out the secrets to beautifully crafted pasta sauces and gluten free brown rice pastas. So really, the world is right again.

I won't bore you with all the girl talk. But I drunkenly and sloppily wrote down my notes in my trusty green notebook. And I can't remember why I wrote these two quotes down, but I did. They seemed important at the time.

"This is the perfect song to do cartwheels to..." - Lauren Danziger
"Lets do cartwheels" - Abigail Thompson

in her own words: Meryl's Antipasta Platter: I started with the Google search button, but let the store inspire me. I picked Prosciutto Romano (standard staple, I couldn't NOT get it), Genoa Salami (debated with the pepper crusted, but went with the original), YOU NEED sweet with these meats, so I was going to do cantaloupe but then I found this fig spread, so I went with that, Gouda (aged at LEAST 60 days - straight form Holland, enough said), Manchego and Bread (Carbs are necesary!!).

The Pasta Recipe is forthcoming, for now, in true Giggletown fashion. Enjoy a dessert first. Before the main course.

Abigail's Big Apple Tiramisu

3 eggs seperated

1 cup sugar

8 oz (1 scant cup) mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups chilled strong coffee or espresso

2 tblsp kahlua

Large chunk of Semi-Sweet chocolate

1 pkg. lady fingers

Beat yolks and mascarpone, along with 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl until pale and thick. About 2 minutes. In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add remaining sugar. Fold slowly into peaks, beating if necessary to reform peaks.

In another bowl beat cream until soft peaks form. Meanwhile in seperate shallow bowl combine espresso and kahlua. Dip Lady Fingers one by one into mixture. COver each side of the lady finger (about 2 seconds). Lay the fingers into an 8X8 dish. Continue dipping lady fingers and lining the dish until the dish is covered.

Fold whipped cream into mascarpone, fold in the egg whites, slowly. Combine carefully.

Layer half the whipped mixture atop the lady fingers. Layer more dipped lady fingers, snugly, on top of the creamy mixture. Repeat until dish is full. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Shave chocolate over the tiramisu before serving.

Underground Dinner in Brooklyn (Homunculus)

2009-06-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

"Brooklyn, especially Williamsburg, is the epitome of cool and then it leaches out into the world." - Chris, co-chef at Homunculus

I'd fallen down, upon exiting the Subway station, enroute from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I do that. Fall. But I always, always, always get back up again.

And this was no different. As Jamie and I hobbled up the street, we were suddenly greeted by a flurried Ryan Scanlon - one of the co-organizers of Homunculus. Homunculus is an "Eat-Easy" think: "Speak-Easy" mixed with dashes of ingenuity, down home vibes and passion. Lots and lots of passion.

Ryan eyed my bleeding knee and directed me to band aids, ice and wine. In that order. Just as if I were in someone's home I'd known for years. I didn't feel stupid or anything.

Not like the time I fell in front of an 8 foot pop out window in front of 60 or so diners at an upscale restaurant in Montecito, California. This was NOTHING like that at all!

After we were all settled in - I had time to scan the room. A big fish tank gurgled happily. Candles were lit. Aretha Franklin was singing in the corner. Two puppy dogs (Claire and Oscar) were lying at my feet, underneath the mosaic table. People were casually making butter in a mason jar and checking on the freshly baking bread in the oven.

"Fiddleheads?!" "Divine!" "Indescribable!!!!" "You eat the frond." "Its a ... fern. Fern." "You can eat them sauteed with butter! SAW-TAID!" "So Divine" - Chef Medley from the Kitchen

So what exactly IS an underground dinner? It's not a new concept at least not on either coast. Outstanding In The Field and Ghetto Gourmet made the concept famous. Guerrilla Gourmet continues the tradition. Bringing together people, chefs, fresh ingrediants for avante garde dining situations in warehouses, art galleries, private homes and outdoor spaces.

But the idea that just about anyone with a passion for food and a tolerance for hard work can spread the word and bring together communities ... is relatively new in our media-driven-freak-everyone-out-society. You're taking a chance by attending an underground dinner.

A chance you'll meet new friends. Try new foods. Go somewhere new. Let down your guard. Be adventurous. Team Sip.Snap.Savor was lusciously rewarded. Kinton Wines laced our table (the dinner was BYOB/BYOW) along with candles and lively conversation.

"Anything you can get in a store, you chould be able to make. I'm making my own sweater from washing, carding and knitting. The whole shebang. I've made my own sake, too" - Cale, Homunculus

Complete Menu:

Bread - Currant and toasted fennel seed white bread

Soup - Cold Celery soup

Beast plate - Cajuned pork, pistachio, thyme soaked veal pate on crostini
Sherry and Cassis chicken liver mousse on a house cracker
Maple candied bacon with almond butter
Foie gras bon bon on shortbread

Appetizer - Red curry and peanut souffle

Palate cleanser - Strawberry and thyme sorbet

Entree - Beef in Barolo, parsnip puree

Salad - Endive salad with fennel shavings, walnuts, chevre, loft dressing

Dessert - Three Layer Tart - Candied bananas, chocolate and cognac custard, black berries. Side of cardamom ice cream

Care to attend a dinner yourself? Email the fellas in Brooklyn and ask to reserve a spot. $40/BYOW homunculuseatez@gmail.com

Mason Jar Butter
Take a clean, Quart Sized Mason Jar with a lid and pour into it Room Temperature Whole Milk or (even better) Cream. Screw on lid. Begin shaking at the jar. At 4-6 minutes you'll notice the milk is thickening. At about 9 minutes of shaking, the cream will start to separate from the sides of the glass. When you get to the half point at 14-16 minutes you'll notice serious solids. At 27-30 minutes it's time to stop shaking and start draining off the excess liquid from your butter. Use cheesecloth to solidly drain your butter and then salt it if you wish. Serve with warm bread.

Currant & Toasted Fennel Seed Bread
3 Cups Artisan Bread Flour
2 Cups Water, 1/2 Cup extra water (reserve)
1 pat of butter
handful of anise seeds
2 handfuls of currants
4 tsp salt
1/2 oz. dry activated yeast
5 tblsp evoo

Activate the yeast in 1/2 cup of water (water should be lukewarm/room temperature). Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile toast anise seeds in a pat of butter, in a pan on stove, over medium heat. Continue toasting until browned.

Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Imprint a dimple into the center of the dry goods. Add water, oil and yeast mixture s l o w l y and incorporate all ingredients together.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until elastic and no longer sticky. Grease a bowl with a touch of evoo and put the dough in the bowl and cover with a floured dish towel.

Let rise for 2 hours.

Gently remove dough from the bowl and fold it to remove all air bubbles. Return to bowl and cover with floured kitchen towel. Let rise once again.

After 30 minutes, remove from bowl, place on greased cookie sheet (in desired shape), in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Serve piping hot with cool, homemade butter.

Green Star: Making Sorbet With David Turley

2009-06-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

"I love guilt-free treats. To spice things up you can add nuts or mint. Mmm. My favorite kinds of sorbet are sweet fruits like mango, pineapple or banana. Mango and Banana make the sorbet extra creamy. Oh just play with your food, already!"

-David Turley

Green Star: Now You Can Juice Almost All Your Greens
Dark Green juices are essential for health. Unlike current popular juicers, Green Power is designed to extract green juices. In fact, it produces high volumes of green juice with tremendous ease. It juices continuously without plugging up, and the the pulp comes out dry. With its unique Twin Gear press, Green Power is able to get juice from almost all leafy greens, herbs, fibrous plants and grasses, sprouts, and tough/ stringy vegetables. Green Power handles virtually every vegetable imaginable.

For about $500 you can have your own juicer. Or in this case, Sorbet Maker. Our beloved friend David Turley has cast aside the traditional use (leafy, green juices) of the twin engine Green Star Juicer and started making his own fresh, delicious fruit sorbet.

There isn't anything funnier than a 6 foot 3 inch man who comes striding into a room, dominates the space with his good looks and multiple bags of organic frozen fruit and clanks an expensive juicer onto the counter. Then proceeds to school everyone on the health benefits of fruit.

If you take a chance and try something new, you just may discover a delicious result.

Warning: It isn't as gutless and easy to make fresh fruit sorbet as you may think. The weak and flappable need not apply themselves to this task.

Fresh Fruit Sorbet

1bag of frozen fruit (your most favorite). We used Mango, Pineapple, Blueberry and Strawberry.

Apply it in batches to the open sieve top of the juicer. Using a paddle, gently press and guide the fruit through the juicer.

Long streams of sorbet will start to stream out of the juicer, much like a sausage. It looks like a fruit sausage, actually. But tastes light, acidic and juicy.

Enjoy!

Jeffy's Asian Tacos

2009-06-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

It can be so easy to be inspired when shopping at a Japanese Market. So many interesting things to ponder and purchase. Our own team member, Jeffy, decided it was time to cook. He picked up 2 bags of vegetables and thought about what to make on the walk home.

He knew he had to make something asian inspired to match the Udon our hosts were preparing for us that night in Columbia Heights (D.C.)

This is his journey.

Jeffy's Asian Tacos

1. Dice, Chop, Mince & Slice the following into bite sized pieces. Fold together and let sit in the fridge together for 60-90 minutes.

2 leeks, 3 bunches green onions, 1 white onion, 2 jalapenos de-seeded, 2 red bell peppers, several bunches tree oyster mushrooms, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 bunch parsley, 1 package firm tofu and 1 small piece ginger.

2. Heat 2 Tblsp Oil in large sauce pan or wok. When hot, add vegetables and tofu. Stirfry for 7-8 minutes or until soft. Reduce heat, add 2 Tblsp soy sauce and continue cooking for several minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup peanuts and 1/2 cup bean sprouts.

4. Toss concoction in a large bowl with 1/4 cup lime juice and 2-3 Tblsp soy sauce.

5. Using butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, form tacos.

Makes about 10 tacos.

While I may have helped Jeffy with this recipe, it's definitely easy enough and open to interpretation. So even the most timid home chef should feel confident preparing these tacos.

Washington D.C. - David's Udon Paradise

2009-06-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

Our Sip Snap Savor dinner in Columbia Heights actually started at the D.C. Downtown Farmers Market for supplies. We met David and his girlfriend, Addar, along with my friend David Turley on 8th and E street on a sunny Thursday Afternoon.

This was the first time I'd ever shopped with a Sip Snap Savor dinner host. It was really weird to just follow someone around and not give into my urges to buy EVERYTHING. I did pick up some Stony Man Cheese from Everona Dairy in Virginia.

And at one point we lost David Turley. Until Addar announced,

"David? Oh, I saw him in the corner eating beef jerky. He's behind the Chris Market Crab Cake tent."

When I found David Turley again we all went and examined the mushrooms at the booth next door. Row upon row of maiake's, morels, royal trumpets, pom pom's, beech's, shiitake and bear head 'shrooms. Perfect ingrediants for Udon.

David and Addar also picked up Black Orchard fuji apples, because "These are much sweeter!" At sunset, we parted ways, for a few hours. David and Addar set off for home - cloth bags full of good stuff.

When we met up again at David's home in Columbia Heights the kitchen was a flurry of action and motion and whirls of colors. Peppers were being diced, oil was sizzling, noodles were soaking, music was playing, people were stirring.

There was a real interest in the ingredients. Genuine. People were constantly referring to a printed out recipe and then changing the recipe instructions to fit their needs and wants for texture, flavor and look of their beloved ingredients.

At the end we cheers'd all the hard work with Torrontes wine from Argentina. Each mouthful perfectly balanced with a harmony of colors and taste.

The origin of udon is Chinese, though it's widely prepared in Japan. Japanese Buddhist priests who traveled to China are credited with spreading the popularity of udon. . The people of the Sanuki Province claimed to have been the first to adopt udon from China. Enni, a Zen monk, went to China in the 13th century.

Like many Japanese noodles, udon noodles are often served chilled in the summer and hot in the winter. Toppings are chosen to reflect the seasons and to balance with other ingredients. Most toppings are added without much cooking, although some are deep-fried. Many of these dishes may also be prepared with soba.

Beef Udon

1. Unwrap a package of Frozen Udon noodles and put in a pot of boiling water for 4-6 minutes until soft and cooked. Drain noodles and set aside.

2. Saute in a large saucepan: 1 Head of Kale - sliced; 2-3 medium carrots - diced; 1 package firm tofu - cubed; 8 ounces shiitake and crimini mushrooms - sliced; 2 Tsp. ginger - minced; 4 Tblsp soy sauce; 1 1/2 Tblsp honey.

Start with the Mushrooms, Carrots and Ginger. When softened (about 4 minutes) begin adding remaining* ingredients. If your saucepan is overflowing add ingredients in 2 minute intervals to allow for bulk to reduce down and create more space in the pan.

*Combine soy sauce and honey in a bowl and whisk together before adding to saucepan. If you like your kale to be crisper in texture, add it into the saute at the same time you add noodles in step 5.

3. Add 3 cups chicken or beef broth to sauce pan; simmer 10-12 minutes.

4. Add 12 ounces of top round beef, thinly sliced to broth and vegetables. Simmer additional 6-7 minutes.

5. When beef is no longer pink add Udon noodles. Spoon into bowls and garnish with green onions.

Team Sip Snap Savor presenting at Pecha Kucha SF!

2009-06-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

What is Pecha Kucha Night?

Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.

Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a magazine editor. This is a† demand that seems to be global – as Pecha Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 100 cities across the world. Find a location and join the conversation.

If you live near/in San Francisco, come and join us at HARLOT night club June 17th at 7:20PM.

Learn more about Pecha Kucha (Sf) here.

Washington D.C. - World of Words Cocktail Party

2009-05-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we dine on words. Powerful words that evoke new realms of thought and imagery to dance in our heads. But first, before you begin, one must wet his or her whistle.

Our hostess, Erin Weir understands this...she invited 12 or so co-workers & friends over for a dinner of international political discussions injected with finger foods, chili and lots and lots of wine. Everyone who attended was either from other countries or were from other countries who worked in other countries but were based here in D.C.

I sat next to Camilla Olson, a Swedish girl who works for a non-profit.
"It's the people themselves. I hear their stories . . . I travel for 3 or 4 weeks at a time in the Congo or Afghanistan and look at issues relating to refugees. I'm more interested in the cultural side of things. You have two people at a time, traveling together from the organization, in a simple car without flags or guns so it's easier to fly under the radar and really find the stories." - Camilla Olson

Tamara, a friend of everyone's from Ghana, who came to the United States vis-à-vis Yugoslavia - is now working as the Presidential Management Fellow for The Office of Secretary of Defense (Bob Gates). Bob Gates is one of the only people held over from the Bush Administration by President Obama.

Tamara will work on different issues in 3 month shifts to better learn all about the entire defense ministry. "My departments tagline, if you will is: Grooming Future Defense Leaders." - Tamara

Not everything was so serious, though. Sitting next to Tamara were three people who worked on Capitol Hill and were giggling about some senator's cologne.

Melanie, of England, who travels throughout Sudan but lives here in the U.S. told me all about the Sudanese culture and food. She explained the vast differences between Nothern Sudan (think: french press coffee, goat or lamb falafels & kebabs) and Southern Sudan (think: fried dough, fufu, kasava) diets.

"Everyone here in D.C. is here for a reason. Everyone has a purpose, goals, out-comes they hope to achieve. It's refreshing to meet all sorts of people working on all sorts of projects and intiatives." -Erin Weir

The Cheese Line-Up:
-Santa Teresa
-Genuine Fulvi Pecorino Romano (from the countryside of Rome)
-Morbier Les Trois Comtois
-Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog
-Fresh Chevre
-Aged Gouda

The Appetizer Line-Up:
-Guacamole
-Smoked Salmon
-Fresh Raspberries and Blueberries
-Olives
-Cashews and Candied Almonds
-Chips
-Cupcakes and Mini-Cakes

"Thats my favorite cheese! Humboldt Fog is a staple in my fridge." - Vanessa Parra (Refugee International worker by day and romance screenplay writer by night. )

"Whats that line down the middle? Where's it from?" - Patrick (Refugee International worker by day and cupcake stalker by night)

Erin's Fast'n'Easy Chili
This chili is medium-spicy, really thick and would be delicious in a toasted breadbowl with shredded cheddar and creme fraiche or sour cream.

3 Cans Black Beans
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 Can Stewed, Chopped Tomatoes
2 Cups onion, finely chopped
2 Cups Red Pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 TBLSP Chili Pepper
1 1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Oregano
1/2 Cup EVOO
3 Cups Grated Cheddar

Heat EVOO in saucepan and add chopped vegetables. Soften, about 6-7 minutes on medium heat. Toss in the contents of all the cans and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spices and cheese and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!

"It's simple and thats why it works!!" -Erin Weir

To learn more about the programming and initiatives of Hostess Erin's beloved International NGO, click HERE.

Florida's Sweet Corn

2009-05-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Florida ranks #1 nationally in the production and value of fresh market sweet corn.
Sweet corn has typically ranked as one of Florida's five most valuable vegetable crops.
A total of 544.1 million pounds of fresh sweet corn, valued at $122 million, was produced on 37,200 acres in Florida

In 1997, there were 319 sweet corn producing farms in Florida. Of those farms, 61.4 percent produced sweet corn on less than 5 acres.
Most sweet corn in Florida is grown on farms that produce other vegetables, row crops, pasture, and forage crops in addition to sweet corn.
Approximately 89 percent of Florida's sweet corn crop is harvested between January and July.

Prices paid to producers have risen from 1959-60's $0.058 per pound to a high of $0.224 per pound paid in 2000-01.
Nearly 25 percent of sweet corn producers' overall total direct expenses are invested in pesticides and pesticide application costs.

Mimi's Holga Revival

2009-05-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my sentiments can best be expressed in a photo or a song or a smile.

Here are a few of my favorite photos, shot on my little plastic Holga with a rainbow flash. These photos start in Key West and take us through Washington D.C.

Enjoy!

STOP THE CAR!

2009-05-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

You'd scream and clap your hands too if you passed this joint!

Heaven on a stick if thats even possible. I ate a boneless porkchop on a biscuit with hot black coffee. I have never wished to be near a drive through today, from my house in Santa Cruz, the way I wish I was near the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill.

North Carolina Biscuits

2 1/4 tsps active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1/4 cup plus 1 pinch of sugar
2 tblsps lukewarm water
5 cups self-rising all-purpose flour
1 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and the pinch of sugar in the lukewarm water and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the yeast and buttermilk and stir until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 times: the dough should have a soft, moist texture. Return the dough to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight.
Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.
Roll out the dough to a 16-inch round 1/3 inch thick. Using a 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather the dough scraps, knead 3 times and reroll, then stamp out more biscuits as close together as possible from the rerolled dough. Discard the remaining scraps.
Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter. Fold the biscuits in half, then brush the unbuttered sides with the remaining melted butter and place on the prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the biscuits rise in a draft-free place for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes, or until browned on the bottom and light golden on top. Serve warm.

For busy moms: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Chapel Hill, NC

2009-05-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Aah yes. Chapel Hill. This is the dinner that Jeff, our trusty road trip bodyguard companion became so hungry that at one point during the dinner we noticed all the food was on his side of the table! Excellent.

We staggered into Chapel Hill and into Simon & Claire's lovely red brick home very late and very tired. It was at this point in the trip that we caught up on Zzz's. Before we slept and after we ate, Simon took us to Top Of The Hill, which is a swanky joint with an incredible view of the city.

Lets back up to dinner. We walked into Simon and Claire's home and Simon was belting out "I stroke it to the North, I stroke it to the South, I even stroke it with my mouth-" in his lilting English accent. I think Claire rolled her eyes at him and giggled.
It's fun to be with a married couple who firmly love and tolerate each other.

Claire and Simon are English and had lived in the Bay Area for many years before moving to Chapel Hill to raise their babies.

"We love it here. Mild weather, occasional snow, slightly muggy warm in summer, great community, less people, it's gorgeous really." - Claire

She said this as she threw together dinner. Have you ever had TexMex in North Carolina prepared by an Englishwoman?

Claire's Chili Con Carne with Cheesy Cheddar Biscuits

For the shortcake biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/4 pound sharp Cheddar, grated coarse (about 1 1/2 cups)
four 2-inch pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1 cup sour cream

For the chili con carne
2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 carrots, sliced thin
3 pounds boneless beef chuck, ground coarse in batches in a food processor or by the butcher
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
a 19-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 green bell peppers, chopped

Make the shortcake biscuits
Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the Cheddar and the chilies, add the sour cream, and stir the mixture until it just forms a soft but not sticky dough. Knead the dough gently 6 times on a lightly floured surface, roll or pat it out 1/2 inch thick, and with a 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter cut out 6 rounds. Bake the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden.

Make the chili con carne
In a kettle cook the onions in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, add the garlic and the carrots, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chuck and cook it over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, for 10 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the cumin, the paprika, the oregano, and the red pepper flakes and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, the broth, and the vinegar, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it, covered, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Add the kidney beans, the bell peppers, and salt and black pepper to taste and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the bell peppers are tender.

Et Voila! Enjoy with Rice rather than Biscuits if you so desire.

Soft Shell Crab as easy as 1-2-3

2009-05-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Separate egg yolks from whites. Add yolks to shallow bowl. Dip each soft shell crab into yolks.

Step 2: After dipping into yolks, immediately dip into a plate of bread crumbs. You can create your own crumbs. You can buy fancy gourmet versions. You can use plain. You can use panko. Just dip the eggy crab into the bread crumbs. Set aside on a baking pan. Shake Salt & Pepper onto finished crabs.

Step 3: Heat Vegetable Oil in a skillet. When you toss a little bit of bread crumb into the oil and it bubbles around it, you are ready to fry. Give each crab 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Keep warm on a baking sheet (220 degrees) until finished frying all crabs. Serve with ice cold wine and salad.

Soft-shell crab is a crustacean seafood that can be eaten whole if cooked shortly after molting their hard shell. Crabs should be kept alive until immediately before cooking so they are fresh. Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell. These are often referred to as "papershells" or "tinbacks" and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable to some.

The exact species used as soft-shells varies regionally. In the United States, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is used typically, although the use of the mangrove crab in Asia has provided another source for this seasonal food.

As crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days when they are vulnerable and considered usable. Fishermen often put crabs beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete in order to send them to market as soft-shells.

If you can read, you can cook - Savannah, GA

2009-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine pulling up to THIS neighborhood? Amazing. Ah-MAY-zing! Actually it was beautifully and charmingly SOUTHERN with a big ole capitol "S". The day was rainy in a gently, blowsy sort of way. And we just stood in the street admiring the greenery, inhaling the greenery, loving the greenery. It was spectacular.

"This house has been in the family for thirty years. Most of our family lives within 8 blocks, though. Now listen, we both have ADD and we're hilarious. So watch out" - Barbara and Coco

"The world knows Paula Deen. That's great. They should know Susan, though. Susan does Savannah in a classier way. Just a little bit. I mean, if you can read, you can cook. You just HAVE to be ready to try new things. "

And try new things they did. They both rocked the kitchen in matching aprons, perfect manicures, not a hair flying out of place and never a voice raised. Dinner was beautiful. The highlight was sitting with Noni Victor and hearing her funny asides and all about her life growing up in a plantation family in Charleston, South Carolina.

You know what?

There is always time for a quick photo shoot outside when the golden sun is setting. Creating beautiful, muted light just for you. Besides, it wipes a girl out to be cooking so hard. I think what we learned from these two lovelies: 1. Challenge yourself. Try new things. Go out on a limb and take a chance. 2. Always go out on a limb looking and acting your best. Do new things with style and grace.

They helped us fall in love with Savannah. Personally, I consider Savannah my very own gentleman caller. Just don't tell anyone else. I don't want to make anyone upset by being, The Favorite.

Salad & Salad Dressing
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup EVOO
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper
1 Tsp* Sugar
1 Tblsp** Catsup

1 oz Salt Pork
1 Package Butter Beans/Lima Beans
1 1/2 lbs okra, trimmed and sliced
8 ounces grape tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
1 medium red onion halved and thinly sliced/shaved
1/2 Cup crumbled Saga Cheese
8 slices bacon, fryed, cooled, crumbled

Simmer Lima Beans and pork Fat for 25-26 minutes. Add Okra to pot and continue simmering for 5 more minutes until okra is soft. Meanwhile concoct dressing by whisking catsup, oils, vinegar and spices together. Drain beans/okra. Discard salt pork.

Chill beans, okra, red onion together in large bowl, in fridge for minimum half an hour. To serve simply dress beans and okra by topping with crumbled bacon, cheese, grape tomatoes and dressing. Toss Gently. Serve.

*Use a small spoon for teaspoon measurements
**Use larger soup spoon for tablespoon measurements

Coco's Oyster Sandwich

2009-05-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Russo's is a staple here in Savannah. It's a market, a grocery, a life saver. For just $6.99 you can have a dozen of these oyster fellas. And if you weren't sure the best way to eat them, Savannah's very own Coco has a surefire consumption plan.

1 Glass of Cold White Wine
2 Saltines (or any cracker will do)
Spread each side with cocktail sauce. Add in an oyster.
Make a sandwich.
Take a bite.

Add wine.
Et voila, honey

;)

The Waffle House & Boyd Coots

2009-05-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Somewhere between Gainesville, Florida and Savannah, Georgia we stopped at a Waffle House just off I-95. Jamie had never eaten at a Waffle House before. I'd eaten at one in Georgia before and was excited to try my hand at ordering the hash browns just how I wanted'em: Smothered, Covered & Chunked (Onions, Cheese and Ham).

As we filed in, and grabbed a table, I remembered that I wanted to grab some of our Sip Snap Savor post cards to leave at the Waffle House. So I ran back outside to grab some postcards. As I swam through the parking lot...a giant big rig pulled up. A man jumped out, he had short hair and was wearing grimy jeans.

He flew ahead of me to hold the door open.

I knew from the gun that he wanted to talk to me. I could feel it. So I decided to converse with him on my terms. He took the booth right behind us. I spun around in my seat and handed him a flyer.

That was all he needed.

Boyd Coots was his name and he was a truck driver from Kentucky. And, honey, Jacksonville, Florida was the end of the line for him. The vurrry ind.

Boyd told us about:
- Being in a POW in 'Nam.
- Eating grubs and worms.
- Weighing 85 pounds in a Vietnamese Concentration Camp.
- Being shipped to a DC hospital when he was rescued.

Then he told us about:
- Losing his parents in the early 70's
- Fighting with his sisters
- Not being able to trust a woman
- Having to sell his farm and starting to drive a truck
- The best ways to cook coon and gopher

And finally he mentioned his mother's good old-fashioned cabbage rolls she used to make him. Without a word, I handed him my green journal notebook. He held it in his hands for a second. Then we both leaned in and flipped pages together to get to a blank spot so he could write down his mother's recipe as best as he could remember it.

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

Make vegetable soup: several parts water, pinches of salt and pepper, several handfuls of corn kernals, fresh green beans cut in half, cubed potatoes and a can of tomato soup. Let simmer for several hours on low.

Meanwhile, fry up ground chuck roast. Let it cool and drain. Steam up a pot of rice. Let it cool, too.

Take cabbage leaves and fill with ground chuck and rice and the vegetable soup. Wrap up/Roll Up. Put in a baking pan. Top with remaining soup. Bake it at a low heat for 4-6 hours.

Yayita's Beans - Juno Beach, FL

2009-05-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Luis Reyneri's grandmother passed away 2 and a half years ago. But her cherished recipes are still going strong. Transcribed from spanish into english in her own handwriting, we are very fortunate to have this recipe. It's a special one...

Cuban Black Beans
Frijoles Negros Estillos Cubanos

2 tblsp EVOO
Several cloves garlic, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-3 fresh sprigs oregano, diced
1 sml white onion, diced
1-2 tblsp pork fat
4 bay leaves
3 lg cans black beans
1 can water
1 tblsp white vinegar
Various pinches of spices (cumin, salt, pepper) to taste

Heat EVOO and pork fat in deep pot and begin to soften onion. Cook onion, garlic and pepper for 5-6 minutes until soft & transluscent. Smells Amazing!. Add oregano and bay leaves. Stir. Add beans and water. Stir. Then let simmer on medium for 20-30 minutes. Add spices to taste, turn heat down a little and let simmer for another 60-80 minutes. Beans should reduce roughly 4" down the side of pot.

Turn off the heat and stir in white vinegar.

Serve warm with Ropa Vieja; Fresh Fish; Rice; que quieres, actually.

Hoyt's Monkey Ice Cream - Gainseville, FL

2009-05-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes on a road trip, you get behind schedule. And sometimes you are so far behind the schedule that you can't even see the schedule anymore. So when we were gearing up to leave Gainesville and little Hoyt asked us to stay a bit longer so he could make us morning ice cream, I kind of freaked out.

But man, I am SO glad we stayed. This is the best dessert. SO fresh and creamy and delicious. A perfect treat anytime of day or night. Harried & frenzied or perfectly calm - Monkey Ice Cream will render you childlike and happy.

Go for it.

Mmm, Delicious!
Thank you Hoyt, for sharing and caring enough to make this yummy treat for us.

Hoyt's Monkey Ice Cream
3 Frozen Banana's (Momma Jen buys banana's at the supermarket that are going brown, in order to "save" them from being discarded. Once frozen these ripe banana's will taste supremely delicious in the ice cream)
1/2 C. Raw Milk

Process the two together until smooth.

Pulse in small handfuls (Hoyt sized handfuls) of cacao nibs and crispy nuts.

ENJOY and EAT RIGHT AWAY!

Crispy Nuts
1. Soak nuts for about 8 hours in salty water. Walnuts or pecans work well.
2. Drain water and pat dry. (Momma Jen advises that tannins from the nuts will stain, so she keeps a special towel for drying the nuts).
3. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet
4. Dry nuts in warm oven until crisp
5. Store in airtight container (mason jars) in the refrigerator.

The Cotters - Gainesville, FL

2009-05-07T03:16:00.000-07:00

We showed up in Gainesville on an overcast afternoon. It was a bit drizzly and cold. Until we were enveloped in hugs from 4 year old Hoyt. He clamored to show us his garden, his toys and his house. uh-huh.

His parents run Cotter Industries:

Cotter Industries, a small family-owned company, offers high-quality, home-based manufacturing services, and a catalogue of the products that result. We currently offer custom machined embroidery, and an expanding line of reflective apparel for cyclists.

We were scooped up by domestic goddess, Momma Jen into her kitchen where we made a picnic feast to end all picnic feasts. We were going to watch Husband Bryan play in a bicycle polo match at the local park, just down the street. Immediately afterwards we were swept up into a frenzy and attended a Roller Derby match (Barbies vs. The Goths).
Oh-Em-Gee.

So much fun. This dinner was about sharing, connecting -- as much with the food from the earth as it was with the people creating and sharing the meal. Momma Jen massages her vegetables into submission, treats her milk with kindness and adulation and understands the importance of flavors that are expressive of their natural habit.

No manufactured flavors to be anywhere. She was teaching son Hoyt what food tastes like in its natural state and how to appreciate natural textures and nature's bounty.

Sour Milk Cornbread
"I get raw milk on the blackmarket!" - Jen Cotter

1. Take Raw Milk and let it sit out in a jar for a few days to sour. Make sure you set it in a cool, dark place. This milk must be raw = unpasteurized.

2 Cups stone ground corn meal
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sour Milk
1 Cup Raw Corn Kernals
1 tsp salt and baking soda
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp additional butter
Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

2. Blend the 3 eggs in a mixing cup. Add the eggs to the corn meal in a lrge bowl and Fold. Add milk to the bowl and fold into the mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon. Begin adding dry ingrediants and continue stirring. Add butter. Add Corn.

3. Meanwhile heat cast iron skillet, melting additional butter. When hot, add contents of mixing bowl to skillet. Let sit in pan for 2-3 minutes to brown on bottom.

4. Pop skillet in preheated oven and let bake for 1/2 an hour or until golden brown and a toothpick slides cleanly through the corn bread.

Slice and serve warm.

"Raw Milk. I love it! Right now in Florida it can only be sold as "pet food" and rarely reaches the grocery store shelf. But we're lucky and can buy ours from a friend . . . on the blackmarket. I want to tell all my friends about the virtues of raw milk, but I'm conflicted by the short supply. On the one hand, there's not much to go around - so I don't want to get people excited about what they can't have - but then, more demand is what creates more supply."- Jen Cotter

Sweet Southern Barbecue Picnic

2009-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tom Williams' Barbecue Feast
1 Pork Loin
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, split into "sticks"

Using a paring knife, stab 1" slits into the loin and stuff with garlic slits. Smoke for an hour and fifteen minutes per pound. Use your favorite wood.

"I like cherry, plum or pear wood. It makes better flavors." - Tom

To recreate Tom's greens, simply wash and pat dry 2-3 pounds of brussel sprout greens, broccoli greens or collard greens. Dice and shred the greens. Add the greens to a large pot filled with several inches of water. Add 1 tsp of salt for every 1 1/2 pounds of greens.
Serve with pickled vinegar or pepper vinegar. It tastes even better along side fried or smoked meats.

Momma Jen's Sweets and Beets
"I'm burying the rosemary so it can send out its aura." - Jen Cotter

1 lb Beet Greens, washed and chopped
4-5 Large Beets, washed and peeled and sliced
2 tblsp butter
3-4 twigs rosemary
S&P to taste

"The bitter beet ends complement the sweet of the beets. And the rosemary really adds an earthy, deliciously simple smooth flavor. The colors in this dish are just beautiful!" - Momma Jen
Heat a skillet on the stove top, add butter. When melted add greens and let char and reduce. After 10-15 minutes, turn off to rest.

Meanwhile, add sliced beets to roasting pans and immerse rosemary throughout the beets. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with S&P. Let roast for 45 minutes. Stir the beets halfway through cooktime to keep moisture levels even.

When beets are finished cooking, add greens to the roasting pan and mix. Serve warm with cornbread and other Southern Fixin's.

To start cooking the Momma Jen way -- you may want to refer to her bible: "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon It's half recipes and half manifesto for living.

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Empanadas in Juno Beach, FL

2009-05-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

"I love life. I love food and wine. I caught that bug 10 years ago when I met my husband. You get sucked into the culture. We don't do fast food."
-Jen Reyneri

Indeed. Free range thick cut bacon, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and homemade strawberry empanadas coupled with a perfect Florida Sunshine Morning made for the most glorious outdoor breakfast of all time. Can you say, delicious?

Strawberry Empanadas

Start with a tube of storebought crescent rolls. Unroll the dough from the dough and slice into triangles (essentially cutting the dough in half).

Meanwhile, mix together 1 C. of washed and diced strawberries with a package of softened cream cheese. Add 2 tblsp. of brown sugar, continue to mix evenly.

Fill each trinagle with strawberry mixture, stretching dough as you go, and then rolling the dough into a spiral and crimping the edges together.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle, fresh from the oven empanadas, with brown sugar and brush with melted butter.

Enjoy!

The Reyneri's - Juno Beach, FL

2009-05-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard the term, Circle of Love? I think this family either coined it themselves or inspired its creation. I have never been better loved and taken care of by strangers, before in my life.

If everyone lived their lives this magnaminously open and with this lofty and courageous of a spirit -- the world would be absolute magic. Everyone would feel the utmost love, utmost respect and utmost contentment.

We sailed into Jen Reyneri's home just as she'd broken her toe. Makani, age 5 1/2 was concocting a recipe for us called Shoog Sugar. And Luke, age 16 mos. and perfectly naked, was curled up with his mom.

Indicating her 5 year old son, Jen said "We're still learning about putting together flavors. I always let him, he needs to learn." She said this as Makani dumped several tablespoons of expensive bamboo salt into a bowl full of strawberries and chocolate syrup. Makani also incured his first culinary wound while making Shoog Sugar.

After putting together a few appetizers for us and getting everyone dressed, bandaged and shoed. We took off for the beach across the street to watch the sunset.

When we returned it was time get down to business and make dinner of fresh fish fingers, cuban black beans (from Luis Reyneri's Cuban Grandmother's recipe) topped with fruit salsa and served alongside fresh wilted greens. We stayed up joking and laughing into the night.

The next morning Jen prepared Strawberry Empanadas and we had fresh squeezed florida grapefruit juice, the best any of us had every had. We drove away very sadly, because frankly, none of us wanted to leave this slice of heaven alongside the beach with the beautiful garden and even more beautiful family.

"This is an abundant life. Money isn't important. We were all born with talents and at the end, God is going to ask you - SO, what did you do with what I gave you?" - Jen Reyneri

Well. In this case their answers will be long, as The Reyneri's use all their talents and resources to the fullest. Cheers and many thank you's!

Fish Fingers
Take 3-4 Fresh Fish Fillets (We used a mystery fish I'd caught the day before in Key West and it was DELICIOUS, thank you very much)
Jen recommends using Grouper, Snapper or Tuna.

Slice your fillets into strips, about two fingers wide and two pinkie fingers long. Coat them in raw egg and then potato buds. Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper, generously.

Heat Canola Oil, fry for 2-3 Minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Let drain for a few minutes on a paper towel and serve with lemon wedges. These fingers will taste very fresh and flavorful. Serve with tartar sauce if you wish.

Sissie's Juicy Fruit Sangria

2009-04-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

When it's hot, you want something zippy, ice cold and sweet. This Sangria did the trick on Easter Sunday. It was refreshing and the alcoholic tang made you forget about how hot it was outside, except to occasionally slur out "Gee, is it ever HOT!"

It also inspired us to sing this song:

Juicy Fruit Sangria

1 1/2 cups cubed, fresh melon (honeydew, canteloup, watermelon)
3 fuji apples, diced
2 bananas, sliced in half and then into half moon pieces
2 peaches, diced
1 basket strawberries, washed and quartered

Put fruit in a bowl and top with a bottle of your favorite inexpensive champagne. Add 1/2 cup of vodka. Mix with hands to gently coat all fruit. Cover bowl and refridgerate overnight.

Add 4 cups pineapple juice, 1 bottle champagne and the fruit mixture to a pitcher. Stir.

Divide into 6 glasses and enjoy with friends!

Donna & Finley - Cudjoe Key, FL

2009-04-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

It was Easter Sunday in the Florida Keys. Finley & Donna live on Cudjoe Key. This small island has two theories swirling around the origins of its name. Possibly named for the Joewood tree, a native species which is also known as cudjoewood. Writer John Viele of Summerland Key believes that Cudjoe, a very common West African name, was the name of a runaway or freed black who lived on the island at some point prior to an 1849 Census Survey.

Walking into Finley & Donna's house, is like entering a tropical and peaceful paradise. There are 50 year old Bottle Brush trees and Royal Palms swaying in the breeze. And everyone at some point took full advantage of the hammock in the shade.

Finley is a salty fisherman with connections for any seafood (conch, island lobster, black grouper, key west pinks) you could possibly want from all over the island. Donna is a kindred earth mother who calms folks down at the dental practice where she works. Together they'd organized a real easter egg hunt and old-fashioned lobster grill down (think: ho down but with meats and seafood) for their daughter Elissa and her son Preston who also live on the island. My entire family was present as well.

We taught them how to play MASH and assured them that sangria, red wine and Budweiser pair perfectly with twice baked potatoes, salad, fish dip and lobster.

Families that allow you to seamlessly incorporate into their fold are the absolute best kind of family. We ate, drank, laughed and were generally very merry until food coma and the late afternoon sun set in. And then it was ALL we could do to drag ourselves out to watch the sunset. Sunset watching in the Florida Keys is a sport and art form unto itself.

Grilled Lemongrass Lobster
Wash 6 fresh lobster tails and allow to drain in a cool place.
Grasping a pair of scissors, cut into the shell towards the tail in the center of the lobster tail.
Scoop homemade lemongrass sauce into the lobster and arrange on a platter.

Lemongrass Sauce
4 TBLSP melted butter
1/2 C bread crumbs
2 TBLSP Lemon Juice
1 TBSLP grated/zested lemon grass puree

Combine in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the tails with the sauce mixture, really coating the insides of the tails. If there is remaining sauce mixture use your fingers to stuff the mixture into the split shells.

Meanwhile heat an outdoor grille to what Finley calls "Super Hot" and is probably at 300 - 325 degrees. This is South Florida, so a hot grille feels "Super Hot" with the heat of the day.

Place lobster tails, open side, down and flash sear for less than a minute to a minute depending on temperature. Flip the tails over, onto their shells. Allow them to grille in their own juices for 5-6 minutes. The shells will not turn pink/red if you are using Florida Lobsters.

South Carolina Low Country - Haint Paint

2009-04-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Does haint blue paint chase away evil spirits?

Historically, Haint Blue was a color most commonly used on homes in the southern United States. Slaves thought this hue warded off evil spirits,known as Haints. Other cultures around the world are also known to use this color for its believed protective properties.

This hue of blue is said to ward off mosquitos.....and evil spirits. Legend has it that Haint spirits won't cross over water. Because Haint Blue Paint has a water appearance it was used on the doors and ceilings to ward off these evil spirits.

Fascinating, non?

Kindness

2009-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the thrown open armful of welcome, kindness and friendship is so amazingly overwhelming.

Life, Love & Lobster

2009-04-14T09:02:00.001-07:00

Our Spring Road Trip Begins in a few days. Stay tuned for Recipes and People, Families and Food from Key West Florida to Manhattan, New York. Savannah, Georgia to Washington D.C. Chapel Hill, North Carolina to Brooklyn.

xoxo, Team Sip.Snap.Savor

CoconutBreadville

2009-04-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Local Favorite, Pepe's, offered up this recipe for delicious, moist coconut bread in honor of a Local Favorite - Richard who passed away this last week.

His wife, Charlie created the recipe.

1/2 C. Butter, Softened
1 C. White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 TSP Coconut Extract
1 C. Shredded Coconut
1 C. Sour Cream
2 C. Flour (All-Purpose)
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Baking Powder

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extract, then sour cream. Add the coconut. Fold in flour, baking soda and powder. Turn into lightly greased loaf pan.
Bake 350 Degrees for about 45 minutes or until done.

Makes 1 Loaf (9-10 slices).

Eat Easy

2009-04-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

Ryan, of Homunculus in Brooklyn is reserving a spot for us at his underground dinner program in his loft. We are SO excited.

Check out his blog, here.

A Brooklyn Eat-Easy in the industrial lofts of Bushwick. Homunculus prepares an elaborate, opulent and affordable dinner for all those in search of great food and delightful company. Home-cooked and home-served for an intimate meal with refined service.

SipSnapSavor.net

2009-03-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Check out our new website home.
I always thought web design was scary and hard.

But if you break it up into small chunks it's completely manageable. Just like with any project, take it one step at a time and before you know it hills, valleys and miles & miles of beautiful terrain have gone by.

So tip some of your 40 out tonight.
Then go tackle something, you've been meaning to tackle.
It feels TERRIFIC to accomplish and to eliminate road blocks. Even if it's a simple road block that is easy for everyone else...

G'night night friends.

Bacon Curing & Sausage Making

2009-03-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Making Sausage, Chez Poulet Style

Walking into the Chez Poulet kitchen - it was romantically lit with diffused sunlight and the occasional bright smiles of the few people (Photographer Puck and his friend Christina along with Renee, girlfriend of Resident Rick) standing around watching the action. Poulet Resident, Neal, was slicing pork into 1/2" pieces to accommodate the meat grinder that stood at the ready.

Neal had made sausage, once before to "figure it out, cuz it seemed easy and I was curious about it!"

He'd steeped his pork in Cayenne Pepper Flakes, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Brown Sugar and Salt & Pepper, before slicing it down into smaller strips for grinding. Once ground, he'd encase the meat and eventually smoke it. In times gone by, he'd created witty food combinations like Lavendar Lamb Meat Sausages & a Red Wine-Infused Mint Sausage.

Steps to Make Sausage
1. Trim off Fat*, then trim into 1/2" to 3/4" strips for the grinder.
* You want a 70:30 Meat:Fat ratio for making sausages so that there is some adhering going on between ingredients and the fat.

2. Seperate the tendons (sinew) from the meat as well, as the tendons will jam your grinder and they don't impart much flavor, anyway.

3. Grind Meat and any additional ingredients.

4. Using an encasing* attachment on your KitchenAid mixer or an actual Sausage Encaser, begin making** your sausages.

*You can buy Encasings from any butcher or restaurant that makes their own sausages.

** Load encasings onto your kitchen machinery like you would load a condom. They look very similar.

5. Smoke* the Sausages and Store them for eating in either the fridge or freezer.
*Decide if you are going to do a Cold Smoke or Hot Smoke.

Curing Bacon for Breakfast or Dinner

Basic Cure:
-50 Grams of Sodium Nitrate (gives the meat color)
-450 Grams of Salt
-225 Grams of Sugar

Stir the ingrediants together and make a dry brine.

You need 50 Grams of Dry Cure for every 3LB Pork Belly.

1. Rub Dry Cure into the Meat
2. Then Decide if you are making Sweet or Savory Bacon.
3. Finish curing your Pork Belly after the Dry Rub with proper ingredients of your choosing to make the bacon of your liking.

Breakfast Bacon:
-125ml of good quality Maple Syrup
-Sprinklings of Fresh Ground Pepper and Brown Sugar

Blend these ingredients together and then add to pork belly. Let Pork Belly rest in a refridgerator for 7-9 days. Smoke it for 20 minutes in a smoker and then you can slice (thick or thin cut) and fry it up for breakfast.

Rick & Mike's Top Fifteen Charcuterie Quotes & Tips

2009-03-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

"It was like drinking Phil's coffee for the first time and wondering what the fuck you've been drinking this whole time" - Rick Abruzzo, comparing store bought bacon to home cured bacon

Mike & Rick, of Chez Poulet, have been friends for 10 Years. They work together to offer neighborly instructional how-to's in the kitchen. Next on the docket for them is cheesemaking and possiby pâté. They are easy to learn from, really know their subjects and are very passionate about food. They are also humble and honest. The best kind of teachers.

1. Use fantastic, amazing ingredients. It really makes a difference. Use high quality maple syrup for your breakfast bacon.

2. Cut off the skin from the pork belly, BEFORE you smoke it. It's easier to remove it before you smoke it.

3. Load casings like condoms.

4. Put a little cold water in the tray below your encasing machine, so the fresh sausages don't stick to your tray.

5. "I hate vegans and Cafe Gratitude!"

6. Twist after every other link, spin casing to create the links.

7. Get Pork Belly from the butcher and ask for the more square shaped pices. The end pieces (Tail Pieces) are more oval shaped and you can't slice them as easily into what looks like normal slices of bacon.

8. Allow flavors to really express themselves, be natural. Figure out how things are REALLY supposed to taste. Its amazing to taste test store bought, mass produced stuff (thats usually flash-brined) and stuff you can easily make at home. The difference is astounding.

9. Cold Liquid (Water or Wine) will help evenly distribute your sausage seasonings.

10. Meat & fat are like oil & water. they don't want to stick together. You'll have to really mix it up and keep blending it to get it cohesive.

11. Cold Smoke = Under 100 degree (Think: Prosciutto or Salmon) / Hot Smoke is 150 degrees and up (Think: Kilbasa)

12. Good sausages are THOROUGHLY mixed before you go to encase them. If you don't mash & mix everything you end up with an uncoagulated meat blend.

13. For an advanced bacon cure try: Coffee, Cinnamon, Cloves & Maple Syrup.

14. Warmth, is sometimes not your friend. Use ice to keep your meat cold when you are handling it. And refridgerate immediately.

15. "Don't dream too far or get too carried away. Think of something simple like a pan roasted cannoli. Always good, always easy. Take your sausage combinations from there."

re-purposing & the waste hierarchy

2009-03-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a novelty concept from the 1990's.
The waste hierarchy refers to the 3Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability. The 3Rs are meant to be a hierarchy, in order of importance.

The waste hierarchy has taken many forms over the past decade, but the basic concept has remained the cornerstone of most waste minimisation strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.

Chicken John would like to spread a message of re-purposing. Taking items that are broken, worn or old and putting in a little elbow grease to make them working and new again. The bus (above) is a prime example. It was re-purposed to take people on fun excursions to film showings, festivals and art shows.

What are you capable of re-purposing?

Chez Poulet - San Francisco, CA

2009-03-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Poulet Kitchen: Cesar Chavez Blvd, San Francisco CA
When you walk down Cesar Chavez Blvd in San Francisco, there are day laborers everywhere. Ironically, enough. There are also new dining hot spots, old time taquerias and colorful murals. An elementary school around the corner from the Grande Dame's house, Chicken John's Casa. An edifice that houses 7 people, a rooftop hangout area, a musical space resplendant with stage, church pews, many bicycles, theatre practice space and a large kitchen leading to a nice, grassy knoll.

This Sip.Snap.Savor took place almost entirely in the kitchen, except for a short visit with Sometime SF Mayoral Candidate, Chicken John, himself, in the foyer. He was welding and "re-purposing" a shelving unit for inside the house.

Our hosts, Matt & Rick led a tutoral on basic charcuterie (meat curing) for what started out as 20 people and morphed into at least 45 people by the time we'd left. For a $3 community donation, each person was able to use the bacon curing station and the 4 sausage making stations. Each person brought their own meats and items and waited patiently for "class" to start, with beers and wine.

When everyone was done slicing their meats, trimming fat, concocting marinades, rubs and cures, grinding their ingrediants and sluicing them into sausages -- they stored their ziplocks full of meat in the fridge (adorned with Salin Palin art). Everyone was quick to schlep their meat from ice buckets to ziplocks in the fridge to avoid bacteria growth and contamination.

Then the good times started, with bacon samples and beers being handed out across the room, hand over fist. Neighborly-like.

(anonymous vegan keepin' it real)

Stay tuned for tales of sausage making and bacon curing and a complete step-by-step guide on how to re-create this experience in your own home.

**pictures by Le Meems. Jamie G. was giving a speech (clap clap clap)!!

the wheels on the bus go round and round

2009-02-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

In addition to all the beautiful families hosting us in the coming weeks, there are two very special meals coming up in April, on the East Coast.

Sister Noella Marcellino, otherwise known as The Cheese Nun, is the sacred grandmother of fromage microbiology. She lives in a cloistered abbey in Bethlehem, CT - though she'll be hosting a country lunch, complete with cheese she made herself.

Woods Hole Oysters were recently featured in The New Yorker and are the most prized oysters on the eastern seaboard. We'll be going out and catching our own with Mike the oysterman during the last few weeks of oyster season.

If you would like to host a Sip.Snap.Savor dinner send us an email: sipsnapsavor@gmail.com

Road Trip: Miami to New York, NY

2009-02-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

Team Sip.Snap.Savor is looking for a few good families to share their kitchens and their homes (for an evening) to capture recipes and family secret ingredients.

Sign up by emailing SipSnapSavor@gmail.com or Leave us a Comment with your whereabouts.

April 17th - Miami
April 22nd - New York, NY
(and many, many places in between!)

We're especially interested in finding families in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Washington D.C.; and Manhattan.

Superbowl Sunday - Bilodeau Family - Fremont, CA

2009-02-04T01:11:00.000-08:00

Aaah the Superbowl. An American football event designed for eating tons of food, yelling at the TV, laughing at ridiculous commercials (and sometimes sneering at their lameness in disgust) and goofing off with good friends and family.

Even I got into the wrestling and rough housing. It both burns calories and helps you follow the old adage "beat or be beaten" or maybe its actually "eat or be eaten")

I can't say this was a "dinner" but it was more a "grazing" and "tasting" of some really, really good food. Pops, the patriarch of the family has secret ingrediant laden recipes for his barbecue sauces that no one is allowed to know. Pops' daughter Traci follows in his footsteps, by producing one of the most moist, creamy cakes I've had in a long time. And she would only mumble in my direction the word jello.

They have a right to keep things hush hush. The whole entire family cooks up a storm and backs up what what they bring out of the kitchen. If I moved into their house, like I threatened to do, I would weigh 800 pounds in no time.

And then Sip Snap Savor would be over, because I'd have to be "Whats Eating Gilbert Grape" airlifted outta there. But the main attraction are the kids, not football. Everyone is in love with the kids and the kids are in love with everyone.

The oldest little boy, Charles, wrote his aunt's name backwards and she immediately folded it and tucked it into a special place to save it. The kids even won the grand Superbowl Squares Betting Board and took home $200 and $100 each.

Katy Jeanne's Chicken Wings

10 LBS Frozen "Party Wings"
Deepfry in batches, on high heat for 20 minutes.
Toss with 48 OZ Wing Sauce. Can be Store Bought if you don't have a Secret Family Recipe.

Pop's Poppers

1 LB Rinsed, Raw, Green Beans (Marinated in French Dressing Overnight)
1 Package Bacon, cut in half
Wrap a length of bacon around 5-6 stalks of green beans. Secure with a toothpick.
Grill or Bake until Bacon is crispy.

Mauti, Dhania & Geera - Trifecta of the Apiaceae Family

2009-01-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

Spices are central to Nepalese cooking. The three most prevalent at our dinner were Fennel (Mauti), Coriander (Dhania) and Cumin (Geera). All of them, at some point or another were toasted or heated in oil. They were involved in nearly every recipe we collected. Lets look a little closer. . .

Fennel: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists). It is a member of the family Apiaceae. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses, and is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe.

Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly-flavoured leaves and seeds. Its aniseed flavour comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong.Also, it was from the giant fennel, Ferula communis, that the Bacchanalian wands of the god Dionysus and his followers were said to have come.

It is one of the plants which is said to be disliked by fleas, and powdered fennel has the effect of driving away fleas from kennels and stables.
---

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is also known as cilantro, particularly in the USA. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa. It is a soft, hairless plant. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking.

Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, with citrus-like overtones.

Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia.
---

Cumin: Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India. The flavour of cumin plays a major role in the Latin American, especially in the Northern Mexican, Cuban but also in Thai, Vietnamese, Turkish, Moroccan, Afghan, Indian cuisines.

Cumin is a critical ingredient of chili powder, and is found in achiote blends, adobos, sofrito, garam masala, curry powder, and bahaarat. Cumin seeds are often ground up before being added to dishes.

Cumin seeds are also often toasted by being heated in an ungreased frying pan to help release their essential oils.

Superstition during the Middle Ages cited that cumin kept chickens and lovers from wandering.

###

Ghal Bheda Jo Achar (Tomato Relish)
In a frying pan, heat several tablespoons of vegetable or mustard oil. Add a pinch of fennel seed and cumin seed to the pan.

After heating, add half a diced yellow or white onion, several cloves diced garlic, several pinches of fresh grated ginger and let them all saute to a warm brown color. Add 3/4 cup of green peas and continue to lightly fry.

Finally add two large diced tomatoes and add a pinch of chili powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt. Allow the tomato to cook down to a thick chutney consistency (4-6 minutes).

Set aside and let cool.

This is the standard Nepali condiment for many dishes including Daal, Masu, Saag and Dira.

Mehendra and Swikriti - Newark, CA

2009-01-25T20:11:00.001-08:00

Whenever you walk into someone's home, it's always interesting and necessary to familiarize yourself with their art, their presence, their vibe, their scent, their layout.

This house was warm and inviting. There were signs of life everywhere and the enveloping wafts of garlic and spice floating around. It was like walking into my own mothers kitchen - someone handed me a glass of wine and offered me a hug before I'd even sat down.

There were trays and dishes of beautifully crafted Nepalese foods on the counter. Mehendra, has been in the United States for 10 years and Swikriti has been in the U.S. on her newly acquired visa for less than a month. Between the two of them, they were able to convey the story of Nepal and what life is like in Kathmandu. The tales unfolded while the pressure cooker steamed and the spices melded.

The altitude in Nepal varies widely, ranging from 60 feet to 21,000 feet - which creates a diverse landscape of culinary culture, climate patterns and produces a wide range of fresh produce. The two most prevalent crops are corn and marijuana followed by tomatoes, peppers, okra, beans, legumes, gourds and rice.

Mehendra was quick to say that corn is the poor mans food. You never serve corn, to a guest, in your home.
(no corn in sight...!)

High in the mountains, you have to use a pressure cooker to cook your meat. And to demonstrate, Swikriti had goat meat from a local chinese market happily simmering away on the stovetop. Mealtimes in Nepal are quite different from those in the U.S. Around 9 or 10 AM there is lunch (but it was what I would call brunch). Sometime in the afternoon around 3 or 4pm there is a snack consisting of biscuits and tea. Dinner is served late around 9 or 10PM.

This eating schedule accompanies a much more tranquil and relaxed work schedule. Most work weeks are 10-5PM Sunday (Most people in Nepal are Hindu) through Thursday with a half day on Fridays from 10-3PM. Saturdays are free days.

(Cauliflower Achar Sadheko** recipe below)

After we ate dinner together and transcribed recipes from one language to another. It was time for the entertainment to begin. The house pet, age 9, Jinee, came and danced for us. She sang. She danced. She re-enacted talent show performances. She showed us one-armed cartwheels and demonstrated how many somersaults she could do in a row.

It really was just like being at home.

Sadheko
1. Cut Cabbage into small pieces, put into clean dish, set aside
2. Heat 2 TBLSP Oil (Vegetable or Mustard Oil) in a pan
3. Once heated, add several pinches of black sesame seeds
4. After toasting/frying seeds for 60 seconds pour the mixture over the cut cabbage
5. Add Salt & Pepper to taste

This is a very refreshing dish that helps balance the other warmer, hotter, spicier, richer foods.

Bringin It Home

2008-12-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

We'll be doing a dinner with Laura of Bringing It Home, a farm fresh to table television show. We are so excited, we do the Valky Bartocomous dance of joy.

Oh Larry App-ley-ton!

Where in the World is Jamie?

2008-11-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

I´ve been in Guatemala for one week now. I´m at Lake Atitlan and it´s the
most beautiful place! Imagine Lake Tahoe meets Hawaii. WOW! We went to
the lake at 6am one day to swim and do yoga and a volcanoe in the distance
had smoke coming out of it.

I´m teaching Capoeira to the students at La cambalacha (www.lacambalacha.org
or was it dot com I can´t remember) and helping Kerry with her photo class.
The students are already great dancers and they have some experience with
acrobatics so they´ve caught on quick to Capoeira. They are all so kind and
loving. They´re already telling me that I can´t leave and it´s only been 1
week. Luckily a German girl just arrived and she does Capoeira also so she
will continue the classes when I leave.

Today was Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) so we went to the cementary
and it was packed. So many people were there having a picnic by their
ancestors grave. There was a band, lots of candles and lots of happiness. I
like this idea of honoring your ancestors by having a party in the
graveyard. Why should a graveyard always be a place of sadness?

My friends are in the dance studio drumming and singing so I´m off to join
them. I hope you all are well.

Much Luv,
Jamie

San Francisco

2008-11-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

Our next victim is Chicken John.

Jamie Lloyd

2008-10-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned, for a series of dinners infused with life, love and people.

Jamie Lloyd and I had dinner together in Berkeley the other day. We went to Cafe Gratitude. And I give thanks that Jamie is willing to come with me on this culinary adventure. She is so ready for adventure, experiences and terrific times.

She is amazingly talented. But she is also a giver.

You can read about her work here.

Namaste

And if you, or someone you know is interested in hosting a Sip Snap Savor dinner give us a shout out:

sipsnapsavor@gmail.com

Team Sip Snap Savor does Sarah Palin

2008-10-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

New faces, New places, New recipes

2008-09-15T22:09:00.001-07:00

Team Sip.Snap.Savor will be charging onto the road, once more. If you are in Northern California, Southern California, Nevada, Oregon or Washington, please shoot us an email (sipsnapsavor@gmail.com) to schedule a dinner.

We'd love to meet with you.

other creative minds

2008-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is a fun project, that helps me open up my creative minds eye.

fusion - fuse one

2008-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

I started thinking about fusion cuisine - that cross over movement that is so popular with foodies the country over.

Tex Mex!

Nouveau Californian!

French Vietnamese!

Spanish Tapas meets 50s Diner!

Expensive Hamburgers! (truffles, gold foiled tomatoes, rare cuts of beef)

...

But really, every family fuses what they know into a new food movement - self-contained in their home kitchen. I think of my grandparents and really see that as a a prime example. My grandparents have single handedly shaped who I am as a cook and who my mother is as a cook. They shaped who my sister is and what she creates in the kitchen. All my cousins. All my aunts and uncles. Everyone. Shaped by two people, who came together and meshed their generation-handed-down traditional knowledge.

Leroy, was the only one in his family not born in Italy. He was born on the family farm in Watsonville, CA in 1931. He remembers eating well all through the Depression because his mother (Nana) raised chickens and his father (Papa) had an extensive garden.

He remembers his mother being taken away to a Japanese Internment Camp, because during WWII - Italy was the enemy and Nana never earned her American citizenship.

He remembers the plentiful apple and peach orchards his father ran on the farm dying in the 1950s and no one wanted to replant them, as it meant a lifetime as a farmer. A lifetime of toil and trouble.

Leroy learned to make sardines in tomatoe sauce on crackers for an appetizer. He learned to dry mushrooms to put in thick marinara sauces. He was the master at hand-rolling gnocchi.

Beverly was the youngest child, born to a Southern Mama, from Arkansas and a Father from the fields of Fresno. Beverly's mother (Great Grandma Claire) had inherited millions of dollars from a railroad accident that killed her father. Alone at 18 years old with money to burn, she went to work at a peach cannery on Cannery Row in Monterey. She met the most handsome guy (Great Grandpa Henry - King of the Wet Kiss) at the cannery one day and they used to frolic on the beaches of Santa Cruz.

After they were married, they opened hotels, casinos and restaurants. My great grandmother Claire had a gorgeous jewelry collection and there are beautiful photographs of her dressed up in 40's dresses with cloche hats and her ever present cigarette.

One day, all the money ran out. And so Beverly who had been learning to cook thick New York steaks and expensive german chocolate cakes. Became well versed in preparing noodles and potatoes. And high balls. Every day at 4 pm, my great grandparents had a highball and watched the sun set.

I remember being a young girl at their house and they made me a high ball (mostly water) because I so desperately wanted to feel glamorous and grown up with them at the big table and watch the sun set.

---

When Beverly and Leroy got married they developed what my entire family has grown up eating. Southern Fried Italian Fusion. Depression Style Methodology of saving and eating EVERYTHING.

I was the only grandchild with a matching iron stomach to my grandfathers. So I spent the most time with him in his garden because I never had to take a break and go into the house for lunch. I'd eat whatever he'd packed for himself. Which was always leftovers he didn't want to throw away but was forced to hide and eat because Beverly had put her foot down and was forcing it out of the house.

I remember her saying to me as a small child, "Muhl- Leesah! If you eat that, don't come crying to me if you get sick!"

Bu I never did get sick.

Instead I learned how to make vegetable stock from roasted vegetables. I learned how to stretch things into one more meal. I learned how to disguise things into something else. I knew about Swiss Chard, Fava Beans and Rabe before it was hip to eat vegetables (see Chez Panisse and the small farmer movement).

This is a long winded way of saying that, families come together. People share their knowledge in the kitchen. Everything is fusion. Everything is a morph of something else.

My mother was re-married, and she brought into our family, a man who is the master of chicken cacciatore. He is Italian, but from a different era, region and background. So we have morphed lessons from Leroy into the teachings of my stepdad.

Fusion.

Embrace it, shared knowledge is a beautiful thing.

Tales from 4th Street - Atlanta

2008-01-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

The quote of the night, and possibly the trip:

" You think everything's been done before. You think you can't come up with something new. But then you just take a normal or traditional recipe and twist it and add to it. And you create a new masterpiece."

Thank you to the generous Lee Thornton for hosting a beautiful dinner and even more beautiful people to share the night with us.

...

And now we're New Orleans bound.

What is Sip.Snap.Savor anyway?

2008-01-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

Sip.Snap.Savor is a road trip project designed to photograph and capture regular people, in their homes preparing and enjoying life's simplest of pleasures. Food. We will compile recipes and food thoughts & advice that are at the core of traditional knowledge. Americana in it's most current and real form; at the dinner table.
We will explore rich ideas like:
What common threads bind different communities together?
Food.

The United States is a diverse and jumbled country filled with wonderful people. We hope to bring as many people to life as we can . . .