Newsletter: November/December, 2009

Chef Shelley Bikes Napa and Sonoma

For years, I have wanted to visit Napa and Sonoma. What chef wouldn’t? So I finally decided to take the plunge. And what better way to see the countryside than on a bicycle. I rode with a bike tour for six days past hundreds of wineries and beautiful vineyards and landscape. I visited 15 wineries including: Arista, Robert Young, Silver Oak Wine Cellers, Cakebread, Robert Mondavi, Stryker, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Sausal, Mumm Napa, (champagne), Korbel (champagne), Bouchaine, Mauritson Family Winery, Hanna Winery, Matanzas Creek Winery, and Hop Kiln. Some I did tastings at; some I didn’t.

At Matanzas Creek Winery, they have wonderful lavender fields and make several lavender products as well as wine. While the lavender was not in bloom this time of year, I walked through the field and could still smell the aroma of lavender.

At Hop Kiln, in addition to wine, they manufacture delicious mustards, oils, vinegars and other condiment products. Of the approximately 20 flavors of mustards, my favorites were raspberry jalapeno, sweet garlic, and zinfandel orange.

At Alexander Valley Vineyards, known for their zinfandel, they created the “Sin Zin.” With that, they put together a great gift package called “Wicked Weekend” which includes 3 bottles of wine. Friday night is “Temptation Zin,” Saturday night is “Sin Zin,” and Sunday night is “Redemption Zin.”

While I wanted to have dinner in Yountville at Thomas Keller’s” French Laundry” (a chef and icon in the culinary industry/owner of the world-famous restaurant at $240 for 17-course dinner, 6-month waiting list), I settled for a Tuna Nicoise sandwich at Keller’s other establishment down the street, Bouchon Bakery. I bought Rusty, my dog, a foie gras dog biscuit as well, which he devoured when I got home. However, I did take photos of French Laundry and now I can say I’ve been there. Read a recent interesting article on Thomas Keller.

Life is a Cabernet!

Below are some of Chef Shelley’s photos.

Focus on Food Pantries and Need for (Holiday) Donations

The holidays are again upon us, and it is especially a difficult time for those who do not have the means to feed themselves and/or their families. During the year, Chef Shelley donates 10% of her sales to C.R.O.S. Ministries and The Pantry of Broward, two reputable organizations that are life-savers for hundreds of people.

C.R.O.S. Ministries in Palm Beach County enables people of all faiths to work together to identify unmet needs of the community and collaborate with community groups in creating solutions to meet those needs. The Caring Kitchen is their hot meal program, which has added numerous services such as job search assistance and referrals to human service and social service agencies in an effort to move people to self-sufficiency. All of The Caring Kitchen programs are carried out primarily with donated food and volunteers.

The Pantry of Broward in Broward County provides food and support services to seniors in need on low incomes and to grandparents raising grandchildren. The Pantry and its founder were recently featured (October 12) on national NBC News’ “Making a Difference” segment.

Not only do these organizations help low-income individuals and families, but this economy has forced middle-class individuals and families to rely on food banks as well, taking an enormous toll on their supply and thus creating a greater shortage of food.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks for our good fortune. Please open your hearts this holiday season and donate food or dollars for others who are not so fortunate. Why not hold a food drive at work or in your community. Or…whenever you see a “Buy One, Get One Free” special, buy one and donate the second free item.

For information: www.crosministries.org and www.thepantryofbroward.org. Or, if you would like a food donation pick-up or pick-up of a check, contact Chef Shelley at Short on Thyme at 561-276-8539.

Ingredients of the Month(s) – Cranberries and Chestnuts

Cranberries

Fresh cranberries are available around October through January and can be kept refrigerated in their original, unopened plastic bags for one or two months. They can be kept frozen for 8 to 9 months (I always buy a couple bags at the end of holiday season and freeze them for use during the rest of the year). When buying cranberries, they should look shiny and plump, with a bright color (light or dark red). Good, ripe, cranberries will bounce. Bounceberry is another name for them.

Cooked, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a month in a covered container. Cranberries should be cooked only until they 'pop'. Overcooking gives them a bitter taste.

Americans consume some 400 million pounds of cranberries a year, 20 percent during Thanksgiving week. Americans consume 5,062,500 gallons of jellied cranberry sauce every holiday season. Jellied cranberry sauce (the log) is most preferred by consumers totaling 75% of overall cranberry sauce sales. More than 94% of Thanksgiving dinners include cranberry sauce.

Not only are cranberries delicious, but they help cleanse and purify the body. They contain powerful nutrients called proanthocyanidins, referred to as PACs, which research suggests help keep certain bacteria from sticking inside the body. And the PACS in cranberries are different from other fruits, which gives them more “anti-stick” potential. They also have something called antioxidants, like flavonoids and vitamin C, which helps to strengthen the immune system. In fact, cranberries have more naturally-occurring antioxidants per gram than most other common fruit. Cranberries and cranberry juice are used to prevent bladder and urinary tract infections.

I love dried cranberries in my oatmeal, brown/wild rice, salads, or by themselves as a snack. I like making fresh cranberry sauce with orange juice and adding a little Grand Marnier and also, a tiny bit of hot sauce which adds some mystery to the delicious sauce.

Chestnuts

Chestnuts were probably one of the first foods eaten by man, dating back to prehistoric times. The chestnut tree was first introduced to Europe via Greece. Today, most of the chestnut food crop is imported from Japan, China, Spain, and Italy. Chestnuts contain twice as much starch as potatoes and are often used as a substitute for potatoes or pasta. It is no wonder they are still an important food crop in China, Japan, and southern Europe where they are often ground into a meal for bread making.

Do not eat raw chestnuts!!

To boil, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat. Scoop out a few at a time and peel off the shell and skin with a sharp knife. As they cool, they become more difficult to peel, so keep them in hot water until you are ready to peel. Proceed with your recipe using the peeled nuts, making sure you finish cooking them completely within your recipe.

To boil and cook them completely in their skins, simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, then peel and use, but don't be disappointed if they fall apart as you peel them. This boiling method to fully cook the chestnuts is best used when you will be mashing the chestnuts or pushing them through a sieve for puree.

To roast chestnuts, make cuts as described above. They can potentially explode from internal pressure if not pierced. Place on a baking sheet in a 400-degree F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

To roast in a fire, take an aluminum pie plate and punch rows of holes. Make cuts in chestnuts or puncture them to release steam and place on a grill over white hot coals. If you have a chestnut roaster for the fireplace, all the better.

(Source: foodreference.com, Oceanspray.com, About.com:Homecooking)

One of my favorite desserts is below. Even though it is seasonal, I like to make it all year round with my “stash” of frozen cranberries:

Pear-Cranberry Pie w/ Oatmeal Streusel

(12 servings)

Streusel:

¾ cup regular oats
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

3 cups (1/2”) peeled, cubed Anjou pear (2 large) (Note: I use Bartlett)
2 cups fresh cranberries
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (or less, as it is very sweet)
2 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch

1 unbaked 9” deep dish pastry shell (do not thaw). Bake first according to package directions.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare streusel, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course meal.
3. To prepare filling, combine pear, cranberries, 2/3 cup brown sugar and cornstarch in large bowl; toss (I stirred) well to combine. Spoon pear mixture into pastry shell; sprinkle streusel over pear mixture. Bake at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet for 1 hour or until bubbly and streusel is browned.
4. Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rack. (I cool it about 20 minutes and eat it warm.Yum!).
5. Serve with vanilla ice-cream (optional)

Chestnut Stuffing

(Yield: Enough for 4-pound chicken or double ingredients for 12-pound turkey)

1 cup shelled chestnuts, chopped (see note below)
10 slices stale white bread
3 Tbsp. butter
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
¼ tsp. black pepper
¾ cup chicken broth

1. Tear bread into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Sauté onion and celery in the butter until soft. Add salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, and chicken broth. Add bread chunks and chopped chestnuts. Lightly toss to combine.
3. Stuff loosely into chicken. (The stuffing may be cooked separately in an uncovered casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.)

To Prepare Nuts:

Make a slit on each side of the chestnuts with a sharp-pointed paring knife and boil gently 20 minutes. Strip off shell and thin brown skin. Dip chestnuts in cold water to remove shell and skin more easily.

November Is...

• Good Nutrition Month
• National Diabetes Month
• National Georgia Pecan Month
• National Peanut Butter Lovers Month
• National Pepper Month
• National Raisin Bread Month
• Vegan Awareness Month

(Source: foodreference.com)

Tips and Tricks

• Wine should be stored on its side but make sure to tilt the bottle with the cork down so it does not dry out.
• For baking desserts, make sure ingredients (eggs, milk, cream, flour, etc.) are at room temperature before using for tastier and better textured desserts and also allows for even heating.
• When using defrosted frozen spinach or a grated vegetable in a recipe, use a potato ricer to squeeze out all the water before putting into the recipe.
• If you don’t have a gravy separator, put an empty Ziploc sandwich bag into a mug. Pour pan juices and fat into the baggie and seal. Wait a few minutes until the juice and fat separate and fat rises to the top. Cut a small hole in the bottom corner of the baggie and let juice drip out into the mug. When all that’s left is the fat, turn baggie over and discard.

Gift Certificates a Hit for the Holidays

Trying to think of a unique holiday gift for the person that has everything? How about a gift certificate for a (Romantic) Dinner for 2 or a week’s meal replacement service. What better gift to give than having a deliciously crafted 4-course dinner served at your recipient’s own dinner table or them not having to cook for a week and eating a customized, healthy meal. Call 561-276-8539.