Out of Hibernation

Yeah, yeah. It's been a long time. A really long time, I know. I've been in Mexico and Santa Barbara, and busy with work and developing other projects, and amid all the activity, my beloved little blog has lay fallow. But with the summer season underway, and a weekend of gardening ahead, I'm making this ground--along with my new veggie plot--fertile again.
It's late for tomatoes, but I'm starting with healthy little plants, so I'm hopeful about the results. The arugula, nasturtium, radishes and carrots are going in from seed in a newly cleared sunny space with a built-in irrigation system. So the prospects are promising. Plus, I have expert advice coming in from The Most Senior Cheese, my father. A few of choice words of wisdom on tomato cultivation from him below:

"Recognizing the tomato hornworm is important. These are really ugly suckers that can ruin the plant. They look like a green rhinoceros without legs. Any white things on the hornworm will be wasp larvae. They will take care of the hornworm. Otherwise you should get them off the plant and send them to Allah.

Love, dad"

It seems my father has declared a fatwa on garden pests. Now, I am a pacifist by nature, practicing ahimsa as a rule, but if the hornworms are done in by wasp larvae, far be it from me to get in the way of their martyrdom.

And with that, I'll leave you with this, a completely unrelated, but nevertheless clever idea for summer sipping: when serving sangrita as your tequila chaser: present it in these cloyingly cute cucumber cups with cilantro stem stirs.
And no, I didn't innovate these little receptacles--I saw them online somewhere. To make sangrita, experiment with amounts to create a pleasing mixture of blended tomato juice, OJ, worchestershire, onion, cilantro, chipotle, salt and pepper. And for the cups, just cut your cuke into thirds and use a melon baller to gingerly scoop out some of the flesh and create your cup. Voila!

Raw reportage: Roxanne’s new food line

Some of you may remember Roxanne’s, the raw emporium in Larkspur, that drew oohs and ahhs for a menu that interpreted cooked food favorites like pizza and tamales with nothing but raw, fresh ingredients. Now Roxanne has come out with her own line of raw foods and yes, they actually taste good. Really good.

Because I’m still on some PR lists from when I reviewed restaurants, I was fortunate enough to receive a plentiful supply of these new packaged items, and I devoured them all with vigor usually reserved for non-raw foodstuffs. The almonds make a great snack, the chocolate squares work wonders when staving off a more dangerous sweets craving, and the apple crisp is positively decadent. Perhaps my favorite product from Roxanne’s new line is the granola parfait. The Granola itself is fantastic—both as cereal or eaten like trail mix—but with the added parfait, made of coconut meat and flavored with real vanilla, it’s a creamy, dreamy delight. I could eat buckets of the stuff, given the opportunity and a free pass to fats (healthy or otherwise). The huzz and I agreed that this stuff is like hippie crack, though Roxanne’s sensibilities and packaging are far too refined to be mistaken for proferrings from the patchouli crowd. You’ll find her products in Whole Foods and other such markets, next to the other healthful snacks with tie-dyed motifs and new age drawings of unicorns and rainbows. Just look for the smart green labels and expect something altogether more appetizing—both visually and taste-wise.

The election turns ugly

Well, people, it's politics as usual in the dog-eat-dog world of recipe creation. My rivals in the hotly-contested Mac 'n' Cheese contest on chow.com have resorted to ballot box stuffing to secure sizable leads before the voting ends this Friday, February 29. If you want to support an honest recipe and you want to end sleazy cheesemongering, please vote for my recipe--Fondue Mac-- here!

I'm Jamie Shaw and I support this message.

The Valentines report: better late than never

I've been meaning to post the pix from our French Valentines meal-- which was lovely, thank you for asking--but that nasty bug going around has had me bedridden for a few days and this is the first time I've been upright long enough to post an entry. And you'll forgive the long, rambly, stream-of-consciousness sentences here, I hope, because my energy is minimal. So on to the snaps.

As you know from le previously posted menu, we made Thomas Keller's roquefort and leek quiche. I was delighted that it emerged a lovely golden brown creation, as the blue veins on the cheese had me worried about a green eggs (sans ham) scenario. It was light and fluffy and full of flavor, especially so the next morning.

This was accompanied by haricot vert with pistou (adapted from a recipe on epicurious) and of course, the perfect pommes frites, presented by the Huzz.



And finally, the clafoutis. And please, when you read that, pronounce it, finaLEE, the clafouTEE. It's just more fun that way.

Truth be told, I wouldn't use frozen cherries again because they taste, well, frozen, but after a few tipples of champagne one doesn't grouse about such things; one just makes quick mental note and then refills one's glass.

And that, my friends, is all the news I'm fit to print. It's back to bed for me with hot tea and a third day of clicking channels and cursing the endless Obama-Hillary-McCain onslaught. I found a few nice shows about lemurs and orangutans yesterday, but was moved, in my weakened state, to tears, when various little primates were injured or killed by bigger beasts. Here's hoping for some happier diversions today.

Voila: le menu

Oh leetle cheeselings, I am needing your weesdom

Because I am learning to speak français, The Huzz suggests we go with a French theme for Valentines Day. He likes the idea of french food, french wine, bon mots, bon bons, berets, Serge Gainsbourg and–he threw in for good measure–french kissing. When I asked what sort of entrée he fancied, he replied with the old standby, coq au vin. Uninspired, I declined. I have soufflé on the brain, but we did that on our anniversary. Any delicieux ideas, francophiles?

Vote for me!

No, I'm not running in the primaries. But I did just enter the Mac 'n' Cheese contest on chow.com. Please vote for my recipe--Fondue Mac-- here! And thanks for your support, cheeselings!