Shades of Pink

While working on set I meet (and get coffee for) lots of celebrities and I'm rarely ever star struck but put me at an event filled with chefs and I turn into a giddy, red faced groupie.
A few weeks ago while volunteering at the Taste of The Nation Los Angeles event, I came face to face with Susan Feniger, of Border Grill, Street and Top Chef Masters fame, and was reduced to a blithering idiot.  The words, "You're so awesome, can I shake your hand," actually came out of my mouth, followed by my dropping a forkful of the Burmese Melon Salad she had just handed me onto her petite feet.  So embarrassing.  Gracious Master Chef that she is, she sweetly helped me pick up my mess and grabbed me a new fork so that I could continue to enjoy the amazing salad she had made.  Luckily the pleasure of eating this refreshing, totally delicious combination of melon, coconut and fresh herbs distracted me from my feelings of humiliation.  Also, I later redeemed myself by managing to speak to and shake the hand of Govind Armstrong without making a spectacle of myself.

I've since recovered from my clumsy brush with fame but could not get this salad out of my mind and just had to make it myself.  With all its complex flavor it is deceptively simple to make and is quickly becoming my favorite summer salad.  I didn't have everything on hand to follow Chef Feniger's recipe exactly but was still able to come pretty close.  The original recipe can be found here.

Burmese Melon Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
adapted from Susan Feniger's version
1 small tuscan melon (or cantaloupe), seeded and cubed
1/2 a small seedless watermelon, cubed
1/4 cup mixture chopped fresh basil, mint and cilantro
1/3 cup chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts
2 tbs shredded coconut, lightly toasted
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approx 2 limes)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp fish sauce
3/4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Combine melon, herbs, peanuts and coconut in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, ginger, sugar and fish sauce
Add dressing to salad, toss.  For added protein,  I topped mine with spicy grilled shrimp.

Chew On This

A few weeks ago I watched this great segment on 60 Minutes profiling Spanish expat chef Jose Andres. A former student of El Bulli's Ferran Adria, Chef Andres is credited for putting tapas style dining on the map in the US and for applying his love of physics and chemistry to push the boundaries of molecular gastronomy. I had grand plans to spend our upcoming 3rd wedding anniversary at his acclaimed Bazaar restaurant but thanks to the 60 Minutes feature, getting a reservation there has gone from improbable to impossible.
While I loved watching this master chef confound Anderson Cooper things like his pellet shaped mojito, there was one particular part of the story that struck me. Andres has been shifting his focus of late, away from meat dishes and towards vegetables, elevating them from side dish to a more starring role on his plates. And its not purely from a nutritional or environmental perspective- Chef Andres just finds fruits and veggies sexy.

Chef: (Meat) is slightly boring...You get a piece of meat and you put it in your mouth the first five seconds, all the juices flow around your mouth, they're gone. And then you are 20 more seconds chewing something that is tasteless...Something like this doesn't happen with a pineapple, an asparagus, a green pea.
- 60 Minutes transcript

I was really intrigued by this "sexy vegetable" idea but it didn't truly hit home with me until I made this Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Tsatsiki Salad.

Sweet juicy watermelon and crunchy cucumber tossed with lime juice, all seductively drizzled with a tangy, minty tsatsiki and topped with sprinkling of sea salt- a veritable sensory explosion in every bite. So much pow! flavor! in a simple plant based dish totally proved Chef Andres point. You know you want some.


Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Tsatsiki Salad
Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious
1 small garlic clove
2 medium cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt
2/3 cup chopped mint, divided
1 (3-pounds) piece watermelon, rind removed and fruit cut into 1-inch chunks (6 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Flaky sea salt

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl. Peel, seed and half one cucumber lengthwise. Coarsely grate into bowl with garlic paste. Stir in yogurt, 1/3 cup mint, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to make tsatsiki. Peel and halve remaining cucumber. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.Toss sliced cucumber with watermelon, remaining 1/3 cup mint, and lime juice in a large bowl.

Serve fruit with tsatsiki. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

Routine Maintenance

Ever feel like you're in need of a tune up? After an awful two week bout of bronchitis I'm finally getting back to my old self again, albeit a weaker, pastier version. Months worth of daily workouts were all but forgotten during my sickness and while it was great to have an excuse not to exercise I am actually looking forward to moving my muscles again. I've started slowly, and took advantage of our mini heat wave here in Southern California by swimming laps the past 2 days. While I'm on a roll I thought I'd make an Apple Fennel Salad similar to one I saw in a magazine at my doctor's office. I've become quite the fennel fan and buy it whenever I see it at the store. I've been hooked on other fennel salads in the past and this one is definitely a winner.


Apple Fennel Salad
adapted from Natural Health and Epicurious
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lemon juice (I used Meyer)
1 apple of your choice (I used Gala) cored, quarted and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 cups mixed greens
Handful of chopped walnuts
Salt & pepper

Toss sliced apple with lemon juice to prevent browning
In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add apple, fennel and greens and toss gently to coat. Serve topped with walnuts.

Spring Forward

When I was 6 months old my parents, both New Yorkers born and raised, moved from Long Island to Florida and never looked back. Growing up, winter to me was 65 degrees. I didn't even see real snow until I was 18 when, after my first afternoon of sledding ever, I promptly came down with bronchitis. Now I live in Southern California and a while most of the country envies our balmy weather, I still freeze my butt off every time the temperatures dip below 70. It must be genetic. Suffice it to say, I am ready to welcome spring with open arms so in honor of the time change, I made Fennel and Tangerine Salad.

Fennel and Tangerine Salad
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
2 tbsp cup olive oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped
1 tsp tangerine zest
1 tbsp fresh tangerine juice
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and fronds chopped
2 tangerines, peeled and segmented
1 small head of leafy green lettuce

Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss tangerine segments with chopped fennel. Scatter tangerine and fennel over lettuce and drizzled dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with chopped fronds.

Give Beets A Chance

Luckily for my mom, I wasn't a very picky eater as a child. As a matter of record, she was the one sneaking lima beans off of her plate and onto mine during dinner with my grandparents (sorry for outing you Mom). But I've never been a fan of cauliflower, wouldn't touch gefilte fish (shudder), and despised beets- especially the slimy ones lurking at the salad bar. But after watching an episode of Tyler's Ultimate, I decided to give beets a chance. Instead of warily walking by them like I usually do, I bought some baby beets at the farmers market. The recipe on the show was for a Winter Panzanella Salad, but I had eaten the last of the bread for breakfast. After roasting the beets with shallots and thyme and then tossing them in a honey balsamic dressing like Tyler had, I just poured the beet/dressing mixture over some romaine and then tossed in satsuma tangerines, pine nuts, and feta. It was delicious!
Now beets are officially on the menu. Maybe I should give cauliflower a second chance.
Gefilte fish...no freaking way.

Roasted Beet and Satsuma Salad
adapted from Tyler's Ultimate Winter Panzanella Salad
4 baby beets, scrubbed and halved
1 whole shallot, quarted
2 sprigs of thyme
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup honey
Romaine lettuce (or your lettuce of choice)
1 satsuma peeled and sectioned
1/4 cup feta cheese
handful of pine nuts
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Toss beets and shallot with 1 tbsp olive oil, add thyme sprigs and wrap in aluminum foil pouch. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until beats are tender.
In a large bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Add the beets and shallot (discard the thyme) and toss gently to coat. Pour over a bed of romaine, then add satsumas, feta and pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lighter Side

After a full (really full) weekend of turkey, stuffing, pie, mashed potatoes and more pie, I'm thinking it's time to lighten things up a bit- perhaps some salad days are in order. Like this salad I enjoyed on a recent fall evening during a lovely meal cooked by some even lovelier ladies. We all share passion for good food and wine and I could have sat at that kitchen island all night chatting, drinking white wine, swapping recipes and stories. We began the meal with a salad of manchego cheese and Pears. Simple and seasonal, it was perfect shared with friends in a cozy kitchen on a fall evening. Make it with, or for, your friends.

Green Salad with Manchego and Pears
adapted from Gourmet Magazine, November 2007
1/3 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas; not toasted)**
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3 tbs Sherry vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp grainy mustard
4 cups packed salad greens
4 cups packed frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup Shaved Manchego cheese
4 Bartlett pears

Cook seeds in 1 tablespoon oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until puffed and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels and reserve oil. Season seeds with salt and pepper.
Whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and reserved oil from skillet in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
Divide greens and cheese among salad plates. Cut off 2 opposite sides of each pear (reserve for another use), leaving a 1/2-inch-thick lengthwise center slice with stem and core. Arrange a pear slice on each plate and drizzle dressing over salads. Sprinkle with seeds.

**When recreating this salad at home, I substituted slices almonds for the pepitas.