Eclecdish

Fresh Peas Delight

One of the most exciting events at a Springtime Farmer's Market is the arrival of English peas. These shelling peas are at there best in April, May, and June when the weather is warming up but the morning and evenings are still cool. The extra prep time spent shelling peas really pays off in this pasta dish that features peas with wild mushrooms and pasta.

English Peas and Wild Mushrooms with Penne   

Ingredients:

1 pound of penne pasta                                                       
1 C. shelled English peas
8 oz. wild mushrooms, cleaned in cut into fourths
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, julienne cut
1/4 C. dry white wine
1/4 C. to 1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 C. minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

1. Blanch the peas. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a pinch a salt. Boil peas for 30 seconds before straining and immediately cooling the peas in ice water. Set the cooled peas aside.

        2. Saute the mushrooms. In a large skillet over high heat add 1 T. olive oil first before adding the mushrooms when the oil is smoking steadily. Stir the mushrooms in the pan frequently and add more oil if the mushrooms start to stick to the pan. After the 3 to 5 minutes when the mushrooms are golden brown, add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper for a final thirty seconds. Remove from heat and set mushrooms aside.

        3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and cook penne according to the instructions on the box. While the penne is cooking add 1 T. to another large pot over medium heat and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the white wine and reduce by half before adding the heavy cream, and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and allow the cream to thicken slightly.

        4. When the pasta is done, drain it and add the pasta to the pot with the onions, heavy cream, etc and toss to combine. Turn off heat, add parsley, reserved peas, Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Cooking Classes by Eclecdish in March and April

I'm happy to announce registration for cooking classes starting in March 2008 is now open. I'm offering the four week cooking series for busy parents on Tuesday nights in March and also on Tuesdays nights and Saturday mornings in April. Additionally I'm offering new two hour workshops on Saturdays in April that are focused on specific subjects such as making baby food and sustainable seafood. Dates, times, and descriptions of all the classes are listed below. If you have any questions feel free to call me at 650.393.9744 or email eclecdish@gmail.com. See you in class!

Location: Classes will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church located at 178 Clinton Street in Redwood City.
Registration: Email eclecdish@gmail.com or call 650.393.9744 to register for the series.
Payment: After you email to sign up I will send you an electronic invoice via Paypal that can be paid with a credit card. Payment must be received one day in advance of class.

Cooking Series for Busy Parents - $100 for the four week series

Tuesday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on March 11th, 18th, 25th, and April 1st

Tuesday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on April 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th Canceled

Saturday afternoons from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm on April 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th 6 spots left

Series Overview

This series of classes is designed for parents with a focus on learning skills to help families prepare and enjoy more home cooked meals. The focus is on basic cooking techniques, time-saving strategies, and easy recipes designed to make cooking a fun, not dreaded activity.

Class One: Knife Skills   

It is never too late to learn how to properly use various knives and it is amazing how much it can cut down on prep time. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the basic knife cuts like dicing, mincing, julienne with the majority of class time devoted to hand-on learning at your station by cutting up vegetables that you will be able to take home for a stir-fry. Knives will be provided and students are also encouraged to bring their own knives and have the chef assess their sharpness and suitability for different tasks.

Class Two: Basic Techniques for Cooking Family Meals   
Having a good grasp of various cooking techniques can be a huge help when trying out new recipes. In this class we will go over steaming, blanching, roasting, sauteing, making marinades, spice rubs, vinaigrettes, and much more! The chef will demonstrate everything and students will prep several things to take home.

Class Three: Easy Meals from the Farmer's Market and Your Pantry
The focus on this class in on easy recipe ideas using fresh vegetables from the Farmers' Market in combination with everyday items from your pantry. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the recipes and everyone will leave with a tasty and healthy dinner for the next night.

Class Four: One Pot Dinners   
One pot dishes are a great way to feed a family and avoid the pile of pots and pans in the sink after dinner. Chef Jeff will demonstrate easy one pot recipes and students will prep vegetables that they can take home for their own one pot dinner.

Workshops

Make Your Own Baby Food   April 5th, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm     Class is Full                                  

Making your own baby food can be a very rewarding experience and requires much less work then you may think. This class will go over the ins and outs of making your own baby food with chef demonstrations going through the entire process of making and freezing baby food. Everyone will leave with 12 portions of organic baby food to get you started! Lunch will be served during the last part of class. $35

Sustainable Seafood    April 12th, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm   4 spots left

Do you feel a little overwhelmed these days when buying fish given all the reports concerning over fishing and fish containing mercury? This workshop will be focused on techniques and recipes to prepare seafood that not only tastes great but always helps promote healthy oceans. Several recipes will be demonstrated using sustainable seafood and lunch will be served. $35

Eating Local and Organic    April 19th, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

5 spots left

We have amazing Farmer's Markets on the Peninsula and this workshop will feature chef demonstrations of recipes using organic produce from the San Mateo Farmer's Market. Featured in season vegetables will include; asparagus, English peas, fava beans, and much more! A lunch featuring the dishes demonstrated in class will be served. $35

Foundations of Good Cooking: Sauces and Stocks     April  26th,  10:00 am to  12:00 pm  5 spots 

Using sauces and stocks is a great way to make your home cooking taste great and can help reinvigorate your dinners. Easy sauces and stocks will be demonstrated that are very versatile and can be paired with an amazing variety of meats and vegetables. A lunch featuring the sauces will be served. $35

Great Comida in Sayulita, Mexico

Last week we escaped the short cold days of Northern California for the sunny skies and beautiful beaches of Sayulita, Mexico. Sayulita is located 30 miles north of Puerto Vallarta and is known for its surf break and mellow atmosphere. We rented a house on the North side of town that was close enough to the town plaza and beach but also right by many local restaurants that most tourists never make it to. One night for dinner we sat outside at a tiny restaurant and feasted on tacos of pork and beef. Our bill for 7 tacos and one quasadilla was 8 bucks. Another great deal was a lunch spot that grilled whole butterflied chickens over natural charcoal. I ordered one chicken to go and it came with rice, tortillas, salad, and salsa for 7 bucks.  Even the restaurants located near the plaza that catered to tourists were good, not very expensive, and all were child friendly.
Since eating out every meal on vacation tends to get old very quickly I cooked lunch at our rental house most of the days we were in Sayulita. I found a fish market that had fresh shrimp, mahi mahi, and red snapper that was caught daily by local fisherman. After making great lunches with mahi mahi and shrimp I went big for our third lunch and bought a whole 4 pound red snapper that had been gutted but still had the head and tail on. The fish was so big that the tail hung over the edge of are little gas grill. When it came off the grill we made a simple and delicious meal putting pieces of the snapper in fresh corn tortillas and topping with guacamole. Does not get better than that lunch!

Get Your Chard On

Now is the season to get your fill of healthy greens like Swiss Chard. Chard grows well in the winter months and can stay longer in the refrigerator after you buy it then tender lettuces. One mistake folks tend to make when cooking chard is to treat it like spinach and only briefly saute it. Chard is a heartier green then spinach and the best technique is to braise it with a little broth and onions. The braising makes the chard tender and done correctly can make believers out of people who think they hate chard.

 

Braised Swiss Chard

Ingredients:
2 bunches of swiss chard, stems removed and sliced in two inch wide pieces and washed
½ yellow onion
¼ C. chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 T. olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft and then add all the chard and chicken broth. Cover and braise for about 5 minutes before adding the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

Crab Crackin Good Times

Dungeness crab season in in the San Francisco Bay Area is in full swing now after getting a late start due to the oil spill in November that delayed the start date of crab season from November 15th until November 30th at which point extensive testing by State authorities proved local crab was safe to eat. I know the list of things that spoil us in this region of the country is extensive but Dungeness crab deserves a spot near the top. Eating freshly steamed or boiled Dungeness crab is a great treat and also a great excuse to bring friends together on a Sunday afternoon. This is exactly what we did at our home last weekend after I brought home six live Dungeness crabs and boiled them up for our friends. With the crab being the star attraction all we had to do was to throw newspaper down on the kitchen counter, chill the wine, slice sourdough bread, and let everyone did in. If you have always bought your crab already steamed and cracked then try this recipe out with some live ones and watch your fingers! Just think that if someone was attempting to throw you into a boiling pot of water your reaction would be to put up a fight and crabs are no different.

Dungeness Crab Boil

2 live Dungeness Crabs (each weighing roughly 1.5 pounds)
1 box of Zatarain's Crab Boil spices
1 lemon, quartered
2 stalks celery, each stalk cut in three pieces
2 T. salt

1. Fill a large stock three quarters high with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add the spice bag, lemon, celery, and salt and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
3. Okay now it gets interesting. Since you are dealing with live crabs you want to get them into the pot without losing a finger. My approach is to put the bag they came in into the kitchen sink and then use a pair on tongs to grab them one at a time from the back and get then into the pot. After you get the first one in quickly put a lid on the pot while you are getting the second one ready to drop in. When you have the second one in the tongs carefully take the lid off and put the second crab in. Keep the lid on and when the water returns to a boil start a timer for 13 to 15 minutes. There is no easy way to see if they are done after the alloted time but if you cook them for 20 minutes as recommended on various websites and the back of the Zatarain's box then you run the danger of overcooking crab and making the crab meat have a rubbery texture (read unforgivable failure).
4. Using tongs remove the crab from the pot and let them cool to room temperature before removing the top shell, carapace, and lungs. Rinse the remaining crab with cool water and put on a platter for you guests. Provide each guest with a crab cracker and serve with a nice white wine and good bread.

Shrimp Bisque in P-Town

Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are over I have more time to let everyone know more about what Eclecdish has been up to. Thanksgiving week kicked off in style at the home of Lisel James in Portland, OR as she hosted a great dinner party that included some of the guests getting in the kitchen with me to help prepare a five course dinner. Lisel took on the first course shrimp bisque that was thickened by a puree of roasted butternut squash. The hostess went off recipe when adding the cayenne pepper but the spicy kick to the bisque was perfect for a rainy night. The is the first part of a series of posts with recipes that will feature the dinner party Lisel hosted.

Shrimp Bisque

Serves 8 as a first course.                                              

1 pound medium or large shrimp, shells removed and reserved 
2 T. olive oil   
5 C. homemade chicken stock   
¾ C. dry white wine 
Pinch of saffron threads
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
2 large butternut squash
½ C. heavy cream
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. finely chopped fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.Roast and Puree the Squash. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash flesh side down in a roasting pan and pour hot water in the pan so that the water comes up one inch around the squash. Place the squash in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Turn the squash halves cut side up to cool enough to handle and then scoop the flesh out and puree the flesh in food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2. Make the Shrimp Stock. Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a medium size stock pot until the oil begins to smoke. Add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring constantly, until the shells turn deep orange and are just beginning to brown. Add the wine, reduce heat to medium and boil until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the chicken stock, saffron, celery, onion, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, pushing down on the solids with the back of a spoon     to extract all the liquid. Rinse out the pot and put the stock back into it.

3. Finishing the Soup. Bring the shrimp stock to a boil and whisk in the puree, cream, salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne. Simmer for ten minutes. While the soup is simmering heat 1 T. olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and sage and sauté until just cooked through. Finish the soup by adding the lemon juice and tasting for seasonings. The shrimp can be divided into bowls before you ladle in the soup.

 

Eclecdish Gets Cooking in 2008

I'm excited to announce that registration for cooking classes starting in January, 2008 is now open. I'm offering the four week cooking series for busy parents with three day and time options.

Tuesday nights from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on Jan. 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. (Class if Now Full)

Saturday mornings from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm on Jan. 12th, 19th, 26th, and Feb. 2nd. (4 spots left)

Saturday afternoons from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm on Jan. 12th, 19th, 26th, and Feb, 2nd. (4 spots left)

Series Overview

This series of classes is designed for parents with a focus on learning skills to help families prepare and enjoy more home cooked meals. The focus is on basic cooking techniques, time-saving strategies, and easy recipes designed to make cooking a fun, not dreaded activity.

Class One: Knife Skills   

It is never too late to learn how to properly use various knives and it is amazing how much it can cut down on prep time. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the basic knife cuts like dicing, mincing, julienne, and the majority of class time will be devoted to learning hands-on at your station by cutting up vegetables that you will be able to take home for a stir-fry the next night. Knives will be provided and students are also encouraged to bring their own knives and have the chef assess their sharpness and suitability for different tasks.

Class Two: Basic Techniques for Cooking Family Meals   
Having a good grasp of various cooking techniques can be a huge help when trying out new recipes. In this class we will go over steaming, blanching, roasting, sauteing, and making marinades, spice rubs, vinaigrettes, and much more! The chef will demonstrate everything and students will prep several things to take home.

Class Three: Easy Meals from the Farmer's Market and Your Pantry
The focus on this class in on easy recipe ideas using fresh vegetables from the Farmers' Market in combination with everyday items from your pantry. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the recipes and everyone will leave with a tasty and healthy dinner for the next night.

Class Four: One Pot Dinners   
One pot dishes are a great way to feed a family and avoid the pile of pots and pans in the sink after dinner. Chef Jeff will demonstrate easy one pot recipes and students will prep vegetables that they can take home for their own one pot dinner.

Location: Classes will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church located at 178 Clinton Street in Redwood City with the exception of Jan. 26th classes that will be held in Belmont.
Price: $100 for the four week series
Registration: Email eclecdish@gmail.com or call 650.393.9744 to register for the series.
Payment: After you email to sign up I will send you an electronic invoice via Paypal that can be paid with a credit card. Payment must be received one day in advance of the first class of the series.

Cooking Classes by Eclecdish Start Next Week

As Executive Chef and Owner of Eclecdish, I'm pleased to announce a series of cooking classes specifically designed for parents interested in cooking more at home and learning new techniques and recipes.

Series Overview

This series of classes is designed for parents with a focus on learning skills to help families prepare and enjoy more home cooked meals. The focus is on basic cooking techniques, time-saving strategies, and easy recipes designed to make cooking a fun, not dreaded activity.

Class One: Knife Skills    October 23rd, 2007    6:30 pm to 7:45 pm

It is never too late to learn how to properly use various knives and it is amazing how much it can cut down on prep time. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the basic knife cuts like dicing, mincing, julienne, and the majority of class time will be devoted to learning hands-on at your station by cutting up vegetables that you will be able to take home for a stir-fry the next night. Knives will be provided and students are also encouraged to bring their own knives and have the chef assess their sharpness and suitability for different tasks.

Class Two: Basic Techniques for Cooing Family Meals   
October 30th, 2007    6:30 pm to 7:45 pm
Having a good grasp of various cooking techniques can be a huge help when trying out new recipes. In this class we will go over steaming, blanching, roasting, sauteing, and making marinades, spice rubs, vinaigrettes, and much more! The chef will demonstrate everything and students will prep several things to take home.

Class Three: Easy Meals from the Farmer's Market and Your Pantry
November 6th, 2007    6:30 pm to 7:45 pm

The focus on this class in on easy recipe ideas using fresh vegetables from the Farmers' Market in combination with everyday items from your pantry. Chef Jeff will demonstrate the recipes and everyone will leave with a tasty and healthy dinner for the next night.

Class Four: One Pot Dinners    November 13th, 2007    6:30 pm to 7:45 pm

One pot dishes are a great way to feed a family and avoid the pile of pots and pans in the sink after dinner. Chef Jeff will demonstrate easy one pot recipes and students will prep vegetables that they can take home for their own one pot dinner.

Location: All classes will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church located at 178 Clinton Street in Redwood City.
Price: $80 for the four week series
Registration: Email eclecdish@gmail.com or call 650.393.9744 to register for the series.
Payment: After you email to sign up I will send you an electronic invoice via Paypal that can be paid with a credit card. Payment must be received one day in advance of the first class of the series.

SPECIAL! One-Day Only Class
Make Your Own Baby Food   October 27th, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Making your own baby food can be a very rewarding experience and requires much less work then you may think. This class will go over the ins and outs of making your own baby food with chef demonstrations going through the entire process of making and freezing baby food. Everyone will leave with over 20 portions of organic baby food!

Price: $30

See you in Class and Happy Cooking,

Chef Jeff Wampler

Italian Butter Beans with Andouille Sausage

Taking the time to soak dried beans overnight really pays off the next day when they become the foundation for an amazing and easy one pot meal. Last Saturday at the Farmer's Market I picked up a pound of Iacopi Farms Italian butter beans and will be buying more very soon. I decided to soak the beans overnight in chicken stock instead of water since I wanted the beans to absorb the stock and then have them cook in the same stock they soaked in. To give the beans more flavor and to make it a one pot dinner I sauteed onions and andouille sausage for few minutes before I added the beans and stock they were soaking in. The beans took about two hours to cook and were amazingly creamy on the inside and the liquid that was left made an tasty "gravy".

Ingredients:

1 pound of Italian butter beans               
6 C. homemade chicken stock
1 onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
4 andouille sausage, large diced
2 bay leaves
1 rib celery, cut in thirds
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces spinach, washed and dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

1. Soak the beans. The day before you plan to cook the beans rinse them with cold water and the place in a large container and cover the chicken stock. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
2, Cook the beans. After the beans have soaked overnight they will have absorbed some of the stock and plumped up a bit. In a large heavy bottom pot heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat until the oil is almost smoking and then add all the diced sausage. Cook for three minutes and then add the onion and celery pieces. After three minutes add all the beans and stock and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and then partially cover. Every half an hour you need to stir the beans so they cook evenly and after an hour and half begin to pull beans out to see if they are done.
3. Finish the dish. When the beans are cooked to your liking stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper. Add all the spinach and partially cover again. After a few minutes remove the cover and start to the stir the spinach into the beans until fully wilted in incorporated. Check for seasonings and adjust if need be. Ladle generous portions in shallow bowls and grate Parmesan cheese on top. Serve with a nice bottle of red wine and bread for soaking up the "gravy".

Cooking Classes for Parents

Eclecdish is gearing up for the second round of a four week cooking series designed specifically to meet the needs of busy parents. The focus is on basic cooking techniques, time-saving strategies, and easy recipes designed  to make cooking a fun, not  dreaded activity. The first class kicks off on October 23rd at 6:30 pm in Redwood City. Email eclecdish@gmail.com for more information.