Monthly Archives: October 2015

Jacques Pepin’s Poulet A La Creme

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Chicken with mushrooms and cream in a fabulous dish by Jacques Pepin.

Chicken with mushrooms and cream in a fabulous dish by Jacques Pepin.

 

This dish is the equivalent of a big cashmere blanket wrapped around your shoulders.

It’s warm, comforting, and makes you feel well taken care of.

And of course, it’s by Jacques Pepin.

“Poulet A La Creme” is from his newest cookbook, “Jacques Pepin Heart & Soul In the Kitchen” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

JacquesPepinHeartandSoul

It’s also his last cookbook — well, at least the last one associated with his own television cooking show. That’s because his current KQED series of the same name is the last one he will film. He’ll turn 80 in December, and after 14 series, 24 cookbooks, and 32 years on television, he’s finally taking a break.

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Salivating for Artisan Sopressata

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Take a taste of Sopressata Calabrese.

Take a taste of Sopressata Calabrese.

 

Brothers Steven and Eric are the fourth generation of Bavas to hand-craft a spicy Italian dry salami specialty known as sopressata Calabrese.

Their grandfather brought the recipe to America after immigrating to Chicago from the small mountain town of Simbario in Calabria, Italy. Every winter following Christmas, the whole family gathered to whip up a batch, which would then be served at every special family occasion throughout the year.

Now, the brothers are making that same cured sausage in small batches in Los Angeles and selling it via a small select group of retail stores.

Recently, I had a chance to try Bavas Brothers Sopressata Calabrese.

Deep ruby red, the squat sausage is firm and chewy. It’s full of sweet porkiness, along with a good jolt of peppery spice that builds the more you chew.

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The Wisdom of Pumpkin, Sage, and Browned Butter Cake

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Fresh sage adds a flavor profile twist to this pumpkin bread.

Fresh sage adds a flavor profile twist to this pumpkin bread.

 

When it comes to sage, I immediately think of Thanksgiving stuffing or browned butter sauces for tender raviolis.

But cake?

Not at all.

Until I spied Martha Stewart’s recipe for “Pumpkin, Sage, and Browned Butter Cake.”

It’s not a new recipe. In fact, it appears in her 2013 book, “Martha Stewart’s Cakes” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy when it was first published.

The cookbook is stored in a prominent place on my bookshelf, because I find myself reaching for it again and again. The 150-plus recipes — for everything from Bundts to cheesecakes to cakes with fruit to layer cakes — are unfussy. They’re cakes you don’t have to think twice about attempting.

I had bookmarked this one long ago, but just never found time to try it. Until now.

It’s a simple pumpkin loaf cake that’s just so right at this time of year.

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Open Bon Appetit Box to Discover French Goodies

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French delicacies delivered right to your door from Bon Appetit Box.

French delicacies delivered right to your door from Bon Appetit Box.

 

They say good things come in small packages.

Zoe Capdevila and Bertrand Corp want you to know that so do tasty French treats that can be delivered to your front door (or to friends and family).

The couple, who both grew up in the South of France and are now based in Alameda, CA, started Bon Appetit Box nearly a year ago after studying business in Paris, and working in the Paris offices of Pepsi, Unilever, and L’Oreal.

The delivery service lets you choose a single or subscription service for their curated boxes full of authentic French-made foods. Each box is $75, though, there is a discount if you order a four- or six-month subscription.

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Trokay — A Fine-Dining Surprise in Truckee

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Kauai shrimp sizzling away on searingly hot granite at Trokay.

Kauai shrimp sizzling away on searingly hot granite at Trokay.

 

TRUCKEE, CA — In my youth, trips to Lake Tahoe didn’t involve sophisticated fare. Instead, it was all about burgers, pastas and Mexican food — hearty and inexpensive eats that filled you up after a hard day on the slopes.

But truth be told, it was also because those simple dishes were all that could be found then.

Not anymore.

Imagine my delight to find Trokay in Truckee, a fine-dining establishment versed in molecular gastronomy and true attention to detail that would be right at home in San Francisco or New York.

In fact, owners John and Nyna Weatherson are from New York. She was the head cheesemonger of the landmark Murray’s Cheese in the West Village. He is a Culinary Institute of America graduate, who was the top-ranked student in his class, and went on to be chef de partie at Restaurant Daniel.

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