Jane Spice

Hummus

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been on a whirlwind adventure these past three weeks. I visited one of my closest friend in Prague, and then went to Lebanon to visit my extended family. My parents were also visiting. Why Lebanon you ask? My heritage is Lebanese. My parents emigrated to Australia in the early 60’s from Lebanon and made Sydney home. I lived in Lebanon when I was growing up for about 5 years between the ages of 8-13.

Everything revolved around the kitchen when I was kid; I have to say nothing has really changed when I visited earlier this month. We planned our daily schedule around where we wanted to eat, which restaurants we wanted to try, and which one of my aunties had the best menu for dinner that night.

Hummus was served at every dinner table. Here, I’ve created a simple hummus recipe that will transport you to the Mediterranean.

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Kale and Ricotta Frittata

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The Esalen Kale Salad recipe I made a few months ago is one of the most popular recipes on the site; since then, readers have asked me for recipes that incorporate kale in other ways. It’s no surprise; dark leafy greens such as kale, swiss chard, and mustard greens are becoming more and more popular, and because they’re rich in minerals (like iron), this is a healthy trend.

I combine a pound of lacinato kale with ricotta, fresh eggs, nutmeg, and onions, to create a hearty frittata that’s still soft and airy. The pan-cooked kale is bright in flavor and in color, and works in harmony with the eggs and the ricotta.

Frittata is really the perfect food: it’s lighter than quiche or pizza, but just as satisfying. Traditionally a morning or afternoon meal, I find it’s great for breakfast and brunch, but also for dinner. I recently served it for dinner with mixed greens. And with this recipe, which incorporates the health benefits of kale, you can’t go wrong!

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Fattoush Salad

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Ever get tired of salad? Greens, greens, and more greens? Well, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better than a salad with a little grain thrown into the mix. Think about Caesar salad with big chunky croutons, or a taco salad with crunchy corn chips. The Italians have panzanella (bread salad),and the Lebanese have fattoush salad. It was one of the first meals I learned how to make when I was growing up.

This salad is much easier and quicker to prepare than a panzanella or a tabbouleh salad, because you roughly chop all the ingredients. In fact, fattoush salad looks like it’s just thrown together: torn romaine lettuce, large bite-sized pieces of cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell peppers, scallions, mint and cilantro. And then the salad is topped off with baked or fried pita bread.

What makes this salad unique is the spice in the dressing: sumac. Sumac is a key Middle-Eastern spice with a soft, tart flavor. This delicate tartness brightens up the salad and compliments the olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. The result is a bright summery salad that has a rustic feel to it, Lebanese style.

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Julia Child's Caesar Salad

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Summer is the time to see all the roses in full bloom. And since I live near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, on Saturday mornings, I run through the park to the Rose Garden and literally stop to smell the roses. This past weekend, I went around and read the names of the roses too: Caribbean Red, White Knight, Queen Pink, and a beautiful white rose surprisingly named Julia Child.

Ever since the film Julie and Julia came out last year, it seems Julia Child is popping up everywhere. I’m glad her wonderful recipes and independent spirit are still alive, but I was surprised to find a rose named after her! So in honor of Julia Child and light summer fare, I want to share with you a recipe of hers that is my favorite: the Caesar Salad.

Caesar Salad is a classic, but I love how Julia makes the dressing without mayonnaise. Instead, she simply combines a “one-minute” cooked egg, olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing, then tosses in freshly baked garlic croutons to add the perfect crunch. She tops it all off with freshly grated parmigiano. A simple, perfect recipe from a master.

As she would say, “Bon Appétit!”

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Rubbed and Glazed Pork Spareribs

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

On 4th of July weekend, there’s nothing better than a BBQ, so I decided to host one this year. While I was working on the menu, my friend Emily—who is 7 months pregnant—requested pork spare ribs. How do you say no to a pregnant woman having a craving? And yet, I knew I needed an easy recipe that still would impress everybody. Luckily, I found Chef Thomas Keller’s recipe from his restaurant ad hoc in Napa Valley.

What I love about this recipe is that it’s foolproof; it was my first time making it, but the ribs came out incredibly moist. You don’t need a sauce to moisten the ribs. The simple rub is all you need, and the flavor of the rub is smoky, sweet, and a little bit spicy: it just pops.

The salt drew out the juices of the meat, and caused the sugar to dissolve, creating a candy like coating. This sweetness was balanced by the mixture of spices, consisting of smoky sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, allspice, red pepper flakes and foundation of garlic powder and salt. It wasn’t your typical sloppy, saucy rib. This was something special.

And here it is for you: just in time for the 4th of July weekend. Let the flames begin!

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Dilled White Bean and Grape Tomato Salad

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Need a quick, simple side dish for July 4th weekend? or any other weekend for that matter? Then you have to try this salad. It’s one of those late spring/early summer recipes that never fails to please. I’ve made it three times since I saw it in a recent issue of Bon Appetit Magazine .

The first time I made this salad, it was for Memorial Day weekend. I get together with a group of friends every year and we head to Mount Tamalpais to see a play at the amphitheater there. This year the play was Guys & Dolls, and I’ll never forget San Francisco’s stunning landscape in the background, and my quickly disappearing salad in the foreground. I made it again for my friend Julie’s birthday, and two days ago for a friend’s BBQ.

What I love about this salad is I’m able to prepare it the night before. It’s also easy to transport and withstands the warm weather. Best of all is the simplicity of the directions: toss all the ingredients together, refrigerate for an hour, and voilà! That’s my kind of cooking.

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Cooking For a Large Crowd

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Recently, a group of friends got together to celebrate our friend Julie’s 40th birthday at the Russian River, in Sonoma County. As co-host, I was responsible for shopping for food and cooking meals for twelve people at a house that wasn’t my own. That’s a tall order in and of itself, but get this: I only had a budget of $250.

This got me thinking. It can be a daunting task to prepare and cook for so many people, Here are the recipes and menu that I put together for the weekend:

Friday Night Dinner: Marinated Harissa Tri-tip (which I made last year for a Memorial Day BBQ)

Creme Fraiche Roasted Salmon (I used one of Molly Wizenberg recipes, she has the fabulous blog Orangette)

Dilled White Bean and Grape Tomato Salad (a perfect complement to both the tri-tip and salmon)

Saturday and Sunday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and home fries – luckily, my friends Drew and Ethan took charge and left the kitchen looking brand new! These guys knew the secret of a delicious, easy breakfast: keep it simple.

Saturday Lunch Ina Garten’s Sliders (the meat was tender and juicy, the secret was the mustard! The brioche buns added to the decadence)

Grilled Chicken (a couple of pounds of boneless, skinless thigh meat. I seasoned the chicken with olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and cumin, and then tossed it.)

Julia Child’s Caesar Salad (I love how Julia makes the dressing without mayonnaise. Instead, she simply combines a “one minute” cooked egg, olive oil, and lemon juice as the dressing, with freshly baked garlic croutons to add the perfect crunch)

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad (slow cooked roast potatoes smothered with tarragon, parsley, coarse mustard, lemon juice and boiled eggs.)

Saturday Dinner: Pizza plus spaghetti and meatballs (we ordered in!)

Sunday Brunch: Leftover time. This is when you use your leftovers. We had a buffet feast!

What did I learn that I can pass on to you? The secret to cooking for a large crowd is choosing simple recipes, but with potent flavor profiles, and only making two or three items per course. Having sous chefs in the kitchen also helped, so knowing how to delegate is critical! So don’t be intimidated if you get delegated as the weekend cook for a large group. Use some of my recipes below, jump in, and have fun.

P.S. I doubled all the recipes except the tri-rip to cater for a group of 12 people.

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Strawberry Sorbet

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Why is it when I see something in bulk (like 12 punnets of strawberry) I gravitate towards buying it? Is it a) I don’t want anyone else to have it, b) I grew up in a large family, c) I love entertaining and any excuse to entice friends over to share my cooking, or d) be rewarded with compliments.

In thinking about this, I decided it’s a combination of all of the above. Here is what I did: I froze ⅓ of strawberries to save for smoothies in the winter; ate ⅓ of strawberries (obviously) and they were so delicious; and made ⅓ into sorbet so I could continually enjoy the strawberries during summer.. me thinks I’m onto a good thing here.

I adapted this recipe from the apricot sorbet recipe I made last month, I figured if it ain’t broke then there is no need to change it. To make the strawberry sorbet more fun I added two vanilla beans. You can see the beautiful seeds with every bite. And, yes I did share the sorbet. My book club friends were over last night, and we ate a whole tub.

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Carrot and Leek Soup with Curry Powder

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I’m always happy when my veggie box arrives. I signed up to receive a seasonal produce delivery from Two Small Farms, and it’s always a surprise to find what’s inside. The challenge is deciding what to make with the ingredients in those boxes. Most recently, carrots and leeks were the prime stars. An odd couple. What do you do with such an unlikely match? Well, when life gives you produce, make soup!

Most soups start with a mirepoix, a combination of finely chopped onions, celery and carrots. This Curried Carrot and Leek Soup turns this tradition on its head. Instead, it starts with olive oil, butter, and curry powder as the base. With a flavor base like that, you know you don’t need many other ingredients to make a high impact soup.

The carrots brown and caramelize with the butter and the curry, while the spiral leeks soften and brighten, resulting in a deep, warm and very simple soup. Like all the recipes you’ll find here, this one is easy to make, and will impress anyone who tastes it. It makes a delicate, light meal. Serve it with your favorite bread, or a salad, like the Esalen Kale Salad I posted in January.

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Focaccia with Sumac and Thyme

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

When I’m at a restaurant, and focaccia is offered instead of bread, my knees go weak. This airy, Italian flat bread is a great vehicle for pizza toppings, but it’s also delicious all by itself. I love dipping focaccia into olive oil and soaking it up, or cleaning my plate of leftover sauce with one swipe of this unique bread.

Recently, I realized I could make focaccia at home. It’s relatively simple, and if you’re anything like me, it’s a very exciting idea. Homemade focaccia just out of the oven, filling your house with that fresh baked smell? Yes!

This homemade focaccia recipe has a garnish of sumac and thyme sprinkled on top. Sumac, which is often used to season fresh bread, is a Middle Eastern spice. It’s harvested from a bush that can be found in the wild all along the Mediterranean. The berries are tart and tangy in flavor. Here I combine it with the soft lemony notes of thyme.

Give this recipe a try, and enjoy a soft and fluffy, utterly decadent treat!

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