Black Banquet; Ruth Reichl; Dia de los Muertos; International Candy

Guest Interview

Market Report ()

Zoe Nathan of Huckleberry Cafe and Rustic Canyon were at the market.  She's buying apples and passion fruit.  The uglier the passion fruit, the better, says Zoe.  She scoops out the flesh, purees it and then strains it. 

She's also buying kale and is making a kale soup.  Saute yellow onions with garlic.  Add butternut squash along with herbs like thyme, sage and rosemary. When it's nice and soft, add the kale.  Add cooked chick peas and veggie stock and then let it simmer.

Bob Polito is a citrus grower from Valley Center.  Valencia oranges are at their peak right now.   They are perfect for making juice.  Choose a larger fruit if you're going to eat the orange as it will peel much easier.  Tangerines will be at the markets around Thanksgiving.

On Thursday, November 5, the Santa Monica Farmers Market is hosting a panel discussion on "Eating the Whole Farm."  More info here.  Evan Kleiman will be moderating a panel that includes Phil McGrath and Ben Ford of Ford's Filling Station.

Music Break: Spark Plug [Thrash Mix] by The Nitwoods

Guest Interview

Contaminated Fish in Southern California ()

For decades, the Montrose Chemical Corporation in Torrance was dumping DDT, which they manufactured, at PCB's into the sewer system.  The chemicals ultimately flowed out to sea and ended up in the sediment of Palos Verdes Shelf. 

The EPA settled with Montrose and several other chemical companies and cleanup efforts have been in effect for the last ten years.

Carmen White is a Remedial Project Manager for the EPA.  Dr. Susan Klasing is a toxicologist with the Fish and Water Quality Evaluation Section of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency.  Read more about fish advisories for the area here.  For maximum safety, they recommend eating on the fillet, not the whole fish as pollutants are concentrated in the fat.

Guest Interview

Black Banquet ()

We first met Bompas & Parr when they told us about their Breathable Cocktail.  Sam Bompas and Harry Parr are artists in London who frequently work with food as a medium.  They are also known as the Jelly Mongers because of their elaborate architectural models made of jello.

They recently partnered with Michael Cirino of A Razor a Shiny Knife and Fiona Leahy Design for the Black Banquet at the London Design Festival.  They served eight courses of black food.

Bompas and Parr are also working on an Architectural Punchbowl.  They plan to create a punch bowl in a building.  It will be so big, that you can row a boat across it.  They have a contest, open to the public, to find a recipe for the punch.

Music Break: Gnu Bossa Nova by Baja Marimba Band

Guest Interview

Gourmet Today ()

Until recently, Ruth Reichl was the Editor-in-Chief at Gourmet, the now-defunct food magazine.  Publisher Conde Naste still plans on publishing cookbooks, and their most recent is Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen.

Music Break: Green Onions by George Semper

Guest Interview

International Candy ()

Cybele May writes the Candy Blog.  Many brands sell different flavors of American candy in other countries.  For example, in Japan they have a Yuzu Kit Kat and one with Azuki Beans.

Guest Interview

Dia de los Muertos ()

 

Dia de los Muertos is a two-day Mexican Holiday celebrated on November 1 and 2.  It's an occasion to celebrate and remember the dead.  Altars are created in the home and sweets, drinks and sugar skulls are put out for the returning spirits.  Tamales are also popular during the holiday.
 
Barbara Sibley is the author, with Margaritte Malfy  of Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates.  They are partners at La Palapa Cocina Mexicana in New York.
 
Tequila y Sangrita
Serves 12
 
8 oz freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
8 oz tomato juice
4 oz pomegranate juice
4 oz bottled Salsa Valentina*
2 tsp kosher salt
Tequila, for serving
 
A day ahead of serving, in a large glass pitcher or other nonreactive container, mix together the orange juice, tomato juice, pomegranate juice, salsa, and salt.  Cover and refrigerate.  (The mixture will keep for up to 1 week.)
 
Just before serving, stir the mixture.  Pour into shot glasses and serve with shots of tequila.
 
*Cook’s Note: These hot sauces are sold in Mexican stores and on the Internet at www.mexgrocer.com, as well as other sites selling Mexican ingredients.

Tamales de Pollo Verdes
Serves 12
 
30 corn husks*
2 cups masa harina for tamales*
1 cup high-quality lard, at room temperature
1 tsp kosher salt
7 cups tepid water
3 cups Cooked Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
 
Put the corn husks in a shallow dish, add hot water to cover, and let soak for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse to remove any silk.  Cover the husks with a damp kitchen towel and set aside.
 
While the husks are soaking, in a small stockpot, use your hands to mix together the masa harina, lard, and salt.  Add the water and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of heavy cream.
 
Put the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes, or until the masa is no longer lumpy and is shiny and almost translucent.  Remove from the heat and cover.
 
Tear 1 husk lengthwise into strips about ½ inch wide.  To shape each tamale, put a corn husk in the palm of your hand.  The base (or “navel”) of the leaf should reach your wrist.  Place in the hollow of the husk, in the following order: 1 tablespoon salsa, 2 tablespoons masa, 1 additional tablespoon salsa, and 1 tablespoon shredded chicken.  Loosely (so there is room to expand) fold the sides of the corn husk into the center, overlapping them slightly.  Fold the narrow end of the husk over the seam and then fold the broad end of the husk over the top.  Tie a husk strip loosely around the center.  Repeat to make 24 tamales total.  (You may have masa left over.)
 
Pour water into the bottom of a large steamer and put the steamer tray in place.   Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the tray.  Stand the tamales vertically in the steam with the “navel” end facing upward.  (If the tamales will not fit without crowding, steam in 2 batches or 2 steamers.)  Lay plastic wrap over the tamales (it helps form a tight seal), and then cover the steamer tightly.
 
Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 1 hour.  Check the pan occasionally and ad more boiling water if the water threatens to boil away.  To test for doneness, remove 1 tamale from the center of the rack and unwrap the husk.  If the dough pulls away easily and is firm and smooth, the tamales are ready.
 
To serve, lay 1 or 2 tamales on each plate and serve at once.  Let diners unwrap their own tamales at the table.
 
*Cook’s Note: The best corn husks are thin and flexible, with an intact “navel” or circle, where the leaf was attached to the ear.  We need only 25 husks for the tamales and ties but the husks tear easily, so it is good to have extras on hand.  Buy Maseca brand masa harina for tamales (Maseca is the most common brand of masa harina), which is more coarsely ground than the regular masa harina used for tortillas.  If you cannot find it, the latter can be used.)

Music Break: The Safecracker by The City Champs

Guest Interview

Las Brisas in Orange County ()

Gustavo Arellano is the Food Editor for the OC Weekly.  He also writes the popular Ask a Mexican Column.  For cuisine from the Michoacan region of Mexico, Gustavo likes Las Brisas de Apatzingan in Santa Ana.  He likes the morisqueta, a kind of rice pilaf, and the huchepo, which is a kind of tamal.  His favorite thing on the menu is the green pozole stew.

1524 S. Flower St., Santa Ana, CA

Guest Interview

Pie+Conversation=Ideas ()

Pie Lab is a community space in Greensboro, Alabama where people can gather for conversation over a slice of pie.  It was started by a group of designers through Project M, a summer program for young designers to develop ideas to help their communities.  Amanda Buck is one of the designers at PieLab.  She contributed a fig and goat cheese pie to Good Food's Eat-a-Pie-a-Day Project.