Drive-By Dim Sum; Chew Your Food; Grapefruit Vodka; Duck Fat

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Recipes and resources for this week's Good Food:

On Sunday, March 13 at Angeli Caffe, Evan Kleiman will host a special dinner to raise funds for the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Wines provided by Oltrepo Pavese will be paired with the courses. To learn more about the Presidia Program visit SlowFoodsUSA.org/events or slowfoodla.com. For reservations, which are a must, call 323-936-9086. The cost for Slow Food members is $80 (with member number and confirmation of membership status); $100 for nonmembers. Wine, tax and tip are included.

On Thursday, March 17 (6-8pm OR 9:30-11:30pm), ZAP presents Zin in the City, a tasting of only Zinfandels by 75 Zinfandel wineries. (You'll find a list of participating wineries online). The people pouring will be the owners and winemakers themselves. Tickets will be available at the door, but you can purchase them in advance online or by phone at 530-274-4900. Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, whose membership includes over 300 winery-members, 6,000 advocate-members consumers and 50 associate members, is a nonprofit, educational organization, dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history.


Amelia Saltsman is a local food writer and chef. She also hosts the Santa Monica cable show, Fresh from the Farmer-s Market.

Pork Pot Roast with Creamy Beans and Greens
It-s great to know you can buy all the ingredients for this hearty, cozy dinner at the farmers- market. This recipe is great for a rainy day or any day you-re spending around the house catching up on work. It-ll take one hour of prep time--including preparing a salad and cleaning up--and then the meal pretty much takes care of itself, cooking slowly in the oven until the meat is falling-apart tender and the beans are creamy and rich. This dish can be made a day or two ahead and goes nicely with a simple salad of winter lettuces in a lemony vinaigrette and some country bread.
Makes 8 hearty servings

  • 4 lbs pork butt or shoulder
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 rib celery with leaves
  • 6 sprigs parsley
  • 5 leaves sage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small branch rosemary
  • 4 whole cloves garlic
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 lb dry beans such as cannelini or borlotti (soaked if they are not market beans)
  • 2 bunches Swiss chard or Cavolo Nero, stems removed, or 1 large head of escarole
  • Water or broth
For the gremolata
  • Zest of two lemons
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Handful of Italian parsley, stems removed
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat meat dry and rub with one tablespoon olive oil and kosher salt. Place in roasting pan and roast the meat until browned, about 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.
  2. While the meat is browning, put the beans to cook: put them in a pot with water to cover by one inch. Cover pot, bring to a simmer and cook until al dente, about 30 minutes (the beans will finish cooking when added to the meat). Add salt to taste, turn off heat and let beans stand in their cooking liquid. Prep all the vegetables: chop the onion, carrot, celery, parsley and sage. Peel garlic, trim stems from chard or Cavolo nero, or pull apart head of escarole. If you-re using Cavolo nero, cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes and drain, rinse and squeeze out moisture. Roughly chop the greens and set aside. Prepare the gremolata: mince together the lemon zest, garlic and parsley and set aside until ready to serve.
  3. Add onion, carrots, celery, parsley, and sage, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat vegetables with drippings. Roast 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add wine, scrape up brown bits and roast until wine reduced by half, about 10 minutes more. Reduce oven heat to 325. Add rosemary, bay leaves, garlic cloves and water or broth to halfway up the roast, cover pan, and roast for one hour. Turn the roast, adding more liquid if necessary. Roast another hour, then add the beans, some of their cooking liquid and the greens. Add more water to keep the level at the halfway mark. Cook one more hour or until everything is very tender. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in shallow bowls with a sprinkling of gremolata.
- 2005, Amelia Saltsman


Will Clower has a doctorate in neuroscience and did research into the French diet which resulted in the book, The Fat Fallacy: Applying the French Diet to the American Lifestyle. You can find out more on his website, www.FatFallacy.com.


Jessica Porter is the author of The Hip Chick-s Guide to Macrobiotics: A Philosophy for Achieving a Radiant Mind and a Fabulous Body.


Clifford Wright is a cookbook author. His most recent book is Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More. He spoke about duck.

Rag- d-Anitra con Luganega e Castagne (Lombardy)
Duck, Sausage, and Chestnut Stew
The great 20th Century Italian chef Luigi Carnacina is thought of by many as the Escoffier of Italy. This gratifying winter-time stew is an adaptation of his recipe, but the original inspiration for this preparation may very well have been from the kitchen of a country manor where the wealthy hunters would return to their lodges with freshly killed duck from the local lakes. Preparing this dish is a more or less all-day affair. Don-t let that put you off. Gather around the hearth and keep the kitchen warm on a blustery winter Sunday. Save as much duck fat as possible, as well as the wings, neck, liver, and gizzards for making Confit de Canard, Fond de Canard, Alicuit or Salade Ti-de de Foie et G-siers de Canard.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

  • 1/4 cup chopped duck fat, removed from the duck
  • 1/2 cup diced salt pork, parboiled for 15 minutes
  • One 5-lb duck, as much fat removed as possible, cut into 10 serving pieces with a cleaver
  • 1 medium-size onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • Bouquet garni, tied in cheesecloth, consisting of 5 sprigs fresh parsley, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf
  • 3 Tablespoons burro maneggiato (equal amounts butter mixed with flour)
  • 1 lb mild Italian sausage, parboiled for 10 minutes, cooled and sliced
  • 15 baby carrots, trimmed, parboiled for 7 minutes, and drained
  • 20 chestnuts, freshly shelled and parboiled in red wine for 15 minutes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  1. In a large casserole, brown theduck fat and salt pork together over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the salt pork with a slotted ladle and reserve.
  2. In the fat remaining in the casserole brown the duck pieces on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove them with a slotted ladle and in the remaining duck fat cook the onion, carrot, and garlic cloves, stirring frequently until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the casserole with a slotted ladle and set aside. Pour off the duck fat and discard.
  3. Return the vegetables and duck to the casserole and heat over a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour in the wine and boil until it is almost evaporated, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Remove the duck pieces from the casserole with a slotted ladle. Pass the broth through a strainer or food mill, discarding the vegetables and bouquet garni. Transfer the broth to a ceramic bowl and place in the refrigerator. Let cool until the fat forms a layer on top, about 6 hours, then remove and discard it.
  5. Return the defatted broth to the casserole and heat over medium heat. Stir in the burro maneggiato and, once it has melted, stir in the reserved salt pork, duck pieces, sausage, baby carrots, and chestnuts. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and serve.
@ Clifford A. Wright. A Mediterranean Feast William Morrow, 1999.


Marko Karakasevic is owned and operated by Domaine Charbay Winery and Distillery, which distills premium flavored vodkas.

  • 1 1/2 oz Blood Orange Vodka
  • 1/2 oz Cointreau
  • 1 1/2 oz cranberry juice
Shake over ice with lime wedge. Serve in a martini glass garnished with a lime wedge.

Ruby Red Grapefruit Morning Cocktail

  • 1 pt Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
  • 1 pt Kern-s Guava Nectar
  • 1/2 pt tonic
Shake, serve on the rocks with a twist of lemon.


Eric Gower is the author of the cookbook Breakaway Japanese Kitchen. His website, which has recipes and essays, is www.EricsKitchen.com. You can find Maccha green tea powder on line at retailers like www.HealthyGourmetStore.com, at health food stores or tea stores that offer Asian teas.

Maccha Salt

  • 1 scant tsp maccha
  • 3 Tablespoons coarse salt (sel gris is great)
Whir in spice grinder. Watch out for the green tea cloud that comes spilling out! Great on poached eggs, salads, or tofu. The color is stunning.

Maccha Banana Soymilk

  • 1 tsp maccha
  • 2 frozen bananas (peel bananas before freezing them)
  • About 3 cups plain soymilk
  • Optional maple syrup
Blend all together in a blender. Taste it; want it sweeter? Add optional maple syrup. Great breakfast drink.

Maccha Chocolate Truffles
Follow your favorite chocolate truffle recipe, but don't roll them in cocoa as the last step. Instead, roll them in maccha! You'll get bright green chocolate goodness -- they really go well together.

Carl Chu is the author of Finding Chinese Food in Los Angeles. He spoke about Dim Sum Express (626-307-5800) at 326 North Garfield Avenue in Monterey Park.