Cuisine Eric

Earlier this fall we visited family on the Penobscot Bay in Maine.  A brisk 20 mile bike ride to the Common Ground Country fair and back, along with dancing at the fair, can raise your appetite for local Maine fresh seafood and shellfish. Everything but the shrimp was from Maine, and absolutely delicious. I went to the fishmonger in Camden and chose what was freshest to make this very American Chiopino seafood stew for our uncle Dimitri - a favorite of mine (Dimitri too!) whenever I can get fresh Maine Mussels. 1/2 lb fresh chorizo sausage, sliced 1 shallot, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced 1/2-inch 1/2 lb sea scallops 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 lb fresh haddock (or cod) cut into 1-inch pieces 1 lb Maine mussels 1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved 1 cup dry white wine 1 8-oz bottle clam juice Sauté the chorizo until well browned in a large

Our family is not big on Turkey so we opt for other festive creations on Thanksgiving.  This year the kids stopped at one of the best fishmongers in our area and brought home a beautiful halibut fillet.  We dressed it with a preparation of sun-dried tomatoes, grape tomatoes and capers.  But wait - there's more!  We also lined the edges with butter-browned lemons and roasted artichoke hearts. If that's not holiday festive, I don't know what is. 2 lb halibut fillet 2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, mashed in a dash Kosher salt to a paste 2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil), minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 dozen red grape tomatoes 1 dozen yellow grape tomatoes 1 Tbsp capers, drained 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1 jar roasted artichokes, packed in oil (I used Trader Joe’s) Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix together the mayo through the mustard in a small bowl.  Place the fish in an oiled roasting pan, skin-side down.  Paint the surface o

Here is a simple and delicious quick stovetop chicken dish.  Enriched with umami from roasted artichokes and mushrooms, this dish is balanced by the freshness of lightly cooked asparagus. Simple Mediterranean fare. 3 chicken leg-thigh pieces 1 jar roasted artichoke halves, drained (I used Trader Joe’s) 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used mixed mushrooms) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1/2 cup pale dry sherry 1 bunch fresh asparagus Cut off tough ends of asparagus and peel stalks if necessary.   Brown chicken in a non-stick skillet with a dash of olive oil.  Brown 3-5 minutes on both sides. Remove chicken to a plate. Heat a dash of olive oil in the pan and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown.   Add the garlic and thyme, and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the artichokes and the sherry and then nestle the chicken pieces into the veggie mixture.   Cover and cook about 20 minutes, over medium-low heat, or until the ch

During our last visit with our son Kip, who lives in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, we cooked at home and prepared a fully flavored roasted cauliflower dish with lovely Alice. This is a riff off of the Buffalo cauliflower and blue cheese dish from the State Bird Provisions cookbook - we enjoyed the State Bird Provisions restaurant with Kip and Alice during our prior visit, and I bought them the cookbook as a housewarming gift.  The recipe in the book instructs to deep fry a batter dipped cauliflower, and that was just over the top for what we were prepared to do that night, so we modified. Alice selected a delicious, relatively soft blue cheese which added the perfect flavor accent to offset the zing of Buffalo sauce. 1/4 cup favorite Buffalo sauce 2 Tbsp butter, melted 1 small head cauliflower, cut into flowerets 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 1/2 red Bermuda onion, peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup favorite blue cheese, crumbled

This tart just seems so perfect for Fall.  Sweetened with roasted butternut squash and slightly caramelized leeks, it is rich with umami to balance the mellow tofu. Crust: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 5 Tbsp butter, cubed 1/4-inch and chilled in freezer 3 Tbsp sour cream 2-4 Tbsp ice water, or as needed 2 leeks, cleaned and diced 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1/2-inch, 4 cups 1/2 tub tofu, cubed 1/2-inch 2 eggs 3/4 cup cream 2-3 oz feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Prepare the crust. In a small food processor, blend the flours together with the salt.  Add the butter and pulse to form a very coarse grind - pieces the size of peas.  Add the sour cream and pulse several times more to form a damp dough - add a tablespoon or so of ice water if necessary to get dough to just hold together. Carefully transfer dough to a clean surface and form a 1/2-inch thick disc.   Wrap disc

As the days shorten and cool, this is a welcome dish. This is neither a soup nor stew - it has a thick rich consistency; think Cajun chili. 1 yellow sweet onion, diced 3 stalks celery, diced 2 large carrots, diced 2 uncured fresh Mexican chorizo sausages, sliced 6-8 inches Cajun andouille sausage, sliced into half moons (I used D’Artagnan brand) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (or 1 jalapeño pepper, diced) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1 cup French Puy lentils (or Beluga lentils) 1 quart chicken broth 1-2 cups more water as needed 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp soy sauce In a large Dutch oven or pot, sauté the onion, celery and carrots in a dash of olive oil.  Cook them for about 10 minutes, to caramelize and draw out their flavors. Add the sausages, garlic, herbs and seeds and cook until the meats are browned well, about anoth

How can this not be delicious - get a load of this: beef short ribs browned, then braised with fresh plums and tomatoes.  And sweetened by a raspberry, blackberry, hibiscus juice. What's not to like? 4 ample bone-in beef short ribs 1 medium sweet yellow onion, minced 1 carrot, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved 1 Tbsp tomato paste 1 12-oz can Yerba Mate Revel Berry juice, or favorite fruit juice 3 fresh plums, pitted and quartered Sauté the onion and carrot in a large Dutch oven in a bit of olive oil.  Cook about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes. Set veggies aside in a bowl. Brown the ribs in the large Dutch oven, adding a dash of oil as needed - brown each side well.   Salt and pepper the ribs while you brown, to taste. Remove ribs to a plate. Add the drained tomatoes to the Dutch oven and turn the he