WELL FED

SUENO (TEQUILA WITH CUCUMBER, ROSEMARY, & LIME JUICE)

The other night after the gym I swung by Whole Foods to pick up some chicken which I planned to cook for dinner the following night.  As I tend to do whenever I'm at Whole Foods, after I got what I needed, I just sort of meandered aimlessly around the store, up and down the aisles looking and browsing.  It's seriously my favorite thing to do.  I try not to fall prey to hunger induced impulse buying, but people, I'm not made of stone.  $8.00 for a plastic tub of granola?  I clearly need one of those.  A jumbo can of San Marzano tomatoes?  That's always good to have in the pantry.  New Mexico chili powder?  Well I already have ancho, chipotle and regular chili powder, I might as well have New Mexico.  My basket filled with various goods I didn't intend on buying but obviously NEEDED, I circled past a shelf filled with cookbooks, a temptation I almost always succumb to.  One book in particular caught my eye - the Food and Wine Guide to Cocktails 2008.  After briefly flipping through it, I tossed it into my basket.  You see, I am currently in the midst of a love affair with Food and Wine magazine and my affection for cocktails is well known.

It seems to me that food mags like Gourmet or Bon Appetite get all the hoo ha while Food and Wine somehow feels a little second tier.  And it shouldn't be that way.  As much as I like it, I find Gourmet to be a bit unrealistic.  It's more of an aspirational food magazine.  Kind of like the cooking equivalent of Vogue or Architectural Digest.  Very pretty to look at, full of ideas that you'd like to emulate but with a slick veneer of glossiness that leaves the magazine's content ultimately sort of lifeless.  Bon Appetite on the other hand, I think strives to be accessible, which while well meaning, comes off a little pandering and slightly stale.  I don't really like recipes that call for jars of salsa or pre-made pie crusts or whatever.  It's sort of encroaching on Aunt Sandy's territory.  A little soccer mom-ish.  And then we have Food and Wine which, I find much more of a connection with.  It feels younger and hip, forward thinking, and often features recipes by all sorts of top and upcoming chefs. 

Despite the fact that the focus of the magazine is, as the title succinctly puts it, food and wine, it also explores the glamorous world of mixology.  This guide to cocktails (that I just had to have) is part of a series that they have been publishing for several years now and features drinks recipes contributed by restaurants and bars all over the country.  This drink, in particular, comes from a restaurant in Philadelphia called Tequila's.  Next time I'm in Philly, I'm going to have to drop by and order one, but until then I can make them myself.

INGREDIENTS
leaves from a 2 inch long sprig of fresh rosemary, plus a 4 inch long sprig for garnish
6 thin slices of unpeeled English cucumber, plus 3 more slices for garnish
2 tablespoons simple syrup
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup silver tequila
2 tablespoons (or so) chilled tonic water

METHOD
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the rosemary and 6 cucumber slices with the simple syrup and lime juice.  Add the tequila, a handful of ice, and shake well.

Strain into a glass filled with ice.  Stir in the tonic water and garnish with the remaining 3 slices of cucumber and sprig of rosemary.

As you know, I love herbs in cocktails.  Even though I've already posted a cocktail featuring rosemary, this one has a very different feel.  Besides the fact that it's made with tequila, the flavor is less sweet than the cocktail with vodka, lemon and rosemary.  Rather it's more tart, but with a really interesting juxtaposition of woodsy and clean, thanks to the rosemary and cucumber.  It's quite subtle although the fragrance of the rosemary sprig garnish brings the pungent notes to the foreground.  If you are making these for a group, it might be worth while to just infuse the simple syrup with rosemary, and then peel and pure half a cucumber and just use a tablespoon or so of the pulp, rather than having to muddle everything.

The ingredients are such that it wouldn't seen inappropriate to serve this cocktail before meals that feature either, Mexican or  Mediterranean flavors or, say roasted or grilled chicken or salmon.  Cucumber always makes me think of salmon.  I can totally picture myself drinking one of these while watching over a slab of salmon being cooked on a cedar plank.  How good does that sound?  I might need to make that happen.

Makes 1 drink

Two Simple Salsas: SMOKY CHIPOTLE WITH PAN-ROASTED TOMATILLOS & ROASTED JALAPENO

I've mentioned my ambivalence for raw tomatoes here before, how the myriad of textures used to and to a certain (but waning) degree still does, gross me out.  And nowhere has my tomato trepidation been tested more than with salsa.  Growing up, just the thought of something like a fresh, rustic pico de gallo would have sent shivers down my spine.  Rather I much preferred the velvety smooth consistency of Ortega Taco Sauce.  Of course this was way back before I knew or cared about all the salt and preservatives in most mass produced foods.

Upon moving to Southern California, my distaste for pico de gallo simply had to be addressed and overcome.  It was everywhere.  Either I got over it, or I'd have to pretty much give up on my beloved Mexican food.  So as I have with many other foods I used to dislike, over time and repeated consumption, I finally learned to like chunky raw tomatoes.  (Slabs of raw tomatoes on a hamburger or wedges in a salad are a different story)  I do have to say though, I still love a pureed salsa. 

Some of my favorite pureed salsas don't even include tomatoes at all.  I always love a verdant and mild tomatillo salsa, but recently I made two pureed salsas that were mostly about the chile peppers that usually play a supporting role in most salsas.  This time they are front and center.  Both come from Rick Bayless's cookbook Mexican Everyday.  One combines pan roasted tomatillos with firey canned chipotle chiles while the other is little more than fresh jalapenos that have been charred until black under the broiler.  They couldn't be more simple.

INGREDIENTS
(for the chipotle tomatillo salsa)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
8 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
Kosher salt

(for the roasted jalapeno salsa)
4 ounces or so jalapenos, stems cut off and sliced in half lengthwise
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salsa

METHOD
To make the chipotle tomatillo salsa, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Lay in the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until well browned. 

Turn the tomatillos and garlic over and continue to cook until the other side is browned and the tomatillos are soft and are starting to give off their juices.

Transfer the garlic and tomatillos to a food processor or blender, along with the chipotle chiles and 1/4 cup of water. 

Process to a coarse paste.  Pour into a small bowl and let cool.  If it seems a bit thick, thin the salsa with a few spoonfuls of water.  Taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

To make the roasted jalapeno salsa, Turn on the broiler and adjust the rack to the highest level.  Place the halved jalapenos cut side down on a small baking sheet.  Scatter the garlic cloves among the chiles.  Slide the baking sheet under the broiler and roast until the chiles are soft and the skins have blackened and blistered.  Keep and eye on it.  It may roast pretty quickly, a minute or 2.

Transfer the roasted jalapenos and garlic to a food processor or blender. 

Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup water and process until nearly smooth.  Pour into a small bowl and let cool.  If it seems a bit thick, thin the salsa with a few spoonfuls of water.  Taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

These salsas are a really refreshing alternative to the more commonplace tomato based salsa.  Both are relatively hot, but the heats are unique.  The chipotle tomatillo salsa is earthy and smoky while the jalapeno feels more fresh and of the two, seems not as spicy.  Still, if you are concerned about it being too hot, remove the seeds before charring them, although to be honest, jalapenos are pretty low on the heat scale compared to other chiles. 

I love them with chips but since they are both a bit intense they almost work better as a spooning salsa, something to finish off a soft taco or a grilled piece of chicken or skirt steak.  Or some huevos rancheros.  Or a big, overstuffed burrito.

Both salsa recipes yield about 1/2 cup

GARLICKY SHRIMP TACOS

As I mentioned in my previous post, this past Saturday, Annie joined Mark and myself for a little pre-Cinco de Mayo celebration.  The reason for doing it on veinte-seis de Abril is because Annie and Pierson and some other friends are taking a little sailing trip to Mexico and will just be getting back on the real cinco de Mayo.  At first the plans were grand - large celebration in Annie's back yard, lots of people and food and drink.  We toyed with the idea of attempting tamales again, but quickly decided against it.  We thought about making carnitas and then mole, but as the weekend drew near decisions about who to invite and what the menu would consist of became an overwhelming ordeal.

Finally we decided that Annie would just come over and I would throw together a simple little meal for the three of us.  With the temperature outside in the 90's, whatever it was I made needed to be light.  No beans, rice or meat.  To go with our margs and chips, guacamole and salsa, I decided on a simple salad from Rick Bayless's fantastic cookbook Mexican Everyday.  Basically it was just crunchy shredded romaine, peppery watercress, and cool jullianed jicama all tossed in a vaguely spicy cilantro, mint and lime vinaigrette.  Along with the salad, I made some really interesting shrimp tacos, using a recipe I got off Food and Wine.  Looking over the list of ingredients, I loved the idea of the dried spice blend and the combination of fresh and sun dried tomatoes.  Best of all, it was fast and easy. 

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 pound small tiger or gulf shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

(to serve)
8 6-inch soft white corn tortillas
2 small Hass avocados, cut into medium dice
lime wedges, for serving
spicy salsa

METHOD
If the sun dried tomatoes seem dry, place in a bowl with hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry and finely chop.

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, marjoram, tarragon, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes and the herb mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the shrimp, stir to combine.

Continue to cook until the shrimp have just turned pink but are still tender and the sauce has thickened.  Do be careful not to overcook the shrimp. 

Add the cilantro and stir again to combine.  Taste and then correct the seasonings.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas.  Place a metal or bamboo steamer basket in a pot filled with about 1 inch of water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Wrap about 8 tortillas in a clean cloth kitchen towel and place in the steamer basket and cover.  Steam over the boiling water for 1 minute then turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

To serve, place warm tortillas on a plate, spoon some of the shrimp mixture down the center of each and  then scatter with the diced avocados.  Serve the tacos at once, with salsa and lime wedges to spritz over.

So I loved this recipe so much, I made it two nights in a row.  First of all, the method of heating the tortillas, which comes from Rick Bayless's afore mentioned Mexican Everyday, is really important.  I did not heat my tortillas the first night and even having sat out to come to room temperature, they sort of cracked and tasted dry.  Sadness.  Heating them really changes the texture and to a degree, flavor.  They taste steamy and moist and are very pliable, not breaking or cracking at all.  If you like, you can double up on the tortillas, the way they do at all the divey little taquerias around town.  This ensures that they won't break, spilling filling into your hands and lap.

And speaking of filling, shrimp and tomato are always a winning pairing, but using both fresh and sun dried is a exciting and unexpected touch.  During the cooking, the fresh tomatoes start to break down just ever so slightly, softening and giving off their juices, while their sun dried counterparts maintain their chewy texture and tangy, intense tomato flavor.  The shrimp also give off juice during cooking which unites with that of the tomato, forming a thick and surprisingly creamy sauce.  Flavoring and adding depth to that sauce is the dried herb mixture and of course, the pungent garlic.  I tend not to like using dried herbs but I have to say, they work here.  Still, next time I make this, I may experiment with fresh herbs, tossing hearty fresh thyme in with the sizzling garlic, since it can stand up to the heat and then combining the softer and more delicate marjoram and tarragon with the cilantro, adding it in at the end.  Finishing everything off are the creamy rich avocado and the bright acidy zing of the lime juice.  I also spooned over a fiery salsa I made from roasted jalepenos and garlic, which added a welcome heat.

Serve 3 to 4

SMOKY GRILLED GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA

I'm always on the lookout for interesting margaritas and people, let me tell you, it is not easy.  Living in a city packed with Mexican restaurants, it's surprising how many of them serve totally mediocre margs.  Too often they rely on that horrid bottled margarita mix and that plastic bottled lime juice and, if you're interested in going the fruit route, frozen strawberries, raspberries or mango.  It's pretty much a given that they will be teeth-achingly sweet.

There are, however, a few places that dare to think outside the box.  A place near my apartment in West Hollywood called Marix offers frozen blood orange margaritas, although to be honest, they too are a bit sweet.  Down in Santa Monica at Border Grill, two of my favorite lady chefs make some really deliciously unique margartias.  I've have them flavored with pomegranate and ginger, prickly pear, cucumber, and celery (don't wince, it's amazing).  Recently a new hotel opened in West Hollywood called the Palihouse and Mark and I dropped by to check out the lobby bar and restaurant.  Filled with an eclectic hodge-podge of furniture, mostly leaning toward a modern Frenchy theme, the lobby is hip, cozy and relaxed.  While we were there we sat at a long wooden table and snacked on steak tartare, truffled French fries, and mini croque madames.  And to drink?  Grilled grapefruit margaritas.  Did you hear me?  Grilled.  Smokey and tart, I've been thinking about them ever since that night.

In the January issue of Food and Wine there was a recipe for an interesting margarita-like drink made from fresh grapefruit juice and a simple syrup infused with cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.  It sounds a bit Christmasy but actually the spices end up blending in a way so that none of them stands out, creating sort of a spicy warmth that works really well with the tart grapefruit juice.  For a little pre-Cinco de Mayo dinner thing with Mark and Annie this past Saturday, I combined these two ideas - the spiced simple syrup and the grilled grapefruit juice and the results were a great success.  Taking a sip from her glass, Annie's eyes widened.  "Oh, my," she purred.  "I could drink a lot of these." 

And we did.

INGREDIENTS
(for the infused simple syrup)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick, broken
6 whole cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

(for the grilled grapefruit juice)
at least 2 grapefruits, sliced in half (the amount depends on how many drinks you'll be making.  I grilled 5 grapefruits and wound up with about 3 cups of juice)

(for the cocktail)
6 tablespoons of the infused simple syrup
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed grilled grapefruit juice
3/4 cup silver tequila
ice
thin slice of grapefruit, for garnish (optional)
Kosher or sea salt to rim glasses

Or think of it this way:
1 part simple syrup
1 part lime juice
1 part grapefruit juice
2 parts tequila

METHOD
First make the infused simple syrup.  Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a small pot.  Heat over medium high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Turn heat off and let the spices infuse the syrup for about 30 minutes.  Strain and then chill.

Next grill the grapefruits.  Heat a cast iron grill pan over high heat for 10 minutes.  Place the grapefruit halves in the pan cut side down and grill for 3 to 5 minutes.  Using a spatula or a pair of tong remove the grapefruit halves from the pan and set aside while you grill the next batch.  Note that some of the citrus will stick to the pan.

Using a citrus reamer juice the grilled grapefruits into a large measuring cup. 

The juice will be very pulpy so I would suggest straining it.

To make the cocktail, combine simple syrup, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and tequila in a cocktail shaker.  Toss in a couple handfuls of ice, put a lid on it and give it a shake until nice and icy cold.  Either strain into 2 martini glasses or just divide between 2 old fashioned glasses.  Garnish with half a thin slice of grapefruit and a wedge of lime.

Grilling the grapefruits sort of intensifies the bitter/sweet flavor which is rounded out by the tart lime juice.  The cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg fuse to create an almost smoky flavor that echoes that of the grilled grapefruit juice.  They taste fresh and light, just barely sweet, perfect for warm weather.  It's really interesting and so very easy to drink.  You might find several going down way more easily than you expect. 

You could easily multiply this recipe to make a pitcher which you could then just pour into a cocktail shaker when serving.  Lat me assure you, they're great for gatherings.

Makes two drinks 

BEEF BOURGUIGNON WITH ROASTED PEARL ONIONS & CRIMINI MUSHROOMS

Last weekend the weather in LA was in the 90's.  I was driving around with my air conditioner cranked to high and Mark spent the afternoon in the cool darkness of a movie theater.  It seems a bit soon for that kind of nonsense and the idea of this kind of heat starting halfway into April was more than a little disconcerting.  Concerns about global warming not withstanding, I'm just not quite ready for hot weather food.  Preparing for cooler weather last fall, I had put together a mental list of dishes that I wanted to make, dishes that only seem suitable when the air is chilly, or at least brisk, things such braises, roasts, slow cooking, rich meats, hearty vegetables.

Checking for forecast for the upcoming week I was elated to discover that the heat spell was indeed brief and temperatures were likely going to dip way down to the low 60's.  People, in California, that's a cold snap.  Despite the fact that the bounties of spring were starting to appear in full force at the farmers markets, I decided I needed to take this opportunity to make one last cold weather dish.  What could be more wintery than Beef Bourguignon?

This version of Beef Bourguignon is a combination of three recipes that I liked the sound of but couldn't decide between.  Part Ina Garten (the list of ingredients), part Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (the roasted pearl onions and mushrooms) and part Cooks Illustrated (elements of the technique).  I have to say, I'm really pleased with the results.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces thickly sliced pancetta or dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, sliced into lardons
2 1/2  to 3 pounds chuck beef, trimmed of fat and silverskin, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups beef broth (homemade or organic in a carton)
1 pound carrots, thickly sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves

(to thicken)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

(for the roasted mushrooms and pearl onions)
1 pound peeled pearl onions, tip and root end sliced off (to easily peel, toss the onions in boiling water and leave for 2 minutes.  Strain out and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Slice off the root and tip and then just peel off the papery skin)
1 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth and sliced in half
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

(to serve)
Italian parsley, chopped
mashed or boiled potatoes

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch skillet. Add the pancetta and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is lightly browned.  Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large plate lined with a couple layers of paper towels.  Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and reserve.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and brown half of beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes. 

Transfer browned beef to a cast iron Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup beef stock into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

Return skillet to high heat and add 2 teaspoons reserved fat and swirl to coat pan bottom. When fat begins to smoke, brown remaining beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes.  Transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup beef stock into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

Pour the remaining fat into the skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Toss the onions, carrots, thyme, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the skillet, stirring to coat.  If there isn't quite enough fat left, add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.

Scrape the onion and carrot mixture into the Dutch oven along with the pancetta, tomato paste, and bay leaves.  Pour in the bottle of wine.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.  Strain the meat and vegetables into a large bowl and set aside. 

Crank the oven up to 425 degrees F.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a separate rimmed baking sheets, toss mushrooms and onions with oil and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned, stirring halfway through, about 30 minutes.

While the mushrooms and pearl onions are roasting, combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew.  Simmer over medium heat and whisking occasionally to ensure the bottom isn't burning, until the sauce has reduced a little and thickened, about 5 minutes.  Taste and correct seasoning. Return the meat and vegetables and gently stir to coat everything with the sauce.  Keep warm over low heat.

Once the mushrooms and pearl onions are finished roasting, scrape them into the dutch oven, stir gently to combine.

Serve in wide, shallow bowls with boiled new potatoes tossed with butter, parsley, salt and cracked pepper.

Braising well browned meat in wine is such a great method of cooking.  If the beef is well marbled, during the long slow cooking the fat melts and the meat that's left behind becomes so tender you can just shred it with your fingers.  The technique I borrowed from Cooks Illustrated, that of browning the beef in a saute pan and then using broth to deglaze, is really great.  It seems to really intensify the rich, meaty flavor.  Plus since Dutch ovens are cast iron, they don't heat quite as evenly as a saute pan with the copper center and as such, I found that when I browned meat in a dutch oven, the cubes toward the center get significantly darker than those around the edge.  I really liked browning the meat in the saute pan and then transferring to the Dutch oven.

The roasted pearl onions add a pop of silky, sweetness and the mushrooms play off the braised meat, adding an earthy depth of flavor.  The carrots, which I was concerned might end up mushy, retain a really nice soft texture and, like the pearl onions, add sweetness but in more of a mild, subtle way.  The red wine cooks down and thanks to the butter-flour mixture, thickens and becomes velvety with a glossy sheen.  It's not super brothy, rather the sauce just coats everything and binds all the vegetables and meat together.  You'll totally want something carby or starchy to soak it up, be it the boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or as Ina Garten suggests in her recipe, buttery, garlic rubbed toast.

Since it takes a bit of time to put together (particularly trimming the fat from the meat, takes a surprising about of time) this is obviously not a weeknight meal.  As one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, it's a good candidate to entertain with.  Just reheat over low, stirring often and you're set.  You may have to add a splash of beef broth or water, if the sauce has thickened too much overnight.

Serves 6

GRILLED GARLIC TOASTS TOPPED WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS, CREAMY SCRAMBLED EGGS, & ROASTED SHALLOT & TARRAGON PESTO

As I mentioned in my previous post, the past few weeks was a frustrating succession of disappointment.  I do have to admit though, there was one success that I was more than pleased with.  Up at Mark's mom's for Easter, since we were going to have to drive back to Los Angeles on Sunday, we had our main meal on Saturday night.  It consisted of crostini with a simple egg salad flavored with shallot and tarragon, a verdant fresh pea and spinach soup swirled with creme fraiche (well actually sour cream as I couldn't find any creme fraiche in Santa Maria) and a really nice roasted shallot and tarragon pesto.  For the main course, my dear mother in law bough a baked ham and to go with it I made some apricot mustard and for our sides, sweet potato spoon bread and grilled asparagus with lemon herb bread crumbs.  For dessert I made little individual rhubarb crisps which I served with vanilla ice cream. 

Despite all the enthusiasm from Mark, his mother and brother, I wasn't completely happy with the results.  The crostini was a little too crisp.  The soup was fine.  The sweet potato spoon bread wasn't done in the middle so I had to return it to the oven to set a little more.  The rhubarb crisps were fantastic and I plan on posting them eventually, but overall, the whole meal just had me sort of stressed and the results didn't seem completely worth it.  It wasn't really fun.  The only thing that really worked was the roasted shallot and tarragon pesto. 

The next day, I sort of threw together an impromptu brunch for the four of us.  I grilled up some bread, roasted the rest of the asparagus, and gently scrambled a skillet full of eggs, then just piled everything together.  As much as I liked the pesto the night before, spooned over the creamy eggs and slightly caramelized asparagus really made it pop.  It was the kind of recipe that I was hell-bent on recreating as soon as possible.  After all the pre-planning of the dinner and everything to go along with it, it was an off the cuff breakfast comprised of things that were either left over or just found in the fridge that tasted the best and felt the most satisfying.

INGREDIENTS
(for the pesto)
2 large shallots, peeled and root end sliced off
2 tablespoons plus 2/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon
2/3 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons toasted, sliced almonds
2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese

(for the eggs)
1/2 tablespoon of butter per person
2 eggs per person
1 tablespoon of creme fraiche or sour cream per person
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(for the asparagus)
4 stalks of asparagus per person
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(for the grilled bread)
1 thick slice of country bread per person
extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and root end sliced off

METHOD
First make the pesto.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place shallots in a double layer square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. 

Gather the edges up and twist shut forming a little bundle.  Roast the shallots for 30 minutes. Untwist and open up the foil and continue to roast the shallots until soft, about 20 minutes longer.

Puree shallots, any oil leftover in the foil, and 1/3 cup oil in food processor.  Add another 1/3 cup oil, the tarragon, parsley, and almonds then puree.

Stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. 

Makes about 1 cup and can be made ahead of time.  In fact, I would make it ahead of time.  You don't want to be messing around with making pesto before breakfast.

To make the eggs, heat a nonstick skillet over very low heat and add the butter.  Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the creme fraiche, salt and pepper and whisk until combined.  Once the butter has melted, add the eggs to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring every so often with a heat proof rubber spatula.  Continue to cook until curds form but the eggs are still creamy, almost a little too wet.  Depending on the number of eggs you use, this could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30.

While the eggs are cooking, roast the asparagus.  Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Trim off the tough, woody ends of the asparagus and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat, then scatter over the thyme.  Roast in the oven for about 7 minutes or so, until the asparagus is bright green and crisp but tender.

While the eggs are cooking and the asparagus is roasting, make the garlic toasts.  Heat a grill pan for 10 minutes over high heat.  Brush each side of the thickly sliced bread with olive oil then place on the grill pan, pressing down a little.  After about 3 minutes or so, flip the bread over, press down and continue to grill until the bread has nice dark grill marks.  Remove the toast from the pan, then rub each side, especially the edges with the cut garlic.  Set aside.

By this point the eggs ought to be done.  Turn off the heat and let sit in pan and let the residual heat finish cooking the eggs.  They will go from just a little too wet to perfectly creamy.

To assemble, place a garlic toast on a plate.  Lay 4 stalks of asparagus on the toasts, pile with the creamy scrambled eggs, then add a generous dallop of pesto on top.  Grind over a little pepper and serve.

I just love this pesto.  Ever since I first made it I've been thinking of what else I could put it on.  The tarragon's light anise flavor is rounded out by the shallots, which become sweet from the roasting.  The olive oil is velvety and grassy and the toasted almonds and asiago add a depth of flavor as well as give the pesto a nice thickness and texture.

There are a number of ingredients that tarragon works extremely well with, eggs and asparagus being two of them.  Just perfect.  Then to pile everything on a thick slice of garlic tinged toast, the edges crisp and dark, middle still chewy and you really have a satisfying dish.  For our Easter brunch, I also served these little open-faced sandwiches with little rosemary roasted red potatoes and thick bacon that was baked with brown sugar and a touch of cayenne until sweetly caramelized with just a hint of heat.  The family raved.  It was perfect for an Easter brunch but really it's easy enough for any old Sunday morning.  Just add a glass of freshly squeezed juice, a cup of good coffee, and the newspaper.

CHASEN'S CHILI

Hi everybody!  I'm back!  No, I wasn't on some fantastic trip eating beautiful food and visiting breathtaking sites.  I wish my absence could be explained by something so interesting.  Rather I was in a boring old culinary funk.  (sad face)  For the past few weeks, virtually everything I've cooked was completely underwhelming.  Not to say any of the dishes I prepared were downright bad, they were just indifferent shrug inducing.  Meh.  Feh.  Nothing I'd ever bother making again.  Each successive dish held the hope that maybe THIS one would be really good, only to have the results be frustratingly dull.  I've had bouts of lackluster before, but this one was going on and on.  "Have I tired of cooking?" I wondered with concern.

I decided that I needed to go back to something basic and foolproof, something that would make me feel accomplished again.  When I was first starting to cook I found soups to be the most accessible thing I could make.  Other than the perils that came with chopping, making a pot of soup felt well within my limited grasp of the workings of a kitchen.  Just add a succession of ingredients, stir for a while, then pour in a bunch of stock,  A half hour or so later, boom, soup!

Trying to decide what to make, I thought of this recipe in Nancy Silverton's book A Twist of the Wrist.  Her book features a number of, we'll call them special guest stars.  Exciting and renowned chef's like Tom Colicchio, Mario Batali, Charlie Trotter and Jean-George Vongerichten all contribute recipes.  This chili (yes, fine.  It's not a soup - close enough, though) comes from my dear, dear Suzanne Goin.  I liked that it's her version of Chasen's legendary chili. For those who don't know, Chasen's was an Hollywood hot spot that began in the late 1930's as a humble little shack that specialized in chili.  Over the years the restaurant blossomed into more of a fine dining sort of place but still, even as their prices climbed higher and their clientele more famous, chili was Chasen's signature dish.  An often repeated anecdote concerns Elizabeth Taylor requesting 10 quarts of the chili to be packed in dry ice and sent to her in Rome, where she was filming Cleopatra at the time.  I would call that an endorsement.

Suzanne's version of Chasen's chili is pretty similar to the original although there are a few key Sunday Suppers at Lucques-ian touches, like her freewheeling use of fresh thyme and crumbled chiles de arbol.  She also cuts down the butter, from 1 stick to 1 tablespoon.  Maybe all that butter is why Liz loved Chasen's chili.

INGREDIENTS
3 15-ounce cans pinto beans, NOT drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound ground beef (look for fat content to be around 20%)
3/4 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Gebhardt chili powder 
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 lime, sliced into 6 wedges

METHOD
Combine the beans (INCLUDING their juices) and the chicken broth in a large stock pot and bring to a simmer over high heat.  Add the tomatoes and return to a simmer.  Reduce the heat and continue to simmer while preparing the rest of the chili.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil, chile de arbol, and rosemary sprig and cook for 1 minute.  Add the bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes until softened.  Add the onion and thyme and cook stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 8 minutes. 

Stir in the parsley and garlic and cook for another minute to soften the garlic, making sure to constantly stir so the garlic does not brown. 

Transfer the pepper and onion mixture to a bowl and remove the rosemary sprig.

Melt the butter in the same skillet over high heat.  Pinch small clumps of the pork and beef into the skillet and cook until the meats are brown all over, stirring occasionally.  Try not to break up the chunks of meat too much.  You may have to our off some of the juices into a small bowl, so the meat can caramelize. 

Season with salt and pepper and then add the pepper and onion mixture as well as the reserved meat juices back to the skillet, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the chili powder and cumin, and cook for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors.

Add this mixture to the simmering beans, then simmer the chile covered, for 20 minutes.  Uncover the pot and simmer for an additional 20 minutes,  Taste and season with more Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

To serve, ladle the chili into large bowls, spoon a dallop of creme fraiche over each serving, strew with the chopped chives and tuck in a wedge of lime.  It'd be lovely served with some cakey, corn-studded corn bread.

So this is pretty much a classic beef (and pork) chili with beans but with more depth and much more flavor.  Call it the quintessential chili.  The little nuggets of ground beef and pork have a great rugged texture and the pinto beans are plump and buttery balancing out a subtle, slow moving heat that magnifies with each successive spoonful (not that that stopped me from shaking in a gutsy dose of Tabasco, more so out of tradition than necessity).  The creme fraiche (or sour cream) melts into the thick broth adding even more body while the sweet/acerbic lime juice tempers the meaty richness.

Chasen's original recipe starts with dried pinto beans and instead of regular ground pork and beef, calls for coarsely chopped pork shoulder and the best center cut beef chuck, trimmed of all fat and then ground through a special meat grinder.  I can imagine that would really take the chili to the next level although it would also lengthen the cooking time considerably.  One day I shall try it but in the meantime, this version is pretty great.

Serves 6

GARLIC-HERB ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS

This past weekend Mark and I traded the sunshine and warm weather for the cold and snow of Missouri.  We headed to the middle for a long overdue visit with my parents as well as with some old friends who made the trek from Virginia.  I meant to cook a lovely meal for my parents, but instead, Mark and I ended up just revisiting restaurants that I loved growing up and miss oh so much out in California.  Upon our arrival in Saint Louis, we stopped at White Castle, for a sack packed with belly-bombers (which for some reason they are now called "slyders."  I'm having no part of it).  I had wanted to give a restaurant called Niche a try, as it recently got nominated for a James Beard award.  It serves one of my favorite types of food - organic, local, seasonal.  But alas, the timing didn't exactly work out.  Oh well, next visit.  That night down in Cape my father, Mark and myself headed to a little hole in the wall downtown called Broussard's where we feasted on steamed crawfish, Mark had gumbo and a fried oyster po boy and I had a plate of jambalya, washed down with a couple bottles of beer.  The next day, I dragged Mark to Steak n' Shake for their famous steak burgers, very thin with crisp edges piled onto a toasted bun.  For dinner that night, we braved the snow and slowly and cautiously made our way to my favorite pizza place, Pagliai's which apparently recently underwent a renovation, part of which included getting rid of their juke box.  So sad.  But at least they still had their vintage two player Miss Pac Man.  Dinner the next night was with our friends from Virginia, Steve and Tod, at the N'Orleans, a old, southern-style steak house, where I happened to work while in college.  Mark and I shared oysters casino (with "Ricardo sauce"!  Isn't that so 50's?), and a Caesar salad heavily slicked with eggy Caesar dressing.  I had the chateaubriand, one of their specialties, flamed and carved right at the table.  The next morning, breakfast was at Cracker Barrel, one of only a few sit-down chain restaurants that I have an inexplicable fondness for.  The weather was perfect for a plate of fried eggs, biscuits with sawmill gravy and sausage patties, and golden, crisp hash-browns.  It was a weekend packed with heavy food.

Once we returned to Los Angeles, I was in the need for something a bit lighter.  I was sort of craving chicken.  This recipe is one of my fav ways of making chicken.  It's totally simple but not boring, good for a weeknight meal.  Sometimes I make a couple extra to have a snacks, cold from the refrigerator, slathered with dijon mustard or maybe some mayonnaise. 

INGREDIENTS
2 organic chicken breasts, bone in and skin on, each weighing about 1 pound
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (any fresh herb would work, really)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil to drizzle

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the paste, combine the minced garlic, salt and chopped thyme in a small mound on your cutting board.

With the side of a knife, smash everything together until a wet paste is formed.  The salt will help pulverize the garlic and thyme.

Next, loosen the skin from the chicken breasts.  Divide the paste between the two breasts, slathering it around under the skin, slip in two slices of lemon, then pull the skin back over.

Place the breasts on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and then season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Roast the chicken for about 25 minutes.  Turn the oven off and let chicken rest inside for another 5 minutes.

 

Remove the chicken from oven and either serve or remove the skin and take off the bone and shred or slice into bite sized chunks to be used in a salad, sandwich or whatever.  I like the toss the shredded pieces with any juices left over on the baking sheet, to sop up every last bit of flavor.  I just hate to waste it.

Even if you don't eat the skin, roasting the chicken breasts on the bone and with the skin on results in the most juicy, succulent flesh you can imagine.  By slathering the garlic-herb paste under the skin, it allows the flavors to really permeate the chicken, rather than just season the skin.  The lemon slices imbue it with a fresh brightness that contrasts well with the piquancy of the garlic.  Thyme is probably my favorite herb.  It's so distinct, but not soooo specific that it can't be used prefectly in a variety of dishes or cuisines.  Of course you could, if you chose, switch the thyme out with any fresh herb that you fancy or happen to have on hand.

This is a great way to make chicken to use in salads (both mayonnaise based chicken salad or leafy green salad), to slice and pile on sandwiches or to tuck into a quesadilla, pita or flatbread, even just snacking.    I realize that this isn't really a sexy or indulgent recipe, but it's a great basic thing to know and it's incredibly versatile. 

Serves 2 to 4, depending on how the chicken is used

LEEK TART WITH GRUYERE & PROSCIUTTO

I have to confess, I'm a bit forgetful as a cook.  Not to say that I forget to add ingredients while cooking, rather I forget to buy ingredients in the first place.  Often I have to phone Mark in a panic and ask him to run to the market to pick up, say, a container of chicken stock or a bunch or parsley or an onion or whatever.  It's probably why I'm so anal about my mis en place.  By preparing and setting everything out in little dishes I'll know before I get started that I'm missing a key ingredient.  Usually when I forget something it's because I'm heading over to Annie's for one of our little cooking gatherings.  Such was the case last weekend.  Annie and I had decided to revisit pasta making, our first experience having been less than successful, and to go with our home made pasta, the plan was to do a really interesting sauce that Jamie Oliver demonstrated on his new show a while back - leeks braised in wine and stock.  The whole dish then gets tossed with strips of prosciutto and then showered with crisp ciabatta and dried porcini breadcrumbs.  The recipe calls for 5 fat leeks and it wasn't until I was two blocks from Annie's house that I realized that I'd forgotten them in my refrigerator.  Curse words ensued.  I dropped off my load at Annie's and then promptly headed to the nearest market for 5 MORE fat leeks.  The meal was great (sorry for not posting it.  The prospect of photographing the process while being covered with a dusting of flour was a bit much to consider.  Some other time) but now this left me with five leeks at home. 

So what am I going to do with so many leeks?  A soup seemed boring.  I liked the idea of a tart or something.  I found this recipe on the Food and Wine website.  It was created by Laura Chenel, who, if you don't know, is a pretty big deal in the world of cheese.  As the interesting and informative Food Snob's Dictionary puts it:  "Laura Chenel (is) the Godmother of American goat-cheese movement.  Starting out as a hippie back-to-the-lander in pre-affluence Sonoma County of the 1970s, Chenel, who professed to "belong to (her) goats," learned how to make chevre in small batches and in 1979 became the first commerical goat-cheese producer in the United States, with Alice Waters among her early paying customers."

As someone so known for goat cheese, it's sort of surprising that that tart uses Gruyere instead.  Well that seems to have been the point of the article, to show Ms. Chenel's versatility.  Of course, you could totally switch out goat cheese for the Gruyere.  In fact I may do that next time.

INGREDIENTS
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium leeks, halved, cleaned and thinly sliced on an angle (for a great tip on cleaning leeks, see below)
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, coarsely shredded
4 thin slices prosciutto

METHOD
On cleaning leeks:  I recently learned a new leek cleaning technique,, courtesy of everyone's favorite Brit, Jamie Oliver.  In the past I'd always trim off the root end, slice the leeks and then submerge them in cold water, jostling them around to wash away any dirt.  Then they'd need to be fished out and drained in a colander.  This new (to me) method is much quicker, easier, and doesn't require filling the sink or a big bowl, a fact I love, as my small kitchen has precious little counter space. 

Start by trimming off the dark green tops of the leek and then slice off the roots, keeping the end of the leek in tact.  Cut the leek in half lengthwise.  Under gently running cool water hold the leek with the root end UP, then separate the layers of the leek with your fingers, letting the water wash away any dirt or grit.  (Holding it the other way, the dirt would get pushed further down into the leek.)  Shake out the excess water from the leek and then proceed with your slicing.  That's it.  Don't you love that?  Or maybe you already knew, in which case I wish you'd told me years ago.

Anyway...

Preheat the oven to 475°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 13-inch square. Fold the corners in and lightly roll the pastry into a rough round. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the leeks and most of the thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and the edges of some of the leeks have gotten slightly golden, about 5 minutes.

Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and sprinkle half of the cheese over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the leeks over the cheese.

Scatter over half the remaining cheese then drape with the prosciutto; sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper and the rest of the thyme. Fold up the tart edge to form a rim. 

Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling.  Keep an eye on the tart in the last few minutes - the bottom can easily get too dark.  Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.  If need be, blot any excess fat with a paper towel. Cut the tart into wedges and serve with a nice, light salad dressed simply with a basic vinaigrette (minced shallot, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper)

Since leeks and any form of smoked/cured pig are natural companions, there is no way this couldn't be a taste sensation.  It's one of my favorite types of dishes, a study of contrasts.  The leeks are soft and sweet, the melted Gruyere, nutty, and the prosciutto is salty with edges that are just slightly crisp.  Although it may look like a pizza, once you bite into it, the crust suggests something very different - flaky light and very buttery.  Although to be honest, you could totally use these toppings on a regular dough-based pizza.

The tart works well as a light dinner but it would also be great sliced into smaller wedges and served as an appetizer or for a brunch.  Thinking back to one of the pizza's they serve at Pizzeria Mozza, it might be interesting to crack an egg over the center of the tart during the last 5 minutes.  As good as it is as is, I can only assume how much better it might be topped with some just cooked egg white and little sunny pools of runny yolk.  Am I right?

Serves 4 as a light dinner, although I couldn't stop eating it so it ended up serving about 3

SEARED TUNA WITH FREGOLA PUTTENESCA & CAPERBERRY RELISH

For a brief time in my early 20's, I dropped out of college and moved to Salt Lake City.  I quickly met a boy and soon (waaaaay too soon) we got an apartment together.  A short walk from downtown, it was one of those vintage buildings, built in the 20's, still full of original details and charm.  The bathroom had little hexagonal tiles on the floor and the living room still had a niche where a murphy bed was once stored.   The kitchen was narrow and painted the dull off-white every apartment seems to be painted and at one end there was space near a window for a small dining table and a couple of chairs, not that we had any of those things.  Instead dinner would be eaten off a box while watching the tv we'd placed in the murphy bed niche.  At the time I cooked almost exclusively from cans, boxes and packets.  I don't think I ever bought anything from the produce section at the grocery store other than bananas for breakfast.  Rather we ate lots of boxed macaroni and cheese doctored with jarred salsa and/or canned tuna or pasta tossed with a creamy "pesto" sauce from a packet, courtesy of Knorr.  The latter I'd gussy up with a couple spoons full of capers and think I was so very gourmet.  In retrospect I'm not sure it was a good idea, but I loved it at the time.  Of course I also loved Kraft fat free American singles.

I have no idea what ever possessed me to buy capers in the first place.  We never had anything with capers growing up and even in college I can't imagine what I ever would have eaten that would have capers in it.  I was hardly an adventurous eater.  Although it sort of makes sense that I'd like them.  As a child I loved sour, vinegary pickles and capers are sort of in the same family. 

When I came across this recipe in Nancy Silverton's book, Twist of the Wrist, my interest was piqued.  Caperberries were something I was not familiar with.  I mean I've heard of them but never had I tasted them.  I headed to a stylish little gourmet store over on Melrose, near Fairfax and picked up a jar, having struck out at Whole Foods.  So for those who don't know, the caperberry is what the little caper will grow into, assuming they aren't picked.  They look like small green olives with stems and their flavor is reminiscent of a caper but a little different.  First of all the texture has more of a crunch not as soggy, and it sort of tastes like a cross between a caper and a cornichon - subtly briney but with more of a pronounced vinegar taste.  Needless to say, after first tasting one, I was smitten. 

INGREDIENTS
(for the relish)
1/2 small red onion, very finely chopped
1 big clove of garlic, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup caper berries, thinly sliced
1/4 cup really good extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

(for the puttanesca fregola)
2 or 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
a pinch of red pepper flakes (how big a pinch depends on your taste)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup black olive tapenade (store bought or homemade)
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 cup fregola or Israeli couscous
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(for the tuna)
1 6 ounce sushi grade tuna steak per person
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

METHOD
First make the relish. 

In a small bowl, combine the red onion, garlic, capers, caper berries, parsley, and olive oil.  Stir gently to combine.  This can be made ahead but not too far ahead.  The red onions sort of end up dying everything pink.

Next start the fregola.  Fill a medium pot with water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once the water comes to a boil, add the fregola (or Israeli couscous) and cook according to the package instructions, making sure to taste about 2 minutes before the package states it should be done.  It might not need as much time as the instructions state.

Meanwhile move on to the puttanesca sauce.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it has softened but not browned.  Add the pepper flakes, stir and cook for another minute or so.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tapenade.  Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a little.  Turn off the heat and add the parsley and taste, adjusting the seasonings if necessary.  It will likely need salt.

By this point, the fregola should be cooked.  Drain in a mesh colander, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water, and then toss in with the puttanesca sauce, stirring to coat everything.  Add several tablespoons full of the pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.

And finally our last component of the meal - the tuna.  Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper then slather with a little olive oil. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat for at least 5 minutes.  It should be really hot.  Swirl in about a tablespoon of olive oil and when it's almost smoking gently lay in your tuna steaks.  Cook for 1 minute and then flip over and cook for 1 more minute.  The steaks should be still nice and rare inside, practically raw.  Immediately remove from pan and set on cutting board while you dish the meal.

To serve, spoon a mound of the puttenesca fregola onto a plate.  Lay the tuna steak over the fregola and then spoon some of the caperberry relish over the fish.  Serve extra relish in a bowl at the table.

So I have written about Ms. Silverton's book before, and gone into my issues with it so I will spare you here.  However I will say that in the book, the recipe instructs you to just use a jar of store bought puttenesca sauce which then gets doctored with extra garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil and parsley.  As I was getting my ingredients ready, I realized that puttenesca sauce is really nothing more that tomato sauce + tapenade.  Isn't that great?  Now I happened to have some homemade tapenade on hand (as I always do), but if you don't you can either buy a jar OR just go ahead and buy the premade puttenesca like Nancy says, but you will have to live with the fact that you cheated.

If you make the puttenesca the way I describe, the sauce  ends up surprisingly robust, which I think comes from the combination of canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.  The sauteed garlic, red pepper, and tapenade, flavored with black olives, capers, anchovy adds a richness and depth of flavor.  Stirring the sauce into the fregola is a nice, unexpected twist, instead of a regular old boring noodle or some sort of tubey pasta.  It's such a fun shape.  I feel like it would be great in a simple chicken soup.  Tyler Florence recently made a chicken soup where he used chicken sausage and made little meat balls.  How cute would it be to combine the chicken meatballs and fregola?  I might have to do that.

Complimenting and contrasting nicely with the puttenesca, the caperberry relish adds freshness, a vinegary and sharp flavor that cuts through the tomato, and a pleasing, subtle crunchy texture.  Both the relish and the fregola work well with the tuna in different ways.  But let's be honest, the dish is less about the tuna than what the tuna is served with.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  With such tasteful sides, the tuna doesn't need anything more than salt, pepper, and olive oil and it's perfect.  Whether you sear it as described above, or even grilled it either outdoors on a barbeque or inside with a grill pan, be advised that the dish really is superior if the tuna is cooked to be very rare.  I speak from experience.  I've made this twice - the first time the tuna ended up over-cooked, while the second time, it was still a deep pink through the center and the difference on the overall meal was astounding.  Soooo much better.  The fact that it barely takes any time at all makes it a great candidate for weeknight dining, although it's totally fancy enough to serve to guests. 

Serves 4