Penny De Los Santos CreativeLive Workshop

Hang on to your britches, I'm gonna get all (to borrow my husband's term) woo-woo for a moment... You know how sometimes you think things are going to go one way, and then seemingly as if by magic, a new door opens and you go somewhere else entirely? Last Friday, I watched live online, completely enthralled, as Penny De Los Santos presented a photography workshop for six lucky attendees in Seattle via CreativeLive.

(Note: screen captures from the workshop used with permission from CreativeLive.)

Just days before, I thought I was going to be serving on the jury of a death penalty capital murder trial in Austin. I sweated for weeks, not knowing how I would reconcile the things I would hear in that courtroom. But I got lucky and was excused. My thoughts have been with those who are responsible for serving and making those judgements as the trial continues.

So, I was feeling pretty grateful already. But then to be able to take advantage of an opportunity to learn from a photographer I have long admired, to have her share not just her expertise, but to open her heart so generously to encourage the creativity in all of us. That was some serious change of direction, and I am feeling pretty blessed.

Penny De Los Santos is a senior contributing photographer for Saveur magazine. You've probably been seeing her food, travel, and culture photographs for years in publications like National Geographic, Martha Stewart Living, Texas Monthly, as well as cookbooks like Asian Dumplings, The New Steak, and the recently released Sweet Vegan. Penny is also a fellow Austinite.

The workshop was offered from CreativeLive. I wasn't familiar with them before this workshop. I've been missing out. They are based in Seattle and offer free live online workshops on photography, web and graphic design, and video. You can sign up to watch their workshops stream live online for free, or buy access to a workshop afterwards to download on demand. Check out their course catalog to see what they're offering next. If you're interested in downloading Penny's photography class, you can find it here. It's $149, which is an incredible deal for an intensive 3-day workshop.

Where to start? I have over 20 pages of notes! I could write and write about what I learned. This workshop was targeted at photographers, but I have to say, there's so much here to nourish the soul of any creative mind in any field. So let's just jump in.



I think Penny's point of view is the place to start. She is a storyteller. She does it with a camera, but she's always telling someone's story. She started with documentary photography and journalism. When she's shooting food, she's not just taking a "beauty shot," she's also telling you something about that food or the culture or people it comes from. She celebrates her subjects and spends a lot of time getting to know them and the places they come from. As an art director, I often have assignments where we may only get 10 minutes with a subject to try to take a meaningful portrait. So I'm jealous of the time she gets to spend getting to know her subjects and how best to tell their story. She's inspired me to try to push many boundaries I face in my daily job to get better images.



Throughout the workshop, Penny told a lot of stories. Stories that brought out her emotions and left me tearing up as well. One of them was about some documentary work she did in a prison along the Texas-Mexico border. The environment was dangerous and she had to be very careful. She told of walking away from an opportunity to shoot photos of a fight that was happening in the prison, and instead, as she literally walked the other way, an unexpected moment of joy materialized in front of her and she shot that instead. "The picture of joy was the harder picture to get." Good lesson. Push past what's expected or obvious to get a different photo instead, something not seen before.

Penny also talked about reconciling what she shoots with what gets published. She may have hundreds of images from a shoot, but only a handful get used. She said a National Geographic editor once told her that she needs to remember that her fun is in the field, having the experience of diving deep into the world of the person or people she is there to celebrate. "Don't get hung up on the end product." Enjoy the experience you are having and the incredible access you are given during a shoot.



And if you don't have the opportunity to be given an assignment? Don't wait for it. "The best advice I can give you, the secret to my career: you have to self-assign your dream assignment. Otherwise, it won't happen."

When tackling a location, a culture, or a subject, "a sense of place is a key photograph. It sets up where you're at. Otherwise, I've failed. It's elemental." She said she looks for the light (she always shoots with natural light on location), then she looks for the composition, the right spot, and then settles in and waits for the shot to happen. "I'll stay put til I get it." That can sometimes require a lot of patience and the self-confidence to allow yourself to wait for it. That's something I saw in her location work as well as her studio work. She was always taking the time to really see. To wait for the shot instead of shooting continuously. She had the confidence to keep moving and looking for it, or to sit still and wait for it, whichever was required.

Penny suggested asking yourself these questions about your images:
• Does it have technical excellence?
• Does it have compositional creativity?
• Does it have editorial relevance?



I literally have pages and pages of notes from this workshop. Here's a taste:
• Elevate the viewers understanding of a subject.
• Introduce an element of disorder into a shot of order.
• Less is more, less elements mean less competition for a viewer's interest.
• Limit your color palette to the natural colors in the food you are shooting. (Your eye always goes to the brightest spot. Don't let a distracting bright color draw you away from the center of interest.)
• Look for decisive moments to tell a story.
• Find great light and wait for something to happen or for people to relax and forget you are there.
• Consider everything that is in your frame.
• Localize the details.
• Stay with the moment longer than you want to. Wait for more.
• Change your perspective physically to change how you see things.



How to grow as a photographer:
• Practice seeing daily.
• Practice shooting daily.
• Keep a visual journal. Think of it as visual yoga.
• Watch for the potential in any situation.
• Be open
• Lead with your heart.
• Follow your instincts.
• Listen.
• Review your work. Watch for shots you repeat over and over — change it up.
• Get close, get intimate with your subject. For intimate pictures, you have to move your body. You have to explore your subject. You have to physically move to engage your subject. Don't zoom.

Visual exercises. When you approach a photograph, consider:
• angles
• light
• edit food (reinterpret the presentation)
• meal in process
• food being prepared



Below are some screen captures from a photo of lamb kebobs as it progressed in the studio during the workshop. It was fascinating to me to see not just the end result, the hero shot, that we all see in a magazine, but to see the shots leading up to it.


















the hero

Penny closed the workshop with another story, a dear, personal story that is close to her heart. She's generous like that. (If you'd like to see a clip of her telling this story, check it out on her blog.)

She was on her way to college and stopped to spend the night with her brother on the way. She was very nervous, full of butterflies. She said to him, "What if I'm not good enough? What if I get there and I suck and I'm the worst one? And he looked at me and he said, ‘Pen, what if you are? What if you are good enough?’ ”



I tuned in expecting to gain some technical and creative insights. I didn't expect to immediately, and I mean in the first 15 minutes, have her so easily and with such integrity go straight for my heart, not just to grab it with her stories, but to feed me with her unflinching open-heartedness. It was true nourishment. Now I get why people adore her. It's easy to admire her beautiful photographs. But I also admire how courageous she is in giving this much of herself to her work, to the people she meets and celebrates in her photographs, and to folks like us that she doesn't even know. I'll carry that with me and hope to reach for that kind of open-heartedness in my own work. Thank you, Penny.

"Free yourself to go beyond what is obvious for you. Being uncomfortable is when you grow the most. You grow the most when you put yourself in a very uncomfortable place and you solve the problem. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, you step up a little. You move beyond."
— Penny De Los Santos

More of Penny's work on her web site.
Penny's blog, Appetite.
CreativeLive

Soba Noodles with Chicken and Almond Maple Sauce

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan have left me stunned and with an aching heart. I haven't yet made my way to Japan, but it has long been on the top of my travel wish list as a destination and culture that fascinates me. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone there in their recovery.

Soba noodles are one of my favorite Japanese comfort foods. Soba are usually made from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flours. Buckwheat, contrary to its name, is not a type of wheat, and is gluten-free. But most soba noodles also contain a bit of regular wheat flour as well to make them less fragile. I used Eden Selected 100% buckwheat soba noodles, available locally at Whole Foods. I'm still on the hunt for a certified gluten-free soba noodle, which Eden's is not, but I have used these repeatedly and have had no problems.

When I went to Seattle, Lara Ferroni turned me on to the cookbook, Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia. She said she was inspired by the gorgeous, natural photography by Jennifer Martiné. I can see why. This is a book you can get lost in looking at the photographs. Kale has never looked so sexy. I was also charmed by the hand-drawn graphics embellishing the book.

This book seduces you with its storytelling, all the while teaching you to "green your cuisine" and eat in more sustainable ways. I love the introduction... Shafia describes the magic of a power outtage in New York City caused by a multistate blackout. Disconnected from trains, computers, and air conditioning, New Yorkers took to the streets for an impromptu party on the sidewalk. With their tvs turned off, neighbors chatted under a full moon and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a summer evening.

One of my favorite recipes from Lucid Food is this one for soba noodles with an almond butter sauce sweetened with maple syrup. Shafia makes it with tofu. I'm off soy for now, so I subbed some roasted chicken. The soba noodles have a soft, nutty, earthiness that is bathed in a very seductive sauce. It's made with a base of almond butter sweetened gently with maple syrup and sesame oil.

The sauce also includes a shot of soy sauce for savory saltiness. As I mentioned, I'm off soy for now, so I found a substitute that works well in this kind of context as a seasoning. It's Coconut Secret brand raw coconut amino. It is a gluten-free, soy-free, organic, coconut-based amino seasoning sauce. It also has much less salt than traditional soy sauce. It's raw, vegan, gmo-free, and contains 17 amino acids. I found it at Whole Foods, next to the soy sauce.

Along with the sobas and almond butter sauce, these noodles have snap peas for a fresh, green crunch. One of the things I love about this recipe is that Shafia pours the hot noodle water over the peas in a colander (also draining the noodles) to quickly cook the snap peas just enough. I also added some strips of red bell pepper too.

One note: the Eden Selected web site recommended cooking these 100% buckwheat sobas the traditional Japanese way to create a firmer noodle. This is easily done by shocking the noodles while they are cooking. Bring your water up to a boil, add the noodles, stir, and then let them come back up to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, add about 1/2 cup of cold water to the pan to stop the boiling. Repeat this one or two more times until the noodles are cooked through — when the inside of the noodle is the same color as the outside and they are still firm yet tender to the bite. This will happen quickly, in about 5-6 minutes.

We liked this sauce so much that I increased the proportion of sauce to make a little more of it. You can serve the extra at the table to add as you like.

Soba Noodles with Chicken and Almond Maple Sauce

1 pound roasted chicken meat, shredded

sauce:
3/4 cup almond butter
2-4 tablespoons soy sauce or soy-free Coconut Aminos
6 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

noodles:
3 cups snap peas, ends trimmed and sliced diagonally
8-12 ounces soba noodles
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
one bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
chili oil for serving

Make the sauce: Combine the almond butter, soy sauce (or aminos), maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar. Whisk together until it becomes a cohesive sauce. Set aside.

Place the sliced snap peas in a colander in the sink.

Fill a large pot with water, sprinkle in a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the noodles, return to a boil. As soon as the water returns to a boil, add about 1/2 cup cold water to stop the boiling. Let it come back to a boil again, and repeat with another 1/2 cup cold water. Repeat one more time, if necessary, until noodles are cooked through. This should take only about 5-6 minutes.

When the noodles are completely cooked, drain them into the colander with the peas. The hot water will cook the snap peas just enough. Rinse the noodles and peas in the colander briefly with cool water. Drain and then pour them out into a large serving bowl.

Add the shredded chicken, bell peppers, cilantro and scallions to the noodles and peas. Drizzle with about half of the sauce. Toss together with tongs until all of the noodles are coated with the sauce.

Before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with chili oil and more almond butter sauce to add as you like at the table.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia.

Smoked Pork with Mustard Sauce

My husband can smoke some pork. My favorite is his smoked pork tenderloin with mustard sauce. It's tangy, a little sweet, but not too much, and it's got some zing. He's like a jazz musician. He's got a direction he's headed in, but he doesn't like to be boxed in with a recipe. He improvises. And it's always amazing. But I wanted to be able to share the recipe with you so I asked him to nail it down. After some experimentation, this is the one. It's hard to stop eating this stuff. Make some cornbread and get down to business. (This sauce would rock on smoked chicken or turkey as well.)



He likes pork tenderloin because it's faster to smoke than a larger cut, and because of the shorter time, it stays very moist. It's easy to process, you don't have to debone it and mess around with a lot of prep. It doesn't shred the same way you usually see shredded pork, but it does make beautiful slices that show off your smoke ring — the clear pink line that marks the penetration of smoke into the meat.



This recipe is for four tenderloins and enough sauce and marinade for all of them. You could cut it down, but if you're going to go to all the trouble of firing up the smoker, you might as well have a party or put some away in the freezer for later happiness.

Gluten-free note: Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce is gluten-free.

Mustard Sauce/Marinade:
24 ounces Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

Pork:
Four 1 lb. pork tenderloins

Combine sauce/marinade ingredients and cook in a saucepan over low heat for about 30 minutes. Taste it and see where it is. You can add more mustard, if you like. Keep in mind that it will continue to mellow out over time. The bite of the vinegar will soften and the sweetness will come up as the flavors marry together.

In a gallon-size zipper plastic bag, put all four tenderloins and 1/2 cup marinade. Zip it up and massage the sauce into the meat to coat it all evenly. Refrigerate overnight.

The smoking:
Soak about six 8-10 inch long and about 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch diameter pieces of pecan in a bucket of water for 30 minutes.

Fill a chimney charcoal starter with hardwood charcoal and light it to use as the base of your fire. When it's going, put it in the firebox. Add half of the wet pecan to the charcoal. Get the temperature in the smoker up to about 225 degrees. Add your pork and smoke for about an hour and 20 minutes. Add more wet pecan as needed to maintain smoke and even temp of 225 degrees.

Remove the meat from the smoker and let rest on a platter, covered, for about 20 minutes. While the meat is resting, warm up the remaining sauce to a low simmer. Slice the meat into 1/4-inch slices on a bias and drizzle with sauce to serve.

For the leftovers, if there are any... Slice the meat, then brush it with a little sauce. Heat it under a broiler briefly just to warm it through and, if you like, crisp up the edges just a bit, like barbacoa. You can also freeze leftovers. Take the unsliced piece of tenderloin, place it in a zipper bag, add the sauce, remove as much air as possible before zipping it shut and freeze.

Serves 8-10.

Amar's Mattar Paneer

As I mentioned in the previous post, our friend, Amar, visited us recently. When he lived in Austin, we used to get together to make dinners from different places. One night, Indian. Another night, Cuban. I still miss those dinners. But we got the chance to have an Indian feast while he was here. Amar was kind enough to teach us to make one of my favorite Indian dishes, mattar paneer.

Mattar paneer is a northern Indian delicacy in which cubes of paneer (a firm, fresh cheese) are served in a savory tomato sauce with peas. Recently, I've had it at Clay Pit with mushrooms added and I really like the extra layer of flavor and texture.

I'm presenting the dish the way Amar made it for us, with the addition of the mushrooms. Know that you can tailor it to your taste. Amar's appetite for chiles was much greater than ours (he eats harissa sandwiches!) so he toned it down a bit for us. You can make it with or without the chiles.

I think mattar paneer is the first dish I ever tasted in an Indian restaurant and I've been eating it ever since. Usually, in restaurants, it's served with a generous amount of sauce and a few pieces of paneer. It goes further that way. Amar pointed out his disapproval of this practice and said he likes the sauce to be more of a flavoring and for the focus to be on the paneer. So his recipe reflects that. Also, when he made it here for us, he used fresh tomatoes. But this time of year they don't have much flavor. If you can get fresh from the garden summer tomatoes, they'd be best. But in the winter when the grocery store tomatoes are flavorless, a roasted canned tomato might have more flavor. When I made the recipe last night, I tried it with Muir Glen organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and I think they had more flavor. You can use as much or as little tomato as you like, depending on how saucy you want your dish.


Amar adding the cilantro

Amar gave us another tip to adjust the dish if it's too spicy. You can sauté more onions and add them into the finished dish and stir it up well. This will help knock the chile down a bit. We tried this and it works.

For the peas, it's fine to use frozen. You don't even have to defrost them. You can just throw them in and they warm up right away. But in the spring, when there are fresh, fat peas available, I'm going to make this again.



One last tip from Amar — he said he likes to use the Shan brand of spice blends. It's easier than collecting all of the different spices and measuring them out. He said he used to find them at HEB in Austin when he lived here, but we had trouble locating them this time. So we stopped at MGM Indian market and picked up the Shan spices, fresh paneer (much cheaper here), some pickles, mango nectar for lassis, and some frozen flatbreads.

Thanks Amar, for the cooking lesson and the feast!

Amar's Mattar Paneer

2 14-ounce packages of paneer (we used Nanak brand)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
3-5 teaspoons chicken curry spice blend (Shan brand)
1 large onion, finely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms (we used a mix of Shiitake and button), sliced, optional
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (or one 28-ounce can roasted crushed tomatoes)
3 teaspoons ginger
1-3 Thai chiles, chopped (optional)
1 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
steamed basmati rice, to serve

Remove the paneer from the package and cut into bite-sized cubes.

In a large non-stick skillet (or wok), melt one tablespoon of butter.
Place half of the paneer at a time into the skillet and let cook over medium heat until it browns lightly on one side. Turn the pieces over to brown on the other side. Remove from skillet to platter or plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt.



Now do the same with the second half of the paneer. Remove from skillet to plate when browned and set aside.

In the same skillet/wok, place another tablespoon of butter. Add the cumin seeds and Shan spices and stir. Keep cooking and stirring over medium heat for a couple of minutes until the scent of the spices goes from raw to rounder and more fragrant. Add the onions and shallots and continue stirring until translucent.

Add the mushrooms, if using. Continue sautéing until mushrooms are cooked through.

Add the tomatoes, ginger, and chile (if using). Stir together and let cook down until tomatoes break down and the sauce comes together.

Just before serving, stir in the peas and paneer cubes. Cover and cook over medium to medium-low heat to completely heat through.

Serve over basmati rice sprinkled with cilantro.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Amar Shekdar.

Terry Conlan's Masa with Mushrooms Class

Right before we took off for the mountains, I took a demo cooking class with Terry Conlan from Lake Austin Spa. Didn't get a chance to write it up before I left, but it was definitely worth sharing. The class was called "Mas Masa with Mushrooms" and covered an impressive array of masa-related recipes. Here's what he made:

• homemade corn tortillas
• ensalada del calle (pineapple, carrot, avocados with pepitas)
• chicken & mushroom flautas ahogadas ("drowned" in salsa verde)
• grilled portobello tacos
• wild mushroom tamales with poblano, goat cheese, and grilled tomato salsa
• pork and mushroom chilaquiles with winter squash, red chile salsa and papaya relish

I've taken other classes from Conlan and so I knew I could count on big flavors even though his food is considered "spa cuisine." Lake Austin Spa is consistently rated one of the top destination spas in the country and his food has to be a large part of the reason. I love that his food is fresh and abundantly flavorful. You notice the abundance, not what's missing. I love learning from him how to cook such satisfying, but healthy food.

I have to admit that until recently, I've never been much of a tamale fan. But my friend, Matt, has been experimenting with tamale recipes recently and we've been the lucky recipients of some of his tasty treats. (Matt's smoked brisket-filled tamales with an avocado green sauce blew us away. I'll be sharing his recipes soon. But that's a whole other post.)

First, I'm going to share with you a few notes I made in Conlan's masa class...

• You can make fruit vinegar (for salad dressings) using almost any fruit. He made one using pineapple trimmings and white wine vinegar. He suggested doing the same with cranberries and honey for the holidays.

• Selecting tomatillos: look for deep, dark, bright green, smooth fruits

• He likes to use Cabot brand reduced-fat white cheddar to shred for tacos

• Instead of frying flautas, bake them without sauce and then plate on a pool of warmed sauce just before serving.

• He doesn't use canola oil because it's usually genetically-modified.

• To use cooking spray – don't spray the skillet, spray the food, then place it in the skillet.

• Masa for tamales is coarser but tortilla masa is fine too for tamales. He uses MaSeCa brand. Store it in the fridge. Keeps a long time.

• At home (not at the spa), he's rendered his own pork fat to use to make tamales.

• You can make a giant tamal instead of individual tamales and serve it in slices. Steam it for 1.5 - 2 hours.

• Roast poblanos over a direct flame "hard and fast" so that the chile keeps its strength but the the skin gets charred. A propane torch is also good for this. Then place it in a paper bag to steam the skin off for easier removal. (See him roasting a poblano in the photo above.)

• I asked him about flavoring his masa (as Matt did in one of his tamale recipes that we really liked) and he suggested achiote oil, bean purée, ancho purée or ground hominy for texture.

• For tortilla making, he suggests using a plastic produce bag as the plastic liner in the tortilla press. It's heavier gauge plastic and when cut into squares, makes 2 almost perfectly-sized squares.

• You want corn tortilla dough to be the texture of Play Doh. It should be sticky, but not wet.

Next up, I'll have the pineapple salad recipe and the mushroom tamale recipe so stay tuned.

Terry Conlan's next class is December 9th and will focus on cooking with bison. Check out the Central Market Cooking School for more info.

'wichcraft

What's better than opening the mailbox to find a surprise package with a new cookbook inside? I have my buddy, Kelley, to thank for that experience recently. She sent us Tom Colicchio's cookbook, 'wichcraft, with recipes from his high-end sandwich shops. Woohoo! Thanks, Kelley!

Colicchio -- you may recognize him from Top Chef – owns a series of restaurants all across the country: Craft, CraftBar, Craftsteak, and 'wichcraft. He credits one of his sous-chefs, Sisha Ortuzar, with truly understanding his way of crafting food, and wanting to open a sandwich shop. Colicchio says he uses the day-after Thanksgiving sandwich as his marker – it's really good because it's made from such well-crafted ingredients. So that became the 'wichcraft mission – using really good food, artisanal ingredients with no fillers, to make amazing sandwiches.

The book also contains a section on "sandwich architecture" with pointers on how to construct the perfect sandwich. A few tips...

1. You need to understand the context of your sandwich. Will you be eating it over the kitchen sink or serving it at a cocktail party?

2. The "wow" factor, the aesthetics of the sandwich, refer to the visual as well as the taste and texture.

3. Consider the "durability" of the sandwich. Will you be serving it immediately or hours later? How will the ingredients get along with each other over time? Will the texture change?

4. Who are you serving? A child? A business executive?

5. Bread texture: the bread must keep the sandwich intact, but the primary texture of the sandwich should come from the ingredients inside.

6. Toast bread on one side only and place the toasted side on the inside of the sandwich so that the bread can absorb moisture from the ingredients and create a barrier that keeps the softer side from going soggy. Also, the toasty side won't scratch your palate if it's on the inside.

7. You can cut a roll thicker on the bottom to absorb juicier ingredients and retain flavor better.

8. A BLT should be assembled in this order: mayo, tomato, bacon, lettuce. You don't want lettuce next to the tomato or a liquid.

9. Keep mustard and mayo apart or the mustard flavor will get too diluted.

10. Place cheese near the bread to reinforce structure, unless the cheese is melted with meat.

11. Dress greens before placing them in a sandwich.

The book contains everything from breakfast sandwiches to dessert sandwiches. A few I can't wait to try:

• Goat cheese with avocado, celery, walnut pesto and watercress
• Steak with cucumber salad and black chile mayo
• Cheddar with smoked ham, poached pear and mustard
• Roasted turkey with avocado, bacon, balsamic onion marmalade and mayo
• Chocolate cream'wich

The book also includes accompaniments you'll need like homemade mayo, vinaigrettes, roasted onions, tomato relish, pickles, pestos, and sauces. I also love that the contents shows a photo of each sandwich with its listing.

Stay tuned. Next up, I have the first sandwich we've tried from the book. It uses one of my favorite goat cheeses, boucheron. It's a boucheron open-faced sandwich with grapefruit and crispy olives.

St. Patrick's Day Treat: Green Kitchen

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I'd like to share a treat with you that I've just discovered that seems ever so appropriate on this day of green. Green Kitchen is an online video series hosted by Alice Waters and Davia Nelson of the Kitchen Sisters on NPR. Chefs taking part in Slow Food Nation 2008 recorded short cooking demos to teach the basics like making a vinaigrette, tying a roast, or shucking corn.


Videos include:
• Alice Waters and her daughter, Fanny Singer, making a green salad with garlic vinaigrette
• Bryant Terry making sautéed jalapeno corn
• Rick Bayless making roasted tomato and tomatillo salsas
• David Chang making tofu and tomato salad
• Scott Peacock making roasted and sautéed okra
• Traci Des Jardins making salsa verde
• Thomas Keller making roasted chicken
and more!

Check it out for some inspiration to get your garden growing or to get some ideas of what to do with the upcoming bounty from the farmers' market.

Making Ice Cream

I'm wrapping up my celebration of ice cream month with these tips on making ice cream at home. I'll be focusing on other things for awhile, but you can count on more ice cream and sorbet recipes here now and then.

1. Get the handbook.
If you're new to making your own ice cream, my most valuable tip, even before you pick out an ice cream maker, would be to tell you to get the absolute handbook on ice cream making, David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. It's got everything from recipes for ice cream, sorbets and granitas to the lowdown on how to make them. David has a hilarious and popular blog about cooking, baking, eating and life in Paris. But before he lived in Paris, he worked at the famous Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse. His book is full of fabulous recipes for all the basics plus incredible exotic flavors like Vietnamese coffee, malted milk (another of my faves), cheesecake, pear caramel (possibly the best ice cream ever), orange-Szechwan pepper, and basil to wonderful sauces, cones, cookies and candies to serve with your ice cream. I have a whole shelf of ice cream cookbooks, but this book is the one.

2. Don't use metal spoons to scoop the ice cream out of your canister.
I've made enough ice cream to be on my second ice cream maker. The canister of the first one eventually started leaking. That leads to my next tip, use only rubber, silicone or wooden spatulas to take the ice cream out of your machine's canister. A metal spoon will scratch it and eventually you could end up with a leak and freon in your ice cream. Nobody wants that.

3. Get a larger capacity machine.
My current ice cream machine, a 2-quart capacity Cuisinart, I really like. Mine is usually stashed away in a cupboard, but it's stainless on the outside and sleek enough to look good on your counter. Mostly, I like that the canister is a little larger than most, which are usually 1- to 1 1/2-quarts. The Cuisinart is 2-quart. Most recipes will say they yield about 1- to 1 1/2-quarts. But the ice cream will grow a little in the machine as air is incorporated into it. You don't want to have to throw out the excess ice cream base (the horror!) or have it flow out of your machine before it's finished processing. (By the way, these are pretty reasonable now, between $50-$80. I've seen the best prices on Amazon and at Costco.)

4. Keep your ice cream machine canister in the freezer.
Otherwise, you need to freeze it for 24 hours to be able to use it and an ice cream craving might strike at any time.

5. Buy an extra canister.
If you want to make ice cream for a party or a crowd (more than 4 people), it's worth it to buy an extra canister for your machine. That way you can make double batches or two flavors at once. This might sound indulgent, but I've had friends blaze through a batch before I ever got to taste it.

6. Chill your ice cream base thoroughly before processing.
This means at least overnight in the coldest part of the fridge. This will help it freeze faster and smoother.

7. After processing, remove the ice cream from the canister immediately.
Otherwise, it will freeze to the sides of the canister and be very difficult to get out.

8. Store your ice cream in the freezer in two smaller containers rather than one large container.
That way, when you take it out to serve, not all of the ice cream will be melting and refreezing, which can cause more ice crystals to form.


More tips from the pros...


From David's book:
• Make your ice bath BEFORE you start your custard.
Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and then a few cups of water. It will stop the cooking of the custard and cool it faster.

• Temper the eggs when making custard-style ice cream.
Whisk your egg yolks in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat your milk and sugar; when the milk is at a simmer (steaming but not boiling) very slowly pour a small stream of milk into the eggs while whisking CONTINUOUSLY. The whisking is very important. It helps prevent clumps of scrambled eggs. David suggests using a ladle to do this so that you can control the flow better. Then pour the combined custard back into the pan and reheat, stirring continuously with a heatproof silicone spatula or straight-edged wooden spatula until it thickens enough to coat the back of your spatula. Test this by running your finger down the back of the spatula and if it leaves a trail, it’s done. Do NOT let the custard boil. Stir continously. Remove from heat immediately and pour through a strainer into your cold cream that’s sitting in the ice bath.

• Make softer ice cream by adding a bit of alcohol.
Alcohol doesn’t freeze so it helps prevent ice crystals from forming. David suggests adding no more than 3 tablespoons of 80-proof liquor to one quart of ice cream base.


From: The Sweet Life, Desserts from Chantarelle by Kate Zuckerman & Tina Rupp
This book has a wide range of dessert recipes, not just ice creams. It also includes an extraordinary amount of background information to educate bakers. She really explains the chemistry and science behind her recipes. I found this very valuable.

• Avoid ice crystals.
Ice crystals form when water freezes. These crystals can grow larger and become “discernible” on the tongue and to the eye. You don’t want sharp or large crystals in your ice cream. So you’re looking for ways to make the crystals small enough so that they aren’t tasted or seen.

• Ingredients
Adding soluble ingredients – sugar or salt – lowers the freezing point of water. The lower the freezing point of a fluid, the more ice crystals will form during freezing and the smaller each crystal will be. Sugar results in smaller ice crystals and improved texture. Liquid sugars (honey, agave, corn suryp, maple syrup) lower the freezing point of a fluid even more powerfully. Adding these gives a smoother texture than you’d have with only table sugar.
Proteins (in dairy or eggs) have large molecules that get in the way of ice crystal formation. In some conditions, proteins absorb water, form a gel and prevent ice crystals from growing larger. Proteins in a custard-based ice cream are heated and agitated allowing them to form a gel. Water locked into a gel can’t migrate to ice crystals (increasing their size) or form its own ice crystals at normal freezer temps.
Skim milk powder, used in commercial ice cream, is an easy way to add protein and sugar to your ice cream base. These molecules also get in the way of ice crystal formation. Egg whites are sometimes used in the same way in sorbets to improve the texture without using dairy.
Fat from dairy and eggs physically block ice crystals from growing in size. Whipped fat also holds air, lightening texture and increasing volume. Dairy fat also contains natural emulsifiers, which bind to both fat and water, improving texture and stability in an ice cream base. Lecithin is the emulsifier in egg yolks. In commercial ice creams, artificial emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides) are added to increase the number of water molecules bound to fat rather than remaining on their own.

• Churn the ice cream the day you want to serve it.
The natural emulsifiers are most effective the first 24 hours after the ice cream is churned, giving it the best texture. As it sits in the freezer, ice crystals begin to grow and increase in size, attracting water molecules and ruining the emulsion.


From Gourmet magazine:
• The ratio of milk to cream affects crystals.
Milk has more lactose. Too much lactose can make the ice cream gritty. One way to produce smoother ice cream is to heat the milk to just below scalding (175°) before using it.


Whew. That sounds like a lot. But making ice cream is really, really easy. And you'll be amazed by the flavors and the response you get from those lucky enough to taste your creations.

Now, go forth, and make ice cream.

Cooking Class: Rebecca Rather

This week, I finally got to take a much-anticipated cooking class with Rebecca Rather from Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg. I've long been a fan of her bakery and the larger-than-life treats she produces there.

Rebecca Rather opened the first Rather Sweet Bakery in Austin in 1999. For two sweet years, we were blessed with her creations. Then in 2001, she moved to Fredericksburg and relocated the bakery there. Austinites have been mourning that move ever since. Luckily, Fredericksburg is close enough to allow us a taste every now and then without completely threatening our waistlines. (Fredericksburg is a charming historic German town in the Texas Hill Country about an hour and a half west of Austin.)

So on every visit to Enchanted Rock, Llano, or damn near anywhere west of Austin, we always make a pit stop at Rather Sweet for lunch and some sweet treats to take on the road with us.

This year, she also opened a new restaurant in Fredericksburg, Rebecca's Table. Haven't been there yet, but I've heard good things and I'm looking forward to trying it.

In this class at Central Market's cooking school, she demonstarted recipes from her latest book The Pastry Queen Christmas. She cooked and we sampled her Chicken & Egg Checkerboard Club Sandwiches, Shrimp & Grits, Martha's Best Ever Rolls which later became Bite-Sized Sticky Buns, and Coconut Cake. Sticky Bun photo below.



I've made more of the sweet recipes from her books than the savory ones just because I'm always seduced by the baked goods first. And hers are always over-the-top, spectacularly, wow-inducing, orgasmic. Great for impressing people. I've made her peach pecan cake with dulce de leche frosting repeatedly and everyone who's tasted it has been blown away. Another favorite is her blackberry pie bars. When we visit her bakery, we also buy several of her chocolate chewy cookies. That recipe is in her new book, so I'll be making some of those soon. (And they are, shockingly, low-fat! Made with egg whites, which give them that great chewy texture.)

I've been considering trying to make a brioche dough into cinnamon rolls to get that pillowy-soft, school cafeteria yeast roll experience in a cinnamon roll. Well, I don't have to bother. Her Martha's Best Ever Rolls recipe is the roll I've been looking for. It's like a cloud. It's so soft, you just want to crawl inside it and have a cozy snooze. Will try this recipe out myself soon and report back.

Here are a few highlights, notes and news items from the class...

Baking/cooking tips:
• "Keep your hands as light as possible, just lift and turn" when kneading dough to avoid tough pastry.
• "This is not a low-fat class."
• "I had a meeting with Cooking Light magazine and she laughed for 15 minutes..."
• "I don't sift anything. Ever."
• If your cakes are dry, it's probably from overmixing. Mix and stir batters minimally and do not overbake."
• She can tell when a cake is done and how hot an oven is by feel.
• She's currently experimenting with "spent-grain" breads from brewery leftovers.
• She believes in using natural and local ingredients whenever possible. She grows many of the veggies and herbs for her restaurant and the bakery in her own garden. "You have to be careful what you eat. I say grow your own."
• She doesn't use rapid rise yeast.
• "I make my own stock on everything."

Sources:
• She uses Saf instant yeast, unbleached and unbromated flours, and El Rey chocolate.
• She uses Niman Ranch bacon because they don't use antibiotics and humanely harvest their meats.
• She also buys kobe-style beef from Heart Brand in Flatonia, TX, which started their 6,000-head herd with 8 cows from Japan.
• She uses Anson Mills stone-ground white grits.
• She uses Ball's Cajun Seasoning from Lake Charles, LA.
• All of her cheeses come from CKC Farms in Blanco (run by a college student!).

News/gossip:
• She's opening an old-fashioned candy store soon next door to her bakery.
• She's starting work on her next book, Entertaining Texas-style, due out Fall 2009.
• While working on her first book, a horse broke her nose during a photo shoot. During work on the second book, she broke her wrist. And yes, she's wondering now about the third one.
• She's selling artisan breads at Fredericksburg's new farmers' market on Thursdays, 4-7pm, in the Marketplatz.
• She does a tremendous amount of charity work. Her latest project will provide interim housing for battered women in Fredericksburg.
• She has a collection of photos that fans have sent her of their versions of her Tuxedo Cake recipe. If you make the cake, take a photo and email it to her.
• She has quite a collection of animals. "In Fredericksburg, you can have farm animals in your yard." Among them, chickens which provide her eggs and are named after first ladies, and a miniature donkey she saved from the clutches of a circus guy at auction.

Want more?
Rebecca Rather will be teaching more classes at Central Market this summer.On June 17th, she's doing "Treats from Rebecca's Table" including peach ginger upside down cake and mocha cakes. On August 5th, she's teaching an "Italian-inspired Summer Supper" including Italian rice balls, artichoke green bean salad, pine nut cookies and panna cotta. Get more info or sign up at Central Market.

Visit her bakery or restaurant:
Rather Sweet Bakery
249 East Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX
open Monday through Saturday

Rebecca's Table
342 West Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX
open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday

Check out her cookbooks (written with Alison Oresman):
The Pastry Queen
The Pastry Queen Christmas

Rebecca Rather IS the pastry queen.