Mexican ceviche versus Peruvian ceviche, this recipe from Mexican Flavors, Contemporary Recipes from Camp San Miguel (Andrews McMeel, August 2014) by Hugh Carpenter, Teri Sandison, might help you decide.

Salmon and Scallop Ceviche

Serves 6 to 10

It’s important to use flawlessly fresh fish here. The fish is “cooked” by soaking in a lime juice bath for 3 hours. It is then tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, serrano chiles, and other seasonings. Placed on a little guacamole at the fat end of endive leaves, this recipe is a colorful, flavorful, textural marvel. You can substitute other fish, such as tuna, swordfish, and sea bass. For presentation variations, serve the ceviche on rice crackers, tortilla chips, or thinly sliced hothouse cucumber.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 small whole green onion, minced
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ pound fresh salmon fillet, skinned and pinbones removed
¼ pound fresh bay scallops or fresh sea scallops, thinly sliced
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup Guacamole
16 endive leaves

Combine the olive oil, ginger, garlic, chile, cilantro, green onion, red bell pepper, nutmeg, and salt in a covered airtight bowl and refrigerate. This can be completed 8 hours before serving and kept refrigerated.

Cut the salmon crosswise into ¼-inch slices; then cut across the slices to make ¼-inch pieces.

Mound the scallops together and cut into thin slices—these do not have to be all the same size. Place the salmon and scallops in a medium bowl. Cover with the lime juice and refrigerate for 3 hours. To serve, drain the salmon and scallops. Stir the seafood into the ginger-cilantro mixture until evenly combined. Place about 1 teaspoon of the guacamole at the fat end of each endive leaf. Add a spoonful of the ceviche. Arrange on a serving platter and refrigerate. This can be done 2 hours before serving.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Mexican Flavors, Contemporary Recipes from Camp San Miguel -Andrews McMeel, August 2014- by Hugh Carpenter, Photographs by Teri Sandison)

Loire Wines meet spirited cooking by Japanese chef 

Dînner at BarJu in Tours with Kiyomi Mikuni, Captured on Video

December 6, 2014

Japan in France, France in Japan for Tokyo Thursdays # 301

Previously:  Tea Rooms and Zany Lofts from 'Japan, Lights and Shadows

Tired of quiche, cross the alps and give this savory Italian pie from Pastry, Foolproof Recipes for the Home Cook (Kyle Books, September 2014) by Nick Malgieri a try.

Italian Kale Pie (Torta di Cavolo Nero)

In Italy, where they make savory pies from almost every vegetable imaginable, kale is a popular choice, especially in Tuscany, where it’s known as cavolo nero or black cabbage.
Teamed up with pancetta, onion, garlic, ricotta, eggs, and grated pecorino, its slightly bitter flavor is complemented rather than hidden. This is another great solo dish or delicious accompaniment to plain grilled meat or fish.

Makes one 9-inch pie, about 8 servings

One 9-inch cake pan, 2 inches deep, lined with Olive Oil Dough, using two thirds of the dough for the bottom crust and the remaining dough for the top
Fine sea salt
1 1/2 pounds kale, leaves separated from the lower and interior stems, washed, and drained, see note
2 ounces pancetta, cut into N-inch dice
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 cup, about 4 ounces, finely chopped white or yellow onion
1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup/1 1/2 ounces finely grated pecorino Romano

Note:
If you find kale that has long, thick stems, start with 2 pounds.

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and return to a boil. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, pressing the kale against the colander, cool, and coarsely chop.

2. Combine the pancetta and oil in a large pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the pancetta has colored but is still soft, about 2 or 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate covered with paper towels to drain.

3. Add the onion to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stir in the garlic, cook for a few seconds, and then stir in the kale. Heat through and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Set a rack at the lowest level in the oven and preheat to 400°F.

5. To finish the filling, whisk the ricotta and eggs in a large bowl and whisk in the parsley and pecorino. Fold in the kale mixture and the pancetta.

6. Scrape the filling into the prepared crust and spread evenly. Roll the remaining dough for the top crust and use a pattern to cut it to a 9-inch disk. Fold the dough at the side of the pan down over the filling and place the disk of dough on the filling and folded dough. Cut several vent holes in the top of the pie and brush with oil.

7. Set the pie in the oven and lower the temperature to 375°F. Bake until the crust is deep golden and the filling is set, 35 to 40 minutes.

8. Cool the pie on a rack and serve at room temperature.

Olive Oil Dough:

This is my new favorite dough for savory tarts and pies—it is easy to prepare, rolls out like a dream, and bakes to a tender texture. There’s just enough olive oil flavor to complement the filling it surrounds. It’s a perfect example of the fact that baking doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. You can substitute this dough for Flaky Buttery Dough in any of the savory tart or pie recipes.
Makes enough for 1 large tart or single-crusted pie (double the quantities for a double crust),
or 8 or 9 individual 41/2-inch tarts

11/2 cups/200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon into dry-measure cup and level)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup/80 grams olive oil
2 large eggs

Planning Ahead

This dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Variations

Use a mild vegetable oil such as organic, coldpressed safflower oil for a milder flavor.
Double all the ingredients for a two-crust pie.

1. Use a fork to stir together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil and eggs. Use the fork to beat the eggs and oil together, then gradually draw in the dry ingredients a little at a time until the dough starts to hold together.

3. Scrape the contents of the bowl to a lightly floured work surface (it’s okay if there are still some dry bits) and fold the dough over on itself 4 or 5 times, gently kneading it smooth. Kneading too much might make the oil separate from the dough.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic and keep at a cool room temperature if you’re using within a few hours; refrigerate for longer storage.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Pastry, Foolproof Recipes for the Home Cook -Kyle Books, September 2014- by Nick Malgieri, Photographs by Romulo Yanes)

A glass of La Dolce Vita

Piage Barbera d'Asti from Cascina la Ghersa

After Velvet Bananas of 2014, La Dive Bouteille natural wine festival decided to ski the Loire Slopes for its 16th editon.

Event takes place on February 1-2, 2015 in Saumur at Caves Ackerman...

(* Illustration borrowed from La Dive Bouteille Facebook page)

Go veggie fungi with this burger from Shroom, Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms (Andrews McMeel, September 2014) by Becky Selengut.

Spicy Black Bean, Poblano, and Oyster Mushroom Burgers with Red Onion Jam

Serves 4

I eat beef, so when I decided to create a mushroom-based vegetarian burger, I wanted it to be as satisfying as a beef burger without it being beef-like (most vegetarians will tell you that’s not really the point). The few times I’ve tried veggie burgers, I’ve been amazed that people could regularly eat them; it would take a lot of mustard and ketchup for me to get past how dry most of them are. This is one of several recipes in this book that you can make for vegetarians (or really, anyone) who is an avowed mushroom hater. The mushrooms take a background role in these burgers, providing texture (from a shorter cooking time on the stems) and umami. The feta just starts to melt when the burgers are done browning, forming little pools of awesome. This is a perfect dish to make if you have leftover beans and rice in the house. Keep in mind that it is really important to squeeze your hands together when forming the burgers. This helps to bind the mixture and keep them from crumbling in the pan. That being said, this is a messy burger affair, so tuck a napkin into your shirt when eating. There is a fair amount of prep involved in making these, so feel free to double the recipe. Freeze any uncooked burgers on a baking pan and then pack them away in a container or freezer bag for another day.

Spicy Lime and Chipotle Mayo

½ cup mayonnaise (I love Best Foods/Hellmann’s)
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder (substitute spicy pure chili powder of your choice)
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Red Onion Jam and Burgers

2 poblano chiles
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 small red onions, small diced (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1¼ cups Mushroom Stock (see below)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 portobello mushroom, gills and stem removed, cap small diced
½ pound fresh oyster mushrooms, stems separated from caps and both small diced
1 bunch cilantro, stems chopped to make ¼ cup, leaves reserved for garnish
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked brown rice
¾ cup cooked and drained black beans, squished with a potato masher (leave some texture)
3 ounces French or Israeli feta
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
4 hamburger buns, toasted if you like

For Serving:

1 avocado
Lettuce leaves
Tomato slices

To make the mayo, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, chili powder, and salt. Taste and add more salt if you’d like. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use.

To make the burgers, over a gas flame or under the broiler, blacken the poblano chiles (you want all parts to be blackened). Transfer the chiles to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to trap the steam, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. After a moment, add the onions and salt. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and simmer until all the liquid is evaporated; continue to cook until the onions are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes (add a little water if necessary if it gets too dry). Once the onions are browned and very soft, pull half of the onions out of the pan and reserve. Add the sugar to the pan and cook for a minute, then add the vinegar and the remaining ¼ cup stock. Cook over medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Scrape the red onion jam into a small bowl and set aside to serve with the rest of the toppings. No need to clean the pan—you’ll be using it again.

Remove and discard the skin and seeds from the roasted chiles and cut them into small dice. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan, along with the chiles and the reserved sautéed onions. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped portobello, oyster mushroom caps, and cilantro stems and sauté until lightly browned and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, cumin, and black pepper and sauté for another minute or two. Add the chopped oyster mushroom stems and sauté for another minute or two, adding a little water if necessary. Add the contents of the pan to a big bowl, along with the rice, black beans, feta, 1 cup of the panko, and 1 tablespoon of the chipotle mayo. Mix well, and form into 4 large burgers (see headnote). Spread the remaining ½ cup panko onto a plate and coat each side of the burgers.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil. When the skillet heats up, carefully place the burgers in the skillet and cook until you get a nice deep dark brown sear on each side, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Spread the chipotle mayo all over the insides of the toasted buns. Pit, peel, and slice the avocado. Add the burgers to the buns and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cilantro leaves.

Mushroom Stock:

You will not be sorry you took the time to make your own. As you cook and are busy prepping vegetables and such, e.g., carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, parsley, and thyme, rather than toss or compost the carrot tops and peels, celery ends and leaves, onion ends and cores, shiitake and button stems, thyme and parsley stems, and any other produce bits you collect, save them. (Skip vegetables like kale, cabbage, broccoli, or anything with a dominating flavor or color that you wouldn’t want in a mushroom stock—no beets!)

To make the stock, add these vegetable scraps to a quart-size resealable plastic bag that lives in the freezer. When the bag is full, you are ready to make your stock. At the market, pick up a small onion, some dried porcini, and a handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle a little high-heat oil on a rimmed baking pan. Throw the shiitakes, along with the chopped-up onion, onto the pan, and toss with the oil. Roast until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a little wine or water, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Dump the mushrooms and onions, along with the liquid, into a stockpot along with the contents of that freezer bag (no need to thaw) and a few rehydrated pieces of dried porcini (along with the strained soaking liquid). Cover with 3 quarts water, chuck in about 5 peppercorns, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Pour the contents of the pot through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. You should end up with about 2 quarts mushroom stock. Want to make vegetable stock? Do the same thing, but just use fewer mushrooms and more vegetables (and a big flavor bonus if you roast some of the vegetables as you would the shiitake and onion). If you want to make mushroom stock but don’t have a full bag of trimmings in the freezer, just use an assortment of vegetables and mushrooms (equaling roughly 1 quart) and follow the same general procedure.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission, from Shroom, Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms -Andrews McMeel, September 2014- by Becky Selengut, Photograph, Clare Barboza)

Won't break the bank cocktail from Downtown Italian, Recipes Inspired by Italy, Created in New York's West Village (Andrews McMeel, October 2014) by Joe Campanale, Gabriel Thompson, Katherine Thompson.

Roasted-Orange Negroni Sbagliato

Serves 1

Rocks Glass

This cocktail was inspired by the sparkling bright-red drink I discovered while studying in Italy.

The Negroni Sbagliato (“broken” or “mistaken” Negroni, because it features sparkling wine instead of gin) was inexpensive, and it quickly became my favorite drink.

1 wedge roasted orange (see Notes)
1 ounce red vermouth (such as Carpano Antica Formula)
1¼ ounces Campari
Ice
1¼ ounces Lini Lambrusco Bianco, or other sparkling white wine
Orange peel, for garnish

Place the orange wedge in a mixing glass and add the vermouth. Muddle the two so that the charred bits of the orange are released into the vermouth. Add the Campari and ice; cover and shake.

Fill a chilled rocks glass with ice. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the rocks glass. Add the sparkling wine. Do not stir, as this will dissipate the bubbles. Garnish with the orange peel.

Notes: Roasted orange: To roast the orange, first cut it into 8 wedges and soak the wedges in red vermouth overnight. Roast them on a hot grill until they are charred and caramelized on both sides. You can keep them refrigerated, covered with red vermouth, for 1 week.

Preparation: This cocktail can also be made as a regular Roasted-Orange Negroni by using gin instead of sparkling wine (in the same proportions) and stirring with ice instead of shaking; strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Never shake the drink with the sparkling wine; the mixing glass will “explode” like a can of soda after being shaken.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Downtown Italian: Recipes Inspired by Italy, Created in New York’s West Village by Joe Campanale, Gabriel Thompson, and Katherine Thompson, Andrews McMeel Publishing 2014)

First hearing about the Charlie Hebdo shooting sounded surreal to this French Guy from New Jersey.

Cartoons by Cabu, Wolinski, Sine and others from Charlie Hebdo were part of my formative school years to the chagrin of many teachers I am sure.

A toast to Charlie Hebdo equal opportunity irreverent humor which lives on and the sad passing of Cabu, Wolinski and the others.

Add a little je ne sais quoi to dessert with spiced and moist cake from World Spice at Home : New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes (Sasquatch Books, September 2014) by Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne

Amanda Bevill, is also the head spice girl at World Spice in Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Moist Carrot Cake with Kashmiri Garam Masala

Sometimes change is good—and in this case the flavor is what’s new. Fans have deemed this the best carrot cake they’ve ever had! Serving a favorite dessert that is known and loved, like carrot cake, with a new twist is the joy of exploring with spice. Kashmiri garam masala lends roasted spice flavors of pepper, cardamom, and clove to this classic preparation, and the coconut oil adds wonderful moisture and a velvety texture.

Makes One 9-inch Layer Cake

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground Kashmiri garam masala
4 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1½ cups coconut oil, melted
3 cups grated carrots
1½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans, plus more for garnish

For the frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with greased parchment paper.

To make the cake, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and garam masala.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars. Add the melted coconut oil and whisk 1 minute more. Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. Fold in the carrots and walnuts. Fill the cake pans with equal portions of the batter and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes spring back to a light touch. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with an electric mixer), beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until the frosting is thick and smooth. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little milk if it is too stiff, or more sugar if it is too runny.

We recommend a rustic presentation for this cake, so frost only between the layers and on top, leaving the beautiful colors and texture visible on the sides.

Garnish with chopped nuts and serve.

(*(c)2014 By Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne. All rights reserved. Excerpted from World Spice at Home: New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes by permission of Sasquatch Books. Photography by Charity Burggraaf)

On cold winter evenings, we will be forever grateful to Rossy Earle for this Squash, Apple and Cheddar Soup recipe from Everyday Squash The Most Versatile & Affordable Superfood (Harper, October 2014, US edition) by Rob Firing, Ivy Knight and Kerry Knight.

Squash, Apple & Cheddar Soup

This soup by Rossy Earle, the retail chef kitchen manager at Toronto’s Ryerson University and one of the chefs on the kitchen team at CBC’s Steven and Chris show, is sure to become a favourite. It incorporates the best flavours of autumn—squash and apples—and crowns them in cheddar, a beautiful combo.

Makes 6 to 8 ser vings

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 large butternut squash, roasted and mashed (see page 26)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
Pinch of ground nutmeg
½ cup apple cider
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup whipping (35%) cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Crème fraîche, sour cream or plain
Greek yogurt (optional)
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and apple and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and apple is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, maple syrup and nutmeg. Deglaze with the apple cider (see Tip).

Stir in the stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, purée until smooth.
Return the mixture to the pot. Stir in cream and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the cheese, until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add a bit more apple cider.

Ladle into serving bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche (if using). Sprinkle with extra cheese and chives. Serve immediately.

Tip: To deglaze a pan, add liquid, usually stock or wine, and stir to dissolve the cooking sediments from the bottom of the pan, capturing robust, concentrated flavours

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Everyday Squash The Most Versatile & Affordable Superfood -Harper, October 2014- by Rob Firing, Ivy Knight and Kerry Knight)