This is the 4th iteration of this very popular festival and definitely worth attending.  Complete details are at www.artisancheesefestival.com. Among the highlights for me are an amazing Barn Party on Friday, March 26th and a really fun stroll around dinner on Saturday, March 27th.  Eight great chefs are participating including:

Christian Caiazzo of Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes
T. Chris Jones of the girl and the fig in Sonoma
Lars Kronmark of The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena
Jason Denton of Jackson’s Bar and Oven in Santa Rosa
Mark Stark of Willi’s, Monti’s and Stark’s Steakhouse all in Santa Rosa
Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Zazu, Bovolo and Black Pig Meat Company in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg
Percy Whatley of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite
Jesse Llapitan of the Palace Hotel San Francisco

If that weren’t enough there is a Sweets Lounge following the dinner event with amazing sparkling and dessert wines and of course, great desserts to keep you dancing all night.  This for the amazing price of $85!

Sunday features a market place featuring cheese makers and their cheeses from the entire West Coast.  Some really great seminars are also being offered including one of my favorites, Pairing Cheese with Beer.

Hope I’ll see you there!

John Ash

Photo from It's Holly

A few more thoughts about collecting and cellaring wine:

• Wine is best kept in the dark.  While incandescent or fluorescent lights seems to have no effect over the short term, long term exposure to light can affect the quality of wine especially whites and sparkling wines.  In France a lot of work has been done on the effect of ultra violet rays on Champagne.  Apparently in certain circumstances ultraviolet can lead to the creation of hydrogen sulfide, which gives off an odor similar to rotten eggs or cabbage.  The condition is known as gout de lumiere.

• Let wine rest in the cellar, especially precious old wines, after they’ve been transported.  Active motion seems to “stir things up” and subtleties can be lost.  A fragile old beauty may need a rest of 2 or more weeks before it’s opened.

• Although attractive shelving can be beautiful in a cellar, I prefer to leave bottles in their case.  Cardboard cases are good insulators and bottles are protected even better when wrapped in newspaper.  Both of these help maintain constant temperature and keep out the light.

• Wine as an investment:  If you are serious enough to build a cellar then it means you have some interest in wines.  For a short time in my life I actually got infatuated with the idea of buying wine, holding it in my cellar for a few years and then selling it at a gigantic (I hoped) profit.  I came to realize that this isn’t why I bought wine.  I bought wine for the love of its flavors and more important my ability to share it with my friends and family.  To see it only for its commercial value demeaned why I came to it in the first place.

• Collecting more wine than I’ll ever consume:  I have finally resolved this.  I’ve given myself permission to collect as much as I can afford, never to hoard it and share it at every opportunity.  If there is some left over in my cellar when I pass on, then what a wonderful gift to my children and friends!

1. How much wine could I realistically expect to consume before it began to fade?

2. How much could I afford?  I unfortunately was becoming a bit addicted and was beginning to collect some impressive trophy wines.  As I look back now I’m not sure who exactly I was trying to impress!

3. How much space did I have to properly store the wine and what did it mean to “properly store”?

When you store wine, you need to realize that wine is a “living” thing.  Like it or not, from the moment that a wine is bottled there is a gradual, seemingly imperceptible but absolutely inevitable, change in the flavors in the wine.  Two bottles filled with the same wine and stored in the same conditions will be different over time.  In the beginning the young fruit flavors dominate but over time as these soften and diminish through the action of chemical changes (basically aging of the polymers) and sometimes bacteriological influences.  The “loss” of the primary, up-front fruit flavors will usually (but not always) be more than offset by the gain in secondary flavors and characteristics. Even with all the tools that modern science has for analysis such as gas chromatographs or ultraviolet and infrared spectrophotometers, the reasons for the flavors that develop is still not clearly understood.

The whole question of which wines to age and for how long, unfortunately is a bit of a crapshoot.  Since none of us have exactly the same preferences and tastes, YOU, in the final analysis, have to be your own judge and jury.  This means that you’ll need to monitor the progress of your wine by sampling a bottle or two over time to determine when it hits its peak for you.  Obviously this is one of the great reasons to have a cellar!  Again, a good merchant can help council you in this process and give you some time ranges to operate within.  Usually, (but not always) the best candidates for cellaring are red wines with their tannins and color (mostly anthocyanins).  As these slowly change because of the interaction with oxygen introduced at bottling time and also through a “seepage’ through the cork, red wines will soften and gradually change color from deep purple to a brick red or tawny color.

Though reds are usually the best candidates for cellaring it should be noted that some white wines would also age beautifully even though they are much lower in tannin and have no anthocyanins at all.  I can remember having old Rieslings from Germany or Vouvrays from France that when young were bright and crisp and over time softened beautifully to flavors of rich butter, toast and sherry.  Both ends of their life were wonderful but clearly different.  Sort of like all of us, I hope!

Perhaps the most important consideration in the cellaring of wine is an understanding of how the cork works.  Since it’s a natural product, (the bark of the cork tree) it will slowly allow a bit of oxygen to makes its way into the wine.  Since no two corks are the same and in fact no two necks of the bottle are exactly the same (so the cork will “seat” itself differently) these two things together will allow more or less air or oxygen to meet up with the wine.

One other thing figures in here too.  The greater the airspace between the bottom of the cork and the top of the wine (known as the ullage) will also speed up, even if slightly, the oxidation or chemical change in the wine.  Over a long time, corks will deteriorate and allow unacceptable amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine.  This is why great “museum” wines are routinely recorked after a decade or two.  The action of the cork then will have much to do with the successful life of the wine.

It must be noted here that because corks are sometimes not perfect and subject to variation (like all things in nature), a better closure for a wine bottle is actually the screw cap.  They are inert, seal better and are nearly perfect as closures.  Screw capped wines will still age due to the fact that some oxygen is stored in the wine itself when it is made, but more slowly, which isn’t a bad thing.  A number of blind tastings have been held over the years in many parts of the world and the conclusion has invariably been that screw capped wines were fresher and showed no “corky” flavors that sometimes show up in natural corked wines. So why don’t we see more screwcaps?  I suspect we will as the quality of cork comes more into question. A lot of the resistance, I think, comes from the fact that a natural cork pulled from the bottle sounds infinitely more romantic than the “pling” of a screw cap!

Given the importance of the cork then, there are at least three related components for an ideal cellar:

1.  Constant and Ambient Temperature

Having a constant temperature all year round is actually more important than the degrees.  A cellar that varies between 58 and 72 during the day is not nearly as good as one that is consistently 70 degrees.  Changes in temperature can become harmful because both the wine and the cork expand and contract allowing a greater exchange of air or oxidation.  The rule here is the lower consistent temperature the better, ideally around 56 to 58 degrees.
2.  Good Humidity

Humidity in a cellar should be in the 70 percent range.  Much lower than this and the cork begins to dry out.  In the short term, the end becomes brittle and crumbles when you try to extract it with a corkscrew.  Over the long term, with low humidity the cork will actually shrink and lose its elasticity.  As a result it becomes an imperfect seal and eventually allows more oxygen in than is desirable.  Many wine cellars use air conditioners to maintain temperature.  Unfortunately conventional refrigeration units dehumidify the air substantially.  It’s why vegetables and cheese dry out so quickly left unwrapped in your refrigerator.  It’s important then to also have a humidifier in your cellar if you are using refrigeration in order to maintain cork “health”.
3.  Still Air

Though less important than the two conditions above, air movement, especially in cellars with air conditioning units, also can have a tendency to dry out the ends of corks.  It should be noted here that any kind of movement of the bottles should be kept to a minimum.  You’ll need to be careful not to draw out your prized babies and fondle them too much.  Excess movement seems to affect the quality of the wine.  This may be the reason that wines tasted near their birthplace don’t taste the same once they’ve been shipped across an ocean.

I learned that day the most important rule about enjoying wine:  It should also be seen as FOOD.  It’s just another part of the plate of flavors in front of you, all to be enjoyed together.  It’s why I have such a problem with “wine weenies” that insist on rhapsodizing about the wine and ignoring the food.  Or, competitions in which wines are compared without bouncing them off against food.  The two are meant to be enjoyed together with neither being more important than the other, and they do change in each others company.

When I discovered how much I loved wine with my food, I began to collect like a mad man.  I got on everyone’s mailing list and went to endless tastings.  I plunged in, tried everything and kept a few notes so that I could document what it was that I liked.  One of the great tragedies I think is trying to recall a great meal with wine and because the memory fades after a while, not being able to recall the specifics.  It’s why I think the practice of keeping a daily journal is such a good practice.  It helps you recall life’s adventures more vividly, including your most memorable food and wine pairings.

Photo from geekstinkbreath

Listen to Chef John Ash as he explains the difference between real wasabi, and the not-s0-real green mound we often get with sushi.

To learn more about American grown wasabi, visit Pacific Farms in Florence, Oregon.

Enjoy!

John Ash- Wasabi

• The rise nationally of street food in every form and via every kind of conveyance:  trucks, carts, bicycles.  Examples include a Soup Cycle in Portland, Waffle Truck in San Francisco, Kogi Korean BBQ truck in Los Angeles, etc.
• DIY (do it yourself) urban farming including bee keeping, chicken raising, and more.
  

  Photo from Darrin Barry

• Wood-fired everything (followed by coal-fired) including pizzas, fish, desserts, breads, etc.
• Belgian Beers often referred to as sour beers made with wild indigenous yeasts, funky infections like brett, aged for years.  Flavors that you’ve never experienced.
• Underground Restaurants done in private spaces below the radar of health departments, tax and license agencies, etc.
• Everything Old is New Again like canning, urban hunting clubs, butchering, eating offal.
  

  Photo from Rick

• Bacon flavoring everything from chocolates to salt to ice cream.
• Food Magazines in a state of flux:  venerable Gourmet ends publication while Sandra Lee’s semi homemade is birthed.  What can this mean to the future of civilization?  One bright note:  Saveur one of the few success stories.
• Social Networking with Twitter and Face Book has gone amok:  @ ruthreichl, @ bittman, @ marthastewart
• Coffee goes to new heights with micro roasters of organic coffee like Blue Bottle in Oakland.  Also stores with high-tech machines that resemble Jules Verne space ships.
• Going Green: Organic,Local, Sustainable definitely becomes main stream driven by the success (among others) of Michael Pollan’s books.  Organic now available at Wal Mart for goodness sake!  Locally grown meats an example of consumer desire to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown and harvested.
• Formal, white tablecloth restaurants in decline in favor of informal, communal, family style spots at more affordable prices.
• Death of newspaper food critics with the rise of Yelp and Chow.  Real concerns about the slippery ethics of the former.
• Food TV explodes with Top Chef, Chopped, Next Iron Chef, Cake Boss, Gordon Ramsey Cook Along Live, even Top Chef Junior which is rumored to be offered next.
• Food Movies: Julie and Julia, The Ramen Girl, Cloudy with Chance of Meatballs.  Even the Fantastic Mr. Fox turned out to be a food movie.
• Terrior (the place where it’s grown) foods will continue to proliferate.  We’ve seen it with coffee, now chocolate, next produce and meats grown by celebrity farmers in special places around the world.
• Enough of already: Bacon in everything, recipes from on-line sources that aren’t tested/don’t work, flavored salts, Sandra Lee!

John Ash

This time of year we’re often spending more time in the kitchen and as a result more questions come up.  Here is a couple I’ve received recently that I thought I’d share with you.

What to Do If You’ve Added Too Much Salt to the Soup or Stew

OK . . . here’s the scenario: The recipe called for a teaspoon of salt but you misread it and added a whole

Photo from Nate Steiner

tablespoon.  What do you do??  Don’t despair – - you don’t have to throw the whole thing out.  To rescue an over-salted soup or stew here’s what I do:  I take a raw potato, wash it then quarter it and drop it into the soup or stew.  I don’t know exactly what goes on – - ya’ know the chemistry of it?  But somehow the potato actually
tempers the salt and makes it much less apparent.  It seems to actually absorb some of the brininess.  Be sure then to discard the potato before serving.

A couple of other things that seems to help when you’ve added too much salt are adding a bit of sugar, also adding a bit of tomato paste and finally adding a bit of fresh citrus juice like orange or lemon can all help gently reduce the salt in an overly salted soup or stew.  The first choice for me however is to grab a potato!

Buying and Storing Cheese

Photo from cwbuecheler

Storing cheese seems to be a universal problem for all of us.  Here are a few pointers:

Store cheese away from the fan.  The vegetable drawer is ideal.  Don’t use the “cheese compartment” that is built into the door of many refrigerators.  The constant temperature change that comes from opening and closing the door isn’t good for cheese.

Don’t wrap young, soft cheeses like Jack or soft ripening (bloomy rind) cheeses like Brie in plastic.  Plastic literally suffocates them.  Instead use parchment, waxed or butcher paper.

Hard cheeses like Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, which got that way because they have less moisture, should also be wrapped in breathable materials.  If however they are as dry as you like them then plastic wrap is recommended to prevent further drying.  However, remember that plastic can change flavor, so re-wrap in fresh plastic every couple of days if you have it around that long.

Fresh cheeses like Ricotta, Crème Fraiche, fresh goat cheeses and those packed in water like Mozzarella or Feta should be packed in a sealed plastic or glass containers.

Finally, don’t freeze cheese.  The results are almost always disappointing.

Photo from The Ewan

On my weekly radio show, The Good Food Hour on KSRO in Sonoma County, we recently hosted a recipe contest featuring beans.  I am amazed and thrilled about the creative entries we recieved!

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a “bean head” and find this nutritionally perfect ingredient a true joy to work with in cooking.  People have been eating beans for thousands of years, and in that time thousands of varieties have been created in every color, shape and size imaginable.

I love to use them to make a flavorful hummus, which is much healthier than mayonnaise as a spread on sandwiches or used in dips.  I also love to puree them and add them to soups for a creamy texture without all of the fat.  Of course, one of the traditional standards and a big favorite of mine is a warm pot of baked beans.  My new way to create this is in the slow cooker which is easy and gives the beans great texture.

Bean Crepes with Chorizo Sausage & Potato Filling

Below is the winning recipe for the KSRO recipe contest, created by Bill Ardizoia.  His Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise were really flavorful and shows you how a humble can of pinto beans can be transformed into a great dish.  I was also a fan of our 2nd place winner’s recipe, Bean Crepes with Chorizo Sausage and Potato Filling from Kimberley Fetzer.  Her recipe as well as all of the top picks are posted on KSRO’s website if you’d like to try them for yourself.   And take a look at some of the fun we had during the contest judging.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy beans?

Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise

Pinto Bean Cakes with Meyer Lemon Mayonnaise

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Recipe by Bill Ardizoia

1/2 cup chopped onion, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
1/2 cup bulgur
1 cup water
1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, or hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro sprigs
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper

Bread crumbs

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon juice

4 slices multi-grain bread, toasted

PREPARATION: Cook half of onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bulgur and water and cook, covered, over low heat until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in beans and soy sauce.

Pulse bulgur and bean mixture, walnuts, garlic, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining onion in a food processor until finely chopped.

Form rounded 1/2 cups of mixture into four (3-1/2-inch-diameter) patties.
Chill at least 10 minutes. While patties chill, stir together mayonnaise, zest, and juice.

Cakes can be cooked on the stove. Dredge the bean cakes in bread crumbs to form a nice crust when frying. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook cakes, carefully turning once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes total.

Serve bean cakes open-faced on toast with Meyer lemon mayonnaise and some baby greens or lettuce.

Uncooked cakes can be chilled, covered, up to 4 hours.

Photo from Aric Riley

from the traditional dishes.  I will end this series, however, with a traditional, tried and true favorite.  My Grandmother was an amazing intuitive cook, always experimenting and trying new twists on recipes. What makes this recipe interesting to me is the lightening of the typical pumpkin pie by folding in beaten egg whites. Sort of like a souffle and even when it cools it has a lovely, light texture that reminds me of her.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

MY GRANDMOTHER’S PUMPKIN PIE
Makes one 9 inch pie serving 6 – 8

My Grandmother always roasted fresh pumpkin for her pies which is better (in my opinion) than canned.  You could also substitute freshly roasted butternut squash for the pumpkin.

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) sweet butter, chilled
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
Drops of ice water as needed

Mix flour, pecans, sugar and salt together.  Cut butter into 1/4 inch bits and with a mixer quickly mix into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.  Mix in egg yolk and enough water so that dough just begins to come together.

Form into a smooth cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and fit into a 9 inch pie pan.  Pinch and flute the edges decoratively.  Chill while preparing the filling.

For the Filling:
2-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons melted sweet butter
3 large eggs, separated

Garnish:  Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, spices, cream, rum and butter together in a bowl.  Beat in egg yolks.

Separately beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.  Carefully fold into pumpkin mixture and pour into prepared shell.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until center is set and puffed.  As pie cools it will deflate somewhat.  Serve at room temperature garnished with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving!

FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH WITH TANGERINE AND MINT

Photo from vieux bandit

This fresh, uncooked relish is excellent with roast turkey and also ham, pork, and game.  Try it with smoked meats and sausages too!

12 ounces (3 heaping cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
2 unpeeled mandarins or tangerines, scrubbed
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1-1/4 cups sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 – 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/2 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnuts (optional)

Wash and pick over the cranberries.  Cut the tangerines into eighths, peel and all, and remove and discard any seeds.  Place all of the ingredients (except walnuts) in a food processor and chop relatively finely in short bursts.  Be careful not to over process, you still want some texture.  Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired. Stir in walnuts just before serving, if using.  Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Can also be frozen.

PERFECT MASHED POTATOES
It would seem that nothing could be simpler than mashed potatoes.  They are simple, but here are a few basics that will help make sure yours are the best:

Photo from Vic Lic

1.    Pick the right potato!  Russets from Idaho and Washington are the standard.  My favorite are Yukon Golds which have a thin skin but starchy meat which is what you need for good mashed potatoes.  Don’t use new potatoes (red or white) or fingerlings.  Because of their texture and water content these are great for steaming, boiling and frying but not for mashing.

2.    I like to cook potatoes whole with the skin on so they don’t absorb so much water.  As soon as they are tender, immediately drain and then peel as soon after as you can handle without burning yourself.

3.    My favorite tool for mashing is the food mill, which yields a nice texture.  Second choice would be a potato ricer that looks like a giant garlic press and after that the good old hand masher.  If using a mill or ricer, press the potatoes right back into the pan over low heat and stir to evaporate any excess moisture.  If using a hand masher then drain potatoes well and mash them in the pan over low heat.  Never, never use a food processor!  It’s too powerful and will quickly turn the potatoes to glue.

4.    Stir in seasonings and serve mashed potatoes as soon as possible.  If you’re adding milk or cream, heat it in order to keep the potatoes warm.  Some great restaurants actually make mashed potatoes to order because they feel they lose subtle flavors even sitting just a short time.

5.    If you need to hold mashers for a while, do it via the double boiler method, that is with a stainless or glass bowl over barely simmering water. Don’t cover with plastic or foil.  This creates condensation that drips back into the potatoes making them soggy and creating off flavors.

STORING POTATOES
How potatoes are stored also makes a big difference in the final product.  Make sure you store potatoes in a dark, well-ventilated space. Stored in the light they will sprout and turn green which for some can cause a toxic reaction. You can cut out and discard the green but the flavor will still be affected.  Cool room temperature (around 60 degrees) is best.  Don’t refrigerate mashing potatoes, especially russets.  Refrigeration causes the potatoes to convert their starch to sugar, softens them and they lose their potato flavor.  Finally potatoes are sensitive to ethylene gas.  Many fruits (like apples, melons and tomatoes) naturally give off ethylene, which is an odorless, colorless gas that promotes ripening resulting in sprouting and deterioration of the potato.  Keep them separate!

Here’s a mashed potato recipe my Grandmother used to make for special occasions.

MASHED POTATOES AND PARSNIPS WITH CRISP BACON AND ONIONS

Serves 4 – 6

1 pound peeled Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 pound peeled parsnips, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons or more crème fraiche or sour cream
Cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound bacon, crisply fried, drained and chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and floured and then deep-fried till crisp and golden
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Add potatoes and parsnips to a saucepan with lightly salted water to cover.  Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and return to pan over low heat to dry them out.  Mash adding butter, crème fraiche, drops of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately topped with bacon, onions and chopped chives.