The Pleasure of Tea Seed Oil

When I visited the new Leaf & Kettle in Del Mar to see what the former owner of Halcyon Tea in South Park had created, I had no idea that not only would I be taking home my favorite sencha variety of tea, but also a bottle of culinary oil made from a plant is related to the one that is the source of tea leaves.

Tea seed oil derives from a small tree called Camellia oleifera. As such, it's also known as camellia oil. The tree is widely cultivated in China and its seeds are cold pressed to produce an oil that has a sweet, nutty flavor with a high smoke point.

The variety I found at Leaf & Kettle is produced by a California company called Arette. They have three basic varieties: an original, slightly pale version, a "Natural flavor" version, and one with "enhanced green tea aroma." Then there are several flavor-infused oils, with sundried tomatoes, chili pepper, basil and garlic oil; one with rosemary and sencha green tea, and a third with garlic oil and black pepper--all  of which Leaf & Kettle carry.

I tasted the two unflavored oils Leaf & Kettle sell. Both are lovely and a little understated. The original is quite neutral and perfect for when you just want the benefits of cooking oil, but don't want to add additional flavors. I was more taken by the "Natural" flavor, which had nuttier, more pronounced tones to it, not unlike a good mellow olive oil. That's the one I bought and have been enjoying. It works beautifully incorporated in a vinaigrette, used to sauté fish and other seafood, and at high heat to stir fry vegetables.

If you're looking for a way to make some little changes in your diet, tea seed oil is a good one, given that it has no cholesterol and is high in vitamin E.

Leaf & Kettle is located in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center at 12925 El Camino Real, Suite AA4.


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Homemade Applesauce with Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Brown Butter

Most of us know applesauce as something mild and nondescript to be spooned out of a bottle--or, if you're a kid, from a little plastic container in your school lunch bag. Me? I associate it with pork chops and potato latkes. I know. I know. But our family was never the most observant Jewish household in L.A.

If you've never attempted to make your own applesauce you should give it a try. First of all, it's ridiculously easy and tastes so much better than the jarred stuff. Second, by adding flavors you'd never have associated with so humble a dish you can elevate it into something actually memorable and irresistible. How about rosemary? Or savory? Or horseradish? Okay, how about brown butter, cardamom, or a liqueur, such as Calvados or Cointreau?

That's where I went. I had a refrigerator bin filled with a variety of traditional and heirloom apples--Caville Blancs, Golden Russets, Winesaps, Granny Smiths, Honey Crisps, and this gorgeous vibrant Hidden Rose--all of which I thought would be perfect for applesauce.

The Hidden Rose variety is grown at Dragon Berry Farm in Oregon and sold in San Diego at Specialty Produce.

What better dish to make on a chilly stormy Sunday when comfort food was on my mind. The result was a smooth, rich, even complex sauce I can't stop lapping up.

The basics are, well, pretty basic. If you have a food mill, you don't even have to peel the apples, just quarter and core them, and chop into one-inch pieces.

Toss into a large heavy pot, add water, some cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, brown sugar, and a dash of the liqueur. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the apples are soft and mushy.

You'll have sugary leftover liquid, which you can toss--or find a way to use, perhaps boil down to a syrup. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Then use a slotted spoon to move the solids little by little into the food mill and grind away into a bowl. No food mill? Peel the apples, follow the other directions, and when they're all cooked, put them in a food processor. Brown the butter and swirl it into the mixture. Before you know it, you'll have a stunning bowl of soulful applesauce. Eat it warm, add it to muffins or cakes. You can even freeze it for eating or baking with later.

Cardamom and Brown Butter Applesauce
Makes about six servings
(printable recipe)

3 pounds mixed variety of apples, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons Calvados or Cointreau (optional)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 sticks cinnamon
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoons butter

Combine all ingredients except the butter in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring periodically. Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering (and stirring once in a while) until the apples turn soft and mushy--about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool. Remove the cinnamon sticks. While the applesauce cools, make the brown butter by heating the butter in a small saucepan or skillet on low to medium heat until the butter turns a soft brown--about three minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a large slotted spoon, scoop some of the apples into the food mill, set over a large mixing bowl. Turn the handle on the mill and work the apples through the mill, periodically scraping the sides to move the apples down to the blade and scraping the underside of the mill to get all the applesauce into the bowl. Continue scooping apples into the food mill and pureeing them until the pot is empty. Add the brown butter and mix well.

Applesauce can be frozen.

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Homemade Mustard Stocking Stuffers

I love making condiments, but have always been resistant for some reason to trying my hand with mustard. I grew up with the bright yellow stuff of French's. Not that it did anything for me, but it was the mustard du jour of the 60s. And, of course, there was the classic spicy deli mustard, Ba-Tampte, which was perfect for salami sandwiches, Hebrew National hotdogs and knockwurst, and corned beef and pastrami. Then in the late 80s, there were the inimitable commercials for Grey Poupon. You know, the ones with the two hoity-toity men in their Rolls Royces ever so politely exchanging those rounded glass jars. Mustard became aspirational. Became lifestyle. And within a decade or so emerged new artisinal trends, and soon we had all sorts of flavored mustards--made with raspberry and chilis and honey and garlic--and whatever anyone could think of.

Enter my friends at SoNo Trading Company--Zach Negin and James Magnatta--who launched their company a few years ago, initially selling their luscious flavor-packed mustards at several farmers markets. Now they've eschewed the farmers markets for distribution at places like Whole Foods, Dean & Deluca, Venissimo, and others, narrowing their flavors to three favorites: Whole Grain, Champagne Garlic, and Hong Kong Habanero. They're fabulous. And, the guys are also great teachers. Recently, Zach, who now lives in L.A. and teaches at the Institute of Domestic Technology, spent an evening with my Les Dames d'Escoffier chapter at The Wild Thyme Company, teaching us the secrets and techniques to making both mustard and lacto-fermented ketchup. The class was a blast and turned all of us into mustard- and ketchup-making fiends. Including me.

Around the large grouping of tables were bottles, jars, and containers of all sorts of potential flavorings--molasses, kona coffee, pomegranate syrup, citrus zest, nutmeg, allspice, and even grapefruit bitters. We learned from Zach that Canada is the biggest exporter of mustard seeds and that the easy little secret to Chinese mustard is blending ground mustard (like Coleman's) with a little water. Water brings out the heat, says Zach.

We toyed around with both yellow and brown seeds before getting started with some that Zach already pre-soaked.

The process itself is quite simple--but you can easily get into trouble. You have a proportion of liquid to solids--1 1/2 cups mustard seeds to 20 ounces of liquid. That's not the issue. It's all those flavor choices. Do horseradish and citrus zest really work well together? Maybe. Maybe not. Did we have too heavy a hand with the nutmeg? Did we get carried away and use too many flavorings and muddy the results? In other words, sure, be daring, but be also be respectful of the power of the flavors and combinations you choose. You could have a real winner or something your gift recipients will spit out.

Flor Franco and Maria Gomez mixing up their mustard flavors

So, back to the process. Essentially, you'll measure out your basics--mustard seeds and liquid--along with salt, and other flavorings. They'll soak in a nonreactive mixing bowl at room temperature for a few days to soften the seeds and meld the flavors. Then you grind it all together, transfer to a jar and cover. That's it. You'll want to keep open jars refrigerated.

Marie Kelley with her just-ground mustard.

And my selected flavorings? I went with honey, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Kona coffee, and chipotle powder. Delicious!

Below is Zach's recipe. He's got a lovely flavor profile here with what I'd call baking ingredients. Use those or sub out your own. And, the beer is a great addition, but you can just as readily use water, wine, or fruit juice if you like.


Zach Negin's Homemade Mustard
(printable recipe)
Makes 2, 6-ounce jars

12 ounce bottle of Guinness Extra Stout (or wine, juice, water...)
1 1/2 cups mustard seeds (10 ounces), brown or yellow
1 cup red wine vinegar (or sherry, infused vinegar, apple cider vinegar -- not distilled)
2 1/2 ounces brewed espresso or 8 grams finely ground espresso beans
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Combine ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for two to four days so that the mustard seeds soften and the flavors meld.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process. Or grind by hand with a mortar and pestle. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about three minutes. Transfer to a jar and cover.
3. Refrigerate overnight and use immediately or refrigerate for up to six months. (The flavor of the mustard will mellow as the condiment ages.)

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The Ultimate Adult Holiday Milkshakes

Three adult shakes: (l to r) Chocolate Cherry Pinot Noir, Egg Nog, and Dulce de Leche

One of my favorite holiday treats is eggnog. But I know there are so many people who cringe at the thought of it. So, when I learned that The Counter, the custom-built burger chain, makes "adult" milkshakes, including shakes with wine or with eggnog flavoring, I had to learn more and find out how they do it. Really, wouldn't these be fun to serve at holiday parties?

So, last week I had a mini milkshake seminar with Casey Bushrod, a supervisor and counter server at the downtown restaurant on 6th at G. Casey made me three shakes--and gave me the recipes.

The shakes are simple. No surprise there. And they open themselves up to riffing. So, use these recipes as your template and have fun. And, remember, that the suggested alcohol--both in content and amount--is just that. A suggestion. No alcohol? No problem. A little more or less? Sure, just make sure you keep the ingredients proportional. And, to make the blending easier, let the ice cream soften just a little.

Let's start with the Egg Nog. If you love traditional egg nog, you'll adore this chilly adaptation. You can certainly have a "virgin" version, but the spiced rum adds even more richness to the drink, and a real warmth inside your soul.

Egg Nog Milkshake
Makes 1, 20-ounce shake

12.5 ounces vanilla ice cream
1 cup egg nog
1/2 teaspoon egg nog spice mix or pumpkin pie spice mix (or ground cinnamon)
Whipped cream

If you're adding alcohol, the proportions change:
10 ounces vanilla ice cream
1 cup egg nog
2 ounces spiced rum, like Sailor Jerry

Add all the ingredients but the spice mix and whipped cream to a blender and blend until thoroughly combined. Pour into a 20-ounce glass tumbler. Dispense the whipped cream in a spiral motion. Sprinkle the spice mix onto the whipped cream.

Next up, Dulce de Leche. This creamy, caramel-ly drink is actually rather soothing--no doubt helped by the Baileys. It goes down like a dream.

Dulce de Leche Milkshake
Makes 1, 16-ounce shake

10 ounces vanilla ice cream
2 ounces Baileys Caramel Irish Cream
1 ounce caramel
2 ounces whipped cream

Add the ice cream, Irish Cream, and caramel to the blender and blend until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into a 16-ounce glass. Pipe with whipped cream and drizzle on more caramel.

And, finally, a stunner of a shake, the Chocolate Cherry Pinot Noir. I actually had this earlier at The Counter with a burger and fries. My friend Trish and I had just little tasters and it was all we could do not to down the tasters in one gulp and then ask for more. It's like the ultimate black cherry soda only a huge leap better. Who knew wine could be so perfect an ingredient in a shake? Surprise your friends with this one.

Chocolate Cherry Pinot Noir Milkshake
Makes 1, 16-ounce shake

8 ounces vanilla ice cream
3 ounces Pinot Noir
2 ounces cherry pie filling (although you can also mash maraschino cherries)
1 ounce U-Bet chocolate syrup
4 ounces whipped cream

Add ice cream, wine, cherries, and chocolate to a blender pitcher and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour into a 16-ounce glass and garnish with whipped cream spiral. Top with a Maraschino cherry.

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Smokey Turkey Chile

Comfort food comes in many forms. For some of us it's Mom's chicken noodle soup or mashed potatoes. For others it's roast chicken or mac 'n cheese or chocolate layer cake. For me, at this time of year, comfort comes cradled in a bowl. It could be mushroom barley soup, Hatch chile pork stew, or a batch of turkey chile. Last weekend, I opted for the turkey chile.

This turkey chile is a descendant of a lovely red chile stew created by Alice Robertson of Alice Q. Foodie. I had made some changes to Alice's recipe, as we all tend to do with recipes we love to make them our own. Instead of cubed beef and pork I used ground and then segued to lean ground turkey and eliminated the beer (that whole weight loss thing, remember?), also adding the fresh Hatch chiles I buy annually to roast and freeze, or canned chipotles in adobo.

What I was looking for was a subtle smokiness that both add that could compensate for the flavors lost by eliminating the richer meats and the beer. But what was most compelling about Alice's recipe actually was the spice mixture and that I've pretty much kept intact. The cocoa powder and cinnamon give a lush depth to the chile and there's that smokiness again with the New Mexico (or Chimayo) chili powder.

This is a distinctive regional chili I fell in love with many years ago while visiting Santa Fe one November. In fact, one morning I drove over to the little village of Chimayo just outside of Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains where the chili is grown, and was mesmerized by the sweet, smoky scent that permeates the region when the farmers roast the harvested chilis in their clay ovens. I also took a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking that week. They sell a line of regional food products, including this rare Chimayo chili powder and New Mexico red chili powder, both of which I continue to purchase and recommend.

The tomatoes also make a difference in the chile's flavor and texture, and this time of year using canned tomatoes is preferable to fresh. I like to use the Muir Glen organic fire-roasted tomatoes to get an even bigger bang of flavor. Use both crushed and diced to mix up the textures.

The chile freezes well. This recipe makes about four servings, but you can easily double it and put some away for a rainy night when you don't feel like cooking.

Turkey Chile
Adapted from Alice Q. Foodie's Red Chile Stew
(printable recipe)
Serves 4

Spice Mixture:
1 tablespoon medium heat Chimayo or New Mexico red chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Chile:
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 - 4 peeled and seeded roasted Hatch chiles or 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
3/4 cup water
1, 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1, 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can pinto, black, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Mix together the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, cinnamon, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large pot and add the oil. Then add the onion and garlic, and saute until soft. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Let it brown and then add the spice mixture. Stir to coat until the spices are fully incorporated. Saute for about two minutes.

Add the chopped chiles, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for two hours. Add the beans and simmer for another hour, covered, so the flavors intensify. Stir periodically and add a little more liquid if necessary to keep the consistency as you want it.

Take the pot off the heat and adjust the seasonings to taste. You can serve it now, but it will be even better the next day so, if possible, let cool and refrigerate for a day or two. Remove the fat from the top and discard, then reheat. You can serve the chile with corn tortillas or cornbread, or over chopped lettuce. Top with chopped red onions and sour cream, or shredded cheddar cheese, or crumbled queso fresca. Now you have comfort in a bowl.

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Return to Victoria: A Confab Christmas Dinner

Craving a little tradition for Christmas, even if it isn't your own? For us former English majors, there's nothing as captivating as a savory description of a well-laid holiday repast--a table groaning from the strain of supporting a bulging  joint of beef, sumptuous pudding, quivering aspics, and anything with thick, fluffy mounds of cream. From Chaucer to Austen, Dickens to Woolf and beyond, English authors have known how to transform the basic annual Christmas meal into memorable culinary repasts.

Then there's real life. In San Diego. In 2012. But English expat Andrew Spurgin and his merry band of Confabularie will bring that style of sumptuous holiday dining on paper alive--in their unique way. On Sunday, Dec. 16, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Cafe Chloe's sister space, Oliver & Rose, Cooks Confab, with its extraordinary assortment of chefs and mixologists from around San Diego, will take us back to the days of Victoria and Albert--adding a bit of a French twist--and offer a Christmas meal that marries British tradition with Escoffier. Guests are even asked to arrive dressed to the nines in dinner attire, period dress, or even Steampunk-inspired ensemble. And, don't forget a Teddy Bear or some other new unwrapped plush toy that the Confab will be donating to children in need for the holidays.

"We're going to whisk you away to a forgotten era," Spurgin says. This is the style of food in which he finds great romance and he's long been fixated on even the most esoteric of traditions, like "port-iquette." For instance, Spurgin says, according to British naval custom, a decanter of port is placed in front of the host, who then serves the guest to his right, then passes the decanter to the guest of the left (port-side), at which point the port is passed to the left all the way back to the host. If the decanter doesn't make it all the way back, it's impolite to ask for it directly. Instead the host asks the guest closest to the decanter if his knows the bishop of Norwich or any other English village. This should get the decanter moving again. However, if the offender answers, "No," the response is that "the bishop is an awfully good fellow, but he never passes the port!" Even the most oblivious guest should realize then that he's hogging the decanter and will send it on its way.

Now, the menu is too long to list (mostly because I have a recipe to share with you below), but suffice to say that terrines, aspics, mince meats, Welch rarebit, rolling carvery, Yorkshire pudding, Christmas pudding, Stilton cheese--and port-- will all be involved. (There will also be a sixpence hidden in one of the puddings that will bring both good luck and a gift certificate for dinner for two.)

Surely, following dinner you'll be inspired to prepare at least one traditional English dish for your loved ones. Spurgin gave me his recipe for Yorkshire Pudding to share:

Andrew Spurgin's Yorkshire Pudding
(printable recipe here)
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 cup whole organic milk
1 cup hens eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted twice
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup turkey drippings

1. Drain off turkey drippings and strain through a fine strainer. If cooking a beef roast do the same. If you have no drippings, use duck fat, bacon fat, lard, or butter.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. With a mixer, beat the eggs into the milk and salt. Sieve the flour into the custard and get rid of any lumps. Let rest for an hour at room temperature. Pour through a strainer and stir in the rosemary.
4. Heat a 12-count muffin or pop-over pan in the oven until very hot.
5. Heat the fat if it's not liquid. Mix the cold water into the custard. Add about a teaspoon of fat into each muffin cup. It should be smoking.
6. Give the custard one quick stir, then immediately fill each muffin cup 1/3 full with the custard and pop it into the oven. Do not open the oven until they're fully cooked.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and serve immediately, sopping up with lots of lovely gravy.


Tickets for Cooks Confab Christmas Dinner are $175 with a percentage of the proceeds going, as always, to Slow Food Urban San Diego. You can purchase tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. Oliver & Rose is located at 726 Ninth Ave. in downtown San Diego.


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My Top 10 Online Thanksgiving Resources

I know. You're frantically scurrying around town to pick up all the ingredients and other supplies for your Thanksgiving extravaganza. But, how are you set for how you'll actually prepare your spread? We all know that Butterball has its inimitable hotline (800-288-8372) for freaked out turkey cooks, but where else can you turn for great recipes, advice, or inspiration. Well, here are my top 10 picks:

• The Splendid Table: I adore Lynne Rossetto Kasper and her weekly radio show. But don't miss out on her website, which has all sorts of great advice and recipes focused on Thanksgiving this week. If you need a turkey carving primer, it's there. A change of pace for cranberries? How about a Cranberry Port Gelee? 
• Gourmet.com: Yes, gourmet.com is an endless source for anything about food, but this specific page turned me around when it came to roasting turkey. Go with high heat. Here, this archived and priceless advice from Kemp Minifie explains how the Gourmet test kitchen tried every possible roasting scenario and returned to this method. Plus. there's advice on how to select a turkey and how to prep it.
• The California Cook: This is renowned food writer Russ Parsons' LA Times column. This particular link, though, is utterly charming as he recounts his mother's relationship with her Thanksgiving cranberries. It's something many of us of a certain age will relate to. But, of course, click on the link for the recipe. Too many people are intimidated by the idea of making cranberry relish, but it couldn't be easier--or more tasty than the canned.
• Food52: Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs have done a brilliant job of pulling in home cooks and curating recipes. But it goes way beyond that. Witness this wonderful, much needed piece on 5 Thanksgiving Disasters and How to Fix Them. Dry turkey? No problem. Yikes, you forgot to defrost it and it's Thanksgiving morning? There's a workaround here. Also, you must watch Amanda and Merrill making a Brown Butter and Cheddar Apple Pie with Dorie Greenspan.
• Zester Daily: If you love to read about food and you haven't discovered Zester Daily, give this roundup of their Thanksgiving stories a look. Zester Daily's writers are food culture junkies dedicated to their craft, many with name recognition like Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Here you'll find her pumpkin risotto, but you'll also discover Martha Rose Shulman's turnips and Louisa Kasdan's examination on to brine or not to brine the big bird.
• Dorie Greenspan: Dorie is one of America's finest bakers. Take a look at this gorgeous Cranberry Crackle Tart she developed for Thanksgiving, and then scan the site for inspiration for other sweets.
• Dessertier: This is Michele Coulon of Michele Coulon Dessertier's peripatetic blog. She doesn't blog much, but it's always worth a look. Last year, she did a three-part post on making pumpkin pie, including homemade pumpkin puree. It's worth the effort and Michele does a beautiful job explaining the process. If you're more of an apple pie fan, take a look at the fun we had making apple pie last year. This is the pie I make for my family and friends.

• Nourish Network: Lia Huber's innovative site that focuses on a nourishing, eco-conscious approach to food has a terrific Thanksgiving page with features that speak to the issues you'll face before, during, and after the feast, including testing your leaveners before baking, wine pairing, and dealing with leftovers.
• Punk Domestics: This site, created by Sean Timberlake, is dedicated the art and culture of preserving. I did a quick site search on Thanksgiving and it popped up with all sorts of creative ideas, including Cranberry Conserve with Apples and Pecans, Apple Sauerkraut au Gratin, and Pumpkin Pie-Infused Liquor.
• The New York Times Dining & Wine Section: I know, how original, huh? But where else can you get the wisdom of Bittman, Clark, Asimov, and Fabricant in one place? This special Thanksgiving section offers Jacques Pepin's Steam Powered Turkey, Melissa Clark's Breakfast Muffins, and even a "Thanksgiving-erator" quiz to help you plan your menu. 

That's it! Enjoy your meal, but more than that, enjoy the people you're with and the memories of loved ones who may no longer be with you (that's my Nana and Poppa up at the top--and while I miss them terribly, I love all this photo represents).

Happy Thanksgiving!

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