Walnut and Basil Pesto over Pasta - photo courtesy Raphael Rodriguez

It’s no secret that San Francisco is an amazing food town. I mean, the local, sustainable, and organic movement pretty much started in Northern California years and years ago and is now just a way of life.  It’s down right inspirational, and exciting to see meet the young people upholding these ideals.  Enter Three Babes Bakeshop.  They’re a pop up pie company that not only sells their pies online and delivers throughout San Francisco, they operate out of a shipping container behind Stable Cafe in the Mission.  We caught up with the girls to learn about their signature Salted Honey Walnut Pie - a delicious concoction reminiscent of pecan pie, only better. It’s perfect, in fact. And those walnuts come from a family friend who’s ranch is not too far from San Francisco, so naturally we had to stop by the farm first to see how a walnut is grown and harvested.  But walnuts are great in savory dishes too, so once we’re back in Brooklyn, we put the walnuts to good use in a savory Walnut Basil Pesto. 

Check out the episode below, and follow along with the recipe! 

RECIPE - WALNUT BASIL PESTO

1/2 C Walnuts, shelled and toasted 

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 C Fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 C Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Lemon Zest

Juice of 1 Lemon 

1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pulse all the ingredients in the food processor until pesto consistency.  Do not over mix - the pesto should be rustic!  It’s very versatile, and is delicious as a dip, a sandwich spread, or in pasta.  In fact, this is the perfect amount of pesto for a half pound of pasta - a fast and delicious dinner for two! Double the recipe for the full pound of pasta!

This post is not the first time I have expressed my love for Guarapo, that delicious, cold, refreshing, pressed sugarcane juice.  Whenever I head down to Miami, my first stop is Latin America Market where they serve up the freshest guarapo in town - pressed to order - from local sugarcane.  It’s a Miami mainstay in an unassuming spot, but worth the trip west of downtown. Watch here to see how it’s made! 

photo courtesy eatinglocalinthetropics.blogspot.com

Despite what many people think, Cuban food is never spicy.  Instead, it’s tangy from citrus and pungent from loads of garlic.  That combination is the quintessential sabor cubano, and it comes from their signature sauce: Mojo. 

Before you make Mojo, you have to first find Sour Oranges.  They’re local to the tropics and are easily found all throughout Miami and South Florida, but you can also pick them up at Latin American supermarkets and sometimes even Whole Foods in other areas. They’re very bitter and extremely sour, but once combined with fresh garlic and smoky cumin, you have a marinade that will transport you right to Havana. Watch and learn how it’s made, and as always the recipe is below: 

CUBAN MOJO:

• 1 Cup Sour Orange Juice (seeds strained - about 5 sour oranges)*
• 10 Cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 2 TBSP olive oil 

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week, and is AMAZING on pork.  

TIP:  Try making Lechon or Cuban Roast Pork.  Get a pork shoulder 3-7 lbs and pierce it all over with a knife.  Cover the pork shoulder in the mojo and allow to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.  Roast on 220 for 8-12 hours until falling apart and tender.  Viva Cuba! 

*If you can’t find Sour Oranges (also called Bitter Oranges or Seville Oranges) you can substitute equal parts Lime and Orange Juice.  

I’m usually a vinaigrette kind of girl, but boy do I hate to waste ingredients. So whenever I have buttermilk around from baking or pancakes, I make a jar of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing to use up the rest of the carton.  And guess what? It’s almost as easy as opening up a bottle of the store-bought stuff that usually contains MSG and loads of preservatives.  Watch the video and learn how to make my version of this decadent dressing (recipe below).  And here’s a tip: marinate organic chicken breasts in the dressing for at least four hours, then grill.  You won’t be disappointed!

BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING RECIPE: 

• 1 C. Organic Buttermilk 
• 1/2 C. Sour Cream 
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard 
• pinch of salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic 
• 1 TBSP minced shallot 
• 2 TBSP fresh chives, chopped 
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped

Whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and mustard until combined.  Add the remaining ingredients,  and whisk again.  Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Serve over an iceberg wedge, bibb lettuce, garden tomatoes, or as a marinade for chicken or pork!

In New York City, pavement usually prevails.  So we were pretty surprised when we came across The Queens County Farm, a working organic farm in—you guessed it—Queens!  As we were wrapping up our shoot about pasture-raised chickens (coming soon!), our tour-guide and farmer extraordinaire Kennon Kay showed us a pretty obscure crop in season right now: Ground Cherries.  These tomatillo-esque fruits are essentially small orange berries encased in a paper-thin, lantern-shaped husk.  With the flavor profile of a cherry mixed with a tomato, these berries work great in both savory and sweet dishes. Check out our video below, and the next time you head to the market, don’t be afraid to grab some ground cherries!    

We had such a great time filming the first season of Hungry in Brooklyn. Looking forward to embarking on Season 2, but in the meantime, here is the first recipe from our season finale, HiB: Dinner for Two. This Bacon and Potato Leek Soup is hearty yet elegant - the perfect first course to a special dinner made with love. 

BACON AND POTATO LEEK SOUP

• 1/3 lb thick-cut bacon
• 1 large leek, sliced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs organic yukon gold potatoes, large dice
• 5 cups chicken stock 
• 8 ounces creme fraiche or sour cream 

Chop the bacon and saute in a large pot over medium low heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan for sautéing.  Add the leek, shallots, and garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and the chicken stock, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes have softened.  When the potatoes are soft, blend the soup with an immersion blender (or a food processor/blender in batches).  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Add the bacon back to the pot and stir in the 8 ounces of creme fraiche. Taste, season, serve, and devour :) 

I love butter. I REALLY love butter. I love it melted, whipped, clarified, or cold.  But then a few years back when I came across Beurre Monté in Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook, I realized this was perhaps the perfect application of butter.  You see, Beurre Monté is melted butter that remains emulsified.  Once butter reaches about 160 degrees, it separates into the milk solids and the fat (that fat is how you get clarified butter).  But using this simple technique, you can melt the butter and keep it heated up to 190 degrees without that separation occurring, resulting in a silky-smooth butter sauce that’s both gorgeous and delicious.  What does Thomas Keller use Beurre Monté for? Poaching lobster of course. Ah the decadence.  I would expect nothing less.