http://www.almostachef.com a journal of sorts Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:59:19 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en   There has been warning for the past few days that the first frost was going to happen soon. Yesterday, I harvested this last crop of baby tomatoes (it feels like a crime to pick unripened heirlooms) just in time for last night’s short freeze. Frying these tomatoes was the ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/09/fried-green-tomatoes/ One of my biggest pet peeves is to visit a blog, only to find it hasn’t been updated in ages. I have become my own pet peeve. Excuse the fact that my writing has been on hiatus, as I have sort of been the same. I am spending the summer ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/07/161/ I recently had the opportunity to have a private tour and sampling at Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills, by Madame Chocolat herself, Hasty Torres (yes, she is the wife of famed chocolatier Jacques Torres). The boutique doesn’t scream from the sidewalk, but once you are inside, you’re completely ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/05/madame-chocolat-beverly-hills/ A mixed bag of plain and spinach garganelli from Emilia-Romagna had been patiently waiting in my cupboard for the perfect application. Nothing rich and saucy came along, so instead, I decided to try it with this basic lemon and oil preparation. Garganelli (which, not very appetizingly, translates to “small esophagus”) is ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/05/lemon-garganelli/ The redundancy of “simple green salad” seems to be unavoidable, but as the seasons change, there is an endless possibility of salads that can manage to be interesting and still very simple. This is a good example; Bibb lettuce dressed with supremed Ruby Red grapefruit, blood orange, shaved jicama, and ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/04/bibb-lettuce-and-citrus-salad/ If you aren’t familiar with this particular variety, the Romanesco, a chartreuse, conical cauliflower, almost looks unreal. It is striking in beauty, and has an interesting story as well. The physical attributes are precisely explained on the Rungis website: “Its shape is a perfect illustration of the mathematical principle ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/04/romanesco-cauliflower/ Citrus at Social Hollywood is the venture of restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow and acclaimed chef Michel Richard. It is housed alongside Chodorow’s Social Hollywood at the historically significant Hollywood Athletic Club. There is a lot of political discussion regarding Chodorow’s reputation in the industry, but it is easy to ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/03/citrus-at-social-hollywood/ Here is an elegant dessert that relies on its own simplicity, any extra complication would distract from the simple flavor combination. This is also a good alternative to the typical wine poached pear, here the focus is on the pear, not overdone, and cleanly flavored. It’s important to not overcook ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/03/baked-pears-in-vanilla-syrup-with-sliced-fig/ Did you know the name Farfalle (that most of us know as bow-tie pasta) comes from the Italian word farfalla, for butterfly? The addition of fennel, which relaxes into a mellow, sweet flavor when cooked, really makes this dish (delicious hot or chilled) unique. The almond pesto adds textural interest ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/02/farfalle-with-almond-pesto-zucchini-and-fennel/ It’s been unusually cold and rainy in Southern California lately and this pureed soup is really comforting, even more so when you know that every ingredient is good for you. I’m always impressed with chowdery soups that manage to not contain any cream (Le Pain Quotidien is an expert). This ... http://www.almostachef.com/2008/01/pureed-broccoli-soup/