WINTER WARMER - Nani Connie's PERFECT MINESTRONE SOUP

I will be away for a winter's sojourn - dog mushing in northern Minnesota. Back on Monday the 8th of Febuary when I'll blog about my experiences with fine foods in sub-zero temperatures and I'll post some pictures of how I got on with the huskies and other natives up there.

In the mean time, if the thought of minus 5 fahrenheit gives you a chill, try the recipe below to warm yourself through again in a most delectable way! See you all in Feb.

Darren




















Serves 6

3 Large red onions, chopped
4 Celery ribs, chopped
2 Large carrots, chopped
1/3 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
Large handful of Swiss chard
1/2 lb Trimmed french beans
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb Fresh vine tomatoes
2 tbls Tomato puree
1/2 lb Fresh peas
1/2 lb Fresh corn kernels
1/4 lb Shell-shaped pasta
7-8 Cups hot water
3 Cups coarsely chopped Savoy cabbage
1 Large piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
1/2 lb Choice of beans - borlotti, kidney and lima work well (if time is short use tinned beans)
Serve with extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling, small and extra, fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Stir-fry french/string beans, onions, celery and carrots in oil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing the chard.

Remove stems from the chard and chop them coarsely, reserving the leaves. Stir chard stems and (pre-soaked for 1 hr) borlotti beans into sauteed vegetable mixture with garlic, 1 tsp sea salt and 3/4 tsp pepper and continue simmering vegetables until they start to become tender, about 30-35 minutes.

In a separate pan fry fresh tomatoes for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato paste, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about another 2 minutes. Stir paste and tomatoes into vegetables and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add cups of hot water.

Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage and Parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.

Now chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with the shell pasta, corn and fresh peas. Simmer, partially covered for about 12-15 minutes.

Discard rind. Season soup with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

The best thing about this classic Italian dish is that it will keep for days in the fridge and will taste better after each re-heat. If you are meat-stock mad, you can always fry in some chopped pancetta in the early stages but I prefer it as a vegetarian dish.

Serve with a hot thick slice of country rustic or sourdough bread melting with butter or drizzled with sea salt and finest olive oil.

MAGIC BEANS

Heirloom bean - the name almost conjures up succession to a throne. Rightly so, I'd say, because compared to lesser beans, the heirloom varieties reign supreme, bursting with taste and texture.

Beans are a super food, so nutritious and crammed with spadefuls of fibre, they are also naturally low in cholesterol. Get yourselves down to a farmer's market and take your time to enjoy the multitude of colours and varieties of heirloom bean.

They knock spots off (no pun intended) your average supermarket can of beans and package of dry beans deriving from industrialised agriculture. So whether you opt for Black Calypso, Borlotti, Cellini or one of the many other types of heirlooms, you will find they are good enough to take centre stage in a recipe and do not require a huge amount of seasoning.

As Thomas Keller of the French Laundry writes in Steve Sando's great book on heirloom: "It is no surprise that we feature lots of varieties of beans on our menu - they are one of those comfort foods that evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia."

If heirloom or fava or marrow beans have not become a staple in your week-to-week habits, you're missing out, so go easier on the potatoes and wheat and try the following two recipes.

Remember to ask the vendor how old the beans are. Look for beans that are younger than 2 years old. If they are older, give them a good soaking for 3 hours then simmer gently for 1-1.5 hrs until they soften. If they are younger they may take up to 3 hours. Do not add sugar, spices or salt until they have softened otherwise you will impair the true flavour of the bean.

You can purchase my favourite beans from The Rancho Gordo Store on line at http://www.ranchogordo.com/

Darren's Vegetarian Chili
Serves six hungry people
1 1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin oil
1 Large red onion, diced
4 Green onion stalks, minced
1 Large zucchini, diced
2 Bell peppers (vary the colour and cut them into julienne strips
1 Clove garlic finely chopped or 1 tsp minced garlic
Fresh corn niblets carefully sliced off cob drizzled with 1 tsp of fresh butter
1 Chipotle pepper finely diced
1 Fresh green chili (de-seeded if you don't want too spicy)
1 tsp Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins) sauce
1 lb Soaked and cooked yellow-eye beans
1 lb Soaked and cooked black valentine beans
1 lb Diced fresh vine tomatoes
1 cup Fresh boiled garbanzos
Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves
1 tsp Mediterranean coarse salt

Method
1. In a large, deep saucepan, sauté onions (both kinds), peppers, garlic and zucchini on medium heat.
2. When most of the liquid has evaporated, introduce the corn niblets chipotle pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in tomatoes and all beans. Bring temperature up to medium-high for 2-3 mins.
4. Turn down to low and simmer lightly for 1 hour.
5. If using, stir in cilantro right before serving with Worcesershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
6. If cheese is your meat, you might want to sprinkle either crumbled roquefort or grated habanero jack on top of chilli.
7. Serve with fresh sourdough bread with creamed butter.


Senate Bean Soup

Serves 4
























1/2 lb Fresh Yellow Eye Beans
1.5 lb Ham hock
7 Cups water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Large organic carrot
1/2 Yellow onion
4 Organic celery stalks with leaves
2 Garlic cloves
1/4 Cup chopped parsley
Sea Salt and coarse pepper

Method
In a soup pot, combine the beans, ham hock and water and bay leaf. Bring to the boil for couple of minutes.
Reduce heat to low and start to simmer until the heirloom beans begin to soften - perhaps 55-60minutes.
Meanwhile saute onions for one minute, then add chopped celery and parsley. Saute for one minute more.

Add onion, celery and garlic, carrot and parsley to main pot for 50-55 mins.
Continue to simmer for another 45-50 mins on very low heat, check every 15 mins and look for softening of bean skin and tenderising of ham hock so it almost falls off the bone. ENJOY...

DARREN'S TOP TEN BEEF CUTS

1. Filet Mignon:
The most tender and most expensive piece of meat, the Filet Mignon is taken from the tenderloin. The tenderloin itself can be sold whole in its entirety or the small forward end of the tenderloin can be cut separatly and is then known as the Filet Mignon. The word Mignon means small in French. However, American butchers tend to call all cuts from the tenderloin Filet Mignon, so one must be careful when purchasing.

2. Porterhouse Steak:
So-named after it was first served in the drinking houses where porter ale and stout were enjoyed. A large, flavourful steak cut from the rear of the short loin, nearest the sirloin. Porterhouse Steak is fine-grained with a characteristic portion of fat, it is usually cut from 1 1/2" to 3" thick. The tenderloin portion, which is the smaller sized meat inside the bone, can be removed and served separately as a Filet Mignon. When the Filet Mignon is removed from a Porterhouse Steak, the Porterhouse should be called a New York Steak or boneless Club Steak. If the bone remains in, it may then be called a Shell Steak. Naming often varies in differnt regions of the world, which can cause confusion. Best seared in a pan or grilled over flame.

3. T-Bone Steak:
This steak is easily identified by its T-shape bone. It comes from the center section of the short loin, between the Porterhouse and Club Steak. Similar to the Porterhouse, but with a smaller section of tenderloin and a smaller tail. It has a fine-grained outer shell. Should be cut from 1 to 3 inches thick. Pan searing is the best cooking method; broiling and slow cooking for thinner cuts.

4. Strip Steak:
Strip Steak is cut from the short loin before any other steaks are removed. It is also called a Top Loin Steak, New York Sirloin Steak or Kansas City Steak. A whole Strip Steak can be grilled, fried or broiled and then cut into individual portions or covered with pastry and baked, as in savory Beef Wellington. These steaks are tasty and expensive.

5. Sirloin Steak:
The Sirloin is a large steak, which makes it suitable for families or big occasions. Ideal for cooking when cut 2" to 3" thick, with a small amount of bone. They can vary in shape and come in pin-bone or hip-bone, flat-bone, and round-bone varieties; the bone adds flavor to the meat. If you broiled in the oven or barbecued on the summer grill you are likely to get best results. The thinner cuts may be pan-broiled.

6. Ribs:
a. Short Ribs (pictured below)
Very lean meat here but the character infuses the cut with great taste. They can make an intensely-flavoured stew or a delicious when on a BBQ. You can buy bone-off or bone-in Short Ribs. Be sure to brown and season the bones along with the meat. The short ribs pictured are at the lower end of the rib that curve to comprise the rib cage. The butcher trims and cuts these ribs into small portions.










b. Standing Rib Roast:
This is the part of the steer where the ribs meat the spine behind the shoulders. The flesh off these long ribs makes rib-eye steak. As you can see, it makes a great Sunday roast!














7. Cross Rib Roast/Chuck Roast:
This comes from the front part of the animal, the chuck. This cut makes a wonderful choice for a pot roast. It is sometimes called an English Cut or Boston Cut roast as well as Shoulder Clod. great for families on a budget looking for a hearty meal.

8. Rump or Top Round Roast:
A great cooking opportunity with this cut always presents itself; but, the trick is to keep the cooking slow. Ideally, the cut should be around 5 lbs in weight to serve a family of six. To keep it tender don't cook too fast or it will dry out quickly because, as the leaner area of the cow, it has little fat and a lot of muscle. Though this aspect makes it healthy.

9. Tri-Tip Steak:
Often overlooked, but one of the tastiest cuts you can buy at an avoradable price. At modern packing plants the sirloin part of the animal is boned out whole and the two tri-tips are separated, boned and sold whole to butchers. This cut is great for BBQ and grilling in general. It performs well with marinades and dry rubs too.

10. Hanger Steak:
So named because it hangs from the diaphragm of the cow. It is commonly cut into two separate pieces. The Hanger Steak is more flavourful because it is the inner skirt and is close to the kidneys; opposed to the outer skirt, which is called the skirt steak and has tougher muscle in it. This cut is best marinaded and cooked quickly over high heat. Served rare or medium rare to avoid toughness.

_____
A great recipe to try, courtesy of Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly. This duo's splendid offering, 'The Complete Meat Cookbook' is a must for any serious carnivore:

California Barbecued Tri-Tip: (Serves 4-6)









2.5 lbs of Tri-tip, fat trimmed to 0.25 inch
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
Darren's Dry Rub of your choice or
Orange-Ginger Marinade (recipes below)

Darren's Dry Rub:
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tblsp Pepper
1 tblsp Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
handful chopped cilantro/coriander

Orange-Ginger Marinade: (just put in a processor and pulse until ready)
One 2" piece of ginger, cut into 4 chunks
3 garlic cloves
1 large orange
1 tblsp Asian sesame oil
Third of a cup of soy sauce

Prep Step:
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and rub them all over the meat or season with a dry rub; cover and marinate for two hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
If you use a wet marinade puncture the roast all over with a fork.
Place the meat in a large zip loc bag and pour the marinade over.
Turn the meat from time to time to allow the marinade to penetrate evenly. Leave overnight in refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before cooking.

Option 1 - Indirect heat:
Remove meat from the marinade and pat dry.
Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side directly over the coals and then move it an area of the grill with no coals.
Put a drip pan under the meat, cover the grill, and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove the roast when it registers at about 127-128 degrees for medium-rare.
When you allow the meat to rest for 10 mins with a loose foil cover, it will continue to cook in its own juices.
Cut thin slices across the grain and serve with a garnish of spicy fresh salsa and/or homemade guacamole. Sides could be warm tortillas and pinto beans.

Option 2 - Direct heat:
Set up the grill so there are hotter and cooler areas.
Sear meat on hot area for 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn the outside.
Transfer to cooler area of grill and turn it occasionally over a 20-minute period.
Check temperatue (127 to 128 degrees)and carve and serve as above.


Try this and let me know how it went.


This Wednesday I'll be blogging about beans - abundant, nutritious and delicious and I'll be posting two great recipes using heirloom beans - one foor veggies and the other for carnivores.

BEEF BUYER'S BIBLE

Some succulent hanging tenders before slicing

Here is a quick guide to beef in the US, so that you can appreciate the taste differences, avoid any pitfalls and know ‘prime’ from ‘choice’ and also understand what terms like ‘All natural’ or ‘Never ever’ actually mean.

Organic

'100% organic' labels on fresh meat mean precisely that; 100% meat with no synthetic ingredients. The meat production process for 100% organic beef has met stringent federal organic standards and has been independently inspected.

Organic meat comes from a farm that is visited regularly by USDA certified inspectors to verify that each animal is fed organic feed with no antibiotics or hormones. It has been through the National Organic Program (NOP) throughout its life. It has developed a grain-based feeding formula to deliver a well-marbled product that delivers great taste.

Never Ever meat

Never ever meat is not fully organic but the livestock have never been injected or fed with any hormones or antibiotics – if they have, they are withdrawn from that particular holding pen and are put into a ‘non-natural’ category.



















A thick slice of 'never ever' standing rib roast




All natural Beef

The USDA defines “natural” beef as all meats reared for consumption without additives and minimally processed. Natural Beef producers may choose not to use antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones, but there is no third-party verification system required to check what they actually do. Therefore, beef from factory feed lots that have received a single strong shot of antibiotics can still be labelled natural according to the USDA stipulation.

It is possible that there will be residue of this antibiotic in the meat by the time it reaches your plate. The effects of hormones and antibiotics on the meat for both the animal’s health and human consumption is currently being studied by research institutions around the world. Back in the UK, the use of growth hormones is banned in beef.

A once-sick animal that has had multiple antibiotics and growth hormones administered is likely to make it to the commodity market and lower grade beef. So folks, go easy on those fast-food outlets!

Luckily, the beef industry funds a self-regulatory system of grading. With this program, the Federal government’s Department of Agriculture inspects and grades all the carcasses for consistency and quality.

Grades are evaluated on the extent of marbling in the meat and the age of the animal. Marbling is the flecks of white fat you find distributed throughout the meat. The more widespread the degree of marbling, the juicier and more scrumptious the meat will be.

As regards the age of the cattle, 18-24 months old is optimal.

USDA inspected beef is usually stamped visibly on the outer fat.

Here is a league table of quality:

USDA Prime (Only about 2.7% of USDA inspections meet this criterion)

USDA Choice (45-50%)

USDA Select (25-30%)

Standard - Along with commercial below tend to go in brand name meats or some taquerias, kebabs etc

Utility – These bottom three areas account for flavoured meat sticks, poor-quality frankfurters, poor ground beef

Cutter and canner - Pet food?

The first two grades are what you should aim for – you would tend to use a USDA Select (or third-tier) cut for a longer, slow-cooking process with lots of added flavor from other foods because you will not find the tenderness of the two higher grades, Prime and Choice.

USDA Choice is the most widespread you’ll find at restaurants and some surprisingly good steaks can be found at the higher end of the Choice bracket. The meat still has good marbling and a lot of decent eateries choose it because it still offers quality at a price where they can still make good margin.

It often takes an enthusiast’s eye to what is being sold over the counter. Choice meat will be lighter in color with noticeable marbling and white firm fat. When the meat is not so light in colour and the fat takes on an oily, slightly beige hue, it is a good indication that it is below Choice grade.

Unlabelled cuts of meat are probably standard grade, or more likely were never graded in the first place.

Buying the perfect steak
In an ideal world, we would all enjoy Prime beef, but cost can be prohibitive. Most markets today offer a selection of Choice and Select cuts, while a few high end stores will offer a selection of Prime as well. If your supermarket doesn’t stock Prime beef, try a local market.
If you are planning slow-cook or marinading for your dish , you can opt for USDA select.

Wet-Aged v Dry-Aged

Aging however is a controlled process, so it’s not the same as beef that’s been setting in the cooler for a month. Don’t be afraid to ask the butcher about the source and quality of their beef.

Wet-Aged beef usually reaches its most tender state after 3-4 weeks. Dry-Aged beef tends to be grainier, 'gamier' and stronger in flavour - its more of an acquired taste.

Grass-fed v Corn fed
Grass-fed beef tends to be a little tougher with a more pronounced taste. It is a matter of choice. Personally I prefer USDA prime corn-fed beef. It cooks beautifully, holds its shape and has a beefier yet buttery juiciness.
A corn-fed cow does develop well-marbled flesh, but this is saturated fat. Grass-fed meat is healthier in outright terms having a substantially lower saturated-fat ratio. It is also reported to contain more omega 3 fats.





















Let me know about your experiences with meat. On Monday I'll be choosing my top ten cuts of meat and providing recipes for some of the cuts. Veggies, fear not, I'm having a bean bonanza on my midweek post next week!

ARTFUL SANDWICH MAKING


















I want to have a little fun here with the humble sandwich, which conversely can be mighty in its impact on the palate if done well. I’ll leave you some of my favourite recipes and invite you to try them and share your preferred fillings.

I used to own a catering business and deli, which is still a going concern, back in the UK. We experimented with all sorts of exiting fillings and bread and managed to grab a decent market share despite our higher prices.

One of the best sandwiches I ever enjoyed was also very simple. I had stopped in a French village on my way to my friend’s wedding in Carcassonne and asked for a ham baguette.

The café owner crossed the street to grab a fresh baguette from the boulangerie and spread some exquisite salted butter onto the hot dough. She then laid two large slices of country ham with a slight rind still hanging onto the ruddy flesh. Pure Heaven!


I have five basic rules when I am constructing a snack or planning a treat:

1. I do not lay sliced tomatoes next to the bread, in fact I try to avoid them altogether on the sandwich itself. They can make the entire thing soggy. (See my Smoked tomato Bruschetta for a solution).

2. Iceberg lettuce is hugely overrated and inferior to romaine or butter lettuce.

3. The bread is so important – in my opinion two-thirds of the pleasure so try to get it right. Fresh Sourdough, focaccia, rye, multigrain are all great – try thinner slices so it’s not too bready and I never skimp on the filling.

4. Anything goes for the filling. I use whatever is left in the fridge and if I like two flavours separately, I will usually unite them between two slices of bread at some point!

5. I Try to avoid poor quality luncheon or deli meats - go for veggies, tapenades and spreads instead for a higher level of nutrition and satisfaction if you can.



Six Great Sandwiches
1 Freshly pan-fried crabcakes on a onion kaiser roll or egg bread, with honey chipotle sauce, bacon and a slice of sharp farmhouse cheddar.

2 Thick country ham sandwich with garlic soft cheese and grilled onions.

3 Chunky slice of leftover steak, creamed horseradish, melted cheddar, roast turkey and red bell pepper. Put it on some sourdough or multigrain as shown in the picture.



















4 Gourmet tuna salad
It’s a filling that would actually stand alone without the bread but will always be enhanced by a good sourdough or toasted baguette.
2 cans tuna chunks in water, drained
2 green onions chopped finely
2 hard boiled eggs
sweet pickles to taste or caramelized onions
2 ribs celery finely chopped
2 handfuls finely chopped cilantro leaves to taste
1 small vine tomato chopped finely
sea salt and coarse pepper to taste
4 tablespoons Full-fat mayo to make it moist
2 oz Shredded sharp cheddar or low fat cottage for calorie counters
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze half a lemon over all

For a cajun version of the above, use shredded habanero cheddar and douse with a little tabasco if you are a heat junkie.

Smoked Tomato Bruschetta
2 large tomatoes. Smoke them but not so they go mushy
Half a red onion diced finely
1 tsp of capers
10 Basil leaves chopped finely
Dash of sea sdaly
Dash of coarse onion
2-3 Tbsp of aged balsamic vinegar

Halve tomatoes and smoke. Dice tomatoes and mix all other ingredients together. Leave one hoour before spreading on toasted French bread.

6 Wholewheat bread, 2 large slices roast turkey, slice of gruyere or emmenthaler swiss, tblsp of pepper jelly and spinach or arugala as a buffer to the buttered bread. If you don’t want to use butter, drizzle a tsp of olive oil on each side of the bread.

Please try these and also share with me some of your own favourites!

Welcome to Darren's Dining - a taste of what's coming

Dear foodies everywhere,

I'm starting this blog as a call to all to share those moments in their lives when they received or created not just nutrition but something memorable to adopt as a habit and feel compelled to share those revelations with others.

I'm based in the Bay Area but I spent most of my life in London, eventually witnessing an unprecedented restaurant revolution; two decades of epicurean entrepreneurship transformed eating out in that city into a thing of endless celebration and choice.

Thankfully, Northern California has a similar array of eateries, supported by a majority of suppliers who try to do the right thing, engendering a diverse and intrepid cooking culture.

I've been fortunate enough to travel extensively and eat at many of the greatest restaurants in the world. I have an immense respect for the chefs who create such art and excitement for others. My taste range is very broad and I err towards leaving politics off the plate, though I'm always supportive of ethical ways of gaining nutrition. With this in mind, I'll be posting two to three times a week and asking everyone to share their views and contribute.

I appreciate that everybody does not buy organic or 'USDA Prime' all the time. However, one of my passions is increasing awareness that sound nutrition supports better mental and physical health.

Please enjoy the content and spread the word!

Thanks,

Darren