These sanddabs were so good they almost didn't make the picture!
While dining at my new favorite place in San Francisco (Pizzeria Delfina) a friend declared that we should order the fried sanddabs. We did, and sanddabs are now officially added to a list of favorites swimming around in my head.
Sanddabs are an edible flatfish with both eyes on the same side. This seems pretty convenient if you reside at the bottom of the ocean (just think, you’d always be looking up with both eyes…at the same time!) They are a popular game fish in California with the Pacific Sanddab regarded a delicacy because of it’s sweet flavor and tender texture. Either sauced or served alongside simple lemon wedges, fried sanddabs make a tasty, crunchy starter.
I loved the sanddabs so much I bought some at the store – seemed easy enough to make this dish. But after unwrapping my fish at home I realized there is a huge bank of bones running down the center (don’t forget, this is a small, flat fish.) After contemplating how to separate meat from bones, I finally took to slicing off chunks and then dropping into a cornmeal batter before frying.
It wasn’t until reading online later I realized there is a better way to go about the de-boning process. It involves grabbing the bones and pulling out in one swift movement. The other option, of course, is to order at a restaurant but get two plates: one for the table, and one for yourself!
Note: sanddabs are considered a “good alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Pan Fried Sanddabs
Recipe courtesy of the Monterey Fish Market
Ingredients:
1 egg beaten
1/4cup milk
1 pound pan-dressed Sand Dabs
1/2cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup oil or clarified butter
Lemon wedges
Beat the milk and egg together in a bowl. Dredge each fish in the flour, then dip them into the egg-milk mixture then roll in thebreadcrumbs until thoroughly coated. Heat the oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook over a lively but not smoking hot fire for three to four minutes on a side until nicely golden brown on both sides.
Serve immediately, accompanied with lemon wedges.
The breakfast of champions!
A recent conversation about regional food turned into a discussion about shoofly pie. This is a recipe I’ve seen in my favorite cookbook of pies and tarts and ignored because none of the ingredients really grabbed me (no chocolate?) At the urging of our Philly guest, I decided not to swat this idea away and see what the buzz is all about (someone please laugh here!)
So why do people want to eat a pie with a reference to “flies” in it? And does the name refer to those pesky insects that show up randomly or is it just a nickname? Well, a little of both. It’s said that because of the high molasses content flies are drawn which requires one to “shoo them away” – hopefully before they execute the perfect landing on top (eww!)
On a serious note, Shoofly pie is considered a custard type in the same “pie family” as pecan and Chess pie (“jus pie”). Chess pie is a Southern specialty similar to pecan but without the nuts. Shoofly is famous in Pennsylvania Dutch country and is thickened with a streusel to more closely resemble cake. This delight of a dessert made it’s way into our lexicon in the mid 20’s and can be mail ordered today if you’re willing to shell out a few bucks.
For those who prefer to make and bake their own pie the following recipe is from my friend Jen and it’s been passed down four generations in her family. Her father made sure to note that “there’s nothing better in the morning than shoofly pie and a good cup of coffee” and I reckon he’s probably right!
Nana’s Shoe Fly Pie
Recipe courtesy of the Gilburg family, Lancaster PA.
Make or purchase crust for an 8 inch pie
Stir crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
Pie filling*
- ½ cup baking molasses (Brer Rabbit)
- ½ cup baking soda**
- ½ cup boiling water
*Make sure the water is boiling…the mixture will fizz so be sure to place the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir together and pour into crust. Top with crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
**Editor’s note: we’ve received feedback that the original amount of baking soda (1/2 cup) rendered this pie too salty. The recommendation is for less baking soda in the amount of 1 teaspoon.
Also, here’s another recipe to try.
The recent “pizza toss” morning session at the SF Food and Wine Festival seemed simple enough. We show up, watch a pizza making demonstration, take a few notes and leave. Oh, and devour about 6 pieces each before leaving (all before 11:30 am!)
The people at the helm were none other than a few Bay Area pros from Delfina, Pizzaiolo and the Grand Café. Each had a slightly different perspective but altogether the final results were outstanding. During the demonstration the crowd was introduced to traditional Neopolitan style (simple crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella and basil) plus an Alsatian delight called Flammekueche. The latter was basically a flatbread, run through pasta rollers to render it thin and topped with various items like sardines, capers, smoked salmon and figs.
I guess I thought I knew a lot about pizza, but for those who are serious about their craft, it’s anything but “just dough and sauce”. There’s the 00 flour (made in Italy, perfect for crust) the need for San Marzano tomatoes and a fair amount of discussion about olive oil in the dough (“don’t need it” seemed the concensus although it appears in most recipes!) Charlie Hallowell of Pizzaiolo also discussed the ideal oven temperature (somewhere between 750-800 degrees) which requires the removal of the temperature gauge in a standard oven (“not really recommended” joked Hallowell.)
Where did pizza get it’s start? According to Wikipedia, the origin of the word is unclear but first appeared around 997 in Medieval Latin. Of course most people know it started in Naples in the 16th century. What some might not know is that at the time pizza was a baker’s tool, a dough used to verify the temperature of the oven. It was only later that the “dish of the poor people” was sold in the streets and considered something befitting a recipe or of value.
Given the popularity – and variations – of pizza worldwide, it’s no surprise that the chef’s at last week’s event are so enthusiastic about their craft and product. No longer just a baker’s tool, it does make me wonder whether “poor food” sparks the eventual culinary trend to become mainstream and if so, what’s next?
Fig flammekueche made by the Grand Cafe’s Sophiane Benaouda
Luck was on my side last weekend when a friend offered two tickets to the San Francisco Food and Wine festival. The festival, a culinary celebration of Bay Area flavors, offered three days of food and wine tasting plus demonstrations on a variety of topics. One demonstration, Molecular Cocktails sounded intriguing enough to pull me away from the food pavilion and trek to the E&O Trading Company.
Progressive mixology or molecular mixology presented by Claire Smith of Belvedere Vodka combines an appreciation of classic cocktails with the availability of hydrocolloids to create new taste and textural sensations. You are probably more familiar with hydrocolloids in foods (think “foams”) which have been popular in recent years with many chefs.
Hydrocolloids are natural or artificial substances which affect texture and viscosity in food. Examples are agar (seaweed) or lecithin (soy or egg based) and gelatin. Add them to cocktails along with a little imagination for a new twist on some of your old standards. Here are a few highlights from the Belvedere class:
- We used a small travel sized milk frother with a lecithin mixture containing fruit juice and liquer to turn it into a foam. The foam was spooned over the top of Vodka and Vermouth for a new twist on the traditional Manhattan
- Mixed a blood orange and vodka concoction in a hollowed-out block of dry ice to create a very tasty and unique sorbet. Yum.
- Tasted a Bloody Mary gel reduction spooned into a green zebra tomato (the premise was to make it look like a tiny watermelon). Very unique, very interesting.
Although it’s probably easier to visit your favorite local bar to try out a molecular manhattan or other cocktail variation, here’s a recipe from the Belvedere class handout.
Belvedere Orange Manhattan with maraschino air
- 2 oz Belvedere Orange
- ½ oz Noilly Prat
- ¾ Noilly Prat Rouge
Stir the above with cubed ice with the maraschino air on top. Serve in small martini glasses.
Maraschino air
- 1 part maraschino liqueur
- 2 tablespoons lecithin
- 4 oz maraschino juice
Hint: try using powdered egg white and water with a milk frother for the foam. Add some maraschino syrup for sweetness and color then pour over the top of vodka and orange juice for a beautiful take on the traditional screwdriver (this is the drink in the picture) Tasty!
Finally, despite the very cool nature of her title (who wouldn’t want to be called the “Head of Spirit & Mixology”) Claire Smith summed it up well. “I sell fun”. And this class was a great example of that statement!
It’s summertime and my favorite “food time” of the year. This means almost anything grilled and served alongside fresh veggies like corn-on-the-cobb or ripe tomatoes.
If your vision of summer grilling includes steak but, like many this year, you are searching for economical options, consider flank steak. What I like about this cut is that you can add your own flair using a homemade marinade allowing you to entertain on a budget and still get the “wow”factor of serving steak.
While not a newcomer to the food scene, flank steak might have overlooked in years past as consumers selected pricier cuts like ribeye or filet mignon. Best known in the US as fajitas, in Paris Bistros as Bavette a l’échalotte (seared, served rare) and also London Broil you can find flank steak in cuisines from Asia to Argentina.
If you have a favorite recipe or cooking technique for flank steak please share it by posting a comment on Yummly.com. We’d love to hear ideas from you!
Grilled Flank Steak
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious
- 3 lb flank steaks
- 1/3 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Lightly pierce steaks all over with a sharp fork or knife. Whisk together remaining ingredients and transfer to a large resealable heavy-duty plastic bag. Add steaks and seal, pressing out excess air. Marinate steaks at least 6 hours or up to 1 day. (I marinate for a day)
Prepare grill for cooking.
Grill steaks on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, turning once, about 12 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks diagonally across the grain.
Note: I made this recipe twice and used less salt the second time (1 teaspoon.) I prefer the low-salt version (because you can always add more at the table) but my dining companions preferred the full-salt version (and they tried both.) In addition, I cooked this 4 minutes per side and then let it rest the full 5 minutes. This resulted in the rare version in the picture. If you want more of a medium (just a touch of pink) go for the full 5-6 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Silberg. (thanks!)
