I have just returned from teaching at Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate, Baja California, a really beutiful place. Gorgeous landscaping, fine facilities, cozy casitas, a great sports program, where you can hike, bike, do Pilates, Yoga, cardio drummning, work and stretch all of your muscles, and also get massages and facials. Sounds like heaven. The also have a beautiful cooking school. I was there to teach three hands-on classes . What I did not realize is that many of those who signed up for a class had never cooked anything ever! It was pretty scary watching beginners wield a dull 10 inch chef’s knife. We all survived,  had fun cooking  in teams and made some very tasty food. In fact the food we cooked was tastier than the too fussy food at the Ranch. Every dish they served either had too many ingredients or not enough real flavor  for me. I know I am spoiled but I think I was not alone in this opinion.  The saddest news to report is that after walking miles, no wine at meals and eating tiny portions of a mostly vegetarian menu. I did not lose an ounce.   How bummed am I.

I just found out that my most recent cook book, Mediterranean Fresh, has been nominated for a James Beard Award, in the single subject category. It is a book about SALADS and dressings. It is up against one book on Fat and another on Casseroles.  Both worthy topics for exploration but if gods of good health, freshness, and seasonality are listening, Salads will prevail. So I have fingers and toes crossed and will find out about the results on May 4 in New York.  

I wrote this book after doing many years of restaurant consulting work where I learned that most chefs had no idea how to construct a great salad. To them it was use the least experienced cook or trainee, put some greens in a bowl and throw on some gloppy dressing. Like many a home cook.

Salads  have been the Rodney Dangerfield of the restaurant  business. Salad bars have produced even worse results because they put out a range of ingredients that may or may not belong in the same bowl and let the diner pick and choose and then put on a dressing that 9 out of 10 times does not go with half of the ingredients in the bowl.  Mediterranean Fresh shows how to design a great salad and what dressings work with the chosen ingredients.  I think this book shold be required reading in cooking schools and for anyone who loves salads but wishes for more culinary diversity

Anyway, please keep your fingers crossed for my book, too. That would be much appreciated.

I will be teaching a class on Mediterranean Small Plates at Draegers in San Mateo on  March 31. These classes are always a hit and everyone goes home to cook the food. A high compliment to this chef!

But the big news is that on April 16 also at Draegers I will be cooking with my son Evan giving his fabulous wine commentary alongside. This is a rare opportunity to get us teaching together as we are both so busy and traveling all the time, it’s hard to get us in the same place at the same time. It’s a Perfect Pairings reunion.  Hope to see you there. Contact Draegers cooking school  650 685 3704 or 800 642 9463

On Saturday I gave a talk at Omnivore Books, a new store dedicated only to cookbooks.  What a great place to browse and shop.  The crowd was lively and not afraad to ask lots of questions. my favorite  kind of audience. And they scarfed down all of the food I brought  for them to taste. I made a fava bean puree seasoned with toasted cumin, lemon and garlic, from my book Mediterranean Fresh. And then I made Sicilian sweet and sour artichokes cooked in three citrus juices: orange, lemon and tangerine, from Italian Slow and Savory, and another version from Mediterranean Fresh. Those vanished in a heartbeat.

My biggest surprise was to hear that many in the audience had been following this blog, so now I feel guilty for not having wirtten more often.  I’ve been unaware of this silent readership. Speak up, please, from time to time.  

I will return to Omnivore on June 20 when my nerw book. Tapas, Sensational Small Plates frolm Spain, will be published by Chronicle Books.  Hope we have another good crowd. I think it’s fun for people to get to taste a recipe or two before buying a book.

Here is one of the dishes I cooked on Saturday.

Carciofi ai Quattro Succhi

Artichokes Braised in Citrus Juices

Artichokes and citrus are a magic combination.  I have braised artichokes in orange juice in recipes from Morocco and Turkey. This Sicilian classic, however, combines three citrus juices and vinegar, adds salt in the form of anchovies, and sugar for sweetness and flavor balance.  These spectacular artichokes are best served at room temperature. They are stellar in an antipasto assortment.

Serves 6 

6 artichokes

1 lemon

3 onions, cut in half and sliced thin

½ cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon

1/2 cup orange juice

½ cup tangerine juice

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed

 4 anchovy fillets, finely minced

 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste

Chopped mint, optional

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of the lemon into it. If the artichoke stems are tender, trim them to 2 inches and peel. If not, cut the stems off close to the base. Remove the tough outer leaves, trim the tops of the artichokes with a sharp knife, pare away all the dark green parts, until you reach the pale green leaves. Cut the artichokes in half. Carefully scoop out the choke with a melon ball scoop, or a small pointed spoon. As each artichoke is trimmed, drop it into the lemon water.

In a Dutch oven heat ½ cup olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced onions and the drained artichoke halves along with the juices, vinegar, water and salt. Cover the pan and cook very slowly, over low heat, until the artichokes are tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.

With a slotted spoon carefully remove the artichokes to a serving bowl.  To the juices remaining in the pan add the rinsed capers and reduce the sauce over high heat until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In a small sauté or sauce pan warm the anchovies in a tablespoon of oil and when they are dissolved add them to the sauce, along with sugar. Cook for 5 minutes longer, adjust sweetness ratio and then spoon sauce over the artichokes. Serve at room temperature.

Garnish with chopped mint if you like.

So here we are in the throes of the new economy.   Bye Bye beef, Hello beans. But do not despair. Today I made the most delicious Persian inspired yogurt soup called ashe maste which has chickpeas, lentils, basmati rice,  little tiny meatballs and green onions, parley and mint. It will feed me for a few days and it only used $3.00 of ground beef.  This is the new economy and I will eat well. So can you.  This recipe is in my book Solo Suppers and it’ s a keeper.

The Mediterranean is loaded with such creative and yummy meals in a bowl. Moroccan harira, bean soups with greens from Southern Italy. We need to think differently. Forget the giant piece of meat at the center of the plate.  Use protein for a hint of flavor and let vegetables, and grains and beans do the heavy lifting.

Persian Meatball Soup  From Solo Suppers  about 3 bowlsful  YUM!

When I am in the mood to cook, I enjoy preparing meatballs as a mildly meditative activity. I usually make a double batch, use some for a pan sauté, and save some for a soup supper, or maybe for pasta. Certainly the guazzetto of white beans with greens (page xx) would welcome meatballs instead of seafood. My favorite meatball soup, however, is Persian. It has a yogurt base bound with an egg and flour and must not boil, or the yogurt will curdle. Just keep stirring. The soup is a lovely pale yellow, which is set off by the green of the mint and green onions and the brown of the meatballs. When pomegranates are in season I sprinkle a few of the jewel-like red seeds on top.  

1/4 cup dried chickpeas

1/4 cup green or black lentils

1/3 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons grated yellow onion

1 egg, lightly beaten and then divided in two

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup low- fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon flour

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons basmati rice

3 cups chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped green onions, including the tender green tops

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, very finely minced

Pomegranate seeds garnish (optional)

Pick over the dried chickpeas and remove any stones or debris. Rinse well, put in a saucepan and cover with 1 cup cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and return them to the saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, add salt, cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Pick over the lentils and remove any stones or debris. Rinse well, put the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until firm‑tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and reserve.

In a bowl combine the ground beef, grated onion, half of the egg, salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Mix well with your hands. Fry a tiny patty of the mixture to see if it is seasoned to your taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then form the beef mixture into tiny meatballs, about the size of a nickel, or smaller if you have the patience. Refrigerate.

To make the soup base, spoon the yogurt into a medium saucepan. Whisk in the remaining half egg, the flour, the turmeric and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the rice, the reserved lentils and two cups of the stock.  Place over low heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chickpeas, the parsley, green onions, and most of the chopped mint. Simmer for 10 minutes more, then add the meatballs and simmer 10 minutes longer. Add the remaining stock if needed.

In a small sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté until soft but not colored, about 2 minutes. Add to the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour into a warmed soup bowl and sprinkle with remaining mint and pomegranate seeds, if using. .

Note:  You can double the meat mixture and cook the remaining half of the seasoned meat mixture as a pan-fried burger, top it with yogurt seasoned with garlic, and serve it in a pita bread. Or, you can form the rest of the meat mixture into meatballs, sauté them in butter or oil until browned, simmer them in tomato sauce, and then serve over rice with a drizzle of garlicky yogurt.