It all started rather innocently. A reporter from the Chicago Tribune, Christopher Borrelli, called me for a story he was writing, to identify the Ten Worst Dining Trends of the Last Decade. He interviewed chefs, food professionals and writers. There were many gripes, some not unexpected. People were tired of foam, molecular gastronomy, the 40 dollar entree, the menu as a book, fast food restaurants offering super high fat items or the bloomin onion, the communal table, knee-jerk on line reviews, the chef as media whore. I added deconstruction to the list. All of this caused a bit of a stir in the blogosphere.

What do I mean by deconstruction? When I order a dish and instead of getting the dish put together, the ingredients are artistically laid out for me on a plate. I am supposed to mix it together either on the plate or in my mind as I taste the components and drag bits of food through tiny bloops of sauce. Carried to yet another level, things that are soft are now crisp. Things that are liquid are now frozen, freeze dried or gelled. Lemon meringue pie is now a cookie, frozen meringue ice cream and gelled lemon sauce. Clam chowder has potato and onion foam, potato chips, gelled clams, and ham cream. Gaspacho is now freeze dried cucumbers, spherified tomatoes and extruded garlic breadcrumbs for croutons. Why do it? Because they can, and they want you to marvel at their clever take on a classic. 

For the interview I used as an example a dish I know well: Spaghetti alla carbonara. It is a seemingly simple and rustic dish of pancetta or guanciale, eggs, Pecorino and Parmesan cheeses, black pepper and pasta.  In fact, it is not an easy dish to execute perfectly. The pancetta cannot become too dry and crisp, the eggs cannot curdle and the dried semolina pasta must be perfectly cooked. It all comes together in a minute and can be a mess if not assembled correctly. As an insurance factor, out of fear or scrambling the eggs, many cooks cheat and add cream to the sauce.

I have cooked and eaten this dish hundreds of times. When I lived in Rome I actually went on a quest to see who had the best version of carbonara and over a year gained 25 pounds!  So when I go into a restaurant and order spaghetti alla carbonara  and am served a swirled nest of freshly cooked noodles, topped with  a soft poached egg and  a few sprinklings of crunchy bacon or pancetta, for me to mix together,  I do not consider this carbonara. Please call it something else, but do not call this do-it -yourself dish spaghetti alla carbonara ( And what about that soft or slow cooked egg? Is it not becoming the new menu cliché, spooned gently on pizza, pasta, cooked vegetables, salads and meat ?)   

With deconstruction, cooking has become an intellectual experience instead of a sensual one. I do not need the chef to lay out the ingredients for me. I want to see if he can put the damned dish together and make it delicious! I am tired of chef creations saying “look at me, see how clever I am, just look at my dazzling technique!” Restaurant dining has become so chef- centric that the experience and pleasure of the diner can get lost in the shuffle for fame, glory and originality.

We have more than enough mental stimulation in our lives. Constant email, twitter chatter, blackberries and cell phones at the ready, blogs, TV sound bites and quick cuts. Our attention span is getting shorter and shorter. We have become stimulus junkies.

However, when dining out I don’t want my meal to become a mind game. The role of the restaurant is to restore the guest, to provide sustenance, comfort, nourishment, relaxation and sensual pleasure. If I want intellectual stimulation, I can find many other avenues to pursue. I just don’t want to pay for someone’s mental masturbation on my plate when I came for the real deal. It makes me suspicious that they cannot really deliver. Cooking interruptus.    

In fact, there are valid ways to get culinary stimulation. One is called cooking school. Or food labs such as the kind created by Ferran Adria where chefs experiment with ingredients and techniques to see what they can do and how far they can take them. Or food conferences like Star Chefs or the CIA World of Flavors where we can see chefs play with food ideas. These are great venues to learn and expand ones cooking knowledge  But why inflict culinary mind games and cooking experiments on unsuspecting paying guests unless they are foodies who have knowingly signed up for an experimental dinner and are expecting gastronomic tour de force and pyrotechnics. .  

Which brings me to The Top Chef Deconstruction Challenge. The competing chefs were given classic dishes to deconstruct. No matter that many of them had never ever cooked the classic!!

“Eggs Florentine ? What is that? Spinach and eggs? “

“Shepherd’s Pie? I know it’s potatoes and lamb but I’ve never made it. “

“Mole?  Mine was criticized on a previous show and now I get it again, only to deconstruct it? “

It goes without saying that many of these deconstructed dishes were misfires.  

When asked what was the point of this assignment Tom Colicchio said it would make them better chefs. Really. What if they had to learn how to cook the classic dish perfectly? And then do variations after they had mastered the classic. Might that not have made them better chefs and us more satisfied diners?

For many years I have had an assortment of Le Creuset enamel covered cast iron cookware.  I have gratin dishes, terrines, small covered stew pots and a few that are gigantic enough to prepare stew to feed a crowd.  One of my favorites did double duty.  Yes, I made many a daube and spezzatino in that pot, but even more important, every summer I used it for cooking preserves. I found the enamel cast iron a great conductor and retainer of even heat and  an ideal vehicle for simmering jams, chutneys, mostardas and the like. 

Now,  often when I am trying to do too much at one time, I have taken my eye off the pot and stopped stirring. Food has become stuck on the bottom of the pot. Burnt sugar and caramelized fruit are really hard to remove. Even with soaking, simmering on stove top, baking soda etc. sometimes demonic scrubbing (  a no-no)  is required and that eventually  damages the pot’s interior. So after at least  30 years of use and abuse  my 13 1/2 quart pot was a mess.

I called Le Creuset to see if it could be repaired and they said to send it to them.  I had hoped that the interior surface could be re- enameled.  But do you know what they did?  They sent me a NEW pot. A very expensive new pot. Even though I was responsible  for the eventual  wearing away of the interior, they stood by their magnificent product and sent me a new pot.  How amazing is that!  I am so impressed I want to say Bravo to Le Creuset, not only for making great cookware but for being an upstanding company that delivers astounding customer service.

As I am her doting grandma, I make a lobster dinner every year on her birthday. That and her favorite birthday cake,  the Gateau Rolla. There are usually 8 or 10 of us at the annual Lobsterfest, so I do not want to have to cut up the lobsters at the last minute as it is rather messy. ( And no one wants to be in the room when I drop them in the boiling water! ) Plus I have side dishes to prepare. So, very early in the morning I put up a huge pot of water and drive down to Monterey Fish Market and pick up the lobsters. When I get home the water has just come to a boil. I then cook the lobsters half way for about 4 to 5 minutes, remove the meat from the shells and place it in individual ramekins, spread on a tarragon shallot butter and cover them well and place in the fridge.  Then all I have  to do is pop them in the oven for 10 minutes at dinner time.   The cake, layers of almond meringue and chocolate butter cream,  is made the day before as it needs to sit overnight so it can be cut without shattering.

Which leaaves me with the annual dilemma of what to serve with the lobster. One year I did braised fennel. Another year roasted asparagus. This year I decided to honor another family request. My daughter Rachel’s birthday was in two days and she wanted latkes. So we had lobster and latkes. Sort of sacrilegious… but really good. To honor yet another birthday request, (my son in law’s birthday was also that week,)  I made smoked trout pate for an appetizer while we sipped some bubbly. Then we started the meal with a lovely salad of papaya, avocado, endive and a lime and ginger dressing.   After dinner we sang the birthday song to all three celebrants and ate the cake. Everyone was happy. 

 The Lobsterfest tradition will continue. Tune in next year.

GATEAU ROLLA

This is the official family birthday cake for those who request cake.

It is an ideal party cake because it is best made the day before. And it uses up all the egg whites which seem to multiply in the refrigerator after an orgy of aioli and custard making. While Gateau Rolla resembles a French dacquoise, the absence of an egg yolk butter cream tells me that this could be Italian. .

This is very rich and will feed 12 people easily.

Cake layers:

5 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup grated almonds

Filling:

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate like Valrhona or Sharffenberger

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups sweet butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Oil or butter two large baking sheets. Trace 9 inch circles onto four 10 inch squares of baker’s parchment paper. Place the paper squares on the baking sheets, pencil side down. Oil the paper lightly.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat the meringue until stiff and glossy. On low speed, beat in the vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the almonds. Spread or pipe this mixture onto the parchment, staying within the guidelines of the circles. Do not make these meringues too thick or they will not dry out easily. About 1/4 inch is ideal. Bake the meringues for about 1 hour. Carefully remove to a rack to cool. Peel off the paper. If one should break or crack, it can be patched with frosting.

Melt the chocolate and cocoa in the top of a double boiler and set aside. With a hand held electric mixer beat the egg whites until they are foamy in a bowl or a double boiler over hot water. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup of sugar, then the softened butter, a bit at a time, then the melted chocolate. Beat the frosting until smooth. Chill until firm enough to spread.

Assemble the cake by spreading layers of chocolate frosting between the layers of meringue. Then cover the top and sides with the rest of the chocolate. Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. Slice with a serrated knife.

I love having this blog because through it I get to meet new people, people who cook and are passionate about food.

A few months ago I received a comment and email from Kristie Vetterli. She referred me to her web site and the next thing you know, we were corresponding. We talked about how much we enjoyed putting up preserves. She told me that she had a huge quince tree. Would I like some of those quince?? I looked at her website and saw brick red quince membrillo that she had made. Most quince take forever to achieve that color. Some never do. So I jumped at the offer and we then arranged a rendezvous for a culinary exchange. I would get a dozen of her quince and in return she would get a jar of my plum mostarda, my Moroccan cherry tomato conserve and a nectarine chutney. Such a deal.   We met in the lobby of Oakland childrens Hospital where she works  and made the exchange.

The next day I set about making quince mostarda.  I peeled the quince,removed the seeds and cores and put all of the debris into a pot and covered it with water. I simmered this for an hour to make sort of a tea, as much of the pectin in quince is in the peel and seeds.

I then cut up the quince into one inch pieces and put them in my canning pot along with the quince peel tea and some sugar. I added some thinly sliced Buddha’s Hand citron, and some strips of  cinnamon bark and cardamom my son had brought me from his vacation in Kerala   To get that gorgeous red color I simmered the mixture on and off for two days, until the quince was tender and had turned a wonderful shade of terra cotta.  After sterilizing my jars and boiling the lids, I tasted the mixture and then, as the piece de resistance,  added 10 drops of spicy mustard oil from Italy.  ( A friend had brought it back from his last trip to Italy where the oil is used in making the traditional mostarda di frutta but as it is a liquid and somewhat volatile it is not suppsed to be brought into the US where the folks at customt do not know from mostarda di frutta, only imaginary mustard gas) 

I packed my twelve jars of quince mostarda and simmered them for 10 minutes in the required hot  water bath.  I added some labels I broughr from Il Papiro in Venice.  The job was done.

Naturally I brought a jar to my friend who gave me the oil. I also brought a jar to Mike and Lindsay Tusk at Quince restaurant. It seemed only right.

I imagine that next fall Kristie and I will do the quince exchange again.

Joyce Goldstein’s Moroccan Inspired Sweet and Hot Tomato Jam 

I have been making this cherry tomato jam since 1985. It is a variation of a cherry tomato conserve I have made every year since since 1968. The original recipe comes from Catherine Plagemann’s book Fine Preserving.  I added the Moroccan seasoning so we could serve this with Square One Restaurant’s  Moroccan mixed grills. This is great with grilled or roast chicken, roast turkey, lamb chops or kebabs, or drizzled on grilled eggplant. A dollop of this jam spooned on top of goat cheese spread on slices of toasted walnut bread is what we served at the CUESA event.  Serve warm or at room temperature.   yield -4-5 pints

1/2 pound fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced thin across the grain

1 cup cider vinegar

2 quarts cherry tomatoes, washed and stemmed ( 4 pint containers)

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups granulated white sugar

2 large juicy lemons, sliced paper thin on a mandoline, slices cut into eighths  

3/4 cup water 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon ground toasted cumin seed

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In the container of a food processor or blender, grind the ginger and spices with the vinegar. Put into a deep heavy saucepan ( I use a large enamel covered cast iron pot like Le Creuset) along with the cherry tomatoes, the sugars, the sliced lemons and the water. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook the mixture until it is thick. Stir often to prevent scorching. Season with more salt to taste. Pack in sterilized canning jars and process 15 minutes in hot water bath or put in containers and store  in the refrigerator. Can keep for up to a year in the refrigerator and up to 4 years in canning jars.  

Over the years I have been a chef at the reception, and a guest at the event. This year I worked with Chef Staffan Terje of Perbacco and Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza to help plate their delicious food. Staffan and staff prepared a marinated duck breast, a sausage stuffed into the duck neck, sauerkraut mashed potatoes and cherry mostarda.  Yum! My job was to sprinkle on the duck cracklings( and not to eat too many of them myself)

 Mourad cooked his famous Moroccan spiced lamb shank, vegetables and fluffy couscous. The guests really had two great dishes to savor.  All of the other dishes prepared by the chefs looked great and we cooks managed to snag some primo tastes from the leftovers.

I have decided that I’d rather work the event than be a guest. It is so much more fun to be with the chefs. Now that I do not have my own restaurant, I miss the comraderie of working with my peers. I loved being with the chefs as they plated the food, chatted, gossiped, tasted, and  sipped beer from a donated keg.  

Later that evening they had the auction. I had donated a dinner for eight in my home and guess who bought the dinner?  Umberto Gibin who owns Perbacco. This time Staffan can help me out!  It will be such fun to cook with him again.

Now my work began. I had to clear the shelves, all of the counters and the walls.  It’s hard to believe how much “stuff” one accumulates when one is a professional cook. I filled cartons and crates with casseroles, tagines, crocks, timers, wine openers, pots and pans, baskets, mugs, coffee machines, toasters, blenders, mixers and food processors.   I moved these bulging boxes into the dining room and living room. Later I hoped to weed out some of the excess.

I returned to a spotless, gleaming shell.  So then the real job of reassembling my work space began. What would stay and would would go? I wish I could say that I was ruthless and discarded equipment and tchotchkes but I was a coward and kept almost everything.   

It feels like home.

I was thrilled when I saved enough money to buy their first cookbook, a weighty tome in a brown cover with gold print.  The pages on my 1958 editions of the Gourmet Cookbook, Volumes One and Two and the 1963 Gourmet Menu cookbook are stained with the juices of recipes I have cooked for years. Gateau Rolla, gougeres, madeleines, souffle Rothchild, croquembuche, caviar hors d’oeuvre roll, the Christmas roast goose stuffed with fruit, so many of my family’s holiday favorites came from those pages.  Looking through these books today, the recipes still seem inviting and some, even ahead of their time.

The power of their restaurant reviews was formidable. When Square One was reviewed  by Caroline Bates, people would come into my restaurant clutching the review in their hands. They trusted Gourmet to tell them where to go and what was memorable on the menu.

I must confess I did not enjoy the magazine as much when Ruth Reichl took it over. The tone changed, the recipes became more casual, and there were fewer recipes I wanted to try.  But it is sad to see a classic fade away. We will mourn the loss of Gourmet magazine. It was a culinary touchstone.

The days of elaborate dinner parties that were inspired by her book are over too. Few people are willing to devote the time to prepare such multicourse feasts. In fact few people invite you for dinner, despite those elegantly remodled kitchens . They’d rather meet you at the latest restaurant.   

 When I started teaching cooking in 1965 all my students wanted  “Gourmet French.”  But over the years their tastes evolved. They wanted  Italian, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Holiday cooking.  Americans are omnivorous, and interested in all kinds of cooking.

The other thing that struck me as ironic is that if Julia tried out for television today they would not hire her. Weird voice, not pretty, sort of awkward and too natural. Not slick enough for the tube. Sort of sad what has happened to cooking on TV. It’s mostly game shows and competitions that get the most attention. You really can’t go home again.

Trying to hire line cooks who will cook the food that is the signature and style of the restaurant? Good luck. Since the Food Network, they want to be creative, to run free.  TV fantasyland has invaded their minds and rather than stay on the job and learn something, they daydream of being discovered as the next Top Chef and have a lucrative career on the tube. Restaurant  work is physically  demanding, repetitious, and does not pay that well. So they don’t want to stay for long in the working kitchen but aspire to stardom on a TV set kitchen.

Watching the competitions, Iron Chef battles, Top chef melees, home viewers are  entertained by the sport, but not really inspired to cook anything. Like Peter Sellars in Being There, they just want to watch.   Gone are the days when Julia Child cooked and  the home cook watched and then cooked. Now most television cooking is fluff for the  mind.  Displays of technical derring do!  Turbo ovens, whirring machines, Paco Jets, chemical thickeners, sous vide. No one has that kind of equipment at home so why bother??

Cookbooks are still printed but few at home are really using them. Sales for the last five years are down dramatically. Publishers are worried, as are authors and culinary experts who used to write books for people who used to cook. That audience  is now buying prepared food at Trader Joes and sending out for pizza.  We have become a nation of culinary voyeurs. Some buy books for the photos of food.  Food porn for those who dream of cooking while eating mediocre takeout. 

Well, maybe after reading Pollan a few people may be sufficiently embarrassed to pick up the saute pan, but will not know what to do with it. Three  generations of kitchen absenteeism means that no one at home has taught them how to cook.  

Maybe it is time for a grandma who cooks every night at home to show them.  Except they don’t like old people on TV. Not glamorous. Not as perky asRachael Ray, no cleavage, no snappy patter and amped up adrenalin.  No machines a plenty . No five minute meals.  Just cooking common sense in real time for the real world.  Anyone ready for that??