Pain Rustique

My recent sabbatical has allowed me time to continue my search for the perfect loaf. This batch focused on the baguette style loaf- producing a baguette, tordu, and fendu. This dough consisting of natural leaven in combination with a commercial yeast poolish, creating a more subtle flavor and lighter texture than the natural leaven alone. Making a batch big enough for 4 loaves I made one each of the above and saved the last for pizza dough for dinner.

The baguette rolled in the traditional shape with tapered ends and scored, the tordu rolled out and twisted, resembling a grapevine, and the fendu shaped to an oval and pressed with the back of the bench scraper creating a seam for which the loaf can rise.

These rose for about 2 and a half hours and baked at 475 F. I used the old water saturated towel method in combination with a spray bottle to saturate the oven with steam. This method works ok but isn't ideal, but you gotta use what you got. Though not perfect (I'm a perfectionist), this batch was definitely worthy of sharing. The beautiful loaves baked to a golden brown with a chewy thin crust, moist aerated crumb, and a yeasty aroma when cut into. Nothing like fresh baked bread!

The leftover dough made two pizzas- a traditional margherita, and an asiago and arugula tossed with a little tahini and chili flake.

As if I needed more carbs, a delicious dinner no doubt. We opened up a minerally and piquant 2007 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet to compliment the meal. Why not, it's Wednesday!

Olive Olives!

Another bountiful harvest of olives from our trees in Palm Springs left me with one thing to do, cure them. I picked a mixture of green, reddish, and ripe purple olives from the 50 year old trees. After rinsing and seperating the olives, I set out to do perform a few different techniques. I made a medieval torture-looking device out of a cork and needles to prick the olives for leaching the bitterness. I used this for the green and black olives. The green olives went directly into a brine mixture of salt, water and vinegar that was changed weekly for a month, then finished off by jarring in the brine solution with herbs. I will give these another month or so before sampling but they look pretty good so far.

The mixed reddish-green and reddish-purple olives were smashed with a rolling pin- don't wear white when doing this, and placed in a container of water, shown below, and drained and changed of water daily for two weeks. I then made a similar brine solution for these with the addition of herbs de provence, garlic, and lemons, which is where they remain now melding their flavors and added to every cheese board, salumi, or mediterranean plate I put out. They've been a big hit and very flavorful, just like those you'd see at the olive bar at the market.Speaking of the olive bar, our favorite ones are the morrocan cured black olives. Those shriveled, salty olives are the ones I've set out to make with the ripe black olives harvested. Those were also pricked with the torture device, then placed in a cloth-lined strainer and covered with sea salt. They sat over a pot in the cupboard for over a month until yesterday, when I rinsed them and tossed them with meyer lemon, herbs de provence, fresh rosemary and thyme and a good douse of olive oil. I've already tasted them and they have that meaty umami flavor with a hint of bitterness and I assume they will become even more flavorful over the next few days in their marinade- I'll keep you posted. Next batch, I will definitely be making more if not all of these with the salt curing method. I may be a little biased, but I think they're even better than those from the market. That and they don't come with the $8/lb pricetag. Hey, it is a recession...

Capriole Farms

My latest obsession with goat cheese brought me to Capriole Farms in Greenville, IN , home of the Wabash Cannonball and My Old Kentucky Tomme. This was back in October while visiting the folks, who looked at me a little funny when I mentioned I wanted to visit a goat farm, but were good sports and tagged along anyway. I know, I'm a little behind with this post but I was just going through these pictures and wanted to share. First of all because the goats were so cute and awesome, and the cheese was pretty great too.

It's a beautiful farm started in the 70's by Judy Schad and her husband about 30 minutes outside of Louisville. I don't think they get many visitors because we had to hunt for someone to get a tasting, and they seemed suprised to see us. Once found, however, they were very accommodating and friendly. We tasted several cheeses including the above mentioned as well as the Juliana, O'Banon, Sofia, and a Fresh Goat Wasabi log.

These folks pride themselves in being all natural, humane, and sustainable- not for certification purposes or to brag, simply as a way of life. It definitely shows in the quality and taste of the cheeses. The O'Banon is covered in bourbon soaked chestnut leaves such as those from the south of France with a similar name, with a musty aroma and creamy, earthy interior- definitely tasting of the terroir of her land and Kentucky bourbon country. The Juliana is an aged raw milk cheese dusted with herbes de provence with a smooth, nutty texture and insusion of earthy herbal notes. The fresh goat cheese was creamy and smooth, melting in your mouth with a slight kick of wasabi- interesting, but not my cup of tea. The Sofia was dense and creamy with a wrinkely, ripened rind and layered with ash. All of the cheeses were delicious and unique with extraordinary texture and flavor.

Definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area, or you can pick up some at the Bardstown Rd farmer's market. We grabbed a Juliana, Kentucky Tomme, and log of fresh goat and enjoyed it on the porch of the cabin later that night. Not before hitting Huber's Winery for a bottle of Chardonel, of course.

The Perfect Loaf

Like many of you, I'm sure, I am always searching for that perfect loaf of bread. You know it when you see it, and it varies for each of us. For me it's that dark brown carmelized crust, slightly shiny and pocked with tiny bubbles, whispy wings of crust where the loaf was scored and rose, dusted with tan flour that thumps when you flick the bottom. The epitome of the loaf you picture on the table of a French farmhouse surrounded by provencal delights of olives and cheeses, probably a knife with an olive wood handle on the table and pigs or goats blurry in the background out of focus. You see it and you know its going to have a holey crumb that's begging to be grilled and slathered with pate. That's my perfect loaf!

Here's my latest batch, which came out pretty darn close if you ask me. Naturally leavened by my own starter, also known around the house as my "pet yeast" because you have to feed and care for it. It's quite a responsibility actually, but like any other pet it also brings you great joy. It is a time consuming process as well. Start-to-finish this batch took about 18 hours. The results, however, speak for themselves and make it all worthwhile.

I used the dutch oven method for steaming the loaf, creating a miniature steam oven to produce the shiny, crispy crust and then removing the top to get that nice brown carmelization. After many previous trials of water soaked towels and spray bottles to no prevail, this really is the only method I have found to get that nice crust at home.

I baked a couple country loaves from Tartine Bread, the new cookbook from Chad Robertson and Eric Wolfinger at Tartine, a must have for any bread baker. When I saw the book I knew I had to have it, my perfect loaf was right there on the cover. I really love this book, the story, the layout, the pictures, and the recipes all do it for me. One day I will make the trek to San Francisco to visit the mecca, one day.

Anyway, super stoked about this batch of country loaf and baguettes. It's such a beautiful thing creating these seemingly simple works of art with your own hands. Dark, crunchy, crust with soft, moist, and yeasty interior with the faintest hint of sourdough. So tasty and flecked with those big air bubbles that crisp up on the grill. Add olive oil and you've got yourself a meal. It was so good we ate a loaf a day with every meal until it was gone. I did manage to freeze one and made paninis last night with our new panini press we got for Christmas, I expect we'll use it often!

If you have ever baked bread or been around fresh baked bread, there is a crackle that the bread makes as it cools- the "song of the bread" as the boys from Tartine called it. I never paid any attention before, maybe I was too caught up with life. I was so excited to hear this faint song as these loaves cooled it was a pure moment of joy. Listen for it next time, it is a sound from heaven.

Kickin' it Old School

Really old school... with a le Grand Aioli feast! This provencal celebration puts this tangy, garlic-flecked sauce in the spotlight- accompanied by a plethora of boiled vegetables and fish, meats, and bread to dip into the flavorful aioli. Inspired by a recent book I read by Georgeanne Brennan, A Pig in Provence, I decided to bring this age old tradition to West Hollywood with a feast of my own. The deliciously potent aioli consisted of almost a head of garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, and grassy olive oil. A blend of canola oil is normally recommended to mute the flavor of the olive oil, but I love the flavor of olive oil so went all out. It came out perfect- a smooth golden emulsification of a tangy, grassy, sauce with a kick of garlic (not recommended for the first date, or first 8 dates for that matter). Boiled carrots, potatoes, green beans and eggs made for traditional garnishes, with the addition of grilled asparagus and a delicious ny strip from Marconda's. A nice hearty loaf of french bread helped sop up the juices and soak up the wine, which was flowing, as per tradition.

The great thing about this feast, which usually fed the whole village, is that you can take all of this everyday produce, cook it simply, and have means for celebration focusing on this flavorful sauce- which goes great with everything. You don't have to make a fuss over cooking, instead make a really flavorful sauce. Just put on a pot of boiling water, grab a crusty baguette, open a bottle and voila, instant party. All in all an evening of great friends and good food- simple, easy, and full of flavor (that goes for both). This is what life is all about!

Chez Panisse Cafe

On our trip to Sausalito/Calistoga this summer we had the opportunity to eat at the renowned Chez Panisse... Cafe. Though we tried to get in to the ground floor restaurant by calling exactly a month in advance, as allowed, our efforts were futile and we ended up in the cafe with no regrets. I've been looking forward to eating here for years, and the place was better than I could have imagined. After walking the narrow stairs past the main dining room we entered into a the cozy cafe with the feel of a European bistro. Greeted by the maitre'd, we were taken to our quaint table in the back walking past bustling waiters and the open kitchen complete with wood-burning oven and hanging copper pots. The place has a lot of charm and character, with a friendly staff and stellar service. We started with a little gems lettuce salad with fresh from the market greens and fennel sausage and red pepper pizzette with a perfect crust that I'm sure has been perfected over the decades. Our entrees consisted of baked hand rolled pasta with chantrelles and creme fraiche and beef pot roast with market vegetables. The pasta was fresh and al dente, the crispy top contrasting with the creamy inside and tender roasted mushrooms, this was a perfect dish and one that I will no doubt try to duplicate. The roast was fall off the bone and seasoned perfectly with tender vegetables, as it should be.

We finished the meal with a fig tart (again, perfect crust) and fennel ice cream.

This is not nouveau, fine dining cuisine. This is fresh, quality product cooked simply, perfectly, highlighting the seasonal produce and organic farm-raised meats. There is a respect in the cooking here, a respect to the earth and what it has provided for us. It was a humbling dinner and an inspiring one. Coming from LA where there is a trendy new restaurant popping up each week with quenelles of foie gras ice cream, lavender foam, and liquid olives, this was a refreshing dinner reflecting on a simpler, more refined way of life.

Cornell Winery & Tasting Room

As we headed toward Malibu to the beach over the weekend , we had every intention of lying on the sand taking in the rays. But, as we drove along the PCH without any luck finding parking and noticed the overwhelmingly large number of people who also had the same idea, crowding the usual calm sands- we quickly diverted onto Kanan Rd. to see what else the day had in store for us. We considered heading to Malibu Family Wines to enjoy a relaxing glass (bottle) of wine among the vineyards, but again we were not the only ones who thought this might be fun, and found another crowd and still no parking. We continued down Kanan considering our options in Agoura when we spotted a small sign reading "wine tasting" just minutes away. We had stumbled onto the recently opened Cornell Winery and Tasting Room in the Malibu hills, tucked just off Kanan on Mulholland and resembling a set from an old western film. Inside, the tasting room has a gothic feel and looks like it could have been an old church. Works from local artists adorne the walls and the winery fearures all local wines. The friendly staff greets you with a warm welcome the minute you walk through the door, though we were already greeted by the neighborhood peacock the moment we stepped from the car. It was such a beautiful day that we opted out of the tasting and purchased a bottle of the Republic of Malibu 2007 "Pink Lady" Rose, a semi-dry fruity rose made from Syrah that we thoroughly enjoyed on the patio with our new friend (and newly named, by us) "Coop". The staff gave us peanuts for him and he was our new best friend.

We also sampled some locally brewed beers inside and finally splurged and split a mini-tasting. We left with a bottle of the Republic of Malibu 2006 "La Mano Poderosa", which was our favorite of the tasting. A full bodied cabernet/syrah blend, this wine was the heaviest and boldest, rich and complex with a fruity nose and balanced tannins. We couldn't wait, it paired very well with the chicken liver crostini I made later that night!