KITCHEN VISIT: BOULETTE'S LARDER + BOULI BAR

For years now, I've been wanting to venture into the kitchens of chefs and cooks I admire, to take a peek and to share those glimpses (and a recipe of course!) with you here. I can't imagine a better place to start than Boulette's Larder and Bouli Bar.

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be welcomed into Amaryll's kitchen. From the crisp cool maritime light, to the steamy pots on the stove top, bushels of rosy apples, rows of copper pans of every imaginable size, and stacks of jars packed with spices, herbs, and other temptations, this place is magic. 

Boulette's Larder is amongst the favorite restaurants of pretty much everyone I know, and for good reason. There is something ethereal, yet earthy about Amaryll's cooking - her flavor combinations and use of ingredients are unexpected and inspiring, while at the same time her food is always deeply comforting and full of nourishment. For nearly a decade now at Boulette's, Amaryll and her partner Lori have been luring all of us in with cozy breakfasts, delectable lunches, and amazing dinner events. I'm guessing that all of you local Bay Area folks have tried Boulette's, but if you haven't, don't walk, run.

Lori and Amaryll's quiet corner of the SF Ferry Building has become a much busier place over the past few months since they've opened their second restaurant, Bouli Bar right next door to Boulette's. I've eaten a couple of scrumptious lunches since the doors opened and I'm looking forward to many many more. 



Abby, my best friend from high school - co-founder of international architecture firm Kallos Turin - designed Bouli Bar (and the quietly revamped Boulette's). She would be horrified at my gushing, but I can't help myself... the space is stunning. Another friend perfectly described Bouli Bar as modern and clean, yet jewel-like; and I have to say that the space has a freshness completely unlike any restaurant I've seen. There are cozy banquettes, warm communal tables, seating in the atrium of the bustling Ferry Building, while a beautiful brass-clad wood-fueled oven burns at the heart of Amaryll and Lori's new venture. 

Both Bouli and Boulette's feel just right and the food is unbeatable. We're so lucky. 


Amaryll was willing to share some cooking wisdom with me that I had to pass along to you. One of the most irresistible plates of food being served the morning I spent at Boulette's was a bowl of "corn cream" - kind of a fresh corn polenta - topped with buttery scrambled eggs, fresh lime and sea salt. Talk about comfort food!

How do we make this Corn Cream at home? I had to know. Here's the scoop...

CORN CREAM serves 2
printable recipe

• 4 ears sweet corn
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• sea salt to taste
• optional: heavy cream

Cut kernels from uncooked corn. Amaryll suggests cutting the kernels in a few phases: first, cut off the kernels at about 1/2 depth; next, slice the remaining corn from the cob; finally, use the back of a knife or spoon to scrape the length of the cob to get as much of the corn milk as possible. (Try doing all of the cutting and scraping of the corn over your blender or food processor, so you don't loose one tasty bit.)

Place cut corn in a blender or food processor. Press the kernels down with a wooden spoon to help release the liquid and to make blending easier. Thoroughly puree the corn for a minute or two until frothy like a cappuccino. (You can also run the corn kernels through a juicer, if you've got one). Feel free to strain the puree through a loose sieve if you want a very smooth texture, but a coarser texture is nice as well.

Pour your puree in a saucepan with butter and a few pinches of sea salt. Warm the corn over low heat, stirring occasionally. The corn will release its starches as it cooks, thickening the puree. The cooking also brings out the natural sugars of the corn, making for an amazing naturally sweet bite.

After only 5-10 minutes of gentle cooking, your Corn Cream will be ready to eat. Feel free to add a little cream for a looser consistency. Season with additional sea salt to taste.

I can imagine endless ways to serve the sweet creamy goodness: with poached fish, sauteed greens, grilled chicken, fried eggs, seared tomatoes.... So many delicious possibilities. 

Trust me, you need Corn Cream in your life.

Thank you, Amaryll.

IRRESISTIBLE GREEN POZOLE

Do any of you cook with hominy?

Last year, when I saw a bag of Rancho Gordo hominy at my local butcher shop, I couldn't resist snatching it up. I had never cooked with hominy before and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it - an impulse buy you could say.  Some weeks later I was thumbing through the Ruth Reichl's Gourmet Today cookbook and found her recipe for Pozole, a wonderful Mexican stew packed with chicken, hominy, tomatillos and topped with lime, avocado, radish and cilantro. Bingo! Now my hominy had a purpose.

Well I have to tell you, that pozole was good - irresistibly good - and I knew I wanted to share it with you guys. Finally, here I am.

As you have probably noticed, I tend to favor recipes that are simple and quick to make, not fussing too much with the natural deliciousness of good ingredients. As I am in the thick of recipe testing feedback for my book ( thank you wonderful testers!), one of my favorite compliments is that the recipes are surprisingly easy. This makes me happy. That said, this pozole recipe is kinda time consuming and makes for a ton of dishes, but it's so worth the effort. And when you're done, you have this amazing one-bowl meal that is deeply satisfying and delish!

As a little side note... I wanted to give a shout out to Kimberley Hasselbrink, the talented cook and photographer behind The Year in Food. I got to meet Kimberley in person last week when she graciously invited me for lunch. She cooked up a few really tasty items from her upcoming book to be published by Ten Speed next year. If those bites were any indication, her book will be as delicious as her blog. I cannot wait to cook from it!

If you are going to prepare your own hominy, and not use the canned stuff, allow yourself soaking and cooking time before you get set to make the pozole. I suggest soaking your hominy the night before you want to cook. Then cook the hominy a few hours before getting started on making the rest of your pozole.



INGREDIENTS very slightly adapted from Ruth Reichl's Gourmet Today
      {printable recipe}

• two 15 ounce cans cooked hominy, or 4 cups home-cooked hominy (8 ounces dry will yield approximately 4 cups)
• 1 large white onion, sliced thin lengthwise
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• bay leaf
• salt
• 3 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (I'm sure you could also use breast meat, but I don't think the resulting broth would be as flavorful)
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed with warm water
• 1 -2 bunches fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dried epazote or dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Delicious Garnishes:

• avocados, chopped and tossed with salt and lime juice
• radishes, chopped
• small white onion, chopped
• additional chopped cilantro
• lots of limes
• more epazote, or crushed oregano

As I mentioned above, if you are using dried hominy, it needs to be soaked and cooked before you can make the pozole. I followed the instructions on the package.

In a stockpot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1/2 sliced onion, 3 cloves garlic, bay, and a teaspoon of salt to the pot. Cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Next, add the whole chicken thighs to the pot. Skim off any foam that forms. Simmer very gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Use kitchen tongs to remove the chicken and set it on a platter to cool. Strain the broth and set it aside for later. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers and set aside.

Grind pepitas in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. ( I think it's brilliant that this recipe uses these ground pepitas for a thickener for the stew.) Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat 3 cups water with remaining 1/2 onion and tomatillos over high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 10 minutes, until veggies are tender. Discard the cooking liquid and place the cooked tomatillos and onions into a standing blender along with 1/4 cup cilantro, 3 more cloves garlic, epazote, and 1.5 teaspoons salt. Blend thoroughly.

Heat canola oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pureed veg to the hot pan - be careful as it will be splattery. Cook the sauce uncovered, stirring regularly until it thickens - about 10 minutes. Add the ground pepitas and 1 cup of the broth reserved from cooking the chicken, stir and cook another 5 minutes.

Finally add the shredded chicken, cooked hominy, and 3 cups of reserved broth to the pot. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Season with additional salt to taste - though keep in mind that adding freshly squeeze lime to soup will add a nice punch.

Scoop warm pozole into low bowls and serve with all the wonderful garnishes. Damn, that's good.

serves 6

.......................................

I don't know about you, but I'm THRILLED spring is here. We've been buying ranunculus at Monterey Market lately. I'm so happy to see that organic flowers are finally starting to be more readily available. It's about time!

CREAMY CORN PUDDING

My girl Lilah doesn't like to brush her hair. She's way too busy playing imaginary games, collecting rocks and flowers, listening to Harry Potter on CD, kicking butt in Tae Kwon Do, and sometimes she is just too busy... cooking.

When my friends Leslie and Ethel gave me a copy of their book At the Farmers' Market with Kids, I was stoked, and so were Otis and Lilah. My kids like their time in the kitchen, especially when they're in charge. With corn still in its late-summer sweet spot around here, the corn pudding recipe seemed like the one to try. Lilah was the chef, and I was her assistant.

Leslie and Ethel's book gives clear directions for young readers and highlights simple tasks for even younger kids. Lilah and I had a blast making these creamy puddings.

Needless to say, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this recipe...


INGREDIENTS from At the Farmers' Market with Kids by Leslie Jonath and Ethel Brennan
{printable recipe}

• 1.5 to 2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 large ears of corn
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped chives
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup grated white cheddar
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Preheat oven 350. Butter one 8 inch baking dish (or I used four 4 inch ramekins).

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the shallot, chives and corn kernels, stirring occasionally until corn has softened - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and salt. Stir in grated cheese and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, bring 2 cups of milk to a gentle boil. Whisk in corn meal. Lower heat, stir regularly, and cook corn meal until it resembles a thickened porridge - about 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove sauce pan from heat, whisk in the remaining cup of milk, the corn mixture, and the egg mixture. Pour into buttered baking dish(es).

Bake the pudding(s) for about 45 minutes until the tops are golden brown. A toothpick stuck into the center of the pudding should come out clean.

Eat and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

BREAKFAST POLENTA WITH BUTTERED APPLES AND HAZELNUTS

After eating dreamy breakfast polenta at Bather's Pavillion in Sydney, I had to make it myself. Polenta usually gets relegated to lunch or dinner, but it makes a really good breakfast porridge. So many ingredients can top the polenta... berries, pears, nuts of all sorts. And if you are wanting a less-sweet breakfast, poached eggs and aparagus would be tasty here as well.

In honor of all the apple orchards we've seen across New Zealand, I made simple, baked and buttered apples, inspired by Elizabeth David. I couldn't resist adding locally harvested hazelnuts from the Nelson Saturday Market.

If you are in need of a holiday breakfast, this belly-warming dish could easily serve a crowd.

BALINESE GARDEN STEW

When we left Bali last week, my paradisical travel bubble burst: ceiling fans and lush sweet frangipani flowers have been replaced by fake orchids and round-the-clock air conditioning; locals devoted to poetic offerings to their ancestors are now overweight twenty somethings obsessed with beer, lots of beer; and the charming wood carving studios are now adult superstores.

I won't mention the name of the city we are currently stuck in in Northern Australia - but suffice it to say, I won't be coming back here. Did I mention that is is beyond expensive here too. Ugh.

In wanting to savor the taste, smell, and vibe of Bali, I offer Mini's superb recipe to you.....

Mini is a fabulous cook. Everything she makes is full of flavor and belly-warming goodness. Recently, I got to spend the afternoon in her kitchen and learned a number of her delectable dishes. This stew was my favorite. I ate it for lunch for five days straight! It was that good.

 At Sarinbuana, a small eco-resort tucked in the mountains of Bali, you order your meals at the beginning of the day so that just the right ingredients can be plucked fresh from the organic garden. This is not your run of the mill organic kitchen garden, but a permaculture food forest in the mountain jungles of Bali. Wow!

Okay, in most of our lives we don't have access to magical rain forest ingredients, but I do think that if you use whatever veggies you grow yourself or pick up ultra fresh at the market, you will be rewarded with a really tasty, and ridiculously quick meal. So many veggie combinations would work for this soup. Play around with the recipe and use what is in season.

Cap Cay ( pronounced "chap chai") is a traditional Indonesian dish and I think is going to become a staple meal in our household. Mini and I made this stew in a single serving size (for my dinner in fact) and I thought a solo lunch or supper recipe would be a nice thing to have on-hand.  You can easily double, triple, quadruple this recipe to suit your needs.

Mini's notes and condiments for the day's meals...

BROWN SUGAR CARAMEL CORN WITH FLEUR DE SEL

I'll fess up - these really are like Cracker Jacks. Maybe I just needed a little taste of Americana before our departure tomorrow.  Next stop - Bali!

This recipe was born from a serious jonze for caramel. Ever since I discovered how easy it is to do Homemade Caramel Sauce, we have been making it at least once a month. (And yes with this new habit, our waistlines have expanded.) Recently, we were in Sea Ranch with Rach and Justin when the craving for caramel kicked in. We were in a borrowed kitchen, with no Internet, no recipes, and no white sugar. Hmmmm.... we did have my memory (not always so good), brown sugar, butter, and cream so I got to work. We ended up with a rich and decadent brown sugar caramel that we drizzled over whiskey gelato. Gotta love being isolated from technology, while still being able to buy artisinal whiskey gelato at the local store!

We used the leftover sauce to make caramel corn for the kids and it was a huge success. Once I got home, I read up on caramel corn and found that brown sugar is a pretty standard ingredient. Who knew?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup popcorn kernels (approximately 5 quarts popped corn)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• generous pinch of fleur de sel
• 1 1/2 cups roasted salted peanuts

First pop your popcorn using whatever technique suits you. The kids always love using this old-fashioned popper.  I use a little canola oil in the popper along with a cup of corn. Here's Lilah at work...

When popcorn is done. Set aside.

Kids had to munch a bit on the plain popcorn.

Broccoli Rabe and Corn Bread Strata

If your New Year's resolution precludes you from indulging in rich foods, do not read on. But you would really be missing out, because it is all those eggs and cream that make this dish so delectable. Plus Rapini is really good for you, right?

This recipe is more labor intensive than my usual culinary undertakings, but the strata sounded so good, I couldn't resist making it. Worth all the effort! Being such carnivores at our house, it is refreshing to eat a meal so totally satisfying, yet vegetarian.

Make sure you prepare the strata the night before or early in the morning. It needs to rest in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.


INGREDIENTS
Adapted from NY Times

• 6 cups chopped Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) leaves and florets
• olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1 whole red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup Calamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups half and half or whole milk
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 pounds (about 8 cups) corn bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (make sure your corn bread is not sweet)
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 1/2 cups ( 6 ounces) Gruyere, grated

If you are not buying corn bread, bake your own. When cool, cut bread into one inch cubes. Place cubed corn bread (in a casual array) in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

Cut bell pepper into quarters. Either roast over flame or cook in oven at high heat until skin is bubbling. Immediately place roasted peppers in a closed container and let steam for 10 minutes or so. This will make it easier to remove the skins. Remove skins, dice pepper, and set aside.

Clean Rapini and remove thick stalks. Roughly chop tender leaves and stems. Mince garlic.

I doubled the Broccoli Rabe from the original recipe and therefore needed to cook it in two batches. Heat large pan over stove top at medium-high heat. Pour in enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Toss in half of minced garlic cook for about 30 seconds. Add 3 cups chopped Rapini. Saute for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to pan. Cover, turn heat down to medium, cook for about 3 minutes. If there is excess liquid in pan, continue to simmer for a minute more with the lid off until the water has evaporated. Repeat again in order to cook the remaining 3 cups of Rapini.

Toss cooked Rapini in a bowl with chopped olives and bell peppers.

In another bowl, lightly whisk 8 eggs. Add half and half or milk to eggs. Whisk to mix together and make your custard. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.

Spread Rapini mixture over the top of the cornbread. Add dollops of ricotta over the top of the veggies. Pour custard over the top of everything, making sure to distribute evenly. Finally, finish with grated Gruyere and more freshly ground pepper.

Cover strata and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, take strata out of fridge and allow to come to room temp. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 45-55 minutes until firm and golden brown on top.




Serves 8-10 as a main or up to 16 as a side dish

Truly Creamy Polenta

After jumping through the hoops (and double-boilers) of countless polenta recipes and never achieving that perfectly creamy, belly-warming texture, David Tanis' polenta from his inspired cookbook, Platter of Figs, is a revelation - not too difficult and totally satisfying. Finally!


INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups polenta
• 8 cups water
• salt
• milk
• butter, 6 tablespoons

Here are Tanis' instructions.....

Bring water to a boil. Add 1 - 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 cups polenta. Slowly add polenta to the hot water and whisk well. When liquid returns to a boil and polenta begins to thicken after a minute or two, turn flame down to low heat. Continue to stir while polenta gets its bearings. Polenta should continue to cook at a very low simmer. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes. If polenta starts to get too thick add a splash of milk occasionally. (We add a splash at every stir).

After 45 minutes, polenta should be nearly done. When tasting for doneness, you are looking for a smooth creamy texture, not at all grainy.

Now add salt and pepper, another splash of milk, and stir well. Cook for 15 minutes longer, taste again. Stir in 6 tablespoons of softened butter. Turn off heat, cover polenta, and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Covered, it will stay warm and creamy for up to an hour.

Even with just the simplest addition of Parmesan and butter, this polenta is totally satisfying. As you can see from the photo, we ate polenta with the roasted wild chanterelles and fennel-spiked sausage. I want another bowl already.

Serves 6

Chicken Corn Chowder with Popovers

Otis stayed home from school yesterday and was in need of some mama-style comfort food. I found these faded handwritten recipes stashed away in my recipe box and knew they would be good medicine. My mom used to make this soup for our family and it has always been an old-school favorite of mine: the creaminess of the pureed corn plus the added cream delightfully warms the belly.


CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups corn
  
• 1 large yellow onion
• 6 ribs celery
• 2 large carrots
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 cup cream
• fresh italian parsley

In a stock pot, melt butter over low heat. Add whole chicken breasts and cook covered for 10 minutes, flipping once after 5 minutes. Cut chicken into cubes and set aside.

Dice onions, celery and carrots. Place in the stock pot with the butter used to cook the chicken. Saute over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. (Check out the cute baby celery Otis picked from our garden!)


Put 2 cups of corn in the blender with 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Puree until smooth.


Dice potatoes . I leave the skins on because it is much healthier that way and I don't mind the heartiness they add to the soup.

Add potatoes, chicken, stock, pureed and whole corn to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook partially covered for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add cream and garnish with chopped parsley. Grind fresh pepper over the top and add salt to taste.

Eat with popovers. Yum!!!

Serves 8



POPOVERS

I have always loved popovers. What is not to like? Have one to sop up your soup and another slathered with jam and butter for dessert!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sifted all purpose flour (gluten-free folks, try Pamela's bread mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt ( no need to add if you use Pamela's)
  
• 1 teaspoon safflower oil

Preheat oven to 450.

In blender mix eggs and milk until blended. Then add salt and flour and blend for 90 seconds. Add oil and blend for another 30 seconds.


Grease muffin or popover tin. Fill half way with batter. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce to 350 and cook another 20-30 minutes. Don't open the oven door until the last 5 minutes of cooking. Popovers should be a rich golden brown and crunchy on the outside when done. Let sit for a minute or so before removing.

Serve immediately.

Makes 6 popovers (I usually have to make 2 batches for my gang)

A note to my gluten free compatriots, this is the first time I have used gluten free flour to make this recipe. The insides were a little gooey compared to what I recall from my wheat-eating days. Nonetheless, they were eggy and delicious.