Everyone who knows me knows that my favorite food (other than ice cream) is salad. I love to think about them, make them and most of all eat them, and I tend to have a new favorite every week or so.

This fusiony Asian salad—containing everything but the kitchen sink—has uncharacteristically been my favorite for several weeks now and I see no sign of its being replaced any time soon. The mix of sweet, sour, salty, soft, crunchy, spicy and bland can’t be beat. Add some shrimp or chicken and it becomes a main course. 

Serves 8

2 bunches Lacinato kale, shredded  or 2 bunches watercress, roughly chopped or a combination

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

8 scallions, cut into thin rings

8 sliced radishes

2 large or 4 medium carrots, large grate or shredded

Toasted sesame seeds or peanuts

1 hard-ripe avocado, diced

1 mango, diced

½ red onion, cut into paper thin half rings

½ cup or more thinly sliced daikon

½ cup thinly sliced celery, optional

Bean sprouts, optional

Bamboo shoot or lotus, optional

Dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

½ cup neutral vegetable oil

4 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste

4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

3 large clove garlic, minced

a few drops of Tabasco or Sriricha, to taste

1 tablepsoon hoisin sauce

Tahini (optional)

Brown sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and set aside to let the flavors marry for at least 30 minutes. Taste and adjust, acid, salt, pepper etc.

BLACK RICE PAELLA, a one-pot meal, was my favorite item on the menu at Cendrillon, a fabulous Filipino restaurant I remember from Soho in the 1980’s. Sadly, it’s long-gone, but I now recreate the dish at home. A culinary marvel and brilliant flavor combo, the casserole of vanilla-scented black rice is layered red peppers, onions, and tomatoes heavily infused with coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, and then topped with sautéed seafood and lots of fresh cilantro.

I loved this dish years ago even before I understood the health benefits of black rice. But since learning that the inky purple rice is a superfood with the same antioxidant properties as blueberries, I literally have been making it once a week and feeding it to everyone I know. So far there have been no complaints, only people clamoring for the recipe.

Black Rice Paella with Shrimp, Scallops, Lemongrass and Ginger 

Serves 8

2 cups black rice

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

4-6 T vegetable oil, divided

1/4 t vanilla

2  cups vegetable stock

1 ½ cups  fish stock or clam juice or more vegetable stock

2 stalks lemongrass, pounded and cut into 4 inch pieces

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 red onion, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or more to taste)

Juice of 1 lime (to taste)

Honey to taste (1-3 t)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 lbs sea scallops

2 lbs shrimp oil plus garlic plus red pepper flakes for searing seafood

Chopped fresh cilantro and scallions for garnish

Directions:

1. First prepare the rice: rinse the rice in a sieve. Heat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the oil and heat. When it is hot, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the stocks and vanilla with the lemongrass pieces. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer until al dente, about 25 minutes.  When it is cooked to desired chewiness, drain any excess liquid from the rice and replace rice in the pot. Cover with a lid and keep warm until ready to use or reheat later.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F. While the rice is cooking, heat a deep skillet or wok over medium heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and heat through. Add the red onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ginger and bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. Add the coconut milk,  fish sauce and juice of 1/2 lime. Taste for more lime juice, fish sauce, and some honey to sweeten. Let simmer for 5 minutes or more to let the flavors meld. Stir in the tomatoes. Taste once more for the 3 seasonings—sweet, salty and sour.

3. Grease a large baking dish. Layer the rice in it (remove the lemongrass if you do not want to pick it out later). Pour the coconut sauce over that. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and place in the preheated oven until very hot, about 25 minutes.

4. While the casserole is baking, prepare the seafood: Sear the seafood (in batches if necessary) in a heavy skillet. After the rice has baked for 25 minutes, turn the oven heat off. When you are close to finishing the seafood, remove the rice from the oven, Remove foil and scatter the seafood on top of the rice. Strew with lots of chopped cilantro and scallions.

Buy your own black rice on Amazon by clicking here.

Luckily for all concerned, ice cream season is upon us and tonight I’m making one of favorite oldies but goodies, Chocolate Brittle Ice Cream loosely adapted from Cooking Caribe, a great cookbook that my friend Helen McCachrane wrote with Christopher Iodone in 1992.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
1 quart boiling milk

200 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona if possible)

10 Egg yolks

300 grams sugar small pinch of salt

1/3 cup of raisins plumped in

3 tablespoons of Armagnac, Cognac or dark rum

1/2 cup roughly chopped milk or dark chocolate or a combination whipped heavy cream (optional) to garnish
1. Bring the milk to a boil and add the cocoa a little at a time whisking
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until the mixture lightens gets very thick (“forms a ribbon”).
3. Sitr in the still very hot (reheat if necessary) chocolate milk. Cool and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
4. When almost frozen, add the raisins with their liquor and the chopped chocolate and finish freezing.
5. Serve small scoops of the ice cream garnished with dollops of whipped cream and sprinkled with optional praline
PRALINE

100 grams of sugar

100 grams of blanched almonds or walnuts or another nut of your choice warmed in the oven.
1. Melt the sugar with 1/4 cup of water
2. Simmer until dark golden.
3. Add the oven-warmed nuts and stir. Pour mixture onto an oiled piece of waxed paper. Cool. Break into pieces and coarsely chop.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 dark-skinned California avocado (Haas), peeled and cubed

Chicken: 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 (2 1/2 pound) chickens, cut into serving pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup butter
Sauce: 3 finely chopped shallots 3 tablespoons cognac 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 cup whipping cream 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup chicken stock Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. In a large heavy skillet, over low heat, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons butter and sauté chicken until juices run yellow when it is pricked with a fork, about 35 to 40 minutes. Use two skillets if necessary, adding more butter as needed. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes, while preparing sauce.
Sauce:

1. Add shallots to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping sides and bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Add cognac and wine and bring to a boil. Boil until mixture has almost evaporated. Add cream and boil 5 minutes longer.
2. In a saucepan over high heat, sauté mushrooms in butter.
3. Add chicken stock to cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Add the mushrooms, remaining cognac and avocado cubes. Stir until well blended. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

For those of you who are interested,



Tamara Stephenson has put together a great Valentine’s Day dinner to make tomorrow evening for a special someone or for your entire family. Delicious and a great blog, definitely worth checking out.

Also, those of you who were here in class with Tamara will find pictures of yourselves–busily cooking and eating–sprinkled through the post.

Below is the recipe from Nest By Tamara
Valentine menu:
Baked Shells with Asparagus, Green Peas, Onions and Lemon
arugula salad w/balsamic vinegar, olive oil, toasted pine nuts and shaved parmigiana
Chocolatissimo Chocolate-hazelnut Cake with Ganache Filling and Chocolate Glaze

Baked Shells with Asparagus, Green Peas, Onions and Lemon serves 8 as a first course
2 ½ ups heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
½ cup grated Fontina cheese
½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons ricotta
¼ cup finely minced yellow onion
1 ½ cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
dash of Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices on a severe diagonal
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into paper thin rings
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 pound imported pasta (shells or penne)

1 Preheat the oven to 500
2. Bring at least five quarts of salted water to the boil
3. In a large bowl combine the cream, zest, cheeses, minced onion, thawed peas, salt, Tabasco, and pepper.
4. In a separate bowl, toss the asparagus slices, onion slices and melted butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste
5. Parboil the pasta in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and add to the bowl with the cream mixture
6. Transfer the mixture to a large gratin dish. Pasta should be no more than 1 ½ inch deep. If necessary, use a second dish.
7. Evenly divide the asparagus/onion mixture over the top and sprinkle generously with parmesan
8. Bake until the pasta is bubbly and very hot and the asparagus begins to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Chocolatissimo Chocolate-hazelnut Cake w/Ganache Filling & Chocolate Glaze
1 cup milk
¾ cup cocoa
1/3 cup white sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Heat the milk in a small pan until bubbles begin to appear around the edges. Remove from the heat. Mix the cocoa and white sugar together in a small bowl and slowly beat in the warm milk. Let cool.
3. Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add the cocoa mixture. Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and gently blend into the butter mixture along with the chopped hazelnuts. Do not overbeat.
4. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the pans and springs back when touched gently in the center. Cool on a rack for a few minutes, then turn out of the pans onto the rack. Let cool completely before filling and glazing.
5. Lay one cake layer on a serving plate. Top with the ganache filling and then the second layer. Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the cake, spreading with a metal spatula. Dust with chopped hazelnuts if desired

GANACHE FILLING
½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
Bring the cream and butter to the boil in a medium saucepan. Off the heat, add the chocolate and allow the mixture to stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let the ganache stand until cool but still pourable. Beat the ganache on medium speed until light and smooth, 1-2 minutes

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Melt 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with 2 teaspoons of tasteless vegetable oil and pour over cake.

I added a simple arugula salad.
Randy loves a simple arugula salad, and with the pasta and rich cake, to me this is a perfect pairing. Don’t forget to wash that arugula very well – it can be sandy. Simple arugula, shave parmigiana and toasted pine nuts, and dressed with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, add salt and fresh cracked pepper and serve immediately.