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Monday, February 17, 2014

Cioppinos Not Cheapino But Totally Worth It!

When you feel like splurging a little – maybe for that exclusive New Years Eve party youre putting together – San Franciscos famous Cioppino is a great choice.
This spicy fish and shellfish stew is a big red bowl of yummy, and when paired with a loaf of crusty sourdough bread, its downright otherworldly.
There are as many versions for Cioppino as there are tourist traps on San Franciscos Fishermans Wharf (if youre visiting our city, youve been warned…do not waste your money on an expensive meal down there!).

Some versions use red wine, some white. Some feature a thin broth, while others are so thick you could stand your spoon up in it. They usually all have some type of crab and shrimp, but any and all combinations of seafood are used. As I say in the video, this is not the Cioppino recipe; its a Cioppino recipe.

Ive seriously never made it the same way twice, which is how a recipe like this should be treated. I want you to watch and learn the basic steps, but then go forth, adapt, and find your own expression of Cioppino bliss.

Any serious arguments in the comments as to what should, or should not, appear in a Cioppino will be met with the usual indignation. When it comes to Cioppino, there are two ways to make it – the way you make it, and the wrong way. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 rib celery, fine dice
1 onion, large dice
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can (28-oz) tomato puree, tomato sauce, or plum tomatoes crushed by hand
2 cups water, clam juice or fish stock, more as needed to adjust thickness
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5-6 thin slices of lemon
1 cooked Dungeness crab (about 2-lbs), cracked and cleaned, or 1-lb frozen crabmeat thawed
12 oz fresh cod, cut into 1-in pieces or any other white fish
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound fresh mussels
1/2 cup chopped fresh herb (usually Italian parsley and/or basil, tarragon, or any combination)

View the complete recipe

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake – You Asked For It!

As promised, here’s the recipe for the chocolate cake that was featured in the orange Crème Anglaise video recipe we did a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, here’s what happened: We uploaded a perfectly fine looking custard sauce video, which no one cared about once they saw this gorgeous looking cake.

Not only did the vast majority of the audience lose all interest in the Crème Anglaise, but they also started requesting the cake be shared in video recipe form. And by “request,” I mean they demanded under threat of grievous bodily harm. Well, it worked.

By the way, you can use any pan for this cake, even a cupcake tin, as long as you’re prepared to adjust your baking time. I’d love to give you specific times, but that will depend on the exact size/type of pan. Best to test early and often with the old bamboo skewer, until it comes out clean.

I joked in the intro that if you messed this up, you should never try to bake anything else again. The funny this is, that’s not a joke. You’ll have to try really hard for this not to come out awesome. In fact, the ganache is probably the trickiest part, and all that entails is pouring boiling cream over chopped chocolate and stirring. I hope you give this ridiculously easy and delicious chocolate cake a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 1 Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake:
Recipe from Bi-Rite Markets Eat Good Food

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

1/3 cup high-quality cocoa powder (use the best you can find)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp fine salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ganache:

4 ounces good quality dark chocolate, chopped or broken into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

*Bring cream to a boil and immediately pour over chocolate. Wait 1 minute and stir until smooth and glossy.