Champagne and Pasta

This summer I took an online food writing course from a colleague, for which one of our exercises was to create a recipe and then write it up to fit the style of three different magazines. After doing some research to find ingredients that seem to pair well with champagne, I created this recipe which we enjoyed again with friends, last evening.

The earthy taste of portobellos merges beautifully with champagne in a rich, seductive sauce. But if you're not a champagne fan or don't want champagne 'leftovers,' you can substitute chardonnay.

Champagne Parmesan Pasta Sauce with Portobellos
Makes eight, 1/4 cup servings

2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped in about 1/4" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons dry champagne

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup dry champagne
1 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 - 2 cups grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons sherry

grated Parmesan

For the mushrooms: Using paper towel, remove excess dirt from surface of mushrooms and dice. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute garlic until soft and lightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute over medium heat until soft and glossy, about 2-3 minutes. Add champagne and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, add flour and stir continuously until smooth. Add milk and continue stirring until sauce begins to thicken and bubble slightly. Add champagne, nutmeg and sherry and reduce heat to low. Slowly add Parmesan, stirring to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Stir in mushrooms, and then add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over pasta with additional Parmesan.

Going Green in the Kitchen

I recently 'went green' in my kitchen with a pair of gloves from Williams-Sonoma. I didn't like my latex gloves from the grocery store anymore and these babies were just the right substitute. They shed water just as well as latex but they're more comfortable and durable.

Start with three-ply vinyl in green, lilac, lemon, or fuchsia and then add a 100-percent cotton liner. Make them machine washable and dry-able, multiple times, and they're well worth the $12 price tag.

Barking at Fisherman's Wharf

A chorus of deep, raspy barking drew me towards Pier 39. Captivated onlookers lined the dock railings, three-deep, and craned their necks for maximum views of the massive sea lions. More than a dozen basked in early morning sun, paying no attention to gulls that occasionally landed in their midst.

As I watched from a less crowded boardwalk across the inlet, I realized my position minimized the stench I'd heard these enormous sea mammals created. But the distance that saved my nose also hampered my view. I could not see them very well until I attached the telephoto lens to my camera. The raucous barking continued as I snapped away, capturing the sheen of their wet hides and laziness of their seaside naps.

Not until I looked at my pictures later did I realize the sea lions had totally ignored the sign that said 'No Docking.'

Texas-Shaped Chocolate

Sometimes food is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate. Such was the case at Westin La Cantera Hotel, in San Antonio. One evening a culinary gift arrived that blew us away with its detail and inventiveness.

A nearly photographic image of the hotel property had been transferred to the removable top of a white chocolate 'box,' which was full of white and dark chocolate truffles, and iced and jellied sugar cookies. Fresh strawberry halves and dark chocolate drizzles decorated the plate, providing visual contrast to the Texas-shaped confection.

The idea that this was too pretty to eat didn't last long - nor did the chocolate.

Bugs' Best Carrot Cake

Many years ago, I worked as a part-time cook in a small nonprofit restaurant called Franklin Coffee Shop that was created to serve and support the low income neighborhood in which it operated. The previous cook was legendary for his dishes, including a fantastic carrot cake that I adopted immediately upon taking over his kitchen.

Particularly as I've begun developing more recipes, I've made a number of adjustments to Terry Woodbury's original recipe and created my own version. I've turned it into cupcakes and 9 x 13 cakes many times, but it had been quite awhile since I tackled a two-layer cake, holding my breath as I waited for each layer to drop - fully intact - from its buttered and floured pan. Still a touch warm and adorned with cream cheese icing, it was gorgeous and delicious.

Here's the recipe:

Lisa's Carrot Cake

Cake:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated carrots (tip: start with approximately 2 1/2 cups cut carrots)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine

Combine all ingredients thoroughly except carrots and walnuts, and then add these ingredients, blending well. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or two, eight-inch layer pans or use cupcake papers (makes 15-16 large cupcakes). Pour batter in pan and bake 40-45 minutes in a 350-degree oven (20-25 minutes for cupcakes). When cake reaches room temperature, top with:

Cream Cheese icing:

1/2 box powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice (or milk)
1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Allow butter and cream cheese to soften and then cream together with powdered sugar. Add orange juice to thin slightly and vanilla. Combine until thick and creamy. Spread on cooled cake. (tip: Leftover icing will keep in the refrigerator for another dessert, perhaps with cocoa or other flavoring added before you use it)

Dynamic Dance

Chants and drumming filled the air with haunting melodies as the New Dawn Native Dancers created a glorious spectacle of color, movement and enthusiasm. Though only three years old, Quentin Stout, of the Chickasaw and Otoe tribes, performed in the troupe of children, age 3 to 18, as if he'd danced since birth. His nine-year-old brother, Steven Stout, Jr., demonstrated grace and dignity with every step.

The group was only one of many that perform during the Indian Art Market held at Haskell Indian Nations University, in Lawrence, Kansas, each fall. The market brings together hundreds of American Indian/Alaska Native artists who sell exquisite sterling jewelry, one-of-a-kind drums, paintings, and kachinas for two days, on the college campus. Thousands of visitors also enjoy enormous Indian tacos, freshly squeezed lemonade and other treats.

But it is in the arena where Native American participants give visitors a glimpse of their lives through dance, storytelling, and silversmithing and pottery demonstrations. The modern world recedes within moments, as history repeats itself through dedicated performance.

Sour Dough in Frisco

It was late morning when the smell of freshly baked bread drew me to Boudin Bakery, within view of San Francisco Bay. A street musician created sonorous music as he tapped enthusiastically on a twin pair of over-sized bongos, and raucous gulls swooped across parking lots and buildings.

Inside the bakery, more than 150 years of history coalesced in dozens of fresh sourdough loaves, paying homage to a tradition that began when the Gold Rush '49ers merged traditional French baking techniques and 'sour' dough. In fact, today's loaves are still made with a portion of the original 'mother' dough, which has been divided and replenished with flour and water each day since the first batch was made.

With a crunchy crust and a chewy center, a 24-ounce loaf only cost about $4. If I hadn't been so full from breakfast I might have grabbed lunch in Bistro Boudin, the company's first full-service restaurant. And if I hadn't been so pressed for time I would have toured the company's on-site museum - full of city history and antique photos - or stopped by the demonstration bakery. But, sometimes, it's also nice to have things you can look forward to during your next visit.