Grandma’s Chili Beans for Mr. David

Grandma’s Chili Beans

My Puerto Rican grandmother was a really great cook. She also took great pride in her position as authority of all things Puerto Rican in the kitchen. I spent many curious afternoons with her as a kid in both her amazing garden and kitchen, trying to figure out how she made some of my family’s favorite dishes. I was most fascinated by watching her make Arroz con Gandules, a combination of rice, pigeon peas and pork, cooked all together in the same pot. It is a dish that is traditionally cooked only around the holidays, though I would request that she made it for me any time of the year. She always obliged – I was her favorite after all. The savory aroma of that rice cooking is still one that brings me right back to my childhood every time I make it now.

Grandma basting the holiday turkey.

The smell of food conjures up memories for everyone. When I’m cooking Puerto Rican food at home, fellow Latin guests can rejoice in the same aromatic and amorous sense of nostalgia. We are bound by the same history of comfort through food.

So when my dear friend, companion, mother, father, brother, sister – Mr. David comes over to create a new gown for me, I in exchange cook for him. And, I know exactly what things make him most happy at my table. Most of you probably think that he survives on cigarettes, coffee, and whiskey. Though that may be true, I know a better way to his heart and also a much more loving way to get that gown finished. It is simply by cooking him Arroz con Gandules or a pot of my grandmother’s chili beans. This exchange has become a cornerstone of our most perfect union and the bridge chartering numerous artistic collaborations.

Mr. David enjoying my grandmothers chili beans.

There is nothing fancy about these beans. They are very simple to make. All they require is the patience to let the beans gently simmer until they are perfectly done.

Chili Beans

3 Tablespoons Achiote lard (recipe follows)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon Gebhardt Chili powder
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup Sofrito (recipe follows)
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 quarts water
1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
1 tablespoon salt

In a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the achiote lard and
add the ground beef to the hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the meat is well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the chili powder,
cumin, oregano, bay leaf and sofrito and cook about 4 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, water and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the
heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring
occasionally, until meat and beans are tender and sauce is thick and
flavorful, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add the salt after the first hour
of cooking.

My grandmother used to serve us these beans over a bowl of steamed white rice.

Achiote Lard
1 cup lard
2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds

Heat the lard and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat
just until the seeds give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don’t overheat
the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil a nasty green.
Once they’re sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let stand
until the sizzling stops. Strain as much of the oil as you are going
to use right away into the pan; store the rest for up to 4 days at
room temperature in a jar with a tight fitting lid.

To make the sofrito follow this link to view a past post.

Tutu’s Legendary Mai Tai

Tutu’s Mai Tai

You could say my most recent visit to Hawaii left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. The island of Oahu is becoming so congested by cars, tourists and our nations military that it doesn’t feel like an island anymore. The roads feel like the freeways of Los Angeles. And, the rows of shops in Waikiki look straight off the strip malls of Las Vegas.

Thus said I am so grateful to have a local family I can call my own. I’m struggling to understand how they are adapting, once again to the growth of their homeland. Growth that has been steadily moving forward since the late 40′s, welcome as it was at that time. The feeling of aloha is getting harder and harder to find.

Lovey at the Tahitian Lanai

So you see – hanging out with Tutu (Lovey) is definitely a highlight when I visit Honolulu. I could sit for hours and listen to her stories about the history of Waikiki in its heyday, all told with a fair amount of piss and vinegar.

Tahitian Lanai

Lovey was a bartender for close to 40 years, working under the umbrella of restaurants owned by the Spencecliff organization, which included Tops, Queen’s Surf and the legendary Tahitian Lanai. She claims to have made the best Mai Tai in town, and only at a cost of $1.50. Even though the cocktail didn’t originate on the island, it’s roots were clearly tropic. Nowadays it’s almost impossible to find a “real” Mai Tai in Waikiki, so many variations are being made to please the palates of cocktail-umbrella seeking tourists.

Tutu’s Mai Tai

1 oz dark rum
1 oz light rum
1/2 ounce Orange Curaçao
1/4 ounce rock candy (simple) syrup
Juice from one fresh lime (about 3/4 ounce)

Pour all of the ingredients except for the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice. Top with the dark rum. Garnish with a cherry.

Salty Dogs with Barkeeper Paul Wakefield

Paul Wakefield

My lover and friend Paul Wakefield tends bar at San Francisco’s Orbit Room. The bar and cafe have been around for over 20 years. The place is a great mix of old and new. Paul stopped by my place tonight to make us one of my favorite winter cocktails before heading off to work. I’m a huge citrus fan of Meyer lemons, Key limes, Valencia oranges and especially grapefruit. They are a bit of sunshine at the market right now. My grandmother had a grapefruit tree that was so tall its top branches rested on the roof  of her small home in the East Bay. I was always more than happy to pick them for her. My family sold that little house years ago. And, I recently drove by out of curiosity and my great fondness of the property that gave me so much fruit throughout my childhood. The front yard was horribly disregarded. And that great grapefruit tree that stood so tall had been chopped down to a mere stump. I’ll never drive by there again. But I will never forget the taste of those big juicy grapefruits.

Salty Dog

6 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, about 3 large grapefruits

2 ounces vodka

Salt for the rim of the glass

Ice

Paul and I at Booty Call Wednesdays

Squash Blossom Soup

Squash Blossom Soup

I love walking by a produce stand during the summer and seeing a big pile of squash blossoms. There bright color always catches me by surprise. Stuffing them with cheese and frying them seems to be their most familiar face on a menu. At home I find that too much work. I prefer them in a simple soup. Their delicate summer flavor deserves to be highlighted.

The following recipe is inspired by the cookbook author Diana Kennedy. Her book The Art of Mexican Cooking has been a staple in my kitchen since it was first printed in 1989. This recipe is so simple I don’t see the need to add any measurements or much direction.

Coarsely chop a big bunch of squash blossoms (remove the stems) and place into two large soup bowls. Heat some homemade chicken stock to a boil and pour over the chopped squash blossoms. Let your guests garnish the soup with chopped white onion, diced serrano chiles, queso fresco, chopped cilantro and a little chopped chipolte chile. If you want a more substantial soup – add some cooked white rice and shredded cooked chicken.

Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Summer Cherry Balsamic Cocktail

I was recently having lunch at one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants – Boulette’s Larder at the Ferry Building when our waiter brought to our table a bottle of Bevanda al Balsamico a cherry flavored Italian drinking apertif. At first try I knew I had to bring a bottle home.

This is the information printed directly on the bottle: This flavorful new Italian aperitif concentrate features a 100% natural blend of balsamic vinegar, Italian apple cider vinegar, and freshly-pressed juice from Italian cherries.

Summer Cherry Balsamico Cocktail

2 ounces Bombay Sapphire Gin

1 tablespoon Bevanda al Balsamico Cherry

Sparkling water

Ice

Squeeze of lemon
Combine all ingredients together and enjoy.

Italian Plum Cake

I love stone fruits – especially peaches, nectarines and plums. When I was a little kid we had a peach tree in the backyard and my mother said I would stand under the tree waiting for a peach to drop into my hands. Even now as an adult I am never prepared for the sweet juices that run down my face.

The Italian plum is sometimes called prune or Stanley. They ripen at the end of summer.

This recipe for Italian Plum Cake is from David Tanis’ cookbook “A platter of figs, and other recipes”. It’s pretty simple to make with very few ingredients.

Italian Plum Cake

1 cup unblanched almonds

1/2 cup sugar, plus about 1/4 cup for topping

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons sweet butter, melted

2 pounds Italian plums, pitted and sliced thickly

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Butter a 10-inch tart pan or springform pan. Put the almonds and 1/2 cup sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the flour and salt and pulse once more.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Beat the eggs with the milk and stir in the melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the almond mixture and whisk for a minute or two until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the plum slices on top in a circular pattern. Sprinkle sugar generously over the plums. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes. until the top is golden and a paring knife inserted into the center comes clean.

This cake is best served within a few hours of baking.

Dinners with Grandpa by Nilda Brooklyn

My friend Nilda shares a wonderful story about having dinners with her grandfather. A great recipe follows but do listen to the Podcast here…GP.

Nilda’s voice is beautiful to listen to as she cooks and talks to her grandfather.

My grandfather, Carl German, has lived an incredible life as a professor, sailor, wrestler and engineer. He always shared with me that the biggest influence on his life and on how he viewed food was growing up during the Depression. He savored every meal because food was not to be taken for granted. His favorite food story is the first time he tried sashimi. He was sailing to England and a Bluefin tuna jumped on the boat. He said it was one of the best meals of his life.

Fettuccine with Clams

1 pound fettuccine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
Zest of 1 lemon plus the juice
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Oregano or thyme or both (small pinch)
¼ cup clam juice
1pound clams
1Tablespoon butter
Handful of chopped parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta (make sure water is very salty). Heat olive oil and render bacon. Remove and drain on paper towel. Reserve bacon bits for finishing the pasta dish.

Add shallots to bacon fat and olive oil and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant. Add ½ lemon zest, red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme. Cook until herbs become fragrant. Keep heat on low-medium so the garlic and herbs do not burn. Add the lemon juice and clam juice and simmer to let it reduce and the broth becomes rich. Add clams and cover the pot cooking until all the clams have opened (discard clams that do not open). Add one ladle of pasta water.

Drain pasta and add 1tablespoon butter and half of the parsley. Salt and pepper the dish to taste.

Top with clams and clam broth, parsley, bacon bits and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Frijoles de olla

I love cooking a pot of beans. The smell of them slowly simmering reminds me of my grandmothers kitchen. She always had a big clay pot of beans on the back of her old Wedgewood stove. Just a few years ago my family redesigned the kitchen in the home my grandparents had shared for 35 years. The decision to sell and upgrade the vintage 50′s stove was difficult. It was the focal point and center piece of that home. A place where we grew up enjoying many memorable meals. When they pulled it out from the wall, they said they found a note from me to my grandmother behind it.

I prefer to make these beans the day before I am going to use them, as the broth gets nice and soupy. The broth can be used for many things. I especially like to use it as a sauce in a simple pasta dish. And I never soak them and don’t believe it is necessary.

Pinto beans

Frijoles de olla

1 pound Pinto beans

1/2 white onion

2 tablespoons lard

1 tablespoon salt

Pick though your beans carefully, even the best brands may have small stones. I prefer to use the heirloom beans from the amazing company Rancho Gordo. Rinse them well in cold water and drain. Put the beans in a pot (it does not have to be the clay one my grandmother used) with at least 5 inches of hot water covering above the beans. Add the onion and lard (I’ve been getting my lard from Boccalone at the Ferry Building) and bring to a simmer. Be careful to cook your beans at a moderate temperature, this will help to keep them whole and with their skins intact. Continue to cook about an hour and test the beans to see if the skins are beginning to get soft, then add the salt and continue to cook about another hour. The timing of cooking beans totally reflects their freshness. Once the beans are done be sure to refrigerate them until ready to enjoy, as they tend to ferment quickly. You can enjoy them whole or well-fried (thus the name refrito).

Makes about 6 cups of beans

Brussels Sprout Leaves with Bacon

Brussels Sprout Leaves with Bacon

I’ve been making this simple side all winter long and it has not stopped being a favorite of my dinner guests. All the work is in separating the Brussels sprout leaves.

Cut out the stems and separate the sprouts into leaves. Thinly slice the tightly compact centers. Saute some diced onion and pancetta or bacon in olive oil until softened. Add the sprout leaves, season with salt, and moisten with a little white wine and water or chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Taste for seasoning, grind black pepper over, and serve.

Taken from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Black Beef Stew (Chichilo Negro)

Black Beef Stew (Chichilo Negro)

I made this stew this weekend. I was craving something rich like a mole but not as heavy. You can add more stock to your sauce if you like it thinner. This mole doesn’t have the added richness of nuts and seeds. And it isn’t much more work than making classic braised short ribs – though the flavors here are much richer and reminiscent of a traditional dark Mexican mole. Serve it with black beans or steamed white rice and accompany with warm tortillas and pickled vegetables. It may be hard to find avocado leaves (which add a nice anise flavor)  ask around – maybe someone you know has a tree in their backyard (like me) or you can combine a few bay leaves and some cracked anise seeds to simulate the flavor. Moles in general are based on personal taste – so, if you like more of a certain herb or spice or when making more traditional moles -  nuts or seeds, feel free to add a little extra as you like.

6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 pounds), cut into 3 pieces each
1 small head of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
2 medium white onions, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons lard
6 cups beef stock
Sea salt
6 chile pasilla
6 chile negros
3 tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 flour tortillas
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 fresh or dried avocado leaves

Season the short ribs well with sea salt on all sides. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat with the lard and bring to medium-high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook them in batches, if necessary. You want them to get a nice dark brown color.

Browning the short ribs

Broil the onions, garlic and tomatoes under a broiler on high heat until they turn black. Add them to the meat along with the beef stock. Gently bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Meanwhile toast the pasilla and negro chiles for a few seconds on each side in a dry pan until they turn dark. When they are cool enough to handle split them open and pull out the veins and discard the stems and seeds. Rinse the chiles under cold water and then add them to the broth with the meat. If you would like the mole to have more heat you can toast the seeds and grind them in spice grinder and add them back into the broth. I don’t think this is necessary – just depends on your taste.

Chile Negro & Pasilla

Toast all of the spices together in the same pan from the chiles until they turn a darker brown and also add them to the broth. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit down into the pan and press to cover. Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The meat should be tender but not falling apart when done. Gently remove the meat from the broth and let it rest covered. Once the broth has settled and is cool enough to handle – skim off any fat that has floated to the top. You are know ready to finish the sauce. Over an open flame toast the tortillas and the avocado leaves until charred and add them to the sauce. The tortillas act as a thickening agent – here you could also substitute corn tortillas if you prefer.

Puree the sauce with an immersion blender and strain through a sieve. Your sauce should be velvety and thick. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Gently rewarm the meat in the finished sauce and serve.

Serves 6 – 8