Holiday Baking...

My mom loathes baking. I think it's from years of forced holiday cookies, breads, pies, etc.

I'm the opposite and love the holiday baking season. It's all the puttering...just makes me happy.

Admittedly, amongst the shopping, wrapping, decorating and eating, not everyone may have the time for mass cookie production. Here's the easiest cookie recipe ever that has never failed to impress a single soul who's benefited from their buttery goodness...

Whipped Shortbread

1 cup room temperature salted butter
1.5 cups all purpose flour
0.5 cups icing sugar/confectioners sugar
0.5 tsp vanilla
maraschino cherries

Cream your butter into a bowl. Mix vanilla in.
In separate bowl, whisk your flour and sugar together.
Add dry mixture into the butter in 0.5 cup batches and cream all together.
When mostly mixed, use hand mixer on low to whip.
Keep whipping. Keep on whipping for about 5 minutes (trust me...really).
Drop by the teaspoon onto a cookie sheet and top with a 1/4 of a cherry for color.

Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Easy!

Happy holidays all!

Getting the Most of your Local Produce

There were a couple of great articles on AZ Central this morning. The first was a quick article with Chef Payton Curry of Caffe Boa on how to best navigate a Farmer's Market and shop for fresh produce.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/articles/2009/11/02/20091102shopchef.html

The other was a very convenient listing of all our local markets and their hours.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/articles/2009/11/02/20091102shopcheflist.html

This may bode well for still coming up with a last minute rhubarb pie.

The Brilliance of Dessert on a Stick

If it's on a stick, it's got to be good right? (Deep fried, even better).

The experimental apple pie pops resulted from the great rhubarb crisis of October '09. I've never made an apple pie and experimenting with a lollipop form seemed to be a great way to cover up that deficiency. The end result was proclaimed as brilliant at work (though I felt my filling was a bit too sweet).

The fast and easy version: makes about 20 pops.

1 package pie crust (two sheets)
pie filling of your choice
1 egg white
20 cookie sticks

Preheat oven to 375
Cut out circles in your pie dough (I used a 2 inch glass)
Place circles on parchment papered cookie sheet
Add sticks to each circle (more than 1/2 way up)
Add about a teaspoon of filling to each circle over stick
Press top circle onto each (I used a spare stick to make cool crimpy lines)
Brush all with egg white for shiny texture

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until tops are browned.

Let cool and enjoy.

If I were a more technologically advanced person, I would have had photos for you all.

Happy munchings!

What happened to all the rhubarb?

My little personal monthly challenge is continuing well, though I don't think I've ever spent so much on chicken before. Rosy is certainly a pricey bird. And I'm enjoying my more frequent excursions to Whole Foods and Sprouts where it is much easier to find grass fed, cage free, etc.

To add to my grocery challenges of this month, I have a double birthday to contend with. And one is not so much into the birthday cake thing. In fact, his favorite thing is rhubarb pie. (Really, it might be gooseberry, but there's a snowballs chance in hell of finding one of those in Arizona.).

Have you tried to find fresh rhubarb lately? I remember seeing it everywhere last Fall. This year, produce managers everywhere are whimpering about some California happenstance wiping out the early and mid season rhubarb harvest.

Where does that leave my pie adventures? I can always go with a nice solid apple, for who doesn't like apple? I can go high end with pears and cranberries. Or the iffy cream pie route with a key lime (for some reason, dozens of those suddenly made themselves available).

So, what's the pie equivalent of a straight up rhubarb?

This Month's Personal Food Challenge

So, by now most people have figured out that ocean conservation is a subject dear to my heart and I'm a big supporter of the Seafood Watch program.

A couple of nights ago, while out grocery shopping for dinner (Stone Crab claws with tarragon butter) I was pondering steaks, chicken and the like and realized that it's very unfair for me to be discriminatory in my choices of protein. What makes fish more necessary to be sustainable than cows and poultry? This whole thought was rounded out by Borders giant display of vegetarian cookbooks all supporting the ideal of a Meatless Monday. I don't think I need to go that far though. So, for this month, I'm going to see if I can enact a lifestyle change with the following rules:

1. Meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, turkey) must be from sustainable sources, free range, grass fed, etc.

2. The only bread I'm eating will be that baked by me...or a friend who so happens to have a bread maker.

3. No pre-made, frozen or packaged meals.

4. No fast foods that don't follow rule number 1 (thankfully there's Chipotle).

5. Try to make a weekly trip to the Farmer's Market for vegetables and beef.

So, there's a simple start with five things to follow. We'll see how it goes. In the end, if I get totally frustrated with natural meat shopping - there's always sweet potatoes.

Happy munchings all!

A Carnivore's Dilemma

So, I know I'm not really a true carnivore, but coming from a province that really was the equivilent of Texas in Canada, I've been finding it really challenging to cut down on my protien intake.

Cutting down on red meats is not too much of a challenge - grass fed, all natural tends to price itself out of a regular meal fairly easily. Chicken, turkey and seafood leave an awful lot of options after that though.

Challenge for this week - can I cut down on meat to only one meal each day?

Do crustaceans count?

The State of Seafood Report

Just out today is Monterey Bay's "The State of Seafood" Report.

I really recommend a skim through it for anyone even vaguely interested in conservation or seafood. For all of us who do the dorky thing and pull out our wallet inserts in every grocery store, spend an embarrassing evening not quizzing a new date but the waiter instead on the sources of their main dishes - it's a brilliant document that reassures you that your dorkiness is absolutely necessary.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/report/

A Plethora of Cookbooks

So, I've added yet another cookbook to the collection "Fish Without a Doubt" by Rick Moonen and it's been a wonderful read so far. It nicely details out cooking techniques, scaling techniques (not likely to occur) and boning/filleting techniques (even less likely to occur). And in line with my current pet project, many suggestions on sustainable options.

The recipes wouldn't be classified as simple necessarily, but they're well laid out and with a bit of solid prep work along with all the hints and suggestions from Rick, a person could easily be on their way to an impressive meal.

My biggest challenge of the moment has nothing to do with finding these fillets of sustainable goodness, nor figuring out which fish might be the freshest occupant of the meat counter, but exactly how to fit all my cookbooks into only one cupboard. In a kitchen my size, it's a serious issue.

There's nothing more satisfying than the thrill of a hunt in a bookstore for a new gem of culinary guidance. I have so many recipes exploring the cuisines of Asia, India, down home cooking and low fat options that I could potentially open a restaurant and never serve the same dish twice for several years It's a collection that needs some serious pruning, but I haven't decided on just where to start. Each one has at least one significant recipe that I'm unwilling to give up.

So, start a new cookbook cupboard which would involve somehow finding a space for dishes, spices or dry goods. Or, face the truth and pare down. Do I keep a two inch tome for a chili recipe?

Wooh...these big decisions in life.

So Sustainability...

...Is very challenging.

I've been to three different grocery stores in the last 24 hours all in the name of a eco-friendly fish. After some extra information ferreting, apparently my swai is back on the okay listing. From a consumer's prospective though, trying to find a fish fillet you can feel good about is a very frustrating endeavor.

Whole Food's (Mayo location) seafood counter was a breath of fresh air (salty, fishy fresh air). Of their frozen selections, 3/4 seemed to have about a Marine Stewardship Label on them and the fresh options had even more. The staff was beyond helpful in finding further options amongst all the fillets and shellfish laid out. And laid out in the center of them all - fresh sea scallops.

I've never worked with fresh scallops before. There's the challenge of finding them in the first place and then convincing whomever you're with that "no, the frozen version for 1/2 the price just won't be the same, dear". And I can now definitively say that they're not.

Recipe-wise? Simplicity seemed best. Sauteed in pan with small amount of tarragon butter.

Mmm...bivalves.

Away with Swai! Along Comes Salmon!

Alaskan, wild caught, no less. Monterey should be pleased...

So, with a moderately successful fishing trip (as such) under my belt, I'm moving on to my next issue. Headaches and extreme thirst. As I drink more than my fair share of water, it's been kind of surprising to find myself so thirsty this last week. There's been no particularly huge change in activity level, I've only eaten out a couple of times and have been really watching my salt intake, so what gives?

The solution for this one was in my sunflower seeds. Having been trying to avoid deep fried, overly processed, etc., I thought dry roasted was a harmless alternative. Turns out the little things are coated in MSG.

Lesson learned. Even if it seems harmless, read the label anyways.

Happy munchings! MSG free...

Perils of Swai Labeling

Well, the swai was lovely. In the end, after I'd thawed and examined a strange new fish in our household, since it seemed more like a catfish texture, I ditched the five spice idea and went for a southern fried type of feel. (Cookings all about flexibility, right?). Had I had the forethought to check out my Fish Forever book by Johnson, I would have already been prepared for all of this.

End result - tasty, tasty fish. Mmm...swai.

So, with a protein shopping trip in mind, off I hiked to Safeway to check out their other oddball named creature of the sea - Barramundi. I love Safeway for their wide variety of fishy options where you don't have to commit to a five pound bag. Everything's nicely laid out in two fillet packages. Well labeled, two fillet packages.

Responsible person that I'm trying to be (people who know me just snickered), I'm cross referencing everything with my Monterey Bay Seafood Watch card. And what do I find out? That lovely swai from the night before? Farm raised in Vietnam? The intriging barramundi? Same thing. Farm raised in Asia. Which, since most asian fish farms destroy local marshes, etc to create fish farm habitat, puts them clearly in my avoid list on the Seafood Watch card. Shrimp? The same. What was I left with after my frustrating trip through the seafood market of Safeway? Cod. What on Earth am I supposed to do with cod?

Last night for dinner, I ate a frozen pizza.

Today, back to the recipe books (cod...) and back to a grocery store. Somewhere there has to be some decent American farm raised barramundi or Artic char.

Happy munchings! Avoid those frozen pizzas!

Diet Related Depression Ensues

The hazards of summer weather and dining out have it home. It's now time to face reality, buckle down and get back into shape. This was in no way prompted by recent photos of me in a swimsuit and cocktail dress. Really.

I find the biggest challenges with cooking "diet food" is the general consensus that salt can only be had in moderation. I love salt. Or varieties of salt - brined, marinated, encrusted, etc. It's not that I don't enjoy herb based seasonings, but imagine a sauteed scallop in tarragon butter without the butter and salt . Simply not the same.

Tomorrow nights challenge - brightening up a swai fillet. I'm envisioning something with 5 spice, but who knows what tomorrow might hold.

Happy munchings! Use salt.

Eating Your Way Across Arizona

It's been a while, but I had some wonderful guests visit from Canada - both of whom eat out regularly and saw no particular reason to change their habits when traveling. Having guests over typically allows me an opportunity to take them to favorite little spots I've found in the time since they last visited, but my two Canadian friends wished to travel the state. I've not done a particularly great deal of exploring the rest of Arizona, so my knowledge of intriguing eateries outside of Phoenix is limited. It's certainly expanded in the last couple of weeks.

My first stop was to appease my quiche craving and take my one friend to Scratch. Her husband wasn't in town yet and I'd been raving about Scratch so much, we just had to stop. This was the first time I was vaguely disappointed. Our salads came with so many wilted or rotting leaves that we were only left with about half that was edible. The dressing still lived up to expectations. My friend's (we'll call her SC) sandwich of turkey, avocado and sprouts came with so few sprouts that SC was left with an impression of mushiness. And my beloved goat cheese quiche? It was no longer presented in it's square unique shape, but a more typical slice. And as you worked your way through it, there would be bizarre hot spots that were almost burnt. I believe my quiche may have been microwaved, but don't really want to admit so yet.

Our next spot for dinner the next day was Havana Cafe. We went to the older Camelback location and had a wonderful meal of tapas...all of which I'll explain next time.

Sometimes it's just better to do it yourself...

And sometimes it's not.

Out of some serious lunch envy inspiration, I made some type of bizarre decision to forgo stopping by Pita Jungle and instead attempt making my beloved Hummus with Grilled Sirloin myself. After a somewhat lengthy trip to Sprout's which ended up being significantly more expensive than a single dish at Pita Jungle, some frantically hungry cooking with intrigued cats looking on - I had a dish that somewhat resembled what might come out of Pita's kitchens.

To be honest, the failing was less with my abilities and more to do with the pitas I purchased being just a tad too thick and sweet.

So, is recreating restaurant favorites really worth it? Let's examine...

Pita Jungle Version

1. Place phone call to 411. Obtain Pita Jungle number.
2. Call Pita Jungle and order grilled sirloin hummus.
3. Continue driving for 10 minutes on way home.
4. Park.
5. Walk into restaurant, pay approximately $12 and continue home.
6. Enjoy hummus.

My Version

1. Continue driving 10 minutes to Sprout's on way home from work.
2. Park.
3. Pick up basket. Remember to peruse coffee. Coffee snobbery results and continue through to yogurt.
4. Pick up box of favorite crackers on way to yogurt.
   
5. Discover large container of favorite yogurt. Continue to red peppers for lunch next day.
6. Explore beers for guests visiting on weekend. Ignore beer after faced with too many options.
7. Pick up sirloin.
8. Return sirloin after guilt rises up when viewing all natural and grass fed options. Select new sirloin.
9. Pick up container of hummus. No grinding of chick peas tonight!
10. Head to bulk for pine nuts.
    
11. Go through bulk aisles again after first search fails. Find pine nuts and package.
12. Select pita (wrong one!) and continue to check out.
13. Pay approximately $27 and continue home.
14. Put away all groceries.
15. Turn on pan, season sirloin and cube. Place into pan at medium high.
16. Open hummus and arrange into decorative swirl on plate.
17. Add pine nuts to sirloin and brown.
18. When cooked, place sirloin nut mixture over hummus.
19. Microwave pitas for 20 seconds to warm.
20. Kind of enjoy hummus while checking work email.

Well. Really. All I can say is to try and support your local restaurants, folks.

Under $40 Search Continues

My brother's birthday offered up my first option of an easy dinner for two for under $40. BJ's (at Tatum and 101) is offering a special until the end of September. Two soups/salads, with a medium pizza and pazookie dessert for $20. Add on a couple of in house brewery options and tip and you easily stay under $40 and for us, also had leftovers for the lunch the next day. The pizza is thick crust Chicago style, which really isn't my cup of tea but the white chocolate chip macadamia nut pazookie was a great decadent end to the evening.

Recipe of the Week

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

This is one of my staple recipes. It's tasty, low fat and very simple to make. Leave out the brown sugar and you end up with Italian turkey sausage.

1 pound ground turkey (your choice of leanness)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients and form the turkey into 2-3 inch patties. Saute patties over medium high heat in a non-stick pan for about 10 - 15 minutes, flipping once when the edges begin to cook.

Happy munchings!
Radish

Dating Challenge - Fine Dining for Fast Food Pricing

I admit to being a food snob, but I try my best to give in to my snobbery only in moderation. As food typically is not the central feature of many work related lunch meetings, I'm perfectly content with Pei Wei, Green Vegetarian and Chipotle. For a lunch option, all these places are great, but when faced with a date choice they immediately fall towards the bottom of my list. I love sharing the experience of a new restaurant find or impeccibly prepared dish while having a leisurely dinner. That's a moment where it's totally all about the food and company for me. I've been totally boggled recently by suggestions of near fast food restaurants as a way to spend an evening together.

Is there a happy medium between fast food price and foodie accepted menu?

So far, I've discovered the tapas menu of Havana Cafe to be universally pleasing, along with Pita Jungle's selections of Mediterranean inspired dishes. The Black Forest Mill and Z Tejas both offer a great happy hour line up as did Kona Grill though it ended relatively early.

So, along with my usual search for those places that offer local produce and other sustainable choices, the next couple of months will be a happy search for where two people (at least one a food snob) can dine for under $40 including drinks. We'll see what we can come up with and report back often.

Happy munchings!
Radish

Savory Spot - Essence Bakery Cafe

Essence Bakery Cafe is certainly another one of those little gems of a find if you happen to be in the Tempe area. Open 10:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, it's the type of place you might head for a casual late brunch or lunch where you can be assured that your meal came from locally sourced products, grass fed beef and free range eggs.

Don't expect too much out of Essence's decor and ambiance. With so many small tables placed together in the room (though their paper origami flowers add charm), Essence does become very noisy and crowded by the peak of lunch hour. Try to arrange to either arrive slightly early or late to have a bit more elbow room.

My fellow diner on this visit had been so impressed with our visit to Scratch that she was happy to follow along for another lunch trip. She selected the roasted vegetable sandwich (sans goat cheese) and was raving about her sandwich choice of roasted red peppers, zucchini and eggplant for most of the meal. To represent the carnivores, I went with the Local Power Ranch Beef Hamburger and while it wasn't bad, I can't say I would rave about it. The beef had that great flavor that only grass fed has, however the cooks hadn't achieved a proper sear on it resulting in a gray soggy patty. (This is the second time this month I've had to discuss searing with people). With a too thin bun, it ended being a somewhat tasty mess.

Our main disappointment came in the form of a barely dressed salad of local greens. With what seemed to be a slight drizzle of local olive oil, some salt and pepper helped to improve the flavor a bit, but this is definitely where a nice balsamic vinegar would be welcome.

Essence is also known for their macaroons and typically have a daily selection of several flavors such as caramel, mint or hazelnut. Take a moment to indulge and share a macaroon while waiting for your lunch to arrive.

With more people seeking restaurants supporting local vendors and offering more sustainable diet options, Essence should be a solid lunch fixture for years to come.

Essence Bakery and Cafe
www.essencebakery.com
825 West University Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
480.966.2745

The Search for the Perfect Layout

You can certainly expect a new look in the coming days or weeks (basically however much time it takes me to settle on a particular look).

What else can you expect out of Local Radish? Each week I hope to feature a relatively simple recipe, local restaurant review and a written muddle of thoughts of particular food fads of the moment, up and coming news in the food world or other related and hopefully entertaining experiences. Monthly, we'll work on reviewing a new book, re-read favorite book or article and ponder just how correct the author might be. This month? "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.

Next week, we'll be reviewing Essence in Tempe, sharing a favorite recipe of mine for turkey breakfast sausage and exploring just how totally natural and homegrown a particularly popular macaroni and cheese brand really might be.

Happy munchings!

Radish

Recipe of the Week

Stuff Out of the Fridge Lunch Curry

1 lb chicken
package of mushrooms
3 Japanese eggplants
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 small minced green chilies
1.5 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can light coconut milk

• Cut chicken into cubes and saute in pan with mushrooms, garlic, ginger and chilis
• When chicken mostly cooked (I'm not an exact cook) and liquid from the mushrooms has reduced off, add in turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder
• Pour in can of tomatoes and coconut milk
• Simmer over low for about 45 minutes
• Add in sliced eggplant and cook uncovered for another 10 - 15 minutes until eggplant is cooked
• Serve with rice or a nice French bread
  

Savory Spot - Scratch Pastries

I love to support local restaurants and Scratch Pastries is a gem of a find (and conveniently close to work for me). Nestled in between a Subway and Radio Shack at the corner of Indian School and Miller in Scottsdale, Scratch is not what you would expect to find in a local mini-mall.

When you walk in, you're welcomed by modern decor in black and pink. The restaurant is small, so plan ahead for larger groups or busier times. One wall features the fashion photography (and model wife) of chef/owner Duc Liao and the front is dominated by a tempting refrigerated case of pastries.

Liao knows what he's doing with the French pastries and menu - he lived in France for over 30 years before moving to Arizona. The menu features many ingredients and items that you would expect to find in the finest Parisian cafe. Having never made it past the quiches myself (the crusts alone demonstrate great pastry skills), I can only report on experiencing extreme food envy upon seeing the omelettes and crepes. Scratch is an ideal location for lunch when you have that mixed group of vegetarians and omnivores. The quiches feature ingredients of goat cheese, spinach, carmelized onions and mushrooms. I highly recommend the goat cheese ones - the goat cheese is just strong enough to add flavor without overwhelming other ingredients or the taste of that wonderful crust. My tablemate had a similar appreciation for her omelette, which also came served with a lovely green salad and balsamic dressing.

My next foray into Scratch's menu will have to be with the sandwiches. There are over ten different options to choose from with several out of the ordinary such as the duck breast with walnuts and the grilled goat cheese with raisins. I'm still undecided over which confection from the pastry selection to go with - all are perfectly presented domed/carmelized/flaky temptations.

With the current soaring temperatures, don't forget to check out the ice cream choices of honey/lavender, bailey's caramel and violet. They're a distinctive addition to the usual selections of chocolate and vanilla.

Today, Liao himself came out to greet all the cafe goers which definately pushed Scratch even further to the top of my favorite dining spots. If you're in the area or seeking out a relaxed spot for brunch, Scratch should absolutely be a destination for you.

Scratch Pastries
www.scratchpastries.com
7620 E. Indian School Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480.947.0057

Welcome to Local Radish

An avid reader of Michael Pollan, I've been spending the last few years trying to learn more about where exactly my food is coming from, how it's processed and in terms of really enjoying cooking - how can I process it at home to make it taste better.

While I know many vegetarians, piscivorians, locavorians, vegans, carbiphobes and a couple of friends who are close to outright carnivores, I still stick with omnivore myself. Any judgements aside, I hope this blog will highlight some great local restaurants, encourage people to find out more about the journey their food takes to get to their plate and highlight some great recipes.

Feel free to comment and share your own Arizona food experiences...I'm always in the business of finding a new favorite food spot.

Happy munchings!

Radish