Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Chef Joe's Culinary Salon bills itself as "The best little cooking classes in San Francisco," and I have to agree. It doesn't get any better than this charming outpost with its creative storefront display opening into an art-filled space perfect for small groups and cozy dining. Chef Joe has a very impressive background, having worked as a Chef at San Francisco's Huntington Hotel and the Swiss Consulate, and Chef Instructor at the California Culinary Academy.

I took a class in his series on Mediterranean cuisine which began with a fascinating culinary tour of the regions of Spain. We learned about the origin of the word tapas which means "cover" in Spanish. Did you know that in the early days of tapas, covers were placed over glasses of sangria to keep out the fruit flies, and bits of food were placed on top of these lids giving rise to these little dishes? Chef Joe's deep knowledge of - and enthusiasm for - Spanish cuisine was evident when he described how the environment affects the curing, and hence, flavor of each region's ham products.

Now on to the food. We made: Sopa de Cebolla con azafran (onion soup with sherry and saffron); Chuleta de Carne (marinated grilled flank steak) ; Roasted rosemary potatoes; and:

Coca D'Espinas (Spanish flatbread)
Mix 1-1/2 - 2 cups flour, with 1-1/2 tsp. dry active yeast that has been proofed with 3 tbsp olive oil, 3/4 cup warm water, and 2 tasp. sugar. After kneading for 10 minutes, let rise for an hour, then punch down and spread into a sheet pan. Top with sauteed spinach seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg; pine nuts; currants; and crumbled sheep's milk cheese, and then bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.


The weather was so nice (San Francisco in January!) that we grilled the steak outdoors. We also made a fantastic Crema de Catalina which was infused with the flavor of lemon rind and cinnamon. The meal, and the cooking class, was enhanced by quite a few glasses of Spanish wine. I can't wait to return! Salud!

Incredibly Easy, Healthy and Delicious Chinese Soup

Too much partying in December led to my New Year's cold. Chest cold = soup. I've made a lot of soup in the past two weeks. What could be more perfect in January? It's a welcome break from the heavy food over the holidays and it's nice and warm.

I get so excited stirring my soups because I know that all the vitamins and minerals that normally leach away from veggies stay right there in the pot.

And you can make soup with whatever you have in your pantry. So practical! So healthy! Such Variety! Quick and Easy! Yummy! And low fat!

Here's the soup I made tonight to rave reviews from the daughter who diligently watches her weight, and the husband who caught my cold.

Hot and Sour Soup

Start by soaking 8 or so dried Chinese black mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Drain them and slice and/or chop. Mix 2-1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar with the same amount of soy sauce and 1 tsp. each sesame oil, and Chinese chile oil. Set aside. Bring 3 cans of chicken broth to a boil (approximately 35 ounces) and add chopped black mushrooms and some sliced button mushrooms. Throw in some chopped bok choy (or cabbage or whatever you happen to have) and a package of firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes. Add the vinegar mixture, 1/2 tsp. of black pepper and some sliced green onions. Then thicken it with a little cornstarch mixed with water. You're supposed to add a beaten egg to the soup. I didn't, it's up to you. So what's your favorite soup?

A Lotta Latkes

Who doesn't love latkes? Last night I made a big batch for my daughters, their friends and my husband. The remaining latkes are going to be shared at a Christmas dinner this week.

Some people only use long strands of shredded potatoes, others shred and then process the mixture into the consistency of a mashed potato pancake. I take the middle route.

First I use a food processor and shred all the potatoes into a bowl of cold water to reduce the browning. Then I drain and strain the water and potato liquid by squeezing it in a colander until almost dry. Next the onions are grated and mixed with the shredded potatoes, eggs, salt, pepper and a little flour. Then - and here's my secret to perfect latkes - I take half the mixture and chop it in the food processor then add it to the other half and mix it up.

Heat Canola oil until a drop of water sizzles and then add spoonfuls of latkes and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and place on foil lined sheets to heat up for later consumption. I always serve mine with apple sauce and sour cream. L'chaim!

An easy cassoulet

I recently made my fail safe, go-to dish that works as dinner for company or for a quick weeknight meal. I would love to hear what dishes you make on a regular basis with ingredients on hand.

I always have onions, sausages, canned cannellini beans, and canned tomatoes. And I almost always have red bell peppers and fresh baby spinach in the fridge. Try this recipe with whatever you happen to have in your pantry. Use red onion if you don't have yellow. Use a green bell pepper if you don't have red. And use white kidney beans if you don't have cannellini. Add red wine if you happen to be drinking some, or leave it out. Substitute chopped kale or arugula for the spinach. How many dishes are this flexible? Just make sure you have spicy sausages. I always buy Aidell's Cajun Style Andouille. (Tip -- you can keep it in the freezer, they're actually easier to slice when they're only partially thawed).

Start by sauteeing one chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Turn the heat to high and add 4 - 5 sliced spicy sausages and cook until they're slightly browned. Turn the heat down, add one chopped red bell pepper and sautee for another few minutes. Add one can of tomatoes, seeded and chopped with juice, a dash of red wine, then cover and simmer to meld the flavors for 10 minutes. Add one can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans, salt, pepper and some red pepper flakes to taste. Toss in two cups of chopped baby spinach or arugula and stir until the greens wilt. You're done! This 30 minute dish always comes out great, and it's good for you.

Indian Inspired Food

When you or one of your buddies return from vacation, it's fun to eat the cuisine while recounting travel adventures. My friend Susan recently returned from Goa so we hosted an Indian food night. Martin adapted his "BBQ brick chicken" by marinating it in Tandoori spices and plain yogurt. I made a pungent cilantro chutney; brown basmati rice mixed with spinach, onions and Garam Masala; and garlic Naan.


Susan brought roti and tomato chutney; homemade dal; yogurt and cucumber chutney; an eggplant dish

and a spicy fruit salad.

Making Indian cuisine is often thought of as complicated, but it was actually pretty easy. It doesn't fall into the quick category, but this chutney does. Try it on top of fish, baked chicken or homemade Naan bread!

Cilantro Chutney

• 4 stalks green onions, chopped
• 1 hot chili pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 cups (1 cup packed) cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Chop green onions, chilies, ginger and garlic in a food processor. Add cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt, sugar and cumin; process until ingredients are finely chopped.

Have you tried to make Indian at home?

Post Thanksgiving Oysters

After feasting for two days on turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings, we decided on day 3 to get away to Pt. Reyes in Western Marin.

photo by Ellen Goldstein

Thanksgiving day was overcast and chilly, but two days later the weather was sunny and warm. I packed up some goat cheese and crackers plus food for our puppy Biscuit and we drove to Dan and Ellen's house in San Rafael. The four of us set out for Tomales Bay Oyster Company in Marshall, CA where we purchased 5 dozen medium size oysters. The picnic area was packed with people so we decided to take our BBQ to a nearby park.

We were thrilled to find an unoccupied barbeque. We fired up the grill and strolled down to the beach on the shore of Tomales Bay. After a few steps on the trail we spotted a much better site - a picnic table under some trees, on a small knoll overlooking the bay.

We moved to the new spot, let Biscuit off leash to romp in the sand, uncorked a nice bottle of Chardonnay and garnished the barbequed oysters with fresh squeezed lemon, a few drops of chipotle sauce and some cocktail sauce. HEAVEN!


Later in the afternoon the sun turned everything golden and shimmery; the water was sparkling and the surroundings aglow. It was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

The next day, I prepared baked oysters with the few that survived our Walrus and the Carpenter-like assault.

I only had 6 oysters, so I used 1/3 of the ingredients here, but you'll want to make much more than 6, so here is a recipe using 2 dozen shucked oysters.

• 2 tb. butter
• 4 cloves garlic; finely chopped
• 2 tb fresh parsley; finely chopped
• 3 tb parmesan cheese; grated
• 2 tb butter; cut in pieces
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 24 shucked oysters

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a skillet, melt butter, add bread crumbs and garlic. Toss 2-3 minutes until golden. Stir in parsley and grated cheese. Put oysters on a baking sheet. Sprinkle mixture on oysters. Dot the top with butter.
Bake oysters in oven for 12 - 15 minutes until the tops are golden and the juices in the oyster shells are bubbling. Serve at once.

Monday night fish

Tonight I did something completely new for me - I fried fish. I bought some wild red snapper, cut it into pieces and marinated it in 1/4 bottle of beer (I drank the rest) mixed with one egg white. I then dipped the fish into a panko bread crumb mixture containing a little garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and chopped parsley. Then fried it up in canola oil. Delicious, quick and inexpensive.

For a side dish, I decided to make a spinach and artichoke casserole. Since Thanksgiving is coming up in 3 days, I needed to make room in my fridge and freezer. I wanted to get rid of the package of frozen spinach from Trader Joe's, a package of sliced fresh mushrooms and the artichoke hearts. When I searched online for a spinach and artichoke casserole, all the recipes sounded so rich and heavy with lots of butter, cream cheese, sour cream and cheeses. Here's what I did:

• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• One egg
• frozen and fresh spinach
• 8 artichoke hearts
• juice of half a lemon
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a pie pan or square pirex dish.
Sautee the mushrooms and shallots in olive oil and butter. Pour boiling water over the frozen spinach and drain. Chop fresh spinach (note - this can be made with either fresh or frozen spinach, I just happened to have both) and add to the mixture. Beat one egg,mix with spinach, artichokes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put mixture into dish, and top with mixed bread crumbs and parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese browns a little.

My husband and daughter loved this dinner. It epitomized what I love to cook - healthy (spinach!), fast, relatively low fat and inexpensive.