Average Betty and Above Average Estonia

Estonia Photo (c) Average Betty

Remember that time you won a Taste Award for Best Web Food Program, which included a fabulous trip to Estonia, but you were too afraid to fly over an ocean, so you asked your dear friend and fellow food blogger, Average Betty, to go on the trip for you, and she had an amazing time, and when your friends and family saw the pictures they couldn’t believe what an idiot you were for not going?

That’s right, I didn’t go on what could’ve been the trip of a lifetime because I’m afraid to fly. Actually, I’m not that scared of flying – it’s the crashing that I’m really not into. Anyway, as you’ll see on her blog, Sara went and represented like a boss.

Below you’ll find a wonderful video recipe she did for Karask, a very traditional Estonian barley bread. The bread looks fantastic, and I'm looking forward to trying it. I insist you head over to Average Betty to get the full recipe, as well as see and read more about the trip. 

By the way, the painfully cute spoon pictured here is a souvenir that Sara brought back for me. I've heard nothing but great things about Estonia, but that they have freakishly small wooden spoons there tells me all I need to know.

Even though I didn’t make it over there myself, I want to thank the Taste Awards for the honor, and the fine people of Estonia for making the trip possible. Enjoy!

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Israeli Couscous & Cheese – It Takes a Lot of Balls to Make this Recipe

I’ve always been fascinated with Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, and have received several food wishes recently for a recipe showing it off. I’ve had it most often in cold salads, but for whatever reason I decided to turn it into a hot side dish.

Since it’s nothing more than tiny balls of lightly toasted pasta dough, I thought it would work well in some type of macaroni-n-cheese application. I decided to skip the traditional béchamel and instead use more of a risotto technique. Short story short, it worked great!

I’ve always been a fan of the southern delicacy “pimento cheese,” so I decided to hedge my bets and toss in some of the bittersweet jewels. All in all, I really liked the dish, and how well it held up. The shot you see at the end, when I dig the fork in for a taste, was actually filmed three days after this was made, and had been reheated in the microwave. Despite sitting in the fridge, and the less then gentle reheating, it was still creamy and delicious.

By the way, the chives may seem like a simple, optional garnish, but they’re not. Put them in. They really finished this recipe off right, adding a fresh counterpoint to the semi-rich mixture. I hope you give this “ballsy” recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small, side dish sized servings:

2 tsp melted butter

1 cup Israeli couscous

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup diced pimentos

3 oz sharp cheddar cheese

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1 tbsp freshly sliced chives

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IFBC and Be Seen

Photo courtesy of Robin Ove, from
the blog, What About the Food

Michele and I just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Portland, where we attended the 2012 International Food Bloggers Conference. It was our first visit to “Stumptown,” and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay (although, I never did see even one stump).

People were very friendly, and the local food scene was as vibrant and interesting as I’d heard it would be, but the highlight was the photography workshop I got to participate in with my friend, and celebrated NY Times food photographer/writer, Andrew Scrivani.

Despite a few minor glitches, we somehow managed to fool the large audience into thinking we’d put on an informative and highly entertaining show. My theory is that they were so hung over from the night before that they weren’t fully aware what was going on, but nevertheless, the reviews on Twitter were embarrassingly positive.

In case you missed it, here’s a video that my friends at Jenn-Airshot, showing some highlights from the session. I’d like to thank them for sponsoring the event, along with Anolon, Wüsthof, OXO, and Ninja. Also, a huge thank you to Sheri, Barnaby, and the rest of the Foodista/Zephyr Adventures’ team for inviting me to participate, and for putting on such a fun event. See you next year in Seattle!

For additional coverage of the event, I invite you to check out Andrew’s IFBC post, as well as my new friend Paola Thomas’ entertaining recap here. Enjoy!

A Few Random Post-IFBC Thoughts:

Saying Goodbye to Social Media

It’s over. The social media bubble is just about to burst, and anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing underneath it when it does is going to get soaked with scalding hot irony. That’s right, the very food bloggers whose unbridled enthusiasm for social self-promotion helped build this cheesy soufflé, are now tiring of the pungent scent, and openly rooting for its collapse. Shame on us. I’d do a Facebook poll to see what you think, but by the time I figure out how to set it up, the site will probably be down.

Instagram, FTW

One app immune to this social media fatigue is Instagram. It seems as though food bloggers love it just as much as the food in their pictures. It’s no wonder. Thanks to Instagram’s filters, those forgettable cell phone shots we used to post are now brilliant works of art…every one of them…brilliant. What used to be a blurry eggplant is now transformed into a scene so poignant, Joseph Pulitzer would weep. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to set up a shot of my cat sipping on a cappuccino.

Portland Has Great Food

Michele and I had one great meal after another during our stay. We enjoyed the uniquely delicious cuisine of Le Pigeon, got our smoke on at Ox, and dined al fresco at Departure, where we experienced a view as spectacular as Chef Gregory Gourdet’s food. And, don’t even get me started on the amazing local beer and cocktails. I look forward to a return trip soon, so we can check out all the places we missed. Thanks again to everyone to chimed in with recommendations!

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Salted Caramel Sauce – Take That, Hot Fudge!

It may be blasphemy to say that hot fudge isn’t the ultimate warm ice cream topping, but after tasting this amazing salted caramel sauce, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. 

Hot fudge has a lot going for it – namely it’s hot and it’s fudge – but the way this complex, salty, slightly bittersweet caramel marries with the vanilla ice cream is a wonder to behold. Actually, I just had a thought…next time let’s use both!

The procedure couldn’t be easier, but you really should be sure to use a heavy-bottomed pot, and one that’s plenty big enough. As you’ll see, the sugar can really bubble up and over, and will make a sticky mess of biblical proportions.

Also, be extremely careful not to drip, spill, or splash any of the caramelized sugar on your skin. We’re talking instant 3rd degree burns. In fact, if you’re kind of clumsy, maybe it’s best not to take a chance, and just have the kids make it for you.

I know some of you will want an exact temperature for knowing when to turn off the heat and add the butter and cream, but I don’t have one. I’ve always gone by look and feel, and I’m not changing at this late age. Having said that, I'm sure there are a thousand links where you can get that kind of information.

Anyway, I really hope you put this on your culinary bucket list. Homemade salted caramel sauce is one of those things we all need to experience before heading to that big ice cream parlor in the sky. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/4 cup Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup white sugar

5 tbsp butter, cut in slices

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream (*Sorry, don’t ask me about substitutions. This needs cream!)

sea salt to taste (any salt works)

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Hello from Delicious Portland

Just a quick note to let you know we're thoroughly enjoying our first visit to Portland. As we'd heard, they take their food (and apparently everything else) very seriously here. The photos below are from an amazing dinner we had at Le Pigeon (sorry, cell phone shots). By the way, the foie gras profiteroles (yes, you heard me) were topped with a perfectly made caramel sauce, which will be the new video recipe post on Monday. Stay tuned! 

Rabbit and Eel Terrine. Peaches, Avocado, Foie Gras Miso Vinaigrette.

Halibut, Uni, Grapes, Champagne Sauce.

Foie Gras Profiteroles, Caramel, Sea Salt.

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Heading to Portland for IFBC!

Michele and I are on our way to Portland for the 2012 InternationalFood Blogger Conference. I’m going to be doing a cooking demo as part of a food photography workshop led by acclaimed New York Times' food photographer, Andrew Scrivani.

As usual, you can follow my exploits on Twitter, where I’ll be posting pictures of all the deliciousness we experience along the way. By the way, this is our first time to The City of Roses, so if you have any hot tips, let me know. Thanks!

The Truth Hurts

Speaking of food bloggers, this iPhone parody video by Adam Sacks is one of the funnier things I’ve seen in a while, and would probably have most IFBC attendees laughing and weeping at the same time. Enjoy!

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Potato & Italian Frying Pepper Frittata and How I Learned to Swear in Italian

One of my earliest and fondest food memories is that of my grandfather making frittata. It wasn’t the taste of this hearty, Italian omelet that made such an impression, although that was always wonderful, it was the excitement surrounding “the flip.”

Traditionally, a frittata is cooked about three-quarters of the way, flipped over on to a plate, and slid back into the pan to finish cooking the other side. It’s an hot, slippery exercise fraught with danger, and more than one of his magnificent creations ended up a broken mess. Come to think of it, this is where I first learned how to curse in Italian.

The funny thing is, as long as you have a broiler to finish cooking the top, which he did, you don’t need to flip anything. Just pop it in for a few minutes to firm up the eggs, and brown the cheese, and you’re ready to eat. So, why did he insist on the always risky flip-n-slid?

I’m not exactly sure, but I imagine it was because his father flipped frittatas, and so did his grandfather. That’s just the way they were done, so that’s how he did it. Regardless whether you’re flipping or not, this rustic egg pie was invented for late summer’s vegetable bounty.

If you can fry it in olive oil, it tastes great in a frittata, especially leftover vegetables that would otherwise end up in the trash. It’s also amazing with any kind of summer squash. Just remember that the veggies need to be tender before the eggs go in, since they cook so fast. I hope you give this “memorable” recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

12 large eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

6 slices of bacon or pancetta

1 1/2 cups sliced peppers

1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked potatoes

OR about 3 cups of any summer veggies

dry or fresh herbs to taste

salt and pepper to taste

hot pepper flakes to taste

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

*Remember to drain oil before adding potatoes and eggs!

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