December 2006

December is everyone's busiest time of year. Retailers, chefs, present-buyers, drivers, everyone is in a rush. Some businesses make half their annual income in December. Yet it's wise to remember that a simple meal with friends can be just as rewarding as a fancy one, and much less stressful. A roast chicken, a salad, some poached pears for dessert, maybe drizzled with some chocolate sauce (see last month's recipe for the pears). Or some cheese and fruit and crackers, and maybe a hot hors d'oeuvre or two -- like the ultra-simple Butternut Squash with Chorizo I'm posting this month. It's hearty and flavorful, and colorful too. And, it will go well with wine or even Champagne...

Gifts for cooks are always fun to buy. Not the gimmicky gadgets, just excellent time-tested products. Paulding & Company doesn't sell any products at all (except our logo aprons when we have them), but can recommend, very simply, that you ask several questions: it is going to be used more than once? It is a pleasure to hold/use? Will it last? Luxuries like tri-ply pans, good knives, and quality tools never go to waste. Good cookbooks that have recipes you will not be intimidated to try are another great idea. Or, a gift of a fun cooking class might be just the thing. Needless to say, we have several to choose from at any moment, including my just-announced annual Crab Cioppino Class on Thursday evening, January 4th.

You might even want to offer an early present of our fabulous Knife Sharpening and Knife Skills Class, which will be held Monday, December 11th. This is the best class in the world -- I kid you not! You learn how to care for and sharpen your own knives, and how to use them properly to cut a variety of foodstuffs. And, you can purchase your very own sharpening stone at the class for only $15, a must-have tool for keeping those knives you might get for presents sharp. This class, taught by two experts in their fields, gives back rewards beyond belief -- you will become a more efficient cook, and enjoy making meals more because of your sharp knives and new skills. And, you'll learn a lot about what knives to buy too, in case someone wants to get you a really useful present.

Our other December class is Rosetta Costantino's fabulous Christmas Eve in Calabria, December 9th. This is a traditional menu of 13 courses with seafood as the star, an extravaganza sure to please. There are only a few spots left in this class, so if you are interested, sign up quickly.

My next six-week Basic Cooking series (through Piedmont Adult School) begins January 10th, and registration for it starts December 11th at www.piedmontadultschool.org. Classes are held at the Kitchen, and are a bargain, too.

In the Market

With the cold, wet weather the last of the summer's vegetables are rapidly disappearing from the farmers markets. I was surprised to find good tomatoes at Berkeley market Tuesday, but they were clearly near their end. Saturday's Grand Lake has good strawberries still -- fragrant and flavorful, but, they won't last very long, and you have to inspect them daily to cull the spoiling ones before they infect their neighbors. The best way to keep them this time of year is to lay them out on a pan, on a towel so they don't touch each other at all.

The summer fruits have been industriously dried by many farmers, and apples, pears, persimmons, pomegranates and Mandarin oranges dominate the fruit stands. My favorite apples are in the market -- the Pink Ladies, which are sweet-tart and crispy. They also hold their shape in baking, and make great pies and strudels.

Winter squash make great soups, wonderful roast vegetables and (see our recipe of the month) even good hors d'oeuvres. There are gorgeous beets at the market now, red, gold and chioggia, a white beet ringed with a bit of pink that is an heirloom variety. And all have exuberant greens that you can cook just as you would spinach, and are packed with nutrients. Try sautéing the cut-up, well-washed leaves in a little butter or olive oil with some pine nuts and raisins. Finish with a bit of lemon juice, and of course season to taste with salt & pepper. To easily roast the beets, put them in a non-reactive pan, add 1/4 inch of water, cover tightly and roast until they're tender when pierced. Cut them up for salads, marinate them in a bit of vinegar and olive oil with a little crushed anise seed and salt, or add them to your sautéed beet greens.

My favorite new stand at the Grand Lake farmers market is the Drakes Bay Oyster Company, which is coming every week and bringing three sizes of in-the-shell oysters, plus jars of shucked ones. They've been there for three weeks and we've eaten oysters in my house every single Saturday, either raw or grilled. There is, to my mind, nothing better than a briny fresh oyster -- and these are the freshest you can get. They are taking orders for the holidays, too. Along with their oysters, these folks, who took over the old Johnson's Oyster Company, also have a herd of cattle and sell their free-range meat.

My favorite new market is Sunday's Temescal market, at the DMV on Claremont Avenue. With plenty of parking, this market is growing by leaps and bounds. As with all the markets, the farmers try to come rain or shine --and when the weather is bad, they are very grateful for your efforts to get there and support them. Some of the farms offer delivery of food boxes, CSA's (community supported agriculture). Ask around -- try Full Belly at the Berkeley market for instance. You could have your organic veggies delivered every week if you want.

Happy Holidays, and don't delay signing up for classes -- and for those of you who have procrastinated about having that holiday party till it's too late, remember that January is a great month to have parties, too. Just give us a call for catering or a fun in-house event at the kitchen.