Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Food Truck Craze

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that food trucks are all the rage. No longer referred to as "roach coaches," these trucks even reach gourmet status. What's the big deal with these trucks anyway? Well, the obvious is that they come to you. They are there when you drunkenly stumble out of the club downtown or are parked in front of your office building on your lunch break. In my opinion the best thing about food trucks is that you, potentially, get superb food at a low price. With lower overhead costs than a restaurant they can afford to give you gourmet food for much cheaper.

Just this year food trucks have started popping up in Santa Barbara and I couldn't be happier. Next time you are here, be sure to hit up these guys; you'll often find them parked along the beach or off of State Street. And tell them Dina sent you.

The Burger Bus


The Burger Bus has actually been around for a couple years. They serve- you guessed it- burgers. But they also make the best pickle chips I've ever had. If you've never had pickle chips, they are simply dill pickle slices in a beer batter and deep fried, and they are amazing! Their onion "rings" are pretty darn good too. What I really love about The Burger Bus is their commitment to high quality local ingredients. Everything is local; the meat, cheese, bread, spreads, and produce. Their signature burger is known as the "CB&J" which is short for cheeseburger and jelly. Jelly on a burger isn't as crazy as it sounds once you've tried one.

The O Street Truck


The O Street Truck prides itself on it's French-Mex-Vietnamese fusion cuisine. They frequently feature new, seasonal items on their menu, but they always sell banh mi style sandwiches and tacos. For only $5, the banh mi sandwiches come on a 6 inch baguette with your choice of marinated chicken or steak, or BBQ pulled pork (my favorite), carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and their spicy "cha cha" sauce. Occasionally, I'll splurge on one of their french pastry pizzas which aren't really pizzas, but are sinfully delicious.

THAI on a Truck
When I went to Thailand I tasted some of the best food I've ever had. The problem was coming back to the United States and finding that all Thai food failed in comparison to the real thing. Well, these guys at THAI on a Truck are the real deal and never leave me disappointed. They go all the way to LA to find specialty ingredients to make their food as authentic as possible. Their Panang curry is, hands down, my favorite dish, but everything is delicious. They offer a few main dishes and usually a daily special, a variety of small bites, and a not-too-sweet Thai iced tea.

Road Dogs


The newest mobile cuisine in town is the Road Dogs, a mobile gourmet hot dog cart. I can't express to you how happy my husband was when these guys opened up. These aren't just any wieners, but are Hoffy, and if you're a hot dog connoisseur that means something. Long and thin, and with a great snap, you won't be disappointed. You can get anything from a plain, no-fuss dog to dogs loaded with all kinds of homemade toppings. My favorite is the Sweet Baby Ray which comes topped with BBQ sauce, crunchy bacon, and fried onions.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Italian Sausage Hero


This is more of a non-recipe, but it was so easy and delicious that I wanted to share it. Plus I learned something while trying to figure out what to call my sandwich. I was pretty impressed to find how serious people take their sandwiches on the east coast. They have so many names- grinder, sub, blimpie, hoagie, zep, po' boy, and the list goes on- while we just call them all "sandwiches" here on the west coast. I finally decided to call my sandwich a "hero" which implies it is served on a roll and has Italian flavors. In case you are wondering, the name has no relation to the Greek gyro.

I took a classic Italian combination of sausage, peppers, and onions, and stuffed it into a toasted roll. Squirt a little bit of spicy mustard on there and that is all you need for this flavorful Italian sausage hero. The sausage is the star of this dish so be sure to buy some nice Italian style ones. Or if you are feeling adventurous, make your own!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 onion, cut into bite size chunks
  • 1 bell pepper, cut into bit size chunks
  • 4 Italian sausages
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 4 hero rolls, sliced and toasted
  • spicy mustard
  1. Heat olive oil in large skillet and cook sausages- you want them to get dark and crispy on the outside so you some medium-high heat. Split the sausages in half lengthwise and put back in the skillet cut side down and get that nice and crispy too. Remove from pan.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and place onions and peppers in pan. Sprinkle with salt and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, until softened. 
  3. Cut sausage into bite size chunks and toss into onion and pepper mixture. Add red pepper flakes and just cook a minute, enough to reheat the sausage.
  4. Pull some of the stuffing from the middle of the toasted rolls so your filling has a nice pocket to go and won't spill out the sides. Stuff your heros and top with mustard if desired. 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Perfect Pizza Pie


The dough is what makes a pizza good. It needs to have flavor, the perfect chew, and be crispy too..The main problem I used to have with making  pizza dough is keeping it thin. I'd roll out the dough and it would spring back on me. You need to use a high protein flour (bread flour rather than all purpose) to get a good chewiness to the crust, but too much gluten development and the crust will be tough and the dough will be too springy to roll out properly even after letting the dough relax.

I've got 2 secrets. First, use "00" flour. You can find this at specialty stores (I found it at a local Italian grocer) or buy it on the Internet. This flour has a lot of protein, but is highly refined and powdery. It really is worth the effort of getting the special flour. The second secret is letting the dough ferment in the refrigerator overnight rather than on the counter for a few hours. The cold slows fermentation so it has to be allowed a full day in the fridge (but don't let it go longer than 72 hours). The cold prohibits gluten development though. The benefits of this is full flavor will less stretch. The dough actually rolls out easily and doesn't spring back at all. The final result is a crispy, thin, and slightly chewy crust.

Top your pizza with whatever your heart desires. I like to keep mine simple with a little bit of tomato sauce, basil, vegan mozzarella, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Sometimes I really like a pesto sauce with a ton of vegetables too. Cooking on a pizza stone is ideal, but if you don't have one, bake it on a cookie sheet until it's firm and then transfer directly to the oven rack so the bottom can crisp up.

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups "00" flour (16 1/2 oz)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 1 1/3 cups cold water
  • 1 tablespoon light olive oil
  • 1 1/2 table salt

  1. In standing mixer with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, and yeast. Over low speed, slowly add in water- you may not need all of it- until dough forms into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to a dough hook attachment and mix for a couple of minutes, until dough is smooth. Allow to sit for 10 minutes (this allows the flour to hydrate).
  2. With the dough hook still attached, turn mixer onto low speed. drizzle in olive oil and add salt. Knead dough by letting mixer run at medium-low speed for 5 minutes. 
  3. Form dough into tight ball, place in lightly oiled bowl, and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but no more than 72 hours. 
  4. Remove dough from fridge and, using a knife, cut into 2 even pieces to make 2 large pizzas or 4 even pieces to make 4 smaller (individual size) pizzas. Note that the dough is pretty tough and this is okay. As it warms to room temp, it will soften and relax. On lightly floured surface, form pieces into round smooth balls and allow to sit, covered, for 1 hour. 
  5. Preheat oven (and a pizza stone if you have one) to 500F with rack placed at the top of oven. 
  6. On lightly floured surface, squash a ball of dough into a flat disk and roll out thin. Place on pizza stone or baking sheet, and add pizza toppings. 
  7. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size of pizza, or until crust is nicely browned. Place pizza on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. 


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Spaghetti al Limone


This is currently my favorite dish to eat. This recipe for Spaghetti al Limone is super simple. It is exactly what you think; spaghetti with a light lemon sauce. You can add chicken and vegetables to it, but I think it's perfect just as it is. I got this straight out of Cook's Illustrated. Have you ever read this magazine? If not, you should. The writers attack a dish with passion and make it the best it can be by breaking down every aspect of the recipe, explaining their process and the science behind it. I love that they tell us what techniques don't work for a particular recipe and why. So I changed nothing about their recipe as I trust that they perfected it.

While enjoying this meal picture yourself in Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. You can serve the meal outside in the sun with a nice Pinot Gris and some soft Italian music playing in the background.



Ingredients:
  • 1 lb spaghetti (dried)
  • 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 3 juicy lemons: get 2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chiffonade of basil leaves
  1. Prepare pasta al dente (slightly underdone) according to package directions.
  2. Reserve 1 3/4 cups cooking water and set drained pasta aside. 
  3. Using same pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. 
  4. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water and cream into pot, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and add back in pasta, tossing thoroughly to coat well. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
  6. Cover and let pasta stand for 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining 1/4 cup water. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  7. Serve individual portions sprinkled with more cheese and drizzled with more olive oil if desired. 

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup


I love when a dish screams the season of its ingredients. This soup is all about the fall with it's apples and butternut squash, and I especially enjoy it during cold, wet weather. Apples, cheddar, and butternut squash may seem like an odd combination, but it works and does so amazingly well. This soup is savory, but has a hint of sweetness and is bright in flavor. Served with some crispy prosciutto (Italian bacon), it goes great as a brunch dish too.

If you aren't familiar with prepping butternut squash, it is important to know that it can cause "contact dermatitis" for many people. This is a minor skin allergy caused from contact with the flesh of the squash. If you experience this, just apply Cortisone cream and it should clear up in a day or so. If you have sensitive skin, you may just want to take the precaution of wearing latex gloves. Many places sell butternut squash already cut into small squares, but you'll pay a lot less if you buy a whole one and prep it yourself.

Ingredients:
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 3 medium apples (any kind, but nothing too tart, i.e. no Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 oz prosciutto, sliced thin
  1. First cook the prosciutto. You can fry it up like bacon on the stove top, but you will need to add a little bit of butter to the pan first. What I like to do is bake it though. Place on wire rack over a sheet pan and bake at 400 until crisp. Set prosciutto aside. 
  2. Heat butter in large soup pot. Add squash, potato, and apples and saute until everything starts to soften. 
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add flour, stirring well. Cook for 3 minutes. 
  4. Add chicken stock and water. Liquid should just cover the the veg. Increase heat and bring to a boil. 
  5. Reduce heat back down to a low simmer and cook until squash and potato is fully cooked. 
  6. Puree soup using an immersion (stick) blender. Add cheese and milk and stir well. 
  7. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls garnished with crispy prosciutto. 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Southern Dumplings with Chicken

The combination of chicken and dumplings is universal (wonton soup, matzo ball soup, spatzle, tortellini, etc.), but nobody does it like they do in the southern United States. It became popular during the Great Depression because it was cheap and filling, but it's now a typical comfort food especially in the South. My husband has some Southern heritage so on holidays his family would serve dumplings in a blond gravy along side the turkey or ham. I had originally developed this recipe for him, but I love it as much as he does.


My recipe for Southern style dumplings with chicken is in a gravy-like broth so it is rich. I flavor it with a simple mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) and add lots of ground pepper. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and brine it to keep it super moist. I cheat a little bit by buying refrigerated biscuits (like Grands) for the dumplings which is a nice short cut and I don't miss the homemade dumplings much.

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
  • 1 quart cold water
  • 1/4 cup table salt
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 package refrigerated biscuits
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  1. First get your chicken in the brine. Add the salt and sugar to the water and mix. Place the chicken in the brine and refrigerate for 45 minutes. 
  2. Heat oil in a saute pan and cook the chicken until it's done. Set to the side to cool. 
  3. In soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until starts to soften.
  4. Add flour and stir. Cook for  couple of minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and broth should start thickening. 
  5. Cut biscuits into small pieces (they puff up a lot when cooking). Add to broth and allow to cook for 5 minutes. 
  6. Dice chicken into bite size pieces and add to pot. Add milk and season to taste.