More Mousse, Less Trouble. Watermelon Mousse

    It seems that during this summer I've been looking for things that are cool and easy to make. I haven't been doing a whole hell of a lot of cooking and when I do, it seems that comfort foods and things that get on the table fast take the top spot. A couple of months ago I got fascinated with granitas and moved from there to simple syrups and virgin cocktails, looking for an Indian twist. Kaffir lime is one of my favorite flavors and I'd made Kaffir Lime Mousse, and last week one with Coconut and Pistachio. Then I saw the watermelon.

   I don't eat a lot of watermelon. I don't have those childhood memories of sitting on the stoop somewhere spitting seeds. For one thing, summers in foggy San Francisco were usually spent in a parka and warm sweater. Not exactly watermelon weather. I just never got into the habit. The way I usually enjoy watermelon is juiced, mixed with iced green tea with a dash of basil seeds added at the end. But I was in this mousse-making frenzy, the spirit was upon me and I just had to try turning out one of those desserts with a watermelon at the heart.

   So I bought a watermelon. I intended to whip up a mousse and serve it to friends one hot Sonoma evening. But what with my mom and everything else, I just never got around to it. Every morning I'd wake up and say  "today is watermelon day!" and then I'd get a phone call, and I'd get in the car and head off to Santa Rosa, and by the time I got back, I was the one that was blended to a fine puree. No mousse for me.
 
   Finally I had a break, my mom was stabilized and I thought "this is it," my opportunity to get my watermelon on. I'd planned lunch to end with a delicious watermelon mousse. I never thought about the possibility of watermelons going bad. I mean they just get sweeter right? I'd kept it chilled in the fridge. Sure, it looked a little faded but who doesn't after a while. I cut into the melon, and luckily my greedy side decided to take a bite before putting it into the food processor. It tasted like an old sock. I cannot describe the combination of musty, locker room, dank, and damp that I experienced when I bit into it. I had to chuck it. The watermelon was no more.

   I set off in search of a new melon and the thought struck me, should it have gone bad that fast? Isn't there some type of statute of limitations on watermelon? Surely I hadn't had it in the fridge that long??? What the hell did I know about the proper buying of watermelons? I obviously couldn't tell a ripe watermelon from a load of old socks. Smash cut to Whole Foods, where I stood staring at a pile of melons. Some light green, some dark, some patterned with stripes. I didn't know where to begin. I started groping the watermelons trying to look like I knew what I was doing.  Major fail. I was quickly approached by a friendly Produce Person.

   "Can I help you?"

   "I bought a watermelon, not here, and it was bad it tasted like old socks. I need to make a mousse, help me, help me!"

   "No problem" she said. "I've been working in Produce for 9 years. I know my melons." She started pinging and rapping the melons, examining the skin. It seems the uglier the watermelon, the better it tastes (something about how it lays in the field). She said "what type to you want?"

   "Do the stripes make a difference in flavor?"

   "Same as a racing spoiler on the back of a Toyota"

   She had a face I could trust.  "Just find me one, not too big but flavorful."

   She handed me a melon. I took it home.

I was in the mousse business.

Watermelon Mousse

Here's What You Need:

1 watermelon cut up and seeded
1/2 Tbs of lemon juice
1/2 envelope of gelatine or equal amount of agar agar (if you want a vegetarian recipe) about 1 and 1/4 tsps of gelatine
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of whipping cream

Here's What To Do:

Cut the watermelon into chunks.

Puree it in a blender or food processor.

Put two cups of puree in a pot.
Set 1/4 cup of puree aside in a small bowl.
Put the watermelon puree in the pot on a medium heat and bring it to a boil.
Add the gelatine to the 1/4 cup of watermelon puree in the bowl and mix it in well.

When the watermelon puree reaches a boil, take it off the heat and stir in the gelatine watermelon mixture.
Blend it together well, so you don't have any gelatine lumps.
Add in 1/2 Tbs of lemon juice
And 1/2 cup of sugar.

Mix everything together well and set it aside to cool.
When it has cooled, whip the cream.
Fold the whipped cream into the cooled watermelon mixture.

Ladle the watermelon mousse into small serving ramekins.

Put the ramekins into the refrigerator to chill until they set, usually  two hours or so.
Decorate each one with a dab of whipped unsweetened cream and serve them up.

   This makes an amazingly light, flavorful mousse with the delicate taste of watermelon. Perfect for a simple dessert for a hot Summer night or after a heavy meal. There's always room for this mousse. I also was impressed with how pretty it was, so pink and delicate. I don't normally do pink and delicate. In fact I have an anti pink and delicate personality, but these Mousses (?) Meeses(?) Mice(?) made me want to throw a goddamned pink tea!! Hey, is somebody getting married? Having a Baby shower? I got yer mousse right here. Come and get it.

   Coming up next, my dehydrator arrived and it just sits glowering at me, somethings got to dry out and soon. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

A Note On A Calm Sunday Morning

    It's been quite a frantic 2 months around our house. My mother's diagnosis of cancer sent everyone to battle stations. For me it brought back memories of my own fight with the disease 23 years ago, but more than that it was the first indication that age was catching up with my parents. My mom's cancer is fortunately treatable but dealing with all the things that come along with such a diagnosis has been difficult for her. The frequent doctors visits, blood tests, lots of terms she's unfamiliar with and a growing sense of vulnerability. My dad is worried about her - they've been together lots of years which he proudly asserts to every nurse and doctor he meets. It's an impressive sum of time. But she's the one actually going through this process, and she's the one that needs attention. It's been hard to get her to take help from people, hell it's hard to even get her to take a nap! A friend told me the other day, "we're all children twice" and in accompanying them on these various errands, sometimes it's like escorting a couple of rowdy 8 year olds.  8 year olds who can also drive and order a cocktail.

   My mother's main concern has been with her hair and starting chemo. We went wig shopping last week which in her case was akin to prepping Lady Gaga for the "Born This Way World Tour." You see my mom has always been the hip mom, much hipper than I was. If there is a trend, she's on it, a fashion, she has it, music, she's already heard it. She always has to be in the swim of things and has been very worried about losing her hair once she started chemo. All I can say is God Bless the American Cancer Society and their wig salon!! I described her and her tastes ahead of time and when we got there Betty, one of the volunteers, had several selections ready for her.  Of course she was immediately drawn to a Beyonce-like human hair wig with long extensions, nothing like she's ever worn in her life.

   I thought to myself, "Oh shit!  Now I'm going to be escorting a 5 foot tall Italian version of Beyonce to chemo appointments!" I blamed myself, I was the one who told her "If there ever was a time to cut loose this is it! Have fun with this!" I said. I learned fast that Fran is not the sort of person one needs to give that advice to. Everybody held their breath, She passed on the long  "Put A Ring On It" hair.

   I think she probably figured if she came out wearing that she'd give my father a stroke, but she sure  liked the looks of it. She tried on a few wigs on and quickly found one that looked just like her own hair. They talked to her about the Look Good Feel Better program helping women coping with cancer with hair and make-up tips. My mother informed them that she'd been drawing her eyebrows on since she'd plucked them all out as a 14 year old trying to look like Bette Davis. One of the volunteers mentioned that she might like to teach a class. She thought about that. I'm not sure where that's going yet. If she does, there are going to be an awful lot of cancer survivors up here looking like Vegas showgirls.

   The biggest scariest thing for her was her first chemo. The first time is scary for everybody. I picked her up to take her to the doctor. In the car she volunteered she wasn't wearing a bra. She figured that it was against the rules. "No," I told her. "You just like to Freebird it! Admit it"

   Chemo was a lot easier than she thought. She's getting a very mild drug, well tolerated. And now even two days afterward, she feels good. Even better, she's not scared anymore. So, for the first time in 2 months things are a bit peaceful around here. Everybody seems to be coping well with the new schedule. Though driving back from the doctor the other day my mother was deep in thought. "What's up I asked?"
 
   "Maybe I should have gotten that Beyonce wig"
  

Give A Fig! Oven Roasted Fig Salad

   It's nearly fig season again here in Sonoma and I can hardly wait. Usually when people think of Sonoma, they think wine and this guy, Ben Flajnik, aka "The Bachelor."

   How I've managed to live here and miss the whole "Bachelor thing" eludes me, but be that as it may, I have run across him a few times during my morning trips to the Basque Boulangerie. But Sonoma's not all about Beaujolais and Bachelors. We've also got blackberries, plums, persimmons, pomegranates, olives, and this time of year figs galore. These tasty treats are not just found in orchards and backyards but by walking paths, growing wild on every street, by roadsides, in short, all over and everywhere. It's one of the things I love about living here; the ability to forage and glean. In all my years in Santa Monica, the closest I ever got to that was persuading my friends to give me the fruit from their "messy" loquat trees. One woman's driveway nuisance, is another woman's chutney.
 
   But back to figs. They're everywhere around here this time of year, free for the picking. If one buys them in the stores or at a neighbors sidewalk stand, they're also inexpensive. I like to keep figs around; they're great for snacking, wonderful baked in desserts, and exceptional when oven roasted and used in an appetizer salad.

Oven Roasted Fig Salad

Here's What You Need:

1 basket of Mission figs
1 and 1/2 Tbs of Fig Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbs of olive oil
1 finely chopped shallot
1 tsp of olive oil
1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1 round of Bucheron  cheese
lettuce for salad
Kosher salt

Here's What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and dry the figs.
Cut a small X in the tip of each fig and squeeze them a bit at the bottom to open them slightly.
Place them in an ovenproof baking dish.
Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle the figs with a bit of kosher salt.
Bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes.

When the figs have softened, take them out of the oven and set them aside.
Prepare a mixed green salad. (I used a combo of lettuces, red leaf, devils ears, and a bit of frisee.)
Let the cheese come to room temperature.
Heat a small cast iron pan or a skillet.
When the pan is hot, add in 1 tsp of olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add in 1 finely chopped shallot.
Stir the shallot around until it browns and crisps slightly, set it aside.
In a small bowl mix together 1 and 1/2 Tbs of Fig Balsamic Vinegar.

I use a  brand I received  from a local maker, the people at Sonoma Harvest . Right now their stuff is available only at my local Sonoma Market or online if you don't live in Sonoma, (most people don't) but I understand that they ought to be available in other places soon. I've really gotten hooked on their stuff.

Mix the vinegar with 3 Tbs of olive oil.
Add in the pan-roasted shallots and kosher salt to taste.
Take the cheese and put a bit of it as a filling into the center of each roasted fig.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the mixed greens.
Toss the salad well.
Put some salad onto each plate.
Place two stuffed figs onto each bed of greens.
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts onto each plate.
Serve it up!

   That's it. Savory, sweet, delicious before a nice pasta dinner or anything else for that matter. With the addition of chicken or some other protein, you've got an entree salad for lunch.
I bought the figs I used in this salad, but I've been cruising the paths of Sonoma, watching the fig trees and getting my basket ready to join my fellow gleaners once the harvest is ready.

   Coming up next more experiments with summer fruit and I give my dehydrator a test run. Chilied mangos for everybody!!!! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

The Uncomplicated Mousse, Coconut and Pistachio

   I started out to write something about figs. I got a whole fig recipe going on, but this last Saturday was really, really, hot here in Sonoma. I'm still in my transition from doctors appointments with my mom every day to getting back to cooking again. Dessert always seems like an easy path back and I've come to believe that the fastest way back to Normal runs right through Dessert.
 
   Mousse has never struck me as something that could be made and eaten the same day. Usually, when I've mixed up a mousse I've made it the night before serving to give it a chance to set. It's never struck me as the sort of "whoa, let's have some mousse! I've got a couple of hours" sort of thing to do. That was before I did some serious mousse research. I found a whole honking lot of recipes out there, all sorts of techniques and prep times. After studying up on mousse  design I decided to try making a simple coconut mousse with pistachio and dark chocolate shavings. The beauty part about this?  It's ready to eat a couple of hours after whipping it up. Also, everything needed for  this recipe? Chances are it's already in your kitchen.

Coconut Pistachio Mousse

Here's What You Need:

4 egg yolks
10 and 1/2 tsp of sugar
8 1/2 fluid oz of coconut milk
A bit more than 3/4 teaspoon of unflavored gelatine
8 and 1/2 fluid oz of whipping cream
Dark chocolate for shaving
Zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup of chopped pistachios

Here's What To Do:

Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until it's smooth.

Bring the coconut milk to a boil.
When it starts to boil, pour it over the egg yolk sugar mixture and in the words of Devo, "Whip It! Whip it good!"
Pour the mixture back into the pan and put it back on the stove.
Stir it until it starts to thicken.
Add in the gelatine.
Stir that in well, you don't want gelatine lumps.
Pour it into a bowl and let it cool.

While it's cooling, mix together the orange zest and the chopped pistachios.

After it's cooled enough, add in the orange zest and pistachios.

Fold in the whipped cream gently.

Scoop the mousse into individual serving bowls and chill until it's set.
Before serving, take a piece of dark chocolate and shave it over the mousse.

After the chocolate has been scattered over the top, serve it up. This recipe makes 6 servings.

   I realized looking at this recipe that it was practically a tribute to OXO products.  I've been buying them my whole cooking life. My vegetable peeler I've had forever, and my hand beater I received as a gift from OXO last year.

   So there you have it, fast and easy mousse. If you don't want to use gelatine I imagine this recipe can also be made with agar agar. I have that in my pantry but I haven't tried the recipe that way yet. If anyone does, please let me know how it works out.  Coming up next, I finally get down to the figs, almost in time for gleaning season to hit Sonoma. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

The Dessert For Getting Your Cooking Legs Back. Ricotta Pudding

     For the last two weeks, I haven't really been doing any cooking. This is unusual for me as cooking is something I love and do nearly every day. Because of my moms' hospitalization, which has meant running back and forth between Santa Rosa and Sonoma, we've mainly been eating out. How much have we been eating out? Enough for me to now be the Foursquare Mayor of the Carneros Bistro and Wine Bar at the Lodge at Sonoma.  That's how much.
 
   So last Saturday night I decided to invite some friends over and get cooking again. I had a big piece of guanciale that I'd cured and I figured a nice simple Italian supper of salad, homemade pasta with A'matriciana  sauce and fresh baked artisan bread would do the trick. Fresh, not too complicated, an easy Saturday supper. But then I came up with the thing that always stops me cold. Dessert. I knew I had to make something light. After bread and pasta, I was certainly not baking any cakes. Ice cream is always easy but can be boring. I was about to make a plain panna cotta when I thought about some ricotta instead. I love serving fresh ricotta with figs, nuts, and local honey as an easy fall dessert, but it was blazing hot out here this last weekend. Whatever I made needed to be cool and refreshing and mustn't involve turning on the oven.

   Then I remembered  ricotta pudding. It whips up fast and fluffy, is simple and would go well with the local strawberries I had. This is a dessert that one can prep a few hours in advance and then literally whip together in 5 minutes before serving. Can't beat that... or rather, yes you can. Having a beater of some sort is a must for this dessert.

Ricotta Pudding

Here's What you need:

1/2 lb of fresh ricotta cheese
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of finely chopped pistachios
1/4 cup of thinly sliced almonds lightly toasted
1 and 1/4 cup of whipping cream
5 Tbs of powdered sugar.
1 and 1/2 cups of washed,dried, and sliced strawberries
1/4 cup chopped good quality dark chocolate

Here's What To Do:

Mix together the lemon and orange zest with the chopped pistachios and set aside.

Finely chop the chocolate, place it in another small bowl and set it aside.
Lightly toast the almonds in a dry skillet and set them aside.
Wash, dry and slice the strawberries then set them aside.
All this can be done ahead of time. Just keep the bowls covered so the ingredients don't get dried out.

Just before serving:
Mix the ricotta with a beater until it's nice and smooth.
Mix the cream together with the powdered sugar and beat it until you have whipped cream.
Fold the whipped cream into the ricotta carefully.
Add in all the other ingredients, one at a time  EXCEPT THE STRAWBERRIES and make sure they're blended together smoothly.

Serve it in individual bowls. Add the strawberries just before serving to make sure  they don't leak into the whipped cream ricotta mixture and turn everything pink.

   There you have it, a cooling fluffy dessert that in my opinion sort of resembles the filling of a cannolli only lighter and without the fried shell. Not that I'd be above stuffing something with this filling. Hardly. In fact if I can ever master the profiterole making process (don't ask)  this is the first thing that's going in them.

  I also happened to run across the first figs of the season. I had to buy these as none of my gleaning spots are ready yet. Coming up next,  a great way to use those figs as a first course.
Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Anaheim Ain't Just About Disneyland. Chilies With Peanuts.

   Quick. Think Anaheim. What comes to mind? The Angels? The Ducks? Disneyland? Knotts Berry Farm? The OC? The Real Housewives? For me, you say Anaheim, I say chilies. I may have said it, but until a few months back I never ate them. Anaheim chilies that is.
 
   For the last couple of weeks I haven't been doing much cooking. I've been grabbing whatever passes by, eating whenever and following along on the typical  path of someone with a parent in the hospital. My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a month ago and so far we've been on an up and down roller coaster of information, disinformation, fantasy and truth. Her surgery went well, but she was rushed to the emergency room 2 weeks ago with fluid on the lung. After some crazy self-diagnosis which had me calling hospice on her recommend, and then a talk with the real doctors who said "no, she was not dying just then" and was in fact very treatable, things simmered down. Cooler heads prevailed. Elvis had not left the building.

   Having been down to Cancerland myself 23 years ago, my experience has actually come in handy here. I've been able to explain to her what's going on, what people are saying, why they're doing the tests they're doing, what the results mean and just being a general cancer concierge. She's got a whole lot more information, and is doing a whole lot better. She came home from the hospital today and things are getting somewhat back to normal at my parents house.
 
   Meanwhile back at our place I'm trying to get my stove fired up and running again. We turned in our TV pilot before this hospitalization so it's time to get cooking again. In a month that's been full of the bitter and the sweet, nothing seemed like a better recipe to share than Anaheim Chilies with Peanuts.
 

Anaheim Chilies With Peanuts

Here's What You Need:

6 large Anaheim chilies
4 Tbs of vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 cup of roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
8 large shallots
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves (if you have them)
1 red onion finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 Tbs tamarind pulp or lemon juice
A 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and chopped
1 Tbs coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies broken into pieces
3/4 sp of salt

 Here's What To Do:
 
Wash and seed the chiles, and chop them into rings.

In a small skillet dry roast the sesame seeds, coriander and cumin seeds for about 5 minutes.
Take them off the fire and let them cool.
Place the roasted seeds into a food processor along with the peanuts, red chilies, ginger, shallots, and 1/2 cup of water. Mix it all into a paste.

Heat a skillet, wok or kadhai and when it's hot, add in the 4 Tbs of vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, toss in the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add your curry leaves (if you've got them).
Stir everything around for about a minute then add in the onions.

Saute the onions until they turn a light brown.

Add in the turmeric.

Then toss in the sliced peppers. Cook them down for about 5 minutes.

Cook the Anaheim chilies down until they start to soften then add in the peanut spice paste.

Cook the peanut paste down for another 5 minutes then add in 1 cup of water.
Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes or so.
In a small bowl, mix together the tamarind pulp and 1/2 cup of water.
Add that to the mixture in the pan along with the salt and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Let the chilies cook until they're softened. Check them for seasoning and serve them up.

   These Anaheim chilies make a great side dish to add to any Indian meal. They have a bitter sweet flavor with a touch of warmth. There are not a lot of American dishes that can be characterized as "bitter", but it's one of the five basic tastes, sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. People generally hear bitter and they run, but when on the plate mixed with other flavors, it's dynamite. So next time you see the word Anaheim, pick up some of these chilies and give this a try. Go bold.

  I also want to thank everyone who's taken the time to ask about my mom, and what's going on here. I know a lot of you have dealt with similar situations and it's always great to get the benefit of everyone's experience I am immensely grateful.

 Coming up next a big bunch of produce from the neighbors and the dessert that goes with it. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Mint Parathas, My Recipe For Sanity

   It's no secret there has been a lot of family drama going on at/around my house. My mother's illness which started with surgery a month ago, has now led to some other problems which have put her into the hospital again with fluid in one pleural cavity. She's going to be having surgery again tomorrow, but this last week which started in the emergency room, has turned into a week of camping out at the hospital. There have been all sorts of documents to deal with, family business, powers of attorney, etc. to make sure everything continues along as my parents want. I've had a lot of support from my friends here in Sonoma, in Los Angeles, and all the great people I've met through the world of food writing. Thank God for Skype is all I can say! 
  
   One thing I've learned so far is what it takes to calm me down and center me. We each have our own thing which brings comfort. For me it's my work, my writing. Even when I was in the middle of my own cancer treatment 22 years ago, I worked. I wrote from bed. Alan and I wrote, we did our work, we laughed, I rested when I had to. I'm sure it helped keep me sane. As soon as I was on my feet, I started cooking Indian food, another thing which has always been my "happy place" as they say.

   Writing and cooking are two things I've not done all week. I have been reading, and eating out and I've really felt the need to get back into the kitchen and my office, because those are the two places that bring me comfort. Hopefully in a few days things will be more defined, plans will be firmed up and things will be re-adjusted back to whatever the "new normal" is for our family. Meanwhile I had to cook again, this time something simple, and what's simpler than bread?

Mint Parathas

Here's What You Need:

2 cups of atta flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup of fresh mint leaves
1 and 1/2 tsp of salt
1 Tbs of vegetable oil plus an additional  8 tsps of vegetable oil
3 Tbs of melted butter or ghee


Here's What To Do:

Wash the mint leaves and blot them dry.
When they're dry, dry roast them in a small pan. I usually use cast iron for any dry roasting of spices or herbs.

When the mint leaves are toasted, let them cool.

Crush them to a powder. I use a spice grinder.
Mix the flour and salt together
Add in the ground up mint.

Add in 1 Tbs of vegetable oil and 3/4 cup of water along with 1 Tbs of water.
Mix the dough together then start kneading.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or so until you have a stiff dough.
Put the hot damp towel over the bowl holding the dough and set it aside to rest for about 25 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8  pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Flatten each ball into about a 6 inch round and brush each round with melted butter.
Sprinkle the flatened ball with a bit of flour and then roll each one back up into a ball again.
Let the re-rolled balls rest for about 5 minutes.
Roll them out into rounds again.
Heat a griddle or tava over a medium heat.
When it's hot place a round on the griddle and cook it.

Brush the surface of each paratha with oil before you flip it to cook the other side.
Brush each paratha with a bit of melted butter when it's finished cooking.
Keep the parathas covered and warm  in the oven, until you're ready to serve them.

   So there they are, parathas, hot warm and comforting. There may be more complicated, expensive ways of getting your brain right, but for now kneading seems to be just what I need, and yes, I know that's is one freaking terrible pun. I hang my head in shame.

  As it turns out Cake Duchess  in doing another Bake With Us Event featuring quick breads with Summer fruit. Right now this sounds really, really, good to me and I'm going to be joining in. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

I Got Your Cherry Pitter Winner, Plus What's Up

   I have a winner for my cherry pitter giveaway courtesy of OXO. Janis Tester was selected by Random.org and I'll be sending the pitter out to her as soon as she sends me her address. In other matters, we have been dealing with a variety of crises around here regarding my mothers' health.  I have been doing some cooking however, mainly for my dad who of course is even pickier than my mom when it comes to what he will and won't eat. For us, I've been looking for easy things and one of the easiest is simple parathas. In this case, mint parathas a great alternative to any regular old bread product one might think of serving.

   I'll be posting about making these shortly, for now I'll be checking up on what everyone else is doing and following along on Twitter @kathygori