Zinnias

Veggies

Hummingbird Haven flowers

Wildflowers

Herbs

Happy!

 Bruno

Greetings! Spring is upon us here in St. Louis and it’s time to start another year of the veggie garden chronicles. This year I again have grown my plants from seeds. The seedlings in the above photos were germinated on April 4th and are doing well. I began hardening them off about a week ago so they will be ready to go into the ground in a couple of days. The crop for 2013 will be an interesting one because I sprouted many unusual types of tomatoes and have added kale, rosemary and Asian basil to the lineup, Also new for 2013 are California poppies, a variety of zinnias and some cardinal vines to keep my wisteria company. The top photo is of my tomatoes, hot peppers, kale, Swiss chard, basils and rosemary (specifically:  green zebra, brandywine, marvel stripe, black krim, gold medal, speckled roman, and white tomesol tomatoes;  ancho, New Mexican, jalapeno and habanero peppers;  Italian Genovese and Siam queen basils; red winter kale and red ruby Swiss chard). The bottom photo shows my California poppies, zinnias and cardinal vines (the zinnias include: art deco, envy, California giants, peppermint stick and hot crayon colors). Not pictured are what I directly seeded into the garden: wild arugula, oak leaf arugula, curly endive, mizuna and red mustard lettuces; butternut squash; spider flowers; nodding onion flowers and a wildflower mix called Hummingbird Haven which is supposed to attract those fascinating creatures with flowers that have a high nectar content. If all goes well, this will be a very colorful and fruitful year in the garden!! Fingers crossed!

To all of you gardeners out there, may your thumbs be green and your gardens be bountiful!!

Bruno

*click photo to enlarge

Made this appetizer w/ some friends and thought I’d share the photo that one of my friends snapped that evening. This dish used to be on the menu at Remy’s back when Ben Davis and Ivy Magruder were the chefs there. It’s a delicious way to start off a great meal! We had red wine braised swordfish w/ roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed Swiss chard for our main course. Dessert was fresh berries w/ cookies. Wines of evening were a 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac w/ dinner and a Mount Pleasant port w/ dessert. Thank you Paul and Laurie for bringing these great wines!!

Bon Appetit!

Bruno

This post is in memory of my dad who loved pistachio gelato. I remember being in Venice w/ him at a gelateria, and even w/ so many flavors to choose from, he of course picked pistachio! So here you go papa. With love, your son.

This recipe is based on one from Martha Stewart w/ a few variations. The main variations are: 1) I used six egg yolks, compared to Martha’s five, to give my gelato additional richness; and 2) My version leaves in the ground pistachios for a boost of flavor and a nice textural element. I’m guessing that Martha strained out the pistachios to get a smoother, more elegant finished product, much like many French sauce recipes require removing bits of shallots or mushrooms prior to serving for that very reason.

I made the pistachio brittle to use as a garnish because I think it’s fun to eat and delicious too! The brittle reminded me of a funny and true story: My childhood dentist would sometimes have a bowl of peanut brittle sitting on the table in her waiting room. I don’t know if she was just being nice to her sugar loving clients, or guaranteeing return business to fill all the cavities this created!

Pistachio Gelato (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1/2 pound pistachios (unsalted and shelled)

1 quart half & half

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

Procedure:

1) Coarsely chop pistachios in food processor.

2) Place pistachios in a heavy pot w/ the half & half  and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover w/ lid and let mixture steep for 2 hours.

3) Strain pistachios from mixture using a fine mesh sieve, pressing down firmly on solids. Reserve pistachios.

4) Return half & half to pot and scald, then remove from heat.

5) In a metal bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture becomes smooth and pale yellow.

6) Very slowly whisk half & half into egg/sugar mixture so as not to curdle the mixture.

7) Place bowl w/ mixture over a pot of simmering water, stirring continuously w/ a heat resistant spatula until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon (do not let mixture exceed 170 degrees F to prevent curdling), then quickly place bowl in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and promote rapid cooling.

8) Stir in reserved pistachios and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

9) Churn mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

10) Pour gelato into a 2 quart plastic container then place a piece of parchment paper cut to size on the surface of gelato (this will reduce air exposure and prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface of the gelato), seal container and freeze until firm.

Yield: Approx. 1 1/2 quarts

Pistachio Brittle

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted)

3 1/2 tablespoons water

Procedure:

1) Put sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pot and boil until light amber in color (333 – 335 degrees F on a candy thermometer), brushing inside of pot w/ water occasionally to prevent crystals from forming; stir in pistachios.

2) Quickly pour onto a baking sheet lined w/ parchment paper and let cool.

3) Break brittle into large pieces and store in an airtight plastic container, placing a piece of parchment paper between each layer.

Happy cooking…

Bruno

*Pears Poached in Red Wine w/ New Caledonian Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise

*pear recipe adapted from one developed by Beatrice Peltre

Ingredients (for the pears):

6 Bosc pears

1 cup sugar

4 cloves

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 bottle dry red wine

1/2 lime

water

Procedure:

1) In a large bowl, combine the water and lime juice. Peel the pears, keeping the stems intact. Cut a small slice from the base of each pear so the fruits sit without toppling. Drop each one into the water; set aside.

 2) In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, sugar, anise, vanilla, clove, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Hoping your 2013 is filled w/ peace, joy, health and happiness!

Happy cooking…

Bruno

Workin’ the early bird shift this week, but even the birds weren’t up this early!!

Happy New Year!

Bruno

Thinking of bringing something to your friends’ holiday party but not sure what? Well, here’s a treat that is sure to satisfy everyone’s  sweet tooth and is fairly easy to whip up. The color is kind of Christmasy too! I made this gelato for Thanksgiving, but I’m sure your friends wouldn’t frown upon you if you showed up at their holiday meal w/ this in hand…

Cranberry Gelato w/ Roasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients: (for cranberry sauce)

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lime juice

Procedure: (for cranberry sauce)

1) Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; maintain at a slow boil for 5 minutes

2) Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until sauce thickens

3) Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes; refrigerate overnight

Ingredients: (for gelato)

1/2 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

1 quart half  & half

1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts (roughly chopped)

1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce

Procedure: (for gelato)

1) In a metal bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture becomes smooth and pale yellow

2) Place half & half in a heavy pot and heat until scalded

3) Very slowly whisk half & half into egg/sugar mixture so as not to curdle the mixture

4) Place bowl w/ mixture over a pot of simmering water, stirring continuously w/ a heat resistant spatula until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon (do not let mixture exceed 170 degrees F to prevent curdling), then quickly place bowl in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and promote rapid cooling

5) In a food processor, blend together cranberry sauce and gelato mixture,  then chill in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight

6) Churn mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, adding the hazelnuts  when mixture starts to freeze

7) Pour gelato into a 2 quart plastic container, stir to evenly distribute hazelnuts, then place a piece of parchment paper cut to size on the surface of gelato (this will reduce air exposure and prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface of the gelato), seal container and freeze until firm

Yield: Approx. 1 1/2 quarts

Happy Holidays!

Bruno

Here are a few photos of this beautiful and food-centric resort and the hydroponic farm: (click images to enlarge)

 Tuna four ways: sashimi, grilled, tempura and tartare

 Steak tartare

 Chocolate souffle

 From my room

 Beach

 The farm

 Lettuce pond

 Under the lettuce

 Herbs

 Dr. Resh

 Cherry tomatoes

 Red bell pepper

 Yellow bell pepper

Orange bell pepper

 English cucumbers

 Seedlings

 Microgreens

 Under the microgreens

 Baby lettuce

 Planting a crop

 More herbs

 Bok choy

 Eggplant

 Basil

 Cherry tomatoes

 Lettuces

 Beefsteak tomatoes

I wish I had a garden like this in my backyard… maybe next year!

Bruno

If you’re not sure what to bring to your friend’s house for Thanksgiving, here’s an idea. Not as time consuming as some baguette recipes and the results are delicious. If you’re not careful you may eat them all up before you head out to your Thanksgiving feast!!

Sourdough Wheat Baguettes  (recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

5/8 cup lukewarm water

1 cup sourdough starter

1 cup wheat flour

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon dry active yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Procedure:

1) In a large mixing bowl, stir everything together to make a rough dough. Then start to knead (using a stand mixer, or your hands), adding only enough additional flour as necessary; a slack (sticky) dough makes a light loaf.

The dough will probably stick to the sides of the bowl (or your work surface) at first; scrape it off the sides, and continue kneading for about 7 minutes in a stand mixer; or 8 to 10 minutes by hand.

2) Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.

3) Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into three equal pieces, then shape each piece into a 14 inch long loaf.  Here’s how:

Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a rough log. Fold it lengthwise, and use the heel of your hand to press the edges together. Fold it lengthwise again, and again press the edges together; you’ll notice that during this folding process, the dough has naturally lengthened.

Turn the log over so the seam side is down, and gently roll it into a 14 inch long loaf.

4) Place the loaves onto the back of a baking pan lined w/ parchment paper dusted w/ corn meal and dust loaves w/ flour before covering. Cover them gently w/ plastic wrap, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they’re nice and puffy. (I used a couche under the parchment paper to give my baguettes support during the second rise)

5) Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven and pizza stone to 450°F.

6) When the loaves are ready for baking remove the plastic wrap and make three diagonal slashes in each loaf, cutting about 1/4 inch deep w/ a serrated knife.  Carefully slide the loaves w/ the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes, or until they’re a rich golden brown.

7) Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. (To get the exterior crunchy again at your friend’s house, place in a 325 degree F oven for 4 or 5 minutes)

Eat well, drink well and be thankful for all the goodness in your life!

Bruno