3 more days 'til Christmas with Giveaways and Our 3 Ways to Score Free Cookbooks

In addition to the lovely Christmas cards in our mailbox,  our mailman has been very good to us by delivering three free cookbooks to our door. 

How did this happen?  In the spirit of sharing and giving, we would love to share with you how we got these books  and give you a chance to win one of them for yourself!

Our first book, Forking Fantastic, came courtesy of The Wayward Chef.  Cristina, a freelance writer and personal chef, hosts this wonderful food blog.  The book itself is a great entertaining book - especially for people like us who enjoy low-key get-togethers that do not require matching china!  Want your own free copy?  Our blogger friend Cristina has been kind enough to bring back the contest and has 2 more copies available.  Email her (cristina@thewaywardchef.com) with your own story of how food brought your love and, if selected, she'll send you your own copy!

We love Jacques Pepin (as evidenced by our Pepin-inspired Ratatouille and Easy baked Salmon).  So, when we joined PaperBackSwap.com, we quickly added his cookbooks to our wish list.  PaperBackSwap is a great online site where members (joining is free!) list books they no longer want for other members to order.  The only charge you pay is when a member requests a book from you and you pay the nominal cost (media mail postage has been less than $3 for the books we have sent).  Anytime you request a book from someone else, you don't have to pay a cent!  We've given up many beach reads and gotten in return food books like this Jacques Pepin's Simply and Healthy Cooking and Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.

Finally, our last find and GIVEAWAY.  We got this wonderful "cookbook without recipes" when we attended the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco last month.  It is filled with useful cooking anecdotes as well as helpful hints on food writing (for us, we tend to use the word "delicious" a lot in our posts, so we love the few pages with food description suggestions).  It's a great gift for food lovers and so the kind publishers of this book have provided us with a copy that we would like to giveaway to one of you.

For your chance to win a copy, please: submit a comment below, follow our blog, follow us on twitter, or tweet this post (each action entitles you to one entry for a max of 4 entries a person - just let me know in the comments section) from now until January 3rd, 11:59 pm EST.  We will announce the winner on our Jan 4th post.  Good Luck!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns Part II: The "Table" part of our "Farm to Table" outing

After wandering about the Stone Barns farm area and seeing how much the farm animals, produce, and herbs are well-treated and respected, we were eager to see how our meal would be prepared.  We have showed you the "Farm" part of our "Farm to Table" adventure, and now we bring you the "Table" part with Blue Hill's $85 Sunday farmers' feast (4 courses).

When we first sat down and looked at the menu, we immediately noticed that there were no entrees listed.

Instead of "Today's Special dish", we were given "today's freshest and most seasonal ingredients" from both Stone Barns and from local vendors.

It was a little overwhelming, but we knew we were in good hands.  We told our server to bring us whatever the chef recommended and that we eat anything and everything.

Rather than ask us what ingredients we wanted in our meal, our server instead asked us a few questions regarding game meat (yes, please), cooking preparation preference (however the chef recommends, but usually the rarer the better!), and any aversions or allergies (none!). 

We started off with a bottle of house sparkling water and cold Captain Lawrence's Xtra Gold beer ($19, which was kept on ice, like champagne, for us!).  Drinking beer from a Burgundy wine glass made us feel very proper and sophisticated (like when George on Seinfeld started eating chocolate bars with a knife and fork).

 

We love it when bread is crusty and crunchy.

Our next drinks were a bit more serious:

Apple Pie (left, $14):  This was made with Heart of the Hudson vodka (infused with apples), apple cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  This drink smelled like apple pie fresh from the oven, but the cold drink definitely had a kick to it.  Hmm...we never thought of adding vodka to our pies before...

2007 Melville "Estate-Verna's" Santa Rita Hills Syrah (right, $15):  This Melville Syrah, like their pinots or chardonnays, is always a good choice.  Their wines are great because you can drink them young for the primary fruit and spice, or let them open up or age so it they're smoother.  When we let this wine open up a little bit, we enjoyed this with our meal.  It was an affordable glass of rich, red wine.

Beet Burger:  This amuse bouche was buttery, rich, and sweet.  It was like popping a warm mini muffin in your mouth with deep rustic flavors from the recently-pulled-from-their-backyard Forono beets.

The Cauliflower Soup was made with Hudson Valley cauliflower.  It was warm, rich, yet simple and full of cauliflower flavor.  Growing up with steamed store-bought cauliflower, we never knew how much flavor could come from this vegetable.     

This is where our preference for all types of meats was rewarded.  We were served Bresaola (left) which was nice and salty and the cured ham (right) which was meaty and fatty.  While other tables were being served garden vegetables (which were displayed standing up so they looked really pretty),we enjoyed our house-made charcuterie.

 

Grilled Wahoo with purple and yellow cauliflower, concord grapes, and pumpkin.  We loved the vegetable mixture with the fish.  The fish itself was nicely prepared, on the rarer side as per our preference.  It was meaty and light.  Upon reflecting on this dish, we are not sure where the Wahoo was from since it was not on the menu nor is it usually found in the Northeast.

 

These eggs, just picked the morning of our meal, illustrated how fresh our next entree would be.

 This Morning's Farm Egg with forged mushrooms, kale, and pine nuts.

 

This photo does not do justice to the actual color of the yolk.  The yellow was such a deep color that it was almost orange.  The flavor, of course, was intense with a thick texture that coats the throat.  This shows what a difference the hen's diet makes in producing this egg.

The mushrooms were tender, the pine nuts were crunchy, and the kale (which we had just seen in the garden) was so flavorful and delicate we wanted more.  

 

Wild Turkey with Brussels Sprouts, rutabega puree, concord grape, and walnuts.

 

These brussels sprouts were so bright, beautiful, and delicate.  It lacked the bitterness normally associated with brussels sprouts.  The wild turkey's white meat was better and more moist than any turkey dark meat we have eaten before.  Though the portion looks small on the plate, it was actually very substantial. 

 

Next up was our dessert courses to end our celebratory meal.

 

This was our favorite of the two desserts.  It had Maple ice cream wrapped in chocolate crisps.  There was also white chocolate and mint in the dessert to add to the mix of flavors.  We loved all of the crunchy textures mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.

 

The second dessert was also good, but not as sinfully rich as the previous chocolate dish.  This dessert had a Poached pear with vanilla ice cream and cream of wheat.  It was lighter than the other, similar to having pear preserves.  Overall, we were happy to be able to try two different desserts.

We ended our meal with a double espresso and cappuccino.  Loved the curved dish (in the background) our warm milk was served in!

Just before we were about to pay our bill, our server offered to take us behind the scenes to see the kitchen!

We excitedly finished our drinks, pay our bill, and headed to the kitchen.  It was a surprisingly calm operation in a bright space.  We were pleasantly surprised to see Executive Chef Dan Barber preparing a dish (it was of beet chips, artfully displayed on a tower).

On our way out, we spoke with the hostess to find out what was the best ways to score these hard-to-get reservations at Blue Hill.  She mentioned that phoning the restaurant was best (vs OpenTable) and that the full menu was also available for walk-ins at the more casual bar. 

 

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is located at 630 Bedford Rd in Pocantico Hills, New York.

{Food Events} Q & A with Jamie Oliver

This past Monday, we were delighted to attend a screening of Chef Jamie Oliver's new show "Jamie's American Roadtrip" (LA episode) and to participate in a Q&A with the Naked Chef himself.  Jamie's new cookbook, Jamie's America, reflects the American roadtrip he took on the show through recipes and pictures.

While watching the screening, we drank prosecco and munched on Jamie's Cajun popcorn (popcorn seasoned with salt and what tasted like a smoky chipotle pepper or chili powder) and later, his Rocky Road (chocolate brittle packed with hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, golden raisins, dried cranberries, sea salt, and more - perfect treat for Christmas!).

Instead of the guide-book, glitzy, touristy spots of LA, in this episode, Jamie endears himself to the Mexican-American community and learns about their food.  He is inspired by their family culture and variety of ingredients (he even visits a cactus farm where he tastes the plant for the first time).  The most poignant parts of the episode, however, is when he visits Homeboy Industries (restaurant/cooking school that teaches former gang members how to cook) and eats with former gang members in East LA.  

Q: Why did you decide to do this type of show rather than a "Best Places to Visit"-type show?  

Jamie:  Despite working in America for over 15 years, I still can see America from an outsider's point of view.  Like many Brits, I traveled here as a boy with my family and did the touristy bits. But I wanted to show American cooking through families and off the beaten path.  American cooking can be artisanal.  I traveled for the show during an exciting time. I was in Georgia when President Obama won.  (For the show and the book, Jamie was in Los Angeles, Arizona, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, and NYC). 

Q:  How did you get the show commissioned?

Jamie:  It's difficult when you don't want to do a cooking competition show or something like that.  I had to partially finance the show with my own money. Eventually I think I'll break even, but it's not about that.  It's about learning and teaching through food and meeting wonderful people.  I have a wonderful research team that doesn't research by going online, but by going out into the field. It may take longer but I think it makes for better stories.

Q:  In the LA episode we just saw, you were in some dangerous places. How were you able to befriend the gang members?

Jamie:  I think food is a great common ground with anyone and I'm just a regular bloke trying to learn.  You get a good understanding of people's lives by eating with them.  They were very open with me and there were even some things that were too graphic to show.

Q: Are you still in contact with Huntington and what is the aftermath of the show?

Jamie:  Yes, I'm still in contact with Huntington.  Through the show, I was able to get 2 years funding for school lunch programs and they were able to raise a third year on their own.  The kitchen that we built for the show is now as busy as ever with classes being booked.  The church in the show (First Baptist church) has been able to offer healthy family dinners for $10. 

I'm currently working on Season 2 of Food Revolution. I'll be in LA starting in January for it.  LA school boards don't want me in their schools, but somehow I'll get in (legally, of course).  If I am not allowed in the schools, I'll educate the parents and students who'll hopefully want reform for their school lunch program.  (From reading this article, it definitely sounds like the students in LA would welcome his help!)

Check out Jamie's website for some of the recipes from his new cookbook, Jamie's America.  Jamie's American Road Trip has not been picked up yet in the U.S., but has already been seen in 120 other countries (Lucky readers in Canada get to watch it on Food Network Canada on Thursday at 9pm EST).  After watching the engaging Los Angeles episode, we're hopeful that we can watch the rest of the series here in the U.S.

High/Low's Bi-Coastal Celebrity Chef adventures

When High/Low recently went bi-coastal for a weekend, we each had our own celebrity chef adventure.

I was in San Francisco enjoying an Anthony Bourdain-inspired culinary adventure, while my husband was in New York meeting one of the greatest chefs of all time, Thomas Keller!

Join us as we take you through each of our adventures.

I met with Mardi at R&G Lounge for their famous Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab and Lychee martinis (yes, even Anthony Bourdain drank one!)  This restaurant is also a favorite of Michael Mina's.

I love lychee martinis (This one was $10).  I'm not sure how this version was made, but here is my recipe that has been very popular amongst my friends:

Lychee Martini

Ingredients:

1 can of lychee fruit

 Soho lychee liqueur

vodka

Directions:

In a martini shaker, add 1 oz Soho, 1 oz vodka, 2 oz syrup from the can of lychee fruit, and ice.  Shake well.  Pour the drink into a martini glass.  Add a couple of lychee fruit from the can and serve.

Our meal was very photogenic!

The crab ($35) was fantastic - meaty, crunchy, and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

The next day, Mardi met me again, this time at Bourdain's favorite quick bite at the Ferry Plaza Marketplace:  Primavera.

I had the breakfast ($9) of eggs, beans, salsa, and tortillas.

Mardi had the tomales ($9), which were also Bourdain's choice.  One had mushroom and the other had pork - both very filling, but delicious. 

With so much fresh and substantial dishes, it's no wonder Alice Waters counts herself one of Primavera's many fans.

Lastly, I passed by San Francisco's (and California's) oldest establishment, Tadich Grill, where Bourdain went to grab a drink.  I peeked inside, and with its dark, glossy wood-panelling and cozy, enclosed booths, it looks like San Francisco preserved in time.

My lucky husband got to meet (and take a photo with) one of our idols, Thomas Keller!

Keller was signing his new cookbook, ad hoc, at a nearby Williams Sonoma store.

 While waiting in line, my husband got this Cauliflower Soup sample (which was not a recipe in the book)...

 

...and this Chocolate Chip cookie from the ad hoc cookbook.

Though I wished I could have been there, I'm glad we got this keepsake!

Bourdain's SF Adventure:

R&G Lounge is located at 631 Kearny St
 Primavera is found on Saturday mornings at the the Ferry Plaza Marketplace.
Tadich Grill is located at 240 California St. 

High/Low Goes Bi-Coastal This Weekend!

 The High/Low duo is split up this weekend as half the team heads out to San Francisco for the 1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, while the other half will stay in New York to cover some fun foodie things to do in the city.  Details for each of our weekend plans after the jump!

High/Low in San Francisco:

• Meet and dine with all our favorite food bloggers
• Re-visit The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at the Embarcadero with brunch at Primavera, oysters at Hog Island, and crab salad at Ferry Plaza Seafood restaurant
• Olive Oil Tasting with Chef Michael Tuohy, Farm to Table dinner coordinated by Outstanding in the Field, and the Best of San Fran street foods paired with local brews, vino, and spirits.

How to spot me?  I'll be wearing and carrying items from the High/Low store.  Can't wait to meet you!

High/Low in New York:

• Checking out the Cask Ale Festival at The Brazen Head in Brooklyn (Fri-Sun, noon-2am)
• Meeting at least one of the following celebrity chefs signing new cookbooks:

Paula Deen with Micheal Groover (Borders, Columbus Circle, Mon at 7pm)
Thomas Keller for ad hoc at home (Williams Sonoma Columbus Circle, Fri at 6pm)

Jamie Oliver for Jaime's Food Revolution (Borders 461 Park Ave, Fri at 1pm)

Eric Ripert for On the Line - He's also discussing Avec Eric (Whole Foods UWS, Fri at 1pm)

And he'll likely by checking out this morning's celebratory Yankees' World Series Championship parade  along the Canyon of Heroes while I'm in the air heading to sunny California!

{Food Events} Crocktoberfest Event with Top Chef Winner Hosea Rosenberg and Candace Cameron Bure

Last night, I had the opportunity to help judge Crocktoberfest, a recipe contest sponsored by The National Pork Board.  It was fun bumping into fellow foodies like Amie, Yvo, Cindy, Nick, and Gary.  And, in addition to trying various pork dishes, I got to meet Top Chef Season 5's winner Hosea Rosenberg and actress Candace Cameron Bure (after just meeting Lori Loughlin, I wonder which Full House cast member I'll meet next!).

It was a good thing I wore comfortable shoes, because the location was really far from the closest subway stop!  The event was held at the Hudson Terrace, which had a great view of the Intrepid...

...And a beautiful sunset view over the Hudson River.

To make sure I had pork on the mind, the first drink I had was a Bakon Vodka martini.  There was a lot of ingredients in this cocktail, including maple syrup and Jack Daniels.  It was interesting, but all I could really taste was the JD.

I liked chatting with Top Chef's Hosea because he was a very down-to-earth guy.  Since he's currently based in Colorado, we talked about the great beer found in that region (my husband would be proud!).  We also talked about his upcoming projects like potential new TV shows (that allows him to cook and travel) and expanding his food truck to other college towns.  He was excited to check out the food truck scene here in NYC.

Candace was also really nice, friendly, and easily engaging.  She says she's a foodie, but her husband (retired hockey star Valeri Bure) is the main cook at home.  As a mother of 3, she loves encouraging her kids to try and eat anything and everything.  We chatted a bit about hockey (both of her sons play). We'll both be in Toronto this weekend (she's visiting her husband who's currently competing in Battle of the Blades  or Dancing with the Stars on Ice), so she got me to promise that I'd vote for him.

After asking my server to model the food for me, I thought the least I could do was actually take a picture of him!

In addition to the various Crock-pot pork recipes, there was plenty of other pork products to try (including sliders, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, and grilled cheese sandwiches). 

My favorite dish was made by Linda Cifuentes from Mahomet, IL.  Her Kapusta Pork was German in style, with sauerkraut and beer.  It was hearty, the flavors worked well together, and seems easy to put together.  I'll definitely be making this for my husband!    

Kapusta Pork

Ingredients (serves 6)

3 pound pork loin, boneless

3 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

3/4 pound bacon, chopped

4 cups cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 cans sauerkraut (approximately 14.5-ounce can)

1 can diced tomatoes (approximately 28-ounce can)

2 bay leaves

1 8-ounce German beer

Directions:

1. Insert 6 small slits into pork loin. Insert garlic slices in the slits. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Place pork loin in slow cooker. Layer bacon, cabbage, sauerkraut, tomatoes, caraway seeds and bay leaf on top of pork loin. Top with beer.

3. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours.

4. Before serving, shred pork and stir all slow cooker ingredients.

5. Serve with remaining beer.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  Calories: 610; Fat: 34g; Saturated Fat: 11g; Cholesterol: 185mg; Sodium: 1500mg; Carbohydrates: 16g; Protein: 56g; Fiber: 7g

Candace Cameron Bure and Hosea Rosenberg pose with the 5 finalists.

The many faces of a winner!

I was so happy that my favorite recipe was the winning one!  Linda was ecstatic, and $5000 richer!

Thanks to the National Pork Board for inviting me to this event and for providing me with this nice swag bag!  Check out and download the other finalists' recipes here!  My second favorite recipe was by NYC's Cheryl Bailey.  Inspired by her trip to Tuscany, her recipe (appropriately names Trip-To-Tuscany Pork Tenderloin) had lovely flavors derived from artichokes and white wine.

Reminder:  Enter for your chance to win $55 from CSN Stores in our gift card giveaway! Need a crock-pot of your own? Check out this crock-pot (reg $53, sale $37 with our 30% off discount code HIGHLOW30PCT)!