Food for 'Grazing'

Sometimes it's a terrible affliction to be working from home and a food writer. Research just makes you hungry and the kitchen is only a few steps away. Perhaps this is why so many of these TV chefs are so overweight. However, there is an advantage to being close to a fully stocked kitchen, which is that I am more likely to try and whip up something wholesome, rather than reach for a candy bar, an impossibility in my home anyway - we never buy them.

I like to graze, meaning that I prefer little bits of food often rather than a big meal. This habit is quite good as it keeps a healthy metabolism, provided you graze on the right thing! Here are a couple of dishes to keep in the refrigerator that can be used for a light lunch that is full of flavour, or like I have done in the picture, served in small bowls as a snack.

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Chickpea Salad
This is really tabbouleh with chickpeas instead of Bulgar wheat. Here's a couple of things I have learned about salads:
Cold salad straight from the fridge is not very nice, the flavours are muted and for me eating ice cold vegetables just makes me shiver. So take the salad out and leave it to stand for a while before serving, if you have been storing it.
Next thing is that the way you assemble you salad is not crucial but does make a difference. I always dress in the same sequence - oil, acid (lemon juice, lime or vinegar), salt and pepper. I do this so that the liquids don't wash the seasoning to the bottom and the oil is thicker than the acid so goes first.

Ingredients for 3 people as a side or snack
- two cups of cooked chickpeas (canned or cooked yourself)
- One large tomato finely chopped
- 4 inch piece of cucumber unpeeled and chopped
- Tablespoon each of mint and parsley roughly chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- juice of half a small lemon, yielding a couple of teaspoons
-Kosher salt
-Black pepper

Mix the chickpeas and vegetables
Add the oil and mix
Add the lemon juice and mix
Add the herbs and mix
Add salt and pepper and... mix

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Moutabal
I love this dip. Smear onto sandwiches, dip with carrot or celery sticks or scoop with flatbread. If you're worried about bitterness make sure you cook the eggplant/aubergine long enough so the flesh becomes sweet and caramelised.

Ingredients for a large cereal bowlful of dip
- 1 Large eggplant/aubergine
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Roughly chopped parsley
- kosher salt

- Quarter the aubergine, salt the flesh and cook in a hot oven (450f at least) until the white flesh is brown and creamy
- Wait for the flesh to cool and scoop it out from the skin
-Dump into a blender with the tahini and lemon juice and blitz until smooth and creamy
- Test for salt, add more if desired
- Pile into a bowl, drizzle with grass green olive oil and sprinkle with parsley

Try not to go weak at the knees ;-)

Store Cupboard Staples - Oils

A good selection of condiments, spices, herbs and other staples are vital to your kitchen. I usually spend more for good quality products here because they last a while anyway and it makes such a difference to your food. Wholefoods (or Greenlife as it's called here in Asheville) has a really excellent selection of this kind of stuff but if you are looking for something exotic or really rare, you could try World Market, Dean and DeLuca and even Amazon.

OILS
Oil isn't just something you fry with, it can add flavour to food as well. I have 4 types of oil that are always in the cupboard...

Olive Oil - Light and extra virgin. The light is for cooking (frying onions or garlic for tomato sauce, for example) and the extra virgin is for dressings. Don't bother using extra virgin for frying, the taste is marred and it's too expensive. It's difficult to say briefly how important olive oil is in a whole range of cuisines and the variety of flavours. Keep at least one type and try different ones from different countries and regions as the tastes are incredibly diverse. Download this article from Saveur to learn more about the complex wonders of olive oil.

Canola Oil - For frying and roasting. This is a very healthy oil. Don't be fooled into buying the more expensive that says it has Omega oils in it. It's a con. All canola oil has these oils!

Sesame Oil - For flavour. It burns at a low temperature so if you use it in a stir fry mix it with canola. Use it in marinades and salad dressing for that authentic Asian taste.

Truffle Oil - Decadent, delicious and addictive. My sister-in-law turned me onto this oil and I am hooked. Get a good quality oil without any chemical ingredients. Black truffle is most common, Antonio Carluccio sells a wonderful white truffle oil at his chain Carluccio's that I adore and is sadly not available in the US. Don't fry with this, it is for flavouring and a little goes a long way! Sprinkle over scrambled eggs, add to steak at the last minute before serving or make an eye popping caesar salad dressing.

In addition to these there are plenty of nut oils such as walnut and coconut that I urge you to try. Experiment and discover your next delicious creation!

Spatchcocked Quail with wine and Cream

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I have Valerie from the Double G Ranch farm in Leicester, NC to thank for this glorious dish. We went there at the weekend and bought the quails after a tour of their property where they rear goats, pigs, chickens and ducks.

Though I planned to add parsley, in my rush to get the food snapped for the blog so we could devour it, I forgot! It was still delicious, I highly recommend eating this with boiled new potatoes; they're coming into season now and they soak up the creamy juices wonderfully. Add a crisp green salad to cut through the richness and you have yourself a dish worthy of a top restaurant.

To spatchcock is to split the bird so that it sits flat. Do this with a pair of sturdy kitchen scissors, by snipping down either side of the backbone which you then discard. Splay the bird and push down on the breast to flatten. Do this thoroughly, I didn't and they were still a bit curved which meant they took longer to cook.

Ingredients for 2 People
- Two quails, cleaned and spatchcocked (see above)
- One large or two small shallots finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of butter
- A glass of dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms (I like the little brown ones, I think they are called 'Bella' in the states)
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- A handful of chopped flat leaf parsley (include the stalks, they are sweet)

Method
- Heat the canola oil to a medium heat and fry the shallots until lightly brown
- Salt and pepper the quail and add skin down to the pan
- Brown on both sides
- Turn down the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through
- Check to see the bird is almost cooked by skewering a leg or making a little slit. The meat should start to look opaque but the juices should still be reddish-pink (this is important because you don't want the quails to overcook)
-Now add the butter and allow it to melt and foam in the pan
-Turn the heat high and IMMEDIATELY add the wine and reduce, if you are using a non-stick pan (which is best because you get lots of caramelized bits on the bottom), scrape to deglaze
-Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushrooms
-Cook the mushrooms until softish
-Add the cream, mix well with the sauce in the pan
- Cook until a thick, tan colour
-Sprinkle in the parsley, serve

* If you like messy eating this one is for you, eventually you will have to get in there and pull the delicious flesh off with your hands, but that makes it more enjoyable!*

Fruit Smoothie

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It's finally the season for peaches and they are sweet and perfumed. This smoothie takes seconds to make and will boost you for the day. If you happen to live somewhere where raw goat's milk is available legally, use it, the pro-biotics and clean taste are just fab. I often leave bananas to overripen so often peel them break them into pieces and freeze them, they are so tasty in a smoothie.

1 banana, riper the better
1 peach riper the better
1 1/2 cups of milk

Peel and break banana into pieces throw into a blender jug
Remove the stone from the peach but don't peel. Cut into pieces and add to jug.
Pour in ice cold milk.
Blend until complete smooth.

*If you have a sweet tooth then add a little honey or frozen yoghurt. You could also add a little flax or granola for a breakfast drink. I love just as is.*

Eating the Country - Seafood at Southport

This place is great for atmosphere and good honest seafood, shrimp were a little overcooked but still pretty good and the crabcake was really tasty. Loved the fact they gave us salad instead of tons of fries. They have a great system where you just go and get beers as and when, then tell them at the end how many you had. View of bay stunning, clientele and staff friendly and fun. If you ever come by Southport, check it out.

Eating the Country - Asheville

It's amazing when you visit somewhere and never have a bad meal - anywhere. If you want to eat some incredible food Asheville is a foodie's paradise. We were there for 3 day and had everything from nouveau local food, latin inspired, organic and traditional a la carte. Above is a picture of the Sisters McMullen bakery full of incredible cupcakes and great sandwiches, and cheap too.

Locally Sourced

Our first night we ate at Table on College Street. They change their menu everyday and pride themselves on using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. I ordered rabbit and was impressed with how tender it was. The peas and ricotta gnochi were good accompaniments, however I found the sauce a little overpowering for the subtle taste f the meat.

Staff in the restaurant were friendly and knowledgeable concerning the menu and I had the biggest martini I have ever seen. Great atmosphere, recommended.

Rockin' Pizza

Second night we went to the Mellow Mushroom on Broadway Street. The pizza is more deep pan, but the toppings and sauce are delicious, I went for the Kosmic Karma pizza which had spinach, feta and pesto - really wonderful. Unfortunately it was raining when we went so couldn't sit out on the terrace, this would've been preferable as we found it a bit too loud inside.

Food with a View

For a dinner with oodles of atmosphere you can't beat the Grove Park Inn. Nestled in the mountains just outside of Asheville the views are truly spectacular. We ate on the Sunset Terrace which has an a la carte menu of steaks, duck, seafood and more. We opted for their 3 course for $30 with mussels to start followed by steak diane and cheesecake for dessert. Everything was perfectly cooked and with perfect seasoning, and considering the views, this is an excellent bargain.

Breakfast

We ate breakfast at 3 different places, all great.

Over Easy Cafe on Walnut Street

West End Bakery on Haywood, West Asheville

Chorizo on Page Avenue - by far our favourite, service was a little 'relaxed' but food well worth the wait. Tortillas with eggs, thick pieces of bacon, chutney, guacamole, cilantro-fragrant salsa. Heaven.

Eating The Country - Part 2

I make it a rule when visiting somewhere that I try the local specialities first and in North Carolina this means seafood and good 'low country' cooking. The first two pictures show lunch we had at the Raleigh farmer's market. Broiled scallops with home fries, hush puppies and 'slaw. My father-in-law tells me that hush puppies come from years back when cooks would throw a little to the family dog to hush it up. These scallops were just wonderful, tender and flavoursome and ridiculously cheap.

On to the charming and quirky city of Wilmington and a lunch of catfish, grits and collard greens. I love all green vegetables and so collards are a great find. I was surprised at how much I loved the grits too which were creamy and mellow and soaked up the sauce of the fish beautifully.