Mango Infused Rum

Often the most difficult part of making a fruit infused spirit is watching all that perfectly ripe fruit getting sacrificed to the boozed gods. (Not that it isn't a worthy cause—in the end, the fruit will not go unappreciated.) The feeling of loss is sometimes inevitable, but it doesn't always have to be that way. Over the weekend while slicing some fruit to have with breakfast, I noticed that the mango pit was holding on to quite a bit of flesh. Now normally after I've sliced all the good stuff off, I give the pit a good gnawing on and then compost it. But it just so happens I had an extra grande jug of white rum sitting on the counter, begging to be noticed. I took the pits and plopped them in a mason jar and covered them with the rum. A few days later the waste not, want not rum infusion was ready for consumption. And while it may not look very pretty in the jar, after filtering your infusion you'll have a lovely, golden hued rum to experiment with, or just to sip on its own.


Mango Infused Rum

2 medium fleshy mango pits (I used Champagne mangos)
3-4 cups light rum, or as much as it takes to cover the fruit

Tools: 32 oz Mason jar, mesh strainer

Place the fruit in a large Mason jar. Cover fruit completely with light rum. I used Cruzan, but if you want to show some love for Haiti, I suppose Barbancourt is okay too. Place the jar in a dark place, or at least out of direct sunlight, and let infuse for at least 3-4 days (I left this last batch in for a week, and I thought it was just right). Shake every other day. If you're not sure if it's ready, taste it. You can always let it set a little longer.



Filter: When you're happy with the infusion, remove the pits, then strain into another container or jar to weed out the little pieces of fruit. And if you really want to be awesome...

For bonus points:

coffee filter
pour over coffee maker

After using the mesh strainer to get the little fruit chunkies, you can clean it up even more with a coffee filter and pour over device. Just strain it once more and get rid of those pesky particles. It makes for a more visually appealing infusion.

Don't be Afraid to Picnic: Niman Ranch Fearless Hot dogs

Hot dogs are magical treats. But sometimes they are scary and magical, all at the same time. And I'm not just talking about the ones that plump when you cook them. Fortunately, Niman Ranch was kind enough to produce a link made with uncured beef that hails from a farm where we know the animals are treated well. Nobody wants a hot dog made from cows run over by a forklift. Aptly named, these Fearless hot dogs can be eaten without fretting over whether or not the animals were cared for humanely, and that just makes them taste even better. They’ve officially replaced my longtime favorite, Hebrew National, and because the Fearless franks are jumbo sized, I usually only eat one instead of two. The only downside is that they’re not as widely available as a lot of the larger brands--you can typically find them at grocers like Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s.

even better topped with homemade veggie chili!

Sundried Tomato Pesto w/ Pasta, Chicken, and Chard

This tangy tomato and almond based pesto is good on pasta, pizza, and sandwiches. Make a big batch and freeze some for later!

Sundried Tomato Pesto

1 cup water
½ cup sundried tomatoes
1/3 cup roasted almonds, sliced or crushed
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, peeled & halved
1 tsp kosher salt
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. If using sundried tomatoes not packed in oil—add tomatoes and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let set for 20-30 minutes.
If using sundried tomatoes packed in oil—add the tomatoes (without oil, of course) and water to a small saucepan and heat water, but do not boil. Let them soak in the hot water for about 15 minutes. Think of it as infusing the water.

2. Add tomatoes, almonds, red pepper, garlic to food processor and commence zapping—with blades still running add the cheese, basil, salt and olive oil. Then gradually add tomato water until you get the desired consistency. This will probably be anywhere from a half cup to a whole cup of the liquid.

The pesto should keep about 1 week in the fridge, and several months in the freezer.

fresh chard from our raised bed!

The tangy zing from the tomatoes makes this pesto a good match for greens, like chard, that have a slight bitterness to them. You can bake the chicken like I did here, or pick up a rotisserie chicken and add shredded pieces to the mix.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Baked Chicken and Sautéed Swiss Chard

1 lb (uncooked) whole wheat pasta of your choice
about 2 cups shredded baked chicken breast*
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup shallots
4 cups chard, chopped
Sundried Tomato Pesto (above)

*Quick baked chicken—take a one pound pack of boneless chicken breasts, put them in a casserole/baking dish with ¼ cup of water and 1 Tbsp of olive oil and cook covered at 350º for about 40 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before shredding.

1. Cook pasta, drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile sauté the garlic and shallots until just tender. Add the chard and cook until the leaves turn bright green—this shouldn't take long. Now if you like your chard extremely tender, add the water, cover, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. If you don't mind a little crunch, you can skip adding the water and instead just sauté them for another 3-4 minutes (uncovered).

3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, shredded chicken, and greens mixture, and toss with the pesto. How much of the pesto you want to add is up to your personal taste. If you have some leftover, put it on a sandwich the next day. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Deviled Ham Salad

Ham salad just sounds weird, I know. Chicken salad and tuna salad not so much, despite that they too, are creamy meat-based concoctions. For some reason ham + salad just doesn't seem right. And yet right it is, very right indeed. This lightly spicy deviled ham salad is good on rye bread or a crusty sourdough, and makes a satisfying picnic treat. For best texture results, I prefer to get thin sliced deli ham, like Saag's Black Forest—even though it's going in the food processor later, I still think this gives you a better result. Of course left over Easter ham is okay to use too. Mmmm, ham.

Deviled Ham Salad
adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

1 pound sliced deli ham
¼ cup sliced shallot
1 tsp serrano chile, chopped
1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, chopped
½ cup parsley
¼ cup mayo
¼ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp spicy or whole grain mustard
1-2 tsp hot sauce
pinch of kosher salt

Add shallot and peppers to the food processor* and pulse until finely chopped. Tear the meat into manageable pieces and add it to the mix with the parsley, pulse until the ham mixture is as fine as you'd like it. Transfer meat mix to a bowl, add mayo through kosher salt and stir until ingredients are well mixed.

*You don't absolutely need a food processor for this—you can always just chop all the ingredients and mix them, however I prefer this method and more importantly it's easier and I'm lazy.

Sprouts! Seedlings, Tomato Tips, Nematodes and More!

It's about that time. The time to get those little sprouts out of the house and into the ground. If you have seedlings that are particularly delicate, you can replant them in a larger container before releasing them into the wild. But if you're planning to get them in the ground this weekend, start setting your seedlings outside now for a few hours every day (provided it's not going to rain on them). Bring them in at night when it gets cold, and during any particularly hot stretch of the day. This process, hardening your plants, will prepare them for the outdoors so they don't get shocked by their full time move into the harsh elements. They've been spoiled by the pleasant conditions of your house or garage and they aren't accustomed to extreme cold or heat. I recommend setting them out for at least 4-5 days, if not a full week, about 3-5 hours a day.

General Planting Info

When you're ready to plant, you'll want to amend the soil with compost, fertilizer, or both. Water the seedlings lightly about 15 minutes before removing them from their trays/containers. If the roots have grown aggressively, gently loosen them with your fingers. After planting you seedlings in the ground or raised bed, water them again. Not necessary but helpful: to prevent weeds and help retain moisture, apply a layer of mulch, like pine needles.

A Closer Look at Tomatoes

When to plant:
If your plants have their true leaves, but don't seem sturdy enough to plant yet, try moving them to a larger container to let them develop for another week or two. I try to do this anyway, just to get a stronger and more reliable plant.

Where to plant:
These guys like a lot of sun and rich soil. If you had tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, or potatoes in your garden last year, pick a different spot for them this year. Tomatoes are “heavy feeders,” which means they leech the soil of nutrients and all that good stuff. It also makes them more susceptible to disease. Most sources recommend that you not plant this group in the same spot for 2-3 years. Rotate in lettuce, spinach, carrots, chard, or onions instead.


Companion Planting:
Planting a marigold next to each tomato plant can help prevent nematodes, which can wreak havoc on your plants and fruit. I like to plant a row of marigolds on each side of my tomatoes, like a little fortress of flowers.

Watering:
Once in the ground, frequent light watering of tomato plants can lead to shallow root growth. Instead, water your plants deeply once a week. Doing so can also prevent the fruit from splitting. Also, try avoid dirt/mud splashing onto the leaves when watering, this can lead to an unhealthy/diseased plant.

Don't forget to trellis or stake your plants! And don't wait to long to give them that support; once your plant is established, you can damage the roots by sticking a tomato cage around it.

Other good resources online and in print: Sunset Magazine, Organic Gardening, The Complete Guide to Vegetables Fruits and Herbs

CA Plum Wine and the Cast Away

I recently had occasion for a large scale cocktail experiment involving lots of locally produced and distilled wines and spirits. In the end I had a half bottle of plum wine left over, and it’s not something I'd usually buy just for sipping. Plum wine (also called umeshu) is a sweet, almost syrupy drink that’s popular in Japan. It will make you think of cherry and almond, and sometimes, and I mean this in a really good way, cough syrup. You’ll fine a decent number of Sake producers on the West Coast because there are a lot of areas here suitable for growing rice. I happened to be using Gekkeikan (produced in Folsom, CA), but if I had to buy more, I'd probably go with the plum wine from Berkeley's Takara Sake.

As for the drink, I've been on a rum kick lately, and not just because rum is about to be in season. (And before you even ask, whiskey is always in season.) I have also been... let's say, infatuated, with all things Tiki as of late. So naturally, I turned to rum as my base. So I present to you a fruity, sweet (but not too sweet) summertime beverage perfect for your next BBQ. Think you can't use up a whole bottle of plum wine? Think again.

Cast Away

1 ½ oz light rum (I used Cruzan)
1 oz plum wine
1 oz pineapple juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
plash of grenadine (preferably homemade)

Add the light rum, plum wine, and juices to a shaker filled with ice. Shake like hell. Pour into a punch glass or rocks glass and add a healthy splash of grenadine before serving.

Ms. Wally's Cafe Brings Crêpes To Emeryville

Now typically I don't do too many restaurant reviews, though occasionally I make a list of my favorite places (see SF brew pubs and Ithaca eateries). However, I'll make an exception today if only because I now have a crêperie and breakfast spot within walking distance of my house. You'll remember that I was quite upset when my favorite Friday night take-out spot Khana Khazana closed, and I was left with a “coming soon Ms. Wally's Cafe” sign in its place. Well, Ms. Wally's has officially made herself at home and serves up some pretty decent chow. And while I still mourn the loss of Khana Khazana, I think I can live with this new arrangement. (And yes, Ms. Wally's is related to Wally's Cafe behind the Bank Club.) Ms. Wally's offers a combination of Lebanese and Mediteranean food; you'll find crêpes and galettes on the menu, as well as hummus and lamb burgers. They also serve up Wally's famous lentil soup. And most importantly, as far as breakfast is concerned: Best. Homefries. Ever. I also commend their use of garlic. Now go enjoy some very thin pancakes.

4336 San Pablo Ave.

(between 45th St & 43rd St)

Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 547-0992

A Public Service Announcement from Alpha Cook

Just a reminder that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. Unless that basket happens to be mine.