-stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production
-revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture and community
-invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions
-living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life
from Sarah Adams of Chico Chai
I now sell tins of chai on my website!:)
www.chicochaitea.com
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LOOSE LEAF CHICO CHAI IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE! (click here for our online store) YOU CAN BUY CHICO CHAI AT THE FOLLOWING CHICO LOCATIONS:
Tins of Loose Leaf Chai
Chai by the Cup: (inside tip: some cafes offer multiple brands of chai. Be sure to specify:)
Also!!:
Not Currently in the Chico Area but still want great local chai? Check out these wonderful companies made by some of Sarah's Chai Friends!
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David's Recipes
Portuguese Sopash
I use a large crock pot but grandma used a cast iron 'dutch oven' on the stove pot
either way the sopash must cook for at least several hours, so if you're using a stove pot, be sure it simmers SLOWLY!
In Chico you cannot find chuck roasts with the bone in (why?) so use a large roast and add some bones from your butcher
add a bottle of sauvignon blanc or sauterne a dozen cloves garlic cloves or more some bay leaves
an onion or two chopped crudely 3 carrots in large pieces 3 cups of pureed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of catsup 1 tablespoon of allspice 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 1 tablespoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of salt cook very slowly for several hours adding water organic beef broth if you have to
when the meat is tender and falling apart add a half head of cabbage large chopped for the last hour
remove the cabbage (as reasonable as you can) and hold separately
remove the meat into another large bowl
to serve individually.........set a slice of bread in a large soup bowl with mint or cilantro on top
ladle some of the broth in and then add some cabbage and meat
enjoy
there will be a festa in Orland serving this dish for lunch or dinner on June 20th
check the internet for details or e-mail me
Julia Child's frozen Chocolate Mousse Cake
use the finest ingredients possible
in a medium bowl.........slowly mix with beater 8 egg yolks
in another bowl.........melt 1/2C coffee with 1 1/2C sugar
beat yolks several minutes
in a bowl over another larger bowl melt 12oz semi sweet chocolate
when melted, mix in 1/2C OJ
add the sugar/coffee mix to yolks and beat several minutes on low
then add chocolate mix and 1/2# soft butter to yolk mix
beat a couple of minutes
add 8 egg whites until you have peaks & add to main mix
being careful to fold them in gently
chill mousse for an hour or so
take an 8C souffle bowl and line bottom with parchment paper
line the sides with tall thin almond cookies (from S&S)
pour mousse into bowl
freeze
when ready to serve, set souffle bowl in a larger bowl with hot water
after a minute or so, invert bowl onto platter,
running a knife around edge first if necessary
enjoy and bon appetit!
Grandma's Portuguese Beans
for about 4C of dried beans.......
boil them with an inch or so of extra water (you can always add more if you need to)
I add a 1/2C of olive oil, a few bay leaves and several cloves of garlic as you start the boil
when they are about 3/4 cooked I add a saute of several more garlic cloves and an onion, a poblano chile or two and if you want a carrot and some celery (all chopped or cuisinarted)
then
when beans are nearly done.......puree in a cuisinart a 28oz can of
good tomatoes with the spices.......some salt, red chile flakes,
oregano, cumin, cinnamon (you add these at the end because salt &
tomatoes will retard the cooking process if you add them too
early)....and the sweet secret-a cup or so of ketchup! this is what I
learned from my grandmother!
enjoy and there are no 'secrets' in cooking just as Woody Guthrie used to say 'there is no plaigerism in songwriting'
Italian Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) can organic whole tomatoes, drained or 4 cups of chopped/seeded/drained fresh tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large French baquettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper. The Italians cook this a bit for a more concentrated spread.
On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.
Roasted
Rabbit
the Italians call this a 'dead roast' because it sits in a pot and does not
cook on a spit
use fresh herbs if you can
cut your rabbit into 10 pieces
heat 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil........
add an once of minced bacon or pancetta
add 1 leaf or 2 of sage, a pinch or two of rosemary & 3 bay leaves
cook a minute or so after they start to crackle
salt the meat and add to pot
cover and cook very low for up to 2 hours depending on the size of the rabbit
you can add a little broth or water if you think it's getting too dry
enjoy with polenta or grains
I love it with ferro (Italian barley)
Herbed Rice Salad
boil 2C of rice in a lot of water, like pasta....when just done (not too soft), drain and cold wash thoroughly....add the following marinade.
1C extra virgin olive oil, 1/4C balsamic, 2T lemon juice, 4 sliced green onions, 2T chopped parsley, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
then add.....1 1/2C chopped fresh herbs (basil/cilantro/parsley), 1C frozen petite peas, 2T pine nuts.
serve it on shredded lettuce and top with cheese if you'd like.
Vegetarian West African Soup
2/3 C. roasted peanuts (or ½ cup smooth peanut butter)
2 t. vegetable oil
2 C. chopped onion
6 C. 1” cubed peeled sweet potato or yam (about 3 large fresh yams)
1T. ground cumin
½ t. black pepper
¼ t. salt
2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
2 14 oz cans vegetable broth or homemade
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes or cuisinarted, undrained
Place peanuts in food processor; process until smooth, about 2 min.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions & sauté 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add peanut butter & remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (Best if made several days ahead & reheated)
8 servings
Calabrian Celery Soup
start a broth by lightly sauteeing several cloves of garlic (in thick slivers), 2 bay leaves and a chopped onion in olive oil
when soft (but not burned!) add a diced carrot and 1/2 head of diced celery, toss and stir for a few minutes
add 8C of water (or organic chicken broth) and crumble in 1/4# or more of ground pork or sausage to cook in the broth
simmer a half hour or so and then add 1/4# soup pasta
when the pasta is 'al dente' add 1 cup of romano or parmesan cheese
season with salt, red chile flakes (careful!), oregano, parsley and maybe some fresh basil
(I like good quality dried oregano-not ground!-but I do not like dried basil or parsley)
traditionally additional varieties of cheese strips and salame along with sliced hard boiled eggs are added
but that is up to you ladle the soup over bread toasts
Easy Shellfish Stew
thickly slice 10 cloves of garlic and thinly slice about 1/2 onion in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
with a couple of bay leaves when softened (don't burn the garlic!)
add 1# fresh mussels
that have soaked a few minutes and debearded (make sure you buy 'unopened' mussels!)
toss and saute
when mussels start to open splash in a cup of white wine cook until most wine is evaporated
add a 28oz can (or fresh chopped) of cuisinarted whole tomatoes (organic) 2 teaspoons salt
and 1/2 teaspoon or more of red chile flakes (Italians don't use much black pepper, they use red)
2 teaspoons of dried oregano flakes (not ground) or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
turn down heat and simmer a few minutes
add 1# wild caught prawns (cleaned, shelled, deveined and butterflied) don't use farmed or garbage shrimp!
add some chopped fresh parsley and basil (not dried) to taste and simmer until the prawns are just cooked!
stew is excellent over polenta, with rice or Dave Miller's local pasta Tin Roof's Como bread is great too
Italians do not use parmesan with seafood dishes
enjoy serves at least 4 people
Pasta e Fagioli
or as Dean Martin would sing pasta fizule
for several guests soak overnight 1 1/2C dried kidney beans
the next morning drain them, put them in a large pot with 9C water & 1 teaspoon salt
simmer an hour or so until just tender and add 2 small carrots diced and simmer another 15 minutes
In a fry/saute pan heat 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and add 1 chopped onion 4 cloves chopped garlic
do not burn the garlic! and add to the soup with 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
simmer another 15 minutes and the beans should be completely tender now and the broth has thickened a bit
add 3 more cups of water, bring gently to a boil and add 4oz of dried pasta
when pasta is al dente add 1C crushed organic tomatoes, fresh or canned along iwth
some chopped fresh parsley, basil and 2 teaspoons dried oregano flakes (not ground oregano)
taste for salt ladle the soup, tear off some bread and pass the parmesan
