It was very kind and considerate of the organizers of the all-women BlogHer to invite celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito as a guest presenter. Most of the women here were purring his name Rrrrrroco, and I must agree, he is pretty easy on the eyes.

If you were an attendee, and can’t remember what he cooked up because you were too consumed with staring at his cute mug, let me give you a refresher. He whipped up a quick and easy pasta dish using tomato sauces from Bertolli, and enhanced them with fresh ingredients such as shrimp, garlic, peperoncini, olives and parsley.

While I personally prefer to cook from scratch, enjoying the process of cooking and creating, it certainly was worth watching a hot man cook for a bunch of women.

Did I just say that out loud?

Check out his latest book Rocco’s Real-Life Recipes. He really does know his stuff.

Today’s a quickie as I’m attending my first BlogHer Conference in San Francisco, CA. Upon arriving I felt a bit homesick for the Bay Area, fog and all. I actually had to change from my Capri pants and sandals to jeans and closed-toe shoes (with socks!!) in the Nordstrom ladies’ room. Brrrrr! Mark Twain was certainly right when he said “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Apparently I will never learn how to dress appropriately in the Fog City.

On to the good food stuff…

The great thing about loving food and cooking is coming up with new and different twists on recipes. I’ve written before about brining chicken, and we tried it again with pork chops, this time with a different type of brine. Pork chops can often get dry when roasting and grilling, so this will help moisten your meat and ensure juiciness with each and every bite.

Beer Brined Pork Chops

2-4 thick-sliced chops
1 bottle of beer (any type)
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2tablespoon kosher salt

Soak pork chops in brine for 1-2 hours. Drizzle with olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper, then toss on the grill!

In December of 1989, just after Christmas, my father and step-mother dropped me off at a little pensione in Siena, Italy where I was to meet my study-abroad group. I knew no one. We said our goodbyes, and I watched them fold themselves back into their tiny rented Fiat Uno and drive off. I stood in the middle of the road waving after them - tears streaming down my face and gulping down the calzone-sized sob that was climbing up my chest.

What a whimp!

Within an hour I met two girls who would become my life-long friends, Nina and Cherie, and discovered a frozen confection so divine its powers instantly washed away any twinge of homesickness: gelato. In Italy, this cultural favorite is not just for summer, it’s a year-round treat.

Unlike North American ice cream, most (not all) Italian gelati are made with whole milk and egg yolks instead of cream, making them deliciously dense. Whole milk in Italy tends to be richer than in the United States, so many recipes here add a bit of cream to compensate.

While our domestic versions of gelato can be quite yummy, nothing compares to eating the true thing in the “Old Country.”

Before embarking on your gelato adventure, here are a few basic tips:

1. Use the freshest ingredients possible: get your eggs, cream and milk at your farmer’s market
2. If using fruit, buy what’s fresh and seasonal
3. Opt for vanilla bean instead of extract
4. Bring eggs to room temperature: you’ll stir less and prevent air from getting incorporated
5. Strain your custard: use a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander
6. Eat it fresh from the machine or, if frozen, let it soften before serving

Gelato alla Baccello di Vaniglia (Vanilla Bean Gelato)
The following recipe is from the August 2008 issue of La Cucina Italiana magazine. We changed it a bit and used 1% milk thinking it would make it a bit lighter, but holy cow!, it still resulted in a Mamma-mia-uber-rich gelato! Molto delizioso!

5 large egg yolks, brought to room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 ¼ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla pod, sliced in half lengthwise
Pinch of salt

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick (about 2-3 minutes).

In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring over medium heat, until bubbles form and pop around the edges. Remove from heat.

Slowly whisk about ¼ of the warm mixture into the egg mixture; then add it all back into the milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and begins to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Be sure to not simmer.

Fill a large stainless steel bowl with ice and water.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve (or a cheesecloth-lined colander) into a smaller stainless steel bowl, then set into the ice bath. Stir occasionally and let chill until completely cooled.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream machine and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Best when served immediately, although it will keep in the freezer for up to a month.

If you like hot and spicy foods, then you’d love harissa; an oh-my-hell-it’s-hot! North African chili paste, most commonly found in Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisine. It’s often used as a condiment, but is also added to meat dishes, stews, couscous or sauces.

A little bit of this delicious chili paste goes a long way. Too much can turn your hair red and melt the lips right off your face! There are a lot of subtle variations in harissa recipes; some of which would alert the fire department two blocks from my house, while others appeared to be on the slightly milder side. Some contain tomatoes, some don’t. I grabbed elements from a few different sources and gave it a whirl.

Harissa

10 dried red chili peppers
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Over a gas flame or on the barbecue, roast a red bell pepper until black. Put it in a paper bag and close up the top. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily slide the skin off. Remove the top and seeds, then dice.

Heat a heavy skillet until very hot. Add the dried chilies and toast them 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add just enough water to cover the chilies. Cover and let sit 30-45 minutes (or until soft). Take out of the water, and remove the stems and seeds. I recommend wearing gloves when handling extra hot chilies!

In the skillet, toast the coriander, caraway and cumin until fragrant. Then, combine spices with all the remaining ingredients in a food processor, and blend to a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.

Store in airtight container. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top to keep fresh.

Note: For a less fire-hot harissa consider using a milder chili, such as ancho.

Try these delicious sounding Mini Lamb Sliders with Harissa Sauce from Ms. Glaze’s Pommes d’Amour. Yum!

Nothing screams summer barbecue like a good old fashioned cheese burger. But since the price of beef has increased it’s nice to have another tasty and satisfying alternative. Many people wrinkle their noses at the thought of a turkey burger, as they are usually dry, boring and uninspiring. I’m hoping to change that perception - at least in my circle of friends!

Asia met Washington State the other night when I created these delicious and juicy burgers. What ground turkey needs - especially turkey breast- is an ingredient that will not only add, but lock in, moisture in the meat. I’ve done this before with onion, but this time I went for the Triple Crown: red onion, green apple and fresh ginger. All ingredients providing moisture, flavor and texture.

Apple Ginger Turkey Burgers

1 - 1.5 lb ground turkey breast
1 Granny Smith apple, grated with peel on
2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled (about 1/2 - 3/4 tablespoon)
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Crush the peeled ginger through a garlic press, and add the grated apple and diced onion. Add the soy sauce and a couple pinches of salt and a few good cranks of fresh ground pepper. Mix well with your hands, then form into patties (about 4-5).

Grill a few minutes on each side or until juices no longer run red. Patties should feel slightly firm, but not hard.

Great topped with Brie (shown) or sharp white cheddar.

I love duck. And I love curry. But preparing both from scratch can be a daunting task. I recently found this quick and easy recipe for duck curry that is so good people will think you spent all day grinding spices and smoking duck.

Fast and Easy Duck Curry
Peking duck is available at Asian markets.

1.5 - 2 lbs Peking duck
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 2/3 cups coconut milk
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Duck is a fatty little creature, but I prefer to leave on a bit of the less fatty skin for added color, flavor and texture. If your duck comes with a sauce or two, throw those in your curry - it will only make it tastier! Remove the bones, making sure to get the tiny ones that are easy to miss. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook until blended (about a minute), then add the peanut butter.

Slowly whisk in the coconut milk and cook until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken stock, bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the duck, lime juice and fish sauce, and let simmer another 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.

Note: I think zucchini, eggplant or other vegetables would be delicious additions too!

The first time I had grilled Romaine lettuce was at the French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s famous restaurant in Yountville, California. If memory serves, it was a called a Caesar salad, but what arrived was a tiny, perfectly grilled head of baby Romaine. Brilliant!

We decided to give it a try at home. Since our Romaine was “full-grown” we sliced it down the middle. Then, we sprayed it with olive oil, drizzled it with a good balsamic vinegar, and gingerly sprinkled with salt and pepper.

After grilling it for a few minutes on each side, we dug in. The result was was a beautiful “salad” that was sweet, tender and possessing the wonderful smokiness of the grill.

You’ve had a long hard day, haven’t you? You’re hungry, you’ve worked your tail off, and the last thing you want to do is slave over dinner. I know the feeling. It’s days like this when all I want to do is veg out in front of the evening news with a nice glass of wine.

Where is that house boy when you need him?

Here’s a dinner for you that’s so easy it’s just silly. Hopefully you already have that bottle of white wine open. If you can also muster up the strength to open a can of tomatoes, crack open a jar of capers and quickly sear some fish, then a great meal is minutes away. And, your family will think you really outdid yourself. No need to be a hero and admit you just whipped it up. Some things are just better left unsaid <wink>.

Tomato Caper Tuna
We always have a few fillets of fish, such as albacore loin, in our freezer. Although just about any type of fish would be wonderful in this dish. There’s no need to measure, this is what I love about one-pot cooking.

Slice fish into 1/4″ medallions. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan on medium-high and quickly sear both sides of the medallions (about 1 minute or less on each side).

Toss in a can of chopped stewed tomatoes and pour in about 1/2 cup of the white wine you have open (then do it Julia-style and take a little swig of that wine yourself - again, it’s been a long day!).

Add a couple of tablespoons of capers and stir. Simmer a couple of minutes until the alcohol in the wine burns off.

Remove from heat and top with the zest of one lemon. Great with rice and a nice green salad.

Now wasn’t that easy!

Unless you have some fancy-schmancy dinner party planned, I find it best to go to the farmer’s market with nary a menu in mind, and let the recently harvested fruits and veggies dictate what I’ll be serving. Coming home with my fresh loot, I spread everything on the counter, take a step back, and look at colors and textures. Then, it all starts to come together.

When food is this fresh I don’t mess around with too many ingredients. I prefer the natural flavors and aromas of the food to reach their full glory all on their own, without much coaxing from me. When I saw the beautiful golden and red beets, tender fingerling potatoes, fragrant fennel, and the deep green and orange of the Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha, I got giddy with grilling glee!

Slowly roasting vegetables releases their natural sugars, creating a delicious caramelization that marry all their glorious earthy flavors into one beautiful dish.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Use as much or as little of each vegetable, or add your own market picks. The beauty of roasting is there are no rules!

Golden beets
Red beets
Fennel
Red onion
Fingerling potatoes
Kabocha (or acorn squash)

Clean and top the beets and, along with the fingerling potatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Roast whole at 400 degrees until softened, but not completely cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and carefully peel the beets, then cut in half. You can leave the fingerlings whole, and slice lengthwise in half before serving, or halve them and continue roasting (both ways are delish!)

Quarter the fennel and red onion lengthwise, and cut the kabocha into 1/2 inch wedges.

Toss all the veggies in a bowl and drizzle enough olive oil to sufficiently coat. Then, add a big splash of balsamic vinegar, a couple hearty pinches of Kosher salt, a few good turns of fresh ground black pepper, and a small sprig of fresh rosemary. Let roast another 30-40 minutes, turning every so often to get an even roast.

Go to your local farmer’s market this weekend and let us know what you created!

Tarama is cod or carp roe that is salted, dried and sometimes smoked. When combined with olive oil, lemon and soaked bread a classic Greek meze, often referred to as the “common man’s caviar,” is created: taramosalata. Creamy, lemony, and with just the right amount of that fishy-saltiness, taramosalata is good and cheap enough to make you unapologetically snarf it down like a hungry Greek fisherman.

And I do.

Taramosalata
Prep time: 10 minutes

• 3 1/2 ounces of cod or carp roe (plain or smoked)
• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 slices of bread, crust removed
• juice of 2 lemons
• warm water

Run the bread under water, then squeeze dry. Put roe and bread in a food processor and blend (setting 2) until mixed. Add the olive oil and lemon juice slowly and pulse until creamy and thick. If it gets too thick use a bit of warm water to thin it out. Cover and place in the refrigerator until well chilled.

Personal experience note: unless you like the taste of a fish monger’s floor, then do not lick the tarama spoon <gag!>. Patiently wait until the recipe has been completed.

In a hurry? You can also find pre-made taramosalata in Mediterranean markets or on Amazon.com.

Thank you SunSirrah for your nice photo!