New Site

Hi folks,

Va Bene Cosí is has moved to a new location, now with its own domain.

Check it out at http://www.vabenecosifood.com!

Bacaro

There is a great Italian restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, called Bacaro.  My family was there at the end of December, and we had another great meal.  The pasta dish I ordered, I will venture to say, was the best I’ve ever had.  It was a baked gratin of pasta (I don’t even recall the type of pasta), with pumpkin and smoked chunks of pancetta.  Wow.  It was creamy, cheesy, salty, sweet, just all around delicious.  I’m salivating at the thought of it right now.  And on top of the great pasta dishes (the pasta dish with mushrooms and truffles is a hit), they have an excellent selection of cured meats, cheeses, and small bites.  I’d also recommend the white truffle-scented Jerusalem artichoke carpaccio.

If you’re ever in Providence, you have to check it out!

Thai chicken coconut soup

For a while now I’ve been meaning to make a coconut milk-based soup.  I’m not sure why, since I’m not a huge fan of coconut…I think the idea of the flavor mixing into a soup makes more sense to me, and sounds much more appetizing.  So, last week I found a couple recipes to mix together, and came up with something pretty damn good.  The coconut flavor mellows out completely, and the other spices and flavors really come together well.  Definitely a wintertime recipe I would recommend to warm up with (though it’s been pretty warm here anyways).

Thai chicken coconut soup

(adapted from various recipes)  Note: you can use red curry paste instead of green- I’ve seen recipes with each type.  Also, I substituted soy sauce for fish sauce, which worked fine.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp green chili paste
• 6 cups chicken stock (I used 2+4 cups beef stock)
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp fish sauce (I used soy sauce)
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 3-4 ounces thin rice noodles
• 1/2 lb white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1-2 tbsp lime juice, + more to taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened and slightly brown.  Add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste, cooking until fragrant, a few minutes.  Add some of the chicken stock, stirring to make sure the paste is dissolved.  Then add the rest of the stock, the coconut milk, and the fish (or soy) sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cover.

Cook, partially covered, for about 15 minutes, then add the bell peppers, noodles, mushrooms, and chicken.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add lime juice and cilantro, and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Then enjoy!

Holiday trifle

As usual, going home for the holidays brings out the over-ambitious, over-indulgent cook in me. This year one of my spontaneous ideas was to make a trifle…(why? you might ask…good question). I saw a pumpkin-gingerbread trifle somewhere on the internet last year and wasn’t able to make it, and somehow the thought must have re-entered my mind as I loaded up on cookies and other sweets all day long.

Basically the trifle is 3 layers: ginger bread, pumpkin mousse (a la pumpkin pie), and whipped cream, repeated twice. It’s actually simpler than it seems, but it did take a little while to put together. In the end, it was really good- the gingerbread was maybe a bit too hard for my liking (in the trifle, not in general). But I would recommend it. The recipe follows, as does my one lousy photo…notice that we didn’t have a clear trifle dish, something that would make it look that much nicer.

yield: Makes 12 servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 4 hr

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Gingerbread-Trifle-355992#ixzz1A8lofhll

For gingerbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup mild molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk (not powdered)
1/2 cup hot water

For pumpkin mousse:
1 (1/4-ounces) envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 (15-ounces) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make gingerbread:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Line pan with foil, leaving an overhang at both ends, then butter foil.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in egg until blended, then beat in molasses and buttermilk. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until smooth, then add hot water and beat 1 minute (batter may look curdled).

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool in pan. Using foil as an aid, transfer gingerbread to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

Make pumpkin mousse:
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl until combined well.

Beat cream with vanilla using cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly.

Make whipped cream:
Beat cream with sugar and vanilla using mixer until it holds soft peaks.

Assemble trifle:
Put half of gingerbread cubes in trifle bowl. Top with half of pumpkin mousse, then half of whipped cream. Repeat layering once more with all of remaining gingerbread, mousse, and cream. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Read More

Early highlights

I’ve been out in the Bay Area for about 3 and a half months now, and though my main focus has been finding an apartment then finding a job to pay the bills, I’ve also spent some time exploring the city. I’ve been to different coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, delis, breakfast spots, and grocery stores in each neighborhood of the city, and have already found some favorites.

RoliRoti – Porchetta to die for. Serves long lines at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market from a food truck, as well as other locations in the Bay Area.

La Taqueria – Best burritos in the city? Could be. Cheap, authentic Mexican place in the Mission with an open wall to the street, and excellent food.

Saigon Sandwich – $3.25 will buy you one of the best sandwiches around, a Vietnamese roast pork sandwich. Not in the best area, but well worth the trip there for this cheap, delicious sandwich.

Yank Sing – I live only a few blocks from the edge of one of the largest Chinatowns in the U.S. But the best Chinese food I’ve had so far is at Yank Sing, which is in the Financial District. Incredible barbecue baked pork buns (seen on TV) and sesame balls (deep fried bean curd I think). Still in search of the Chinatown hole-in-the-wall gem of my dreams though.

San Francisco

One of the best parts of San Francisco is the incredible food scene. Yes, it has great weather, a beautiful location, and lots of character, but SF lives and breathes for its food. It is really one of the food meccas of America. Maybe New York has the crown, but I think San Francisco must be close behind. People simply love their food out here. New restaurant openings precede sports reports (except for the Giants). Top chefs are idolized. And there is definitely no time for celebrity gossip, unless the chefs are the celebrities and their new endeavors are the gossip. Simply put, San Francisco is a heavenly place for those who love to eat. Throw in some of the best farmer’s markets and the high-quality produce from the surrounding Bay Area, and it is a foodie’s dream. I’m happy to be here.

Back in action!

After a 9+ month layoff, Va Bene Cosi is back in action, now coming at ya from a new location: San Francisco! More to follow, very soon…

ancho chile-red wine barbeque sauce

Somehow I ended up with an ancho chile a few weeks ago, and didn’t really know what to do with it.  I was thinking some sort of reduction sauce for meat since I had some old chianti leftover that I wanted to get rid of.  My search led me from a pan sauce to a barbecue sauce. Weird, huh?  I’m not really sure how I got there, but I did find a good-looking recipe, and I went for it.  The end result?  Pretty darn good.  On its own the sauce tasted a bit tomato sauce-y, but once I cooled it down and cooked it with bone-in chicken thighs, you could really taste the smoky bbq flavor we all know and love.  All-in-all it was a creative and tasty use of the chile and red wine.

Ancho Chile-Red Wine BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients

• 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn*
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Sriracha (this I added myself to give the sauce some more heat)

Preparation

Place chile in medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over to cover; let soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid.

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste; stir 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add wine and softened chile; simmer 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons reserved chile soaking liquid, ketchup, and all remaining ingredients. Simmer 3 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Puree sauce in blender, adding more reserved soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls if too thick. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Here’s the chicken browning away in the cast-iron skillet.  I like to cook it until its golden brown on both sides, just to seal it off, then pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes to finish.  Works wonders.  That’s fennel in the skillet, by the way.

I was hesitant to use the fennel at first, but I needed to use it up so I did.  And it turned out all right. Phew.
There’s really not much better than a good old roast chicken. With barbecue sauce.  Nice and juicy, with a bit of heat but also sweetness.

apple crisp with brandy cream

There’s really not much better than a warm apple crisp with ice cream, right?  While home over the holidays, I made a version of the classic winter dessert.  I had seen it made on TV a few weeks before, and didn’t forget about it.  Originally the recipe included a bourbon-infused whipped cream, however as we aren’t big bourbon drinkers (apparently), I substituted brandy and it turned out just as nice I think.  The most difficult part of making the crisp is definitely peeling the apples…which is somewhat of a pain.  Other than that it was really a breeze (this seems to be a theme with everything I make…I really don’t think cooking is very hard in general, as long as you care about what you’re making).  Mix chopped up apples with some sweet ingredients (literally), top it with a makeshift dough/topping (with pecans, oh yea), then pop it in the oven to cook.  The whipped cream is optional, as ice cream can easily be substituted…in fact, I would probably prefer it with ice cream (I had both).

Apple Crisp with Bourbon Cream

Ingredients

Filling:

• 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped (about 3 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Bourbon Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Filling:

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. In a large bowl mix all the filling ingredients together and toss to coat all the apples. Pour in the prepared baking dish.

For topping:

In a food processor combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Pulse to blend. Pulse in the butter until mixture forms pea size lumps. Add the pecans and pulse 1 or 2 more times. Sprinkle over filling. Bake crisp for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

For Bourbon cream:

In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken. While beating, add the sugar and bourbon and beat until soft peaks form. Dollop over servings of apple crisp.

brussels sprouts and cauliflower gratin

Who said vegetables need to taste bad?  I’ve never really liked brussels sprouts, but with some inspiration from Alton Brown I decided to try making them in a different way, with the hope of changing my opinion.  The recipe I used was one from Guy Fieri.

Here’s what it takes for 4 servings of “Bumped-Up” Brussels Sprouts:

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pancetta, big dice
• 4 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 pints Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium pan over medium heat cook the pancetta and capers. Remove from pan, reserving a little of the pancetta fat in the pan. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and cook over medium heat to begin to brown. Dress with balsamic and olive oil, a little salt (capers and pancetta are salty) and pepper. Place into the oven and roast, tossing a couple of times, until nicely caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Put the pine nuts in a small, dry, saute pan and toast over a low flame, tossing a couple of times, just until lightly browned, 3 or 4 minutes.

Once the sprouts are ready, remove them from the oven and put into a big serving bowl. Add the pancetta, the capers, pine nuts, currants and raisins. Toss and check for seasoning. Serve.

The final product was not bad at all.  I would say that if you like brussels sprouts, you will love this dish…otherwise, I’m not sure if there’s really anything you can do.  Sprouts have a very strong, distinct flavor, and in order to really mask it you’d have to really massacre them in any dish, which would not make it worth it in my mind.  I’m in the latter group- just can’t wrap my head (or mouth) around brussels sprouts.  Nevertheless, this recipe WAS a good one.  I think I would add a tiny bit more balsamic vinegar because I like the flavor a lot, but other than that its pretty spot on.  The pine nuts, currants (I used craisins), and raisins form a nice medley in your mouth.  Mmmm.

On to cauliflower, a vegetable that I love.  Its very similar to broccoli, but can be combined with sweeter ingredients more easily I think, which is always nice.  I decided to make a gratin with gruyere and parmesan cheese.  I followed Ina Garten’s recipe, which was simple and delicious.  Contrary to popular belief, its actually quite easy to make a gratin.  Basically you cook the cauliflower in boiling water for a short while, then in a separate pot you cook up some butter, milk, cheese, and spices. Pour over the veggies, top with cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake.  It really comes out great.  And its healthier than a potato gratin or one that uses cream instead of milk.  So eat up!

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.