Spring Forward with Brando's Steak!

It's time to spring forward! Oh wait, we did that last weekend. Call me old school, but didn't the time change used to happen at the end of April? We now have darker morns and lighter eves starting on the 2nd Sunday in March? It’s been a bit unseasonably warm in Nor Cal this week, but is it really spring, even with daffodils blooming? Does an hour difference in the time make it spring or just a darker morning? The Vernal Equinox makes it Spring, so it will be Spring come Thursday, March 21^st.

I remember the change to DST in the dead of winter when I was in high school – 1975-ish. My locker was in the covered central corridor at La Habra High School, the Argyle it was called (all the hallways had Scottish names as we were the Highlanders). It was so dark on those cold mornings that opening a locker was impossible without a flashlight. Though somewhat romantic the first day or two, it became a pain in the neck by the end of the week. Almost 40 years later, we Highlanders now know that we were part of a plan, however misguided, to conserve energy.  I hadn’t really given this little blip in time change history a thought until I started researching time change history. It’s convoluted – the history of the time change - to be sure, so if you are really curious as to why we go through this bi-annual disruption in our sleep patterns, read all about the time change here. Spring Forward, Fall Back makes it sound so simple. It’s not.

Growing up, I always associated the time change with warmer temps and school spring break and all the neighborhood kids being able to play outside much longer due to the "Be home when the street lights turn on" rule. DST was Heaven's blessing on long games of “hide and seek” or roller skating for blocks on end or hiking through the orange groves that surrounded my neighborhood. As my friends and I got older, DST meant that it wasn't dark when we waited in the high school parking lot for certain male athletes to finish their practices, hoping we could all go out for pizza together, which may lead to some other activities – innocent ones, mind you!

Longer, warmer days also meant laid back family dining.  My mother loved spring cooking because of the simplicity involved, which usually meant grilling. To Mom, cooking was a means to an end: feeding her family every evening. She had a simple, limited repertoire and she did it well enough, though our dog Chloe ate more lima beans from our plates than my siblings and I. Mom’s one concession to “fine cooking” was patronizing the local butcher shop, Town and Country Meats. Meat and poultry in the Reilly household always came wrapped in butcher paper, taped with the price sticker. Never did a plastic wrapped flank steak on a piece of Styrofoam cross our threshold! We were not supermarket meat people! 




The butcher shop flank streak would be marinated in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, thrown on a hot grill and served with boiled potatoes and those damned frozen lima beans, or canned asparagus (though she was an avowed butcher shop disciple, it took Mom a few years to embrace fresh vegetables). On the night that the grill was hot, Mom had managed to feed her 3 children once again and, since it was Daylight Saving Time, we were now free to continue playing outdoors until the street lights came on.

As homage to my mother and as a way to celebrate the coming warmer weather, I prepared my favorite version of marinated flank steak for my family. From Menlo Park Chef Jess Ziff Cool, I’ve been serving Brando’s Steak and Grilled Vegetables for years. I’d prepared this several times for my mother, and she liked it. Secretly, I think she preferred her simpler rendition. Perhaps it brought back memories of happy children eating their dinner and then playing in the street with other happy children until the street lights turned on.

Brando's Steak and Grilled Vegetables

Jesse Ziff Cool

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup hearty red wine (Zinfandel or Cabernet)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 garlic cloves -- minced

2 shallots -- minced

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper
3-4 lbs Flank steak or Chateaubriand

2 large onions -- sliced thick

4 red or yellow peppers -- sliced thick

1 medium eggplant -- sliced thick

1 head fennel, sliced thick

In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine oil, wine, soy, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, shallots, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Place steak in a resalable plastic bag and pour half the marinade over the steak. Place vegetables in another plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Place both bags in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight.

 Prepare the grill. Remove steak from the plastic bag and cook for 15 minutes, turning once, until an instant read thermometer reads 145 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Place vegetables on a grid grilling pan and cook over the grill for at least 7 minutes, turning frequently, until browned.

The marinade makes an excellent salad dressing, too.

Ugali, Grits and Polenta - It's a Small World!

I’ve mentioned in previous posts how universal many ingredients are, how the simple bean has been incorporated into cuisines around the world; the eggplant, a native to India, is as integral to Thai menus as it is to Middle Eastern tables. The Three Sisters of the New World, and now, International cookery – Squash, Beans and Corn – can be found as easily in Boston as they are in Botswana. It is corn that I wish to spotlight today, or more specifically, polenta.

Simply put, polenta is finely ground corn meal and when cooked, it becomes corn mush. Before corn was introduced to Europe in the 1700’s, polenta, the name for any grain cooked to porridge-like consistency, was made with farro, chickpeas or millet. Corn polenta became a staple in peasant Italian kitchens and until fairly recently, was considered just that, peasant fare. But corn mush has a far larger international influence and commonality.

A female cheetah enjoys her kill

While on a family safari in Tanzania, my husband, sons and I witnessed the circle of life, literally, as we watched a cheetah lick the blood from a fresh gazelle kill off her paws. 

We gazed over the vastness of the Serengeti as wildebeests and zebras in the thousands, following instincts millennium old, indulged themselves on the grasses that would sustain them for their lengthy northward migration. At night we heard hyenas cackle and lions roar and the next day, followed the vultures circling over the carcasses of the night’s prey.

Once our drives were done for the day, our group savored amazing fare - a huge variety of curries, roasted meats seasoned with piri-piri at the lodges where we stayed, and while camping on the Serengeti, a Christmas Eve dinner of clove-studded ham, prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, all prepared in braziers over charcoal pits. A better kitchen I have yet to experience.

Camp kitchen on the Serengeti

On our last days of safari, we stayed at Terengire Treetops Lodge, just outside Terengire National Park, a small park by African standards but one with a huge concentration of elephants. It was here, 10 days into our time together, that I got into a conversation about food with two fellow travelers – Frank, one of our guides and a native Tanzanian, and Sue, from North Carolina. I remarked that a thick porridge had been readily available throughout our trip. “Ugali”, Frank replied, “It’s served with every meal. It's corn meal.” “Just like grits”, Sue said, with an inflection in her voice that just rang with Southern pride. It turned out that grits and ugali are one and the same, and that’s when I mentioned creamy polenta, my closest association with corn mush. In the late 80’s when I was in culinary school, polenta was raised from a humble home staple to heights of sophistication by chefs in San Francisco and across the country. It was topped with slow braised short ribs, among other humble cuts of meat, and made corn mush an important component of what is now known as comfort food. 

Margie with the chef at Terengire Treetops Lodge

After finding eviscerated remains of a prey animal drying in the equatorial sun or spotting satiated carnivores splayed out, bellies full, along a track, talking about the food trends of North America seemed mundane, but it also brought to mind one thing we all share – we have to eat. We’d seen it dozens of times on the Serengeti; we’d experienced it ourselves when we came in from our drives – when is dinner and where is the Tusker Lager? And now, Sue, Frank and I were sharing our love of corn mush. Polenta, a simple stable, became a common denominator that brought three tired, hungry safari wayfarers together and showed us just how small the world really is.

Cheesy Fried Polenta Triangles

Top with marinara sauce for a side dish or with a meat sauce as an entrée.

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 cup polenta

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pepper, to taste

2-3 cups grated melting cheese, such as Parmesan, Gruyere, Fontina or cheddar, or a combination

Olive oil, for frying

Grated Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray oil.

In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly add the polenta, stirring to combine. Lower heat and continue stirring until the polenta is creamy and pulls from the side of the pan, about 15-20 minutes. Add the butter and pepper and grated cheese and stir until the butter and cheese are melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

 Pour the polenta into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

When the polenta is set, remove from refrigerator and cut into squares and then into triangles. In a wide sauté pan, heat about ½ cup of olive oil over high heat. Add 3-5 polenta triangles and fry until the polenta is golden and crisp. Adjust heat as necessary to avoid burning. Remove cooked triangles to a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Add more oil as needed and repeat with the remaining triangles. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Serve warm as is or topped with sauce.

Be prepared for next year's Super Bowl!

On January 15, 1967, my brother and dad were among the throngs in the LA Coliseum attending Super Bowl I. A neighbor in good old Whittier was a 3M regional executive and because the Packers were playing Kansas City, he received some free tickets and gave them to our family.

"The most boring game I've ever watched" was my father's assessment, predicting that the Super Bowl would be a short lived diversion at the end of the regular season. Dad wasn't the best prognosticator of popular culture trends, now was he?

Super Bowl I pre-dated the now time-honored tradition of commercials featuring croaking frogs slinging beer, singing cowboys slinging beer, battling beer bottles slinging beer and little kids magically starting a Toyota in order to sling Toyotas. I won't even mention half time wardrobe malfunctions, lip-syncing superstars and reunions of '70's rock bands.

I honestly do not mean to be a cynic. I love all the hype that accompanies this annual gridiron battle as much as the next person. You must admit that some things get a little blown out of proportion. I'm just so glad that Beyonce will be singing live tomorrow.

This woman does not know how to cook for the Super Bowl. But I love her backsplash.

In 1967, there was no panic about what to serve while watching the game; there were no radio contests for the best (and most caloric) bean dip, or cooking magazines dedicating entire issues to game day menus (which are also highly caloric). In fact, the term "Super Bowl" had not yet been trademarked so any ole merchant could use it in their advertising without risk of running afoul of the law.

To make your Super Bowl Sunday feasting easy and super, try

these cheesy, lightly spicy, crunchy morsels. I ran into a catering client one day who told me she and her friend had tried to back engineer these delights, but theirs failed by comparison to mine. I told her to ask me next time, I'd happily share the recipe. It isn't, after all, top secret like Coca-Cola's! (Tip: they forgot the pepper jack cheese.)

Cheesy Corn Pudding Bites

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 48 scoop - shaped tortilla chip - I use Tostitos Scoops
• Chopped chives or cilantro, for sprinkling

Instructions

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. 

 

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg and corn.

 

Fill tortilla cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. 

 

Garnish with cilantro and/or chives. Serve warm from the oven.

I prep at least one baking sheet ahead so I can pop them in the oven when it's time for a refill. These fly off the platter and when I serve them at parties, they are, by far, the most popular appetizer. 

This recipe doubles and triples easily, just buy plenty of Tostitos and be aware that there will be broken scoops in each bag. The cheese mixture can be made ahead, but because it contains raw egg, I do not recommend making more the night before you plan to serve.

When Life Gives You Beans, Make Bean Salad

Nothing makes me feel happier and more secure than cleaning out my pantry cupboards and reorganizing them after a Costco run. I know, I know...I'm a cheap date, if you don't count the Costco expenditure. I often find items I've forgotten I'd purchased - 3 jars of instant espresso? Really? And honey? Don't get me started on the vinegar and oil!

I've got to device some recipes that call for instant espresso and honey.
Pot roast, perhaps?

It was the accumulation of black beans that really got to me, though. I had 3 cans from Trader Joe's and had no need for them in coming weeks. I bought an 8-pack of garbanzos because I have hummus on about 4 upcoming catering menus. I guess I just automatically grabbed the black beans. If white cannellinis had been available, I would've probably grabbed them as well. Beans, are after, a great source of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, and is high in protein, complex carbs and iron.

According to Wikipedia, "Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants. Broad beans, also called fava beans, in their wild state the size of a small fingernail, were gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills.^[2] In a form improved from naturally occurring types, they were grown in Thailand since the early seventh millennium BCE, predating ceramics.^[3] They were deposited with the dead in ancient Egypt. Not until the second millennium BC did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean, Iberia and transalpine Europe.^[4] In the Iliad (late-8th century) is a passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor.^[5] 

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in Guitarrero Cave, an archaeological site in Peru, and dated to around the second millennium BCE.^[6]"

Beans are also one of the "Three Sisters" of New World Cooking, completing the trio of maize, or corn, and squash. Read more about squash in this Nutmeg's Spice of Life post.

Though purests may insist on always cooking with dried beans, the ease and quality of canned beans makes them a great pantry staple to always have on hand, to which my pantry can certainly attest.

I've got room for more beans!

So, my overflowing cupboard of legumes beckoned me. It was getting close to lunch. The perfect way to diminish my beans count and use up a few other odds and ends! Here's any easy way to always have a high protein, low fat salad or side dish stored in the fridge.

 Next I'll have to figure out how to use the 4 jars of Hoisin sauce and the canned diced jalapenos!





Quick and Easy Bean Salad
by Margie MacKenzie, Nutmeg Kitchens

Black Bean Salad with Avocados & Oregano

I recommend playing with the flavors and additions and the amounts you use. If you like your beans hot, by all means add cayenne and red pepper flakes along with hot sauce. For Mediterranean flair, sub thyme and/or rosemary for the cumin and chili powder and add capers and olives instead of avocado. Use your imagination and plain old black beans will not disappoint! 

Basic Ingredients
- 2-3 cans of beans - black, white, garbanzo or a mix of all three would be really good - drained and rinsed
- Vinegar, lemon or lime juice, 1-2 TBS
- olive oil, 1-2 TBS
- Chili powder, to taste. I like ground chipotle. Use both if you like.
- Ground cumin, to taste
-Salt & black pepper, to taste

Additions from the pantry or fridge you may have on hand
- Green Onions, thinly sliced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 fresh red pepper, or 1 jarred roasted pepper, diced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Fresh oregano, chopped
- Tabasco or other hot sauce
- Crumbled feta, fresh chevre or queso fresco


Toss the basic ingredients in a medium bowl, adding them to taste, adjusting them as needed so you have balanced flavors. Add your additions and gently combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Let the salad sit for awhile, 30-60 minutes, so all the flavors can blend. 

Serve as a salad on a bed of spring mix, as a side dish or as a  vegetarian filling for tacos or enchiladas. 

For the Love of Squash

 

With the golden, muted light and shorter days, a leaf strewn lawn and the early evening scent of woodsmoke in the air, I can say that it is really autumn – my favorite time of year. Comfort, this says to me, especially as we prepare for the ultimate form of comfort eating, Thanksgiving. I'm in no hurry to pull out the Christmas decorations or even think about sending cards. I want to savor the colors, aromas and flavors of Fall and the bounty of produce this season brings. And one of the most versatile and flavorful of that bounty are winter squashes.

 

Squash is a member of the Three Sisters in New World cooking. Along with corn and beans, this trio fed generations of Western Hemisphere inhabitants long before Europeans landed on the shores of North and South America. The Three Sisters are now a staple in international cuisine and have been incorporated into menus spanning the globe. From Aggie Horticulture at Texas A&M University comes this helpful information:

Our word "squash" comes from the Massachusetts Indian word askutasquash, meaning "eaten raw or uncooked." Although the Indians may have eaten some forms of squash without cooking, today we like our squashes cooked. The late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty kinds, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash. They belong, almost without exception, to the species Cucurbita maxima or C. moschata.

Pumpkins also belong to that species, but large, late, smooth, symmetrical forms of C. maxima and C. moschata are sometimes called "pumpkins" regardless of species. The word "pumpkin" -improperly pronounced "punkin" by most Americans, is derived from the old French term pompion, meaning eaten when "cooked by the sun," or ripe. In modern French, pumpkin is called potiron.

The nutritional benefits of eating squash give it as much endorsements as the creamy roasted texture and sweet, earthy flavor. According to Elise Marie, Yahoo.com contributor 

Acorn squash contains potent nutrients in it such as vitamins C, B-12 and A, potassium, folic acid, manganese, fatty acids, fiber and phytonutrients. All these potent nutrients help prevent free radical cells in the body from forming cancers. Some of the cancers acorn squash can help prevent are prostate, lung, colon, brain and breast.

With that information in mind, preparing acorn squash is a easy as it is delicious and nutritional.

 

Select a squash that is heavy for it's size, with firm skin. I picked out a Danish Green at my local produce market. Cut it in half. This can be tricky - use a large chef's knife and place the squash on an even cutting surface; make an initial cut and slowly bring the knife through the hard outer skin. Once you hit the flesh, it will be easier to cut through the entire gourd, just be careful and go slowly. Clean out the seeds and membranes with a spoon.

Add a pat of butter, some brown sugar and your choice of warm spices - Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves and/or Nutmeg - and salt to taste.

 

Place your filled squash on a baking dish, silicon mat optional, but it does make for easy clean up, and bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the flesh has softened, the butter, brown sugar and spices have blended together and slightly caramelized.

 

Mash the flesh with a fork, add more butter (butter, in this case is good!) and you have an all-in-one side dish. I'm enjoying mine right now!

Butternuts are my absolute favorite varietal. I think anything that includes the word "butter" in its name has just got to be divine! Besides roasting cubed butternut (you can purchase pre-cut packages at Trader Joe's, Costco and a lot of independent and chain grocery stores, saving you the laborious task of doing it yourself) with olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or so - you can also make a soup that combines to delightful Fall flavors of Butternut Squash, Apples and Parsnips, with Thyme as the herb that brings it all together.

Butternut Squash, Apple & Parsnip Soup with Thyme

• 4 TB unsalted butter, or 2 TBS butter, 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup apple juice or cider, unfiltered preferred
• 4 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch thyme, leaves separated from the sprigs and the springs tied together with cotton twine.
• 2 quarts chicken stock, plus some extra if needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Diced apples and a dollop of creme fraiche to garnish.
• A shake of Applejack brandy optional

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Heat the butter and/or olive in a stock pot over medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the onions until softened but not browned; adjust heat appropriately to avoid scorching.

 

Add the apple juice to the onions and reduce until the juice is almost evaporated. Add the cubed butternut squash, chopped apples, chopped parsnips and the tied thyme sprigs. Cook for 1-3 minutes, coating the vegetables in the onion-juice mixture, until slightly browned. Add another pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook the vegetables until they are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and add the thyme leaves, reserving a few leaves for garnish, during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. The vegetables should be very soft.

 

Remove the soup pot from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes.

 

With a stick (emulsion) blender directly in the pot, puree the soup, making sure that big chunks of vegetables are thoroughly pureed. The texture can still be a bit thick but most of the vegetables should be broken down. Add more chicken stock if the mixture is too thick. Taste once again for seasoning.

 

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, a teaspoon or so of diced apples and the optional sprinkle of Applejack brandy. Serve warm.

This soup is also a unique appetizer, served at room temperature in a shot glass, garnished with some small diced apple. I call them Autumn Sippers.

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Take advantage of the wonderful array of winter squash now available - Acorns, Butternut, Spaghetti, Hubbard, Kabocha, Turban, Delicata and more. A savory treat is in store.

 

Travel the World, Eat Eggplant!

Brinjal, Aubergine, Melongene, Melanzana...a vegetable by any other name would taste the same – smoky, earthy, a hint of bitter mixed with sweet. Eggplant, as we Americans call it, has a global following, with its roots in the Indian subcontinent. It shares a history with others in the nightshade family – tomatoes and potatoes. This versatile vegetable appears in cuisines worldwide, in many guises.

Growing up, I’d never heard of eggplant, though perhaps there may have been some in the produce section of the Food Giant where my mother shopped, but that is doubtful. The name alone wouldn’t have sold this purple orb to the suburban folk of Whittier, CA in the mid-1960’s.

Fast forward to the summer of 1976: I was an exchange student in France. I spent a few weeks with my French family in their suburban Paris apartment before going to the family vacation home in Vendée, on the mid-Atlantic coast.  A multitude of family members convened there every July and August. There could be 25 or more of us on a Sunday afternoon, when we’d gathered for a dinner that included grilled fish, oysters, mussels steamed in white wine and garlic, and pâté with crusty baguette. And among  them was a new taste sensation for me – Ratatouille!

 

Ratatouille is a stew of sweet pepper, onion, zucchini and eggplant. I put the emphasis on eggplant in my ratatouille because I love not only the flavor it imparts but the gelatinous texture it adds to this divine mélange. I think fondly of my French family whenever I prepare Ratatouille.  It is a late summertime staple in my kitchen when all the ingredients are at their peak. Its flavor only enhances after a day or two, so a large batch can provide plentiful vegetable course options. Add to a quiche, or an omelet, eat right out of a bowl at room temperature, Ratatouille may best be described as “vegetable candy”.  And now is the time to make it!

 

Due to it inclusion in so many international cuisines, eggplant is prepared on just about every continent, and acts as the perfect vessel for local spices and seasonings. Thanks to Bon Apetit magazine for this flavorful Asian riff using Japanese eggplant.

 

Ginger-Miso Glazed Eggplant

Bon Apetit

Ingredients

• 6 Japanese eggplants (1 1/2 lb. total), cut on a diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
• 1/3cup white miso (fermented soybean paste)*
• 4 teaspoonsfinely grated peeled ginger
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3teaspoons sesame seeds, divided
• 3tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, divided

* Also known as shiro miso, white miso can be found in the refrigerated Asian foods section of better supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Japanese markets.

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast eggplant, flipping once, until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Arrange a rack in upper third of oven and heat to broil.
• Meanwhile, whisk white miso and next 5 ingredients with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds and 2 Tbsp. scallions. Smear top of eggplant slices with miso sauce. Broil until golden and charred in places, 4–5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds and 1 Tbsp. scallions.
   

Have fun exploring the world via eggplant, or aubergine, or brinjal. Whatever you call it, how ever you prepare it - it's delicious!

 

Tomato Candy!

Pomodoraccio - it doesn't come trippingly off the tongue, but for every syllable, there's a wallop of flavor!  I was first introduced to Pomodoraccio at Sigona's Market in Redwood City. Available in the olive bar, these semi-dried tomatoes have made a huge difference in bumping up the flavors in many of my salads and appetizers. I call them Tomato Candy!

Not nearly as tooth-some and tart as regular sun-dried tomatoes, and available year round which makes for a nice substitute in the non-tomato months, Pomodoraccio has a sweet, meaty flavor component that brightens any dish to which it is added. I first incorporated them into a simple salad of arugula, mozzarella marinated in Sigona's Summer Peach White Balsamic Vinegar, with Parmesan shavings. No fuss - the marinade from both the fruit and the cheese was all the dressing needed.

Then came a brainstorm - how to transcend the traditional Caprese Salad as an innovative and swoon-worthy appetizer. I love this presentation - elegant and simple - but more so, I love the surprise I see in guests' eyes when they are hit with the amazing flavor of these rather innocuous strips of tomato, the creaminess of the mozzarella and the mixture of marinades. The basil on top adds color and earthy, herbal flavor. This is not your Italian grandmother's Caprese Salad!

Then...I took this concept to another, less formal level: The Pomodoraccio Skewer.

Humm...I'm seeing a savory tomato cheesecake in my future. Ya never know!