Green Bean Summers

I'm going to admit to a dirty little secret. I'm not crazy about green beans in general. That's probably because when I was growing up we ate way too many canned green beans (actually I tried to dodge them). I don't really like the taste of most canned veggies but green beans are the worst. Correction, canned beets are the worst.

But now we are in the Golden Age of local fresh fruits and veggies, often grown in our own back yards, and available at the farmers' markets. And that has changed my bad opinion of that noble bean. My favorite green beans are the Italian baccaccia beans. Unlike blue lakes, the pods are flatter and the peas inside bulge outward. Very distinctive, delicious, and available at farmers' markets.

Currently I love to braise my beans in chopped fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic, seasoning and chicken broth. It takes about 20 minutes based on how tender you want them. Just coarsely chop a couple of medium sized tomatoes and throw in a pan over medium heat. Add a couple or so mashed and chopped cloves of garlic, along with some red pepper flakes for a little heat. Take 2 or 3 big handsful of beans, rinse and snap off the twiggy ends and mound them in your pan. Salt and pepper to taste - raw beans taste flat, so don't be coy with the salt. Add reduced sodium chicken broth to about half way up the beans. Cover, reduce heat somewhat and let braise. Check to make sure you don't run out of liquid and burn the batch! Add some fresh basil near the end if desired.

This is really loosey goosey cooking. Try adding sliced mushrooms, crisp bacon or pancetta, or Italian seasoning. How about some white wine or wine vinegar? I don't use oil but you can throw in some delicious olive oil.

Recently I was talking to an acquaintance in line at the supermarket and she told me she adds potatoes to her green beans. I forgot the rest of what she said but I cubed some potatoes and threw them in and they were delicious. They take longer than beans to cook so give them a few minutes head start before adding the beans.

Now, I want to know what delicious ways you cook fresh green beans. Type it in the comment section at the end of this article and not in Facebook; you will have to go to the blog page if you aren't already there. Tell me your bean story. I really want to know.

Chocolate Stories

I have loved chocolate all my life, starting with Hershey bars when I was a kid. And though I've long since moved on from milk chocolate, a Hershey bar is the only approved chocolate bar in s'mores as far as I'm concerned.

A couple of years ago I read an article in one of my food magazines about Ameidi Chocolate. It seems a brother and sister in Italy wanted to start making fabulous chocolate and approached Vahlrona (in France) as a source. Evidently the Frenchies looked down their noses at those Italian bumpkins who couldn't possibly know squat. So the bumpkins went around Vahlrona and snagged some great cacao from the farmers in Venezuela, and aced Vahlrona out in the process.

The author of the article whose name I don't recall, but who was Always Hungry, actually went to Italy to meet and eat chocolate. I wasn't willing to go that far but my curiosity was stimulated. So when Paul and I tried a Thai-ish restaurant on College Ave. in Oakland called Soi Four, we noticed a little place called Bittersweet, as in chocolate. That place is all chocolate all the time. I tried a cup of hot chocolate that was so rich I couldn't finish it but as I was browsing the chocolate bars I clapped eyes on a sampler pack of...Ameidi Chocolate! Including the prized Venezuelan goods. So in spite of the high $13-ish price for a tiny sampler, I figured what the heck and went for it. I nibbled on those little bits for days and yes, it was excellent. However, I am conflicted about eating intense dark chocolate straight up; I really prefer to bake with it and change the taste and texture with dairy and possibly sugar and flour. Of course dark chocolate purists like to take it straight.

When Copia, a former educational center in Napa was still open, I went to quite a few of their events. Death by Chocolate was probably the most decadent, except for maybe the Picnic in Provence where my friend Carol and I flirted shamelessly with Henri the pate purveyor so he would keep plying us with that wonderful artery clogging spread. I'm sure washing it down with French wine made all the difference.

Back to the Death by Chocolate, I was excited about going because Karina Vosges of Vosges Haut Chocolat was going to speak. I was totally disappointed when she had to cancel and I was stuck there with all that chocolate. So last weekend when I was in the checkout line of Dean & Deluca in St. Helena and saw the Vosges bars I was really jazzed. Since I am currently liking chocolate
and chili I grabbed the Red Fire Bar with Mexican ancho and chipotle chillies, Ceylon cinnamon and dark chocolate. Since the bar was 55% cacao it was luxurious and kind of creamy tasting, with a chili bite that isn't burning hot but does leave a pleasant warm and chocolatey sensation in your mouth. Rapture. I want more.

Oh, and there is more. Today I went to World Market here in Stockton and decided to browse the chocolate section; I was surprised and pleased to see some Vosges Haut Chocolat. No Red Fire Bar, but I picked up Mo's Dark Bacon Bar. It has little bits of applewood smoked bacon in it and considering the cost was $5.99 versus $8.50 at Dean & Deluca, well that pushed me over the edge. It is simply delicious with 62% cacao. Three squares will cost you 4 Weight Watchers points as with the Red Fire Bar. Totally worth it on an occasional basis. I've come to realize you can enjoy the foods you love, in moderation, just not every damn day!

There's another chocolate I want to try - Mast Brothers Chocolate. They bill it as American Craft Chocolate and it looked mighty good on the chocolate episode of Foodology on the Food Channel. They're in New York, so you either have to order online or buy it at a store. Luckily, Bardessono, a luxury resort in Yountville carries it so next time I'm passing through I'm going to march right in like I belong there and get me some by golly chocolate. The Masts have a chili choco bar so I probably won't be able to resist. When I finally get my hands on it I'll let you know. You'll be the first. Honest.

A Truffling Matter

Ever since Paul and I dined at the glorious Cyrus in Healdsburg 4 years ago I've wanted to go back. But it also created a desire to recreate the white chocolate truffles filled with a soft white chocolate and lime filling that bursts with flavor. Simply divine. I managed to get the recipe and played around with it, yielding poor results, mainly because I couldn't get the premade shells without a lot of expense. I've since learned more about working with chocolate and finally realized what I needed was a silicone mold, which I bought. Seeing it done on Food TV didn't hurt either. I could definitely recreate the lime and white chocolate truffles now, and I will when I see white chocolate that I approve of I'll try it. (I admit I haven't been looking since I prefer dark chocolate.)

Since we occasionally have expired chocolate bars on our hands where I work, it falls to me by default to make something chocolate and fabulous. I hadn't made molded truffles in quite a while so it seemed like a good idea to try it. I have my silicone mold with 16 cavities (little molds) for molding chocolate, butter, whatever you like. Each cavity holds a tablespoon of chocolate and this recipe yielded 48 truffles. If you don't want to make that many just cut the ingredient amounts in half.

You have to pour your melted chocolate into the cavities and then pour it back into the bowl of melted goodness, leaving a shell to hold your ganache filling. When you start getting to where you can't fill all the cavities at once, just pour chocolate back into the bowl, then pour it into the remaining cavities. Repeat until you are done.

I used Monin raspberry syrup to gussy up the ganache because raspberry and chocolate are divine together. However, you can use liqueurs like Cointreau, Kahlua, etc. or other flavorings. Hazelnut would be fabulous. Add until it tastes good to you, a little at a time. I added a tablespoon of syrup, stirred, tasted, and repeated until I had what I wanted.

Chocolate lore: chocolate has protein in it. Overheating will cause the protein to clump up, get tough, and be unusable. Also, don't let water touch melted chocolate. It will cause it to "seize up", become a lumpy mess and become unusable. Other than that, have fun.

Ganache: hot cream poured over chopped chocolate and stirred to make a delicious
filling for your truffles.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Raspberry Truffles
Yields 48 truffles

20 ounces bittersweet chocolate, divided
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons Monin raspberry syrup

Chop up the chocolate and divide into 2 bowls: 10 ounces in a mixing bowl and 10 ounces in a steel bowl. Set the steel bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and melt, stirring to mix. Turn heat to low.

For ganache, bring heavy cream to a simmer and pour over the 10 ounces of chocolate in the mixing bowl. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Add vanilla and syrup and stir gently to blend well.

Pour melted chocolate into cavities in the mold all the way to the top. Tip mold over bowl of melted chocolate to drain cavities, leaving them coated with chocolate. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set up.

Spoon ganache into cavities, leaving 1/16" to 1/8" free at the top. Top the ganache with melted chocolate to cover and seal the truffles. Refrigerate until nice and cold, at least half an hour. Remove the truffles by pushing the cavities inside out. Store in a container in the refrigerator. Share with friends. Easy!

Before I go, I have a restaurant for you to try. Paul and I took a ride to Fremont and since I had seen a segment on Check Please! Bay Area a couple of years ago on an Afghan restaurant in that Silicon Valley town, I suggested we try it. They gave it great reviews and I made a note of it. There were some curry dishes on the menu and since I'm watching my calories I ordered the chicken curry and merely tasted Paul's lamb curry. Both were delicious. The owner came by and I told him we loved the curry but it tasted Indian to me. He said it was Indian and if we wanted Afghan food to order the kebabs etc. I was puzzled and wondered (to myself) why they didn't stick to Afghan food. I asked him if anyone from Afghanistan worked there, as the kitchen was manned by cooks from Mexico, which is normal, and our server was from Peru. He did say his grandson worked there so he's covered, I guess. The Afghan naan (bread) was whole wheat, not fried, and very tasty. We had the firni, a pudding with rosewater and pistachios and it was very good. Overall the food and service was good, the bathrooms clean and the place was welcoming. I recommend it. Website: Salang Pass Restaurant