Culinary Muse

Farmer's Market Report: Winter Chard And Tomato Soup? Stew?

Winter days in San Francisco are bright, cold and clear.  A chilly walk through the Farmer’s Market yields only the heartiest of produce: chards, kales, and cabbages.  Some folks find the sparse offerings in the stalls a little depressing.  I prefer to see these lavish deep greens as a testament to the earth's bounty and hard working farmers.

The chards are my favorite.  Both red and rainbow will work in this delicious, easy and fast recipe. Especially comforting if served in an oversized soup bowl with a big spoon.

Evolution of a Chef

My first cookbook? Betty Crocker's "Boys and Girls Cookbook" received as a gift from Aunt Mary. I'm not sure that I actually did cook anything out of it. At least I hope not. The photo of pigs in a blanket sent a shudder down my food stylin' spine. I also remember being put off by the list of judges that were pictured on the front page. Was Betty's definition of "kid approved" defined by the kid who came up with the recipe for Candle Salad on page 126? Close your eyes and envision this: Candle base is a ring of pineapple. Candle is a banana set upright in the center of the pineapple ring. The flame is a maraschino cherry fastened on top of the banana with a toothpick. Perhaps it was Betty herself who channeled this conceptual piece late one night to some poor, old home economist who hated children and just wanted to go home. We have been told that Betty Crocker never existed but I think that this recipe proves she did. They just needed to keep her out of the way.

To Drink Before Noon

From Mimosas at the JC to Kir Royales at La Garenne in Reims, and a Ramos Gin Fizz at NOHO STAR to the Royal Hawaiian's Pina Coladas, we never miss a chance to indulge ourselves with a buzz-inducing cocktail in the morning.

Brunch offers the perfect excuse to drink alcohol before noon. Your boyfriend's mother might raise an eyebrow if you were to order a beer with your breakfast of ham and eggs. Call it 'brunch' and we promise that this same woman will jump right in and join you in a cocktail or two or three.

Comforting Casseroles

In the 90's it was a sure bet that I could silence a table full of my foodie friends by simply uttering the word 'casserole'. I would whisper, "I love casseroles" and people would shriek, "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!". Well, I am here to report that those same folks that just a couple of years ago could be found gathering up the latest baby vegetable at the organic Farmer's Market on Saturday morning now have real babies of their own. And no time. But they still need to eat and, on occasion, entertain. This is where the casserole fits in perfectly.

A casserole needs to be carefully composed. It is not a garbage dump. Think French 'cassoulet' and you will get the idea. A variety of different, often already cooked items, are tossed together, arranged in a casserole and placed in a hot oven where their flavors meld.

Cocktail Nibbles

It's cocktail time! And whether you are pouring a traditional yuletide eggnog or a scotch on the rocks, you will need a 'little something' to munch on. No, we are not talking hors d'oeuvres here. This is not something for guests to fill up on before dinner because they know their hostess is a terrible cook and they had better eat now or never. 'Nibbles' are about a mouthful of something savory. Something that gets passed around in a silver bowl; you grab a few, place them on your cocktail napkin and nibble. The following two recipes are a Southern tradition. They both make a lot which you will be happy to have on hand when an unexpected guest shows up.

The Best Cookbooks

This piece originally appeared in the on-line zine SPACE part of the wonderful vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

We love our cookbooks. Just as much as we love our handbags and shoes. Here is a list that we feel any serious, or not so serious, cook should have. A few are out of print but well worth the hunt.

Long before there was a Martha or a Barefoot Contessa there were Francine, Madeline, Anna and Sarah:

- The SOHO Charcuterie Cookbook by Francine Scherer and Madeline Poley (Morrow, 1983)
- The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook by Anna Pump (Macmillan, 1985)
- Open-House Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase (Workman, 1987)

Warm Apple Crisp

In the September 26, 2001 New York Times, Stephen Jay Gould wrote a wonderful editorial entitled "A Time of Gifts". He talks about the rescue effort at the World Trade Center and the power of "Twelve, warm, apple brown bettys". It can be read 'on-line'.

It reminded me, yet again, of the power of food. The power to comfort and the power to connect. I encourage you to have a meal with family and friends this week. And be sure to eat out at least once. Our colleagues in the food biz need your help right now. If you want your favorite restaurant to be around next month, you need to visit them tonight. And leave a big tip - they will love you for it.

The Dessert Pantry

This article originally appeared in the on line zine SPACE published by the wonderful vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

Lots of basic cookbooks will have lists of what you should have in your pantry. Things like flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, etc., which is fine if you really are a cook. And you really do anticipate baking in the next six months. And you have the luxury of planning ahead. But let's be honest - life in the kitchen is mostly about 'I am so hungry right now I could eat that tuna right out of the can' and 'Have I really spent $100 on take-out food this week?'. In the next few months we will give you an idea of what the New Pantry of the 21st century should look like. Some of it will seem exotic (hearts of palm), some of it is a matter of personal choice (only Tellicherry black peppercorns, please) but all of it will enable you to fix something delicious. Fast. Your closet looks great. Why shouldn't your pantry?

Green Goddess

Once upon at time it was very fashionable to name a dish after a famous person: Turkey Tetrazzini, Oysters Rockefeller, Peach Melba. From what I can tell, these dishes usually came out of the kitchens of hotels. I am guessing that a note was passed from the Concierge to the Food and Beverage Director to the Executive Chef. The note probably read: (Karletta Moniz is in town. She loves chocolate. Create a new chocolate dessert NOW). Knowing all too well how the back of the house reacts to suggestions from the front of the house, I can only imagine what the Executive Chef's reaction was when he was expected to create a dish in honor of someone named Karletta Moniz. Or George Arliss. Now, George Arliss was an actor that visited San Francisco in 1915 and stayed at the Palace Hotel. Luckily for us, the Executive Chef had the good sense to name the following dressing for the play that Arliss was in town performing in, "The Green Goddess", and not for Arliss himself.

30-minute Six Hour Spaghetti Sauce

One of my favorite food related housewife tales from the 50's is about a friend of a friend of mine named Bunny. Bunny was a doctor's wife, which in those days meant that she did not even dare think of having a job outside the home. The happiness of her husband and children was her job. Apparently, she was satisfied with this arrangement - her children were nice, and her doctor husband only demanded that she be faithful, limit her martini intake at parties to three and have dinner on the table every night at 6:00 pm. Well, Bunny loved her bridge, she loved her tennis, and she loved her martinis. After a hard game of tennis at the club or bridge at Joan's and a martini, or two, she would fall fast asleep. In order to extend the length of these naps as long as possible she needed to figure out a way to make it seem as though she had slavedâ over the stove all day, even though all she had really done was play a couple of hands of bridge and have a few laughs with the girls. Now, you and I know that this can be exhausting, but it was harder to convince Dr. Husband. So this is what Bunny devised: At 5:00, she would put a small saucepan, filled with water and a peeled onion on the back burner of the stove and crank up the gas to high. Voila! Within minutes, the fragrant aroma of something cookingâ would waft throughout the house. Dr. Husband was satisfied when he walked in the front door that a hot meal would soon be in front of him (don't worry, he never went into the kitchen) and Bunny got an extra hour of naptime.

Egg Salad

This article previously appeared in the on line zine SPACE on the vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

The fashion and food theory that 'less is more' does not apply to an egg salad sandwich. When I decided to work on a new recipe for enokiworld this month, I had assumed that a couple of boiled eggs, a little mayo, mustard, salt and pepper would be enough to satisfy. Not so. This egg salad was lacking a certain something. This egg salad tasted like my 8th grade home ec class. BORING. So I did what every self respecting food consultant does - I opened up the refrigerator door and stared in. (Other consultants will lie to you and tell you that they just book a flight to an exotic land, either Morocco or Thailand, for inspiration. This is not true. They are all standing in front of their open refrigerator doors murmuring "Now what..."). Back to the refrigerator... Green olives? Why not? Arugula? Sure. Walnuts? Crunchy. We like that... Then I moved on to the kitchen counter. La Brea Bakery Sourdough Baguette. Perfect.

The Perfect Baked Potato

A perfectly baked potato is the little black dress of the food world. You can dress it up (caviar and creme fraiche), dress it down (top with chili, a shaving of extra sharp cheddar cheese and chopped red onion) or leave it plain. Always appropriate and never out of fashion, but only if baked to perfection. Here's how:

First, you need to spend a little extra time in the produce department than you are probably used to. Having spent many years as a food stylist, I have become accustomed to the stares of the produce guys and other customers as I spend time sizing up each and every carrot or bunch of broccoli for a photo shoot. So what if they think I am a neurotic housewife with clearly too much time on my hands? Just remember: you are on a mission.

Skinny Soup

If you are feeling a bit 'over-stuffed' lately, you are probably right. Chances are that you, along with all of your fellow Americans, gained a little extra weight during the holidays. But who cares? It was worth it. That warm piece of pecan pie just would not have been complete without that scoop of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. And what other time of year can you get an eggnog latte? I offer to all of you, who have now renewed your lapsed membership at the gym, my favorite soup recipe. I call it 'Skinny Soup'. Make a big batch. Freeze some. Eat it for lunch or dinner. Not only is it delicious, it will make you feel virtuous at the same time because it is so good for you. If you want to make your own chicken stock, feel free. I get mine at Whole Foods in the deli department and it is delicious. Swanson's canned will do in a pinch but watch out for the salt levels. All I ask is that you use French green lentils. There is a difference.

Pumpkin Rocks

This article previously appeared in the on line zine SPACE on the vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

Karletta : All of your Bonnie Cashin items have been a real treat to look at. Not to mention the Trigere. Do you know what movie she worked on? A bit of trivia...If you guess correctly I will send you my pumpkin spice cookie recipe (with lemon glaze, to die!).

Madeline : 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

Karletta : Oooh, you got it right. Trigere designed Patricia O'Neal's costumes.

These are wonderful, spicy little mounds of moist pumpkin. I suggest toasting the walnuts before adding to the batter. Delicious with a hot cup of thick, black coffee. They have cardamom in them...a very rustic, homey kind of cookie.

Making Reservations

In early September, a newsletter arrived from one of my favorite restaurants, Catahoula, in St. Helena. It was a copy of Chef Jan Birnbaum's Thanksgiving Day menu. Let's just say it started with an oyster and smoked ham hock stew and ended with a divine sounding sweet potato pie thing. So what could any lazy, yet self respecting foodie do? SHE MAKES RESERVATIONS!!!! I couldn't believe that I was on the phone in September making reservations for a meal that I could already taste yet would not eat until the end of November. Now, you are probably saying one of two things to yourself right now: "Not eat at home on a holiday? How could she? Surely she will miss the aroma of roasting turkey and baking pies." or you have regained your senses and are saying, "YOU GO GIRL!".

It has been a long time since I have cooked a holiday meal. It has been a long time since I have eaten a holiday meal in someone else's home. Why? Because for years the holidays meant spending hours in stuffy houses with a) people I didn't see the rest of the year (there are reasons for this) and b) people that have decided that since they are going to someone else's 'home' for a meal that gives them carte blanche to dress like they just rolled out of bed. At least in a restaurant people have usually taken the time to brush their teeth. Besides that, what are the chances that Uncle Charlie will get tanked again this year if he has to pay for all those scotches he is knocking back?

The Royal Hawaiian

Think pink. That is the first thing you need to know about The Royal Hawaiian. The second thing you need to know is that those in the know refer to it as simply "The Royal", as in "We have been coming to The Royal since 1946.". The final thing to know is that the clientele is a mix of a) families who actually have been vacationing here since the hotel opened in 1927 (only a World War could keep them away) and b) Japanese wedding parties. Put the two together and you come up with a lovely combination of old world gentility and new world graciousness.

The Pink Palace has loomed on the horizon of my daydreams for many years. The first time I saw it I was eight years old. My family had gone to Hawaii for vacation. We were staying in a modern high rise affair, The Waikiki Biltmore. Knowing that I was indeed the princess that had somehow landed in the wrong lobby, I felt immediately at home the moment I walked through The Royal's foyer. People tell me that pineapple juice ran in the water fountains then. I don't remember that part. I just knew that someday I would stay there - a duckling that had found its mother. At that time you could view the hotel from the main thoroughfare of Waikiki, a vision of pink, surrounded by palm trees. Today, there are high rises that hide it away. This actually helps it from being inundated by 'eles touristes' who wander along the main avenue (such is the sad fate of the other grand hotel on Waikiki, The Moana, a few doors down the road. The main lobby there is packed with roving herds of people looking for the Banyan Tree Bar.) At least hidden away, The Royal is spared the traffic of the truly unknowing.

EnokiWorld Interview

This piece originally appeared in the on-line zine SPACE, published by the wonderful vintage clothing website 'enokiworld'.

enokiworld: I sent you those questions. What'd you think?

Karletta Moniz: So I am sitting trying to give them the full attention they deserve and this idiot at the next table will not stop telling his wife/date how "WONDERFUL CHEZ PANISSE IS. DON'T YOU KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTRY. HOW LUCKY YOU ARE TO EAT HERE BLAH BLAH BLAH". The poor woman couldn't get a word in. She just kept slumping down lower and lower in her chair. Then the waitress arrives to deliver his food. I thought he was going to wet his pants. "That was the best dressed salad I have ever had". Now, a compliment here and there to the wait staff is always nice but this guy went on and on and on. OK, it is a nice place to eat, but it is just food....

e: What changes have you noticed in the way people approach food now as opposed to 40 years ago? Not that you're that old, you just know too much.

km: I believe that people actually enjoyed their food more 40 years ago. I'm not talking about the special occasion meal we all seem to fit in now and then. Rather, the everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner. People took more time and care with what they were putting in their mouths. I don't buy that people don't "have the time" to eat a slow meal these days. They just don't want to take the time. Can anything else really be more important than what we put in our bodies? People today look upon most of their meals as just fuel - what will keep them going until the next 'fill-up'. Or they mindlessly graze away and end up weighing over 200 pounds.