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Here’s another story on California salads. Hope you enjoy The photo is by Gabe Sachs, a wonderful photographer and serious foodie!

Growing up in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to enjoy just about every version of the famous Brown Derby Cobb salad that was offered. You can still find the original Cobb salad, named after Bob Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby, at any number of California restaurants. In fact this salad has become a national favorite in restaurants across the country. Chopped iceberg lettuce is the basic ingredient, along with blue cheese, cooked chicken, crisp crumbled bacon, diced avocado, and tomato garnishes. Sometimes it comes mixed and other times it is presented with a pretty design of all of the ingredients on top.

I’ve reinterpreted this salad by adding a mix of more flavorful greens, including arugula and watercress, and blending in raw corn and shreds of imported Parmesan. I often forgo the chicken and serve this as a first course. While the old standards of blue cheese, avocado, and bacon are delicious, this lighter version is a welcome change.

The creamy balsamic dressing combines the bold flavors of shallots, lemon and balsamic and is tempered by the tangy yet creamy non-fat yogurt. You can try this with other salad dressings when you are looking for a creamy result without the calories.

Look for crisp romaine leaves, bright green arugula leaves and sweet bell peppers that are at their peak this time of year. Fresh corn kernels add a burst of late summery sweetness and the shards of Parmesan cheese add a nutty richness. You can chop this as fine or as coarse as you prefer. Accompany with a basket of warm sourdough rolls. Serve a crisp, dry white wine to balance the creamy dressing like a Sauvingon Blanc or a Reisling.

Farmer’s Market “Cobb” Salad

Serves 2 to 3 as a Main Course Salad or 4 to 6 as a First Course

Creamy Balsamic Yogurt Dressing

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

Salad

1 medium head of romaine lettuce, light green and white leaves only, finely chopped

1 bunch of arugula, coarsely chopped

1 bunch of watercress, leaves only, coarsely chopped

1 skinless medium whole chicken breast, cooked and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 European cucumber, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 ear of white or sweet yellow corn, husked and shucked

1/4 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese (use a shredder or peeler)

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard and whisk to combine. Slowly add the oil, whisking to incorporate. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and blend well. Taste for seasoning.

2. Combine all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Add dressing and toss until all vegetables are well coated. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper on the salad if desired and serve.

Advance Preparation

The dressing can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Whisk the dressing well before using. The salad can be prepared 2 hours ahead and refrigerated. (Since the salad is chopped with a metal knife, the lettuce may begin to brown after 2 hours.)

Salads and California cooking just go together. As a child growing up in Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of sampling the most famous of all chopped salads known as Leon Gourmet Salad at La Scala Boutique Restaurant in Beverly Hills. On Saturdays my family and I would stop by the restaurant for their delicious pureed vegetable soup and a chopped salad served with some of the best bread in town. It was a tradition I treasure.

Today there are a few La Scala Restaurants in Los Angeles and they still make the original chopped salad. Iceberg lettuce, finely chopped but still crisp, is mixed with chopped romaine, Genoa salami, mozzarella cheese and canned garbanzo beans. Who would have thought such a simple combination would be so appreciated and emulated?

The story goes that many of La Scala’s celebrity clientele were tired of the simple antipasto platter so owner Jean Leon created this salad, taking the antipasto ingredients and chopping them up with the lettuce. It was an instant hit and still is today. La Scala Restaurant still serves more of these salads at lunchtime than anything else on the menu. I like it just as much for dinner!

You’ll find variations on this salad on restaurant menus cross the country. Chefs love to create their own signature on this classic and so can you. I try to keep the ingredients limited so that all the flavors work together instead of compete with one another. Some other flavor additions or substitutions you might consider include sweet red or orange bell peppers, ripe red or yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, provolone, feta cheese or even olives. Another favorite of mine is to chop up chilled grilled vegetables and top with some goat cheese.

While I love the original chopped salad I like to make it in many variations. When summertime rolls around I gravitate to this version. Take the freshest greens, add perfectly ripe chopped tomatoes, raw sweet corn, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and dress it with a peppery arugula balsamic vinaigrette. Fresh basil works if you can’t find arugua.

For a more substantial main course salad, add cooked chicken or seafood. If green beans are particularly sweet I’ll steam them up, chill them and add them just before serving. Begin with bowls of your favorite chilled soup for an alfresco light lunch or dinner. Don’t forget some crusty French or Italian bread and small bowls of fruity olive for dipping.

Help is on the way: Make the salad no more than 2 hours ahead since the metal from the knife will darken the lettuce leaves. Use a chopping board and a chef’s knife for chopping up the ingredients. To shuck the corn, hold the husked corn on the vertical and slide the chefs knife down the sides releasing the corn kernels. Use a peeler to grate the cheese into thin shards. The dressing can be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated. Whisk dressing well before using.

Summer Chopped Salad with Arugula Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Dressing

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup packed coarsely chopped arugula leaves

1/2 pound of fresh mixed salad greens, finely chopped

1 large ripe tomato, coarsely chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 fresh ear of white or sweet yellow corn, husked and shucked

1/4 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese (you can use a shredder or peeler)

1. In the food processor fitted with the metal blade combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard and process to combine. Slowly add the oil, whisking to incorporate. Add the salt and pepper and arugula and pulse until well blended. Taste for seasoning.

2. Combine all salad ingredients into a large salad bowl. Add dressing and toss until all vegetables are well coated. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper on the salad if desired, and serve.

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I love pancakes. I enjoyed making all sorts of pancakes when my daughter was young. Blueberry, chocolate chip and banana were just a few of my specialties. Whenever we traveled to new destinations, we always sampled the local pancakes. I can still remember the huge fluffy hot cakes drizzled with warm maple syrup at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington D.C.

On one of our trips to the Sonoma wine country we spent the evening at the George Alexander House, a charming bed-and-breakfast , in the little town of Healdsberg We awoke the next morning to find a version of these heavenly, fluffy pancakes awaiting us in the cozy country dining room.

These sophisticated pancakes include creamy ricotta that creates an airy sweetness while the addition of whipped egg whites folded into the batter produces a moist and light result. I like the addition of orange with the pear topping. Some crisp bacon and fresh fruit juice are all you need to make this a breakfast or brunch you won’t soon forget. Serve these on a lazy Sunday morning with caffe latte.

Pancakes require some basic skills. Here are a few tips:
• Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until they are just blended together. Working the batter for too long will cause the pancakes to be tough.
• Use a large non-stick skillet or flat griddle.
• Heat the pan and then add the butter to it. Make sure there is not too much butter or the pancakes will be oily.
• Use a measuring cup with a spout or a ladle.
• Pour the batter slowly as it will spread.
• Cook the first side until tiny bubbles appear across the pancake. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Help is on the Way:
• For brunch, accompany these pancakes with a crisp, fruity Johannesburg Riesling or a spicy Gewürztraminer
• Make the pear topping up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before serving.

Ricotta Pancakes with Sautéed Spiced Pears

Serves 4

Pear Topping
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pancakes
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter for cooking the pancakes

1. For the pear topping, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pears and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the pears are softened. Add the sugar and continue cooking until the pears are soft and the sauce is slightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger, cinnamon, orange juice, and vanilla and cook for another minute. Cover and set aside, keeping warm.

2. For the pancakes, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, orange zest and flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine, the egg whites and a pinch of salt and beat on medium speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Add one third of the egg whites to the pancake mixture and fold them in gently. Fold in the remaining egg whites, making sure no white streaks are left in the batter.

4. To cook the pancakes, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large griddle or sauté pan over medium heat. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Add more butter as necessary.

5. Serve the pancakes immediately with a large dollop of pear topping. You can also serve these with some warm maple syrup if you like.

For those of you who are fascinated by culinary history, this is the story of beef Stroganoff. According to John Ayto of An A to Z of Food and Drink, Oxford University Press, “Beef stroganoff is a dish consisting of strips of lean beef sauteed and served in a sour-cream sauce with onions and mushrooms. The recipe, which is of Russian origin, has been known since the eighteenth century, but its name appears to come from County Paul Stroganoff, a nineteeth-century Russian diplomat. Legend has it that when he was stationed in deepest Siberia, his chef discovered that the beef was frozen so solid that it could only be coped with by cutting it into very thin strips. The first English cookery book to include it seems to have been Ambrose Heath’s Good Food (1932).”

I never knew all those facts when I decided to try making this dish as a freshman in college. It sounded yummy and pretty easy to make. I prepared it from my first cookbook Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I didn’t know that adding sour cream and heating it can sometimes have unpleasant consequences. It can curdle but if you add flour and don’t boil the sauce, you will have a deliciously creamy sauce. I made that dish for years and then of course, it feel out of fashion. Creamy sauces were out. Recently I prepared this for a group of friends and realized that this dish belongs on the table again. It is as delicious as ever. The key to enjoying dishes like this is smaller portions and using less cream. This recipe uses a scant 1/3 cup of crème fraiche for 6 people.

Today many of us prefer dishes grilled with light sauces and marinades but there are times when the weather and the situation are the perfect time for a dish like Beef Stroganoff. I have made a few changes in this dish that reflect my love for leeks and the brown cremini mushroom. Slightly browned and caramelized leeks and mushrooms are the flavoring for the tender strips of beef.

Tomato paste, Dijon mustard and a big squirt of lemon juice balances out the beef broth and crème fraiche. I prefer using crème fraiche for this because it has a mild, sweet yet slightly nutty flavor and has less of a chance of curdling when heated. Sour cream is of course an option. Serve this on a bed of wide egg noodles in a shallow soup bowl for a pretty presentation.

I like to begin this menu with a butter lettuce salad with shavings of Parmesan cheese and thinly sliced pears in a lemon vinaigrette. Serve sliced French bread on the side. If you want a green vegetable a side of braised spinach leaves would be lovely. Accompany this with a Rhone red wine like a Syrah or try a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Help is on the Way:

• For an even lighter version try this with strips of chicken or turkey instead of the beef.
• Use wild mushrooms, if available.
• Serve the stroganoff on a bed of couscous.
• This should be prepared just before serving.

Beef Stroganoff

Serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds top sirloin, cut into 2 x 1×1/8-ich strips

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 leeks, light green and white part only, cleaned and finely chopped

1 pound brown (cremini) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups beef broth

1/3 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet on high heat. Dry the beef off with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Saute the beef in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan, about 1 minute on a side or until nicely browned on both sides and still pinkish. Remove to a side bowl and reserve. Repeat with another 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and the remaining meat. Reserve

2. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter to the skillet. Saute the leeks until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until nicely browned, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a minute or until lightly browned. Sprinkle over the flour and cook another minute. Add the broth, turn up the heat to high and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let boil a minute and then reduce the heat to medium. Add the cream, mustard and lemon juice and cook another minute until nicely blended. Taste for seasoning. Return the meat and any juices to the sauce and cook no more than 2 minutes or until just hot. Serve immediately over noodles and garnish with parsley.

So here I sit recovering from surgery to remove a broken ankle spur (whatever that is). I have to sit with my ankle elevated for 12 days. I have had the distinct displeasure of watching the dow continually decline while the news people tell us we are doomed despite the stimulus plan.

As I watch the pundits rant and rave I also look for the latest Euro rate to the dollar. I imagine myself flying off to Paris for a long weekend going from bistro to bistro…. finding the perfect potato dish… maybe mashed potatoes with parsnips, a creamy casserole of potatoes Dauphinoise, a crispy potatoes Anna or slender sticks of perfect French fries. These thoughts will remain just fantasies for the foreseeable future.

Potatoes are the universal food round the world that mean comfort… a bad day, a tough family issue, a work problem…. all are made just a little bit better with a favorite potato dish. And since I am not going anywhere for the next 12 days I will make do with 3 of my favorite potato dishes that I hope you will try during these blustery winter days.

Potatoes Savoyarde
Serves 6

Filling

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 1/2 pounds russet baking potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

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