This egg-less twist on chicken salad is anything but boring. Use left-over chicken and make sandwiches that will be more exciting than the original meal. This is a highly adaptable recipe so as long as you get the sauce right, you can mix in whatever you have in the fridge. Did I mention that it’s extremely easy?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise—I prefer light mayo
• 1 good squirt of Sriracha Sauce, about 1tbsp or to taste
• 1 1/4 tbsp curry paste.
  For this recipe, I’d suggest Mae Ploy Masman. You can get it for about $3 at most Asian grocery stores
• 1/2 cup corn
• 2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken Hint: use leftovers!
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 stalks chopped celery
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• kosher or sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, curry paste, Sriracha Sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper until mixture is consistent. Taste and make adjustments as needed. Add in everything else and stir until all ingredients are evenly coated with the sauce.

Make it a Sandwich!!

Ingredients

• 2-4 Bilillo torta rolls
• leaf lettuce
• 1 sliced tomato
• butter

Directions

Slice rolls in half, butter each side and toast. Scoop about 1 cup of curry chicken salad on the bottom slice of each roll. Add sliced tomatoes and salt them. Add a slice of lettuce and the top of the bread.

HEAVEN!

prep time: 15 min

cook time: none

We’re SO excited about Bacon Camp, San Francisco, on Mar 21. I get to be a judge. If you haven’t heard about this event, you’re in for an excitingly culinary treat. It’s produced by my dear friend Karen. Tickets are available here. So come out for the bacon and meet me and a host of other baco-celebs.

I’m also a little tickled that Steve’s and my creation, Bacon Man has a cameo in the Bacon Meme Video, a trailer for Bacon Camp!

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Sorry I don’t have photos but this dish was so good, I’m sharing the recipe right away. This was a spicy fusion spin on miso chicken.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken thighs (remove skin)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ground ginger powder
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper

For the Sauce

• 4 tbsp red miso paste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp dark molasses
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 bunch finely chopped scallions
• 2 tbsp grated chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce (or to taste)
• 1 cup bourbon

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. Remove skin from chicken and cover each side with a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground ginger. Heat the oil in a skillet, preferably cast iron. Brown the chicken on both sides. Place entire skillet into oven for about 45 minutes or until done in the middle (about 170°).

While chicken is baking, add all of the sauce ingredients except the bourbon to a bowl and whisk together until miso is completely dissolved.

When chicken is done, take the skillet out of the oven and move the chicken pieces to a plate. I placed them in the broiler with the heat off just to keep them warm. Deglaze the pan by placing it over high heat and then adding the whiskey. Lower it to medium and stir until all that lovely chicken juice begins to dissolve into the whiskey. Now stir in the rest of the sauce and simmer over medium for about ten minutes or until the scallions soften.

Plate the chicken and pour sauce over each piece. Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly grated ginger.

Cook time: about an hour

Prep time: about half an hour

Servings: four

Pork is just so incredibly under-rated. I love it. This is my recipe for Herb Encrusted Pork Tenderloin. This is a pretty easy main dish to put together and it’s mouth watering and tender. My fiancé just loves this! So without further ado, here’s the recipe.

Feeds: 4-6, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 45 min

• 1 center cut pork tenderloin
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary (pull out any woody stems)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup grainy brown mustard (get the really good stuff!)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 dash olive oil
• salt & pepper

Step 1: Sear the Meat

Heat about 4 tbsp olive oil in a skillet, non-stick is best. Salt and pepper the outside of the pork, all the way around. Just barely sear all sides of the meat for about 10-15 seconds per side. Then, take it out of the pan and set it in a baking dish away from the heat.

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce

Chop up all the herbs very finely. In a small mixing bowl, add the herbs, mustard, white wine, garlic, and whatever olive oil is left in the skillet. If there’s less than about 3 tbsp of oil, add a little more. Mix it all into a thick paste like in the photo (bottom left).

Step 3: Cover & Cook the Meat

Cover the pork on all sides with a very thick coating of the sauce. It’s OK to use your hands. Pour whatever is left around the sides. Cover with a piece of foil and cook at 300°F for about forty five minutes or until your meat thermometer says 150°.

Step 4: Serve

Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then serve it whole or slice it into medallions that are about 1/4-1/2″ thick. Add a little of that sauce over the top and serve it. I really think this goes well with steamed veggies and a little angel hair pasta with white sauce. With all the strong flavors in the sauce, be sure that your side dishes don’t compete with it!

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Microwave cooking has been a way of life for a generation. But some people claim that microwave cooking is unhealthy or even dangerous. While it’s not my preferred method of cooking, there seems to be little substantiated evidence that it’s actually harmful.

The Nuke-lear Family

My mother got her first microwave oven in the late seventies. I still remember the big brown box with push buttons that sat on our countertop. It was large enough to cook a turkey and came with attachments for everything from cooking roasts to making popcorn. I think mom initially resisted getting one, but now, I cannot imagine her kitchen without one.

The introduction of microwaves to the domestic kitchen happened about ten years before we got one. In 1967, Amana introduced the first home microwave oven, the RadaRange. (Commercial microwaves came out in 1954.) My mom wasn’t the only housewife to slowly adapt to the new style of cooking.

It wasn’t until the mid-seventies that popularity began to grow for the RadaRange and handful of other microwaves on the market. But in 1975, the Amana RadaRange outsold gas ranges. I can’t help but consider that this was around the same time that our mothers gave up being stay-at-home moms and began re-entering the workforce. The convenience of the microwave was probably quite appealing!

My mom happens to be a great cook, so despite the advice of Mom’s microwave cookbook, I don’t think she ever actually tried to nuke an entire turkey. She does, however, cook a lot more food in her microwave than I do. It’s not my favorite kitchen appliance, so I pretty much just use it to defrost meat, melt butter, and reheat leftovers.

Safety Concerns & Controversy

Nowadays, public opinion of microwaves seems to be pretty controversial. In the past decade debate over the safety of microwave cooking, has become heated. There seem to be three issues in play: 1) whether microwaves deplete vitamins from food, 2) radiation concerns, and 3) the effects of food storage items like certain plastics and styrofoam when microwaved.

Vitamin Retention

In an article entitled, Microwave Ovens Destroy the Nutritional Value of Your Food, which is published and republished all over alternative health websites, Mike Adams contends that microwave ovens are responsible for all kinds of nutritional deficiencies and health problems. According to Adams, microwaved food is “dead food” and basically nutritionally void. While I got a laugh out of the Night of the Living Dead references he makes, I find it hard to jump on Adams’ bandwagon because his article does not cite a single source or study for this claim.

Food Science, Australia, says that cooking vegetables in your microwave actually causes them to retain more vitamins than if you boil them in water. This would infer that microwaves are a more healthy cooking method than stove-top. (Although, steaming veggies is indisputably better than boiling, as the nutrients are not leached into the water.)

This Japanese study, from 1997, found that microwaves deplete the B vitamins in food by about 30-40%, which is certainly a noticeable amount, yet a far cry from creating zombie broccoli.

Other websites made claims that microwaves change the molecular structure in protein, making it difficult or impossible to digest; that they change the magnetic polarity of the atoms; and that they make food downright radioactive. I could not find any actual studies to corroborate any of this. In fact, the latter is patently false.

Radiation

I checked the USDA Microwave FAQ. It’s a pretty good read. According to the USDA, microwaves do not make food radioactive. “Microwave energy uses a wave length similar to television, radio waves, electric shavers and radar…. X-rays and nuclear radiation are at the other end of the spectrum and are a million times more powerful.”

There is also the concern that microwaves can leak radiation. Here’s what Consumer Reports has to say: “While the Food and Drug Administration does allow for some leakage (at levels far below any known to cause harm), it also requires that microwaves stop producing radiation once the door is opened. Bottom line: Don’t operate a microwave if the door is broken.” There are plenty of websites out there that will tell you otherwise, but again, I could not find any scientific studies backing up these claims.

Wrappers and Containers

There are plenty of wrappers that should not go into your microwave. For instance, styrofoam is a big No-No! It melts and binds with your food. The USDA has a great list of microwave safe materials. I find that covering a dish with another plate is a less-melty alternative to plastic-wrap, and it’s far more environmentally responsible. If you’re not sure if your leftovers came in a microwave-safe package, scoop them onto a plate.

Conclusion

While it’s unlikely that microwaves are the root cause of Western disease, there does seem to be some evidence that it changes the nutrient values in food -depending on how you cook it and what you compare it too. Raw veggies are better for you anyway, but if you must cook them, whatever method you choose, the less you cook them, the healthier they are. If you’re concerned about the radiation, some have recommended standing 5-10 feet away from an microwave in use. Use common sense when choosing a container or wrapper. When in doubt, stick it on a plate.

So I guess, for me, the deciding factor comes down to flavor. While there are some things that the microwave does faster, most dishes just taste better when cooked with a stove, oven or grill.

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A new trend in San Francisco dining seems to be catching on, and surprisingly, it has nothing to do with food. Eateries all over town have started applying health care surcharges to the bill. Some are adding on 2%-5% of the bill, while others tack on $1-$3 per diner. And diners seem to have very mixed reactions. What’s this all about?

Effective in 2008, San Francisco businesses with more than twenty employees must provide health care to all staff members who work over ten hours a week. How much health care they are required to offer depends on the size of the business. The mandate comes from the San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) which most of us voted for. But did voters think they’d be seeing it on their restaurant bills?

The first time I encountered the health care surcharge was late this winter, when I had drinks at the new Water Bar. The menu stated very clearly that the there would be a 4% charge and why. I was actually glad to see it. Too many of my friends & family members are without health care.

I didn’t really think about it again until I read Michael Bauer’s blog post in the Chronicle about how outraged diners at the Epic Roasthouse have been. Epic is next door to Water Bar and they opened on the same day. But I wouldn’t go to either expecting an inexpensive meal—so what’s another 4% that’s earmarked for something so vital as health care?

The next time I encountered a surcharge was this week at the Buckhorn Grill, a fast food version of the Buckhorn Road House. This time, I was not aware of the charge before I ordered but it was only 2% and when added to a $7 salad to go, the extra $0.14 didn’t seem like any imposition.

But plenty of Yelpers are unhappy . A frequent arguement is that health care is an operational cost. Businesses should raise their prices accordingly rather than add a gimmicky “surcharge” to the bill. Another yelper in this thread said if we have to pay a surcharge for someone else’s health care, it should at least be tax deductable. I thought that was an interesting point. Others commented that if they had to pay the surcharge, they’d be inclined to tip less—effectively making the restaurant staff pay out of pocket.

My take on this is that the Health Care Ordinance clearly effects margins of restaurants and rather just raising the prices, they are providing some explanation to their patrons. I voted for and support the HCSO and I also understand that Health Care costs money. I would not be surprised to start seeing retail businesses follow suit with surcharges. Besides, as other supporters have commented, eating out is a luxury and if I cannot afford the extra 4% then I’ll eat at home. I have a choice.

What do you think?

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With salmon being virtually unavailable this year, and the list of over-farmed seafood growing, I feel like the fish choices keep getting slimmer all the time. Luckily, tilapia is still a great choice*.

I really like this fish. It’s available at any decent fish market or Asian grocery store, usually live or very fresh. It’s also much less expensive than other seafood choices, usually about $3/lb. And unless gutting fish is your thing, ask the guy at the meat counter to clean it for you before you bring it home.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to prepare tilapia. Herb Stuffed Tilapia makes a great summer main dish that’s low fat and full of delicious flavor.

For more tilapia recipes, Tessa Evans has a blog devoted to them. You can also find a list of tilapia recipes presented by the American Tilapia Association.

Herb Stuffed Tilapia

Prep time: about 20 min. Cook time: about 30 min. Skill Level: medium to easy.

1 large whole tilapia, cleaned
1 lemon sliced into thin wedges
1 lemon sliced into rounds
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 or 4 green onions, sliced vertically
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 stick butter
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp peppercorns
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix dill, thyme, rosemary, chopped onion and garlic. Place fish into 9″x13″ baking pan. If the tail sticks out, just trim it with a pair of scissors. Next, lay 4 or 5 slices of butter into the body cavity of the fish, spread out. Stuff the fish with most of the herbs mixture leaving out about 1/4 cup. Pour 3/4 cup of wine into the fish. Now seal the opening off with the lemon wedges (see picture). Pour the remaining wine over the top of the fish and salt. Sprinkle the rest of the herb mixture over the top. Lay the sliced lemons over the top. Arrange the other onions on the bottom of the pan.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until fish is done and tender. It should just fall apart with a fork.

* Just be sure that you’re getting tilapia farmed in the US or Central America as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch warns against the fish if it’s farmed in China.

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Buying Locally Offers Better Prices & Selection

I avoid Safeway as much as possible. I used to think I didn’t have much of a choice for buying groceries. Now I’m learning that there are plenty of options that beat chain grocery stores for both price & selection.

Growing up in a nuclear family, I always thought that big grocery stores were necessary to supply my house with staples. Mom made the weekly trip to Stater Brothers or Alpha Beta and collected Blue Chip Stamps to save up for free appliances, long before the days of club cards. It seemed like back then, there were more major grocery stores as well as plenty of small markets you could choose from.

Nowadays, in San Francisco, you’re pretty much limited to Safeway and the Vons that’s out on Sloat. Calla Foods closed up a couple years ago. So are we stuck buying groceries from huge national chains that truck in supplies lord-knows-where and set prices however they please? Hell No!

San Francisco has plenty of small mom-pop markets with much better selection of produce, meats, and seafood than the Mega Marts. You just have to be willing to look for them.

While Safeway charges fifty cents per lime, my corner market sells them ten for a dollar. El Chico markets have wonderful produce and a fantastic meat counter too. I frequent the one on Mission in the Excelsior but they have locations all over town. Chain grocery stores also tend to have a very limited seafood selection. Try J.R. Seafood on BayView or Mission Meat & Poultry Market at 22nd & Mission for unbeatable quality, price and selection. In fact, Mission Poultry only sells sushi-grade fish. Your neighborhood Asian market is also going to be a great place to pick up fresh seafood. My favorite butcher, also at 22nd & Mission is Mission Meat Department. The staff is always so friendly and ready to offer recipe suggestions. They carry a variety of delicious hand-made sausages, too.

The best part about avoiding Safeway is that I am supporting local businesses and directly affecting the local economy. I may have to make a few more stops, but in my opinion, I get a much richer shopping experience and the access to greater variety of foods that chain stores just don’t carry.

I’ve listed a few of my favorite stores. I’d love to hear where you shop, whether or not you’re in San Francisco.

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I whipped up some super yummy salad dressing tonight. Try it over a mixed green salad with bell peppers and red leaf lettuce.

1 bunch cilantro
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 drops mega hot sauce like Dave’s Insanity

Put cilantro & apple cider vinegar in food processor and finely chop cilantro. Pour into bowl and add other ingredients. Whisk vigorously until oil no longer separates. Serve immediately or if you store it, whisk again right before serving. Can be saved in fridge or freezer.

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Today, I got the Yelp Review of the Day for my review of the San Francisco restaurant, Spruce. How exciting! I really love posting on Yelp but lately I’ve been wanting a place to post thoughts on home cooking, recipes, and wine, too. So, I got the idea to start my own foodie blog.

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