Here in the Bay area we’re receiving the very, very last round of summer produce. It’s that funky time of the year when tomatoes and peaches are a bit too mealy and underdeveloped and root vegetables, mushrooms and pears just don’t feel right yet. We had two chilly days last week (hence the meatball post) and then a string of hot 80 plus degree days… bundle up, bundle down. So, what is a cook to do this time of year?? I’ll tell you what would be good for the foodie soul: get in the spirit of Fall by preserving that last of the summers bounty! Pickle a batch of peppers, tomatoes, squash or fruit and enjoy it throughout the winter. It will also make you a friend for life if you give a jar as a gift.

What inspired me to write this post were some pickled peppers that our very own Chef de Cuisine, Alex Lopez - aka “the stork” - brought to us on a beautiful autumn day not long ago. They are hands down some of the best preserved peppers I’ve ever had! Spicy yet rounded.. .sweet and herbal! Great to add to a relish, on a burger or to simply eat on its own. I’ve also been using the pickling juice to add to beans, rice and poaching liquid. Yeummm! So, head to Smart & Final to buy some jars and get in the spirit.

Divalicious Pickled Peppers
Recipe courtesy of Chef Alexandra Lopez ~ The Food Diva

Makes 6 pint jars

2 quarts white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup light agave nectar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds Anaheim (or other mild green chile)
1 pound yellow cubanelle peppers (you may substitute Gypsy peppers)
1/4 pound Thai birds beak chilies
3 large yellow onions
Assorted spices such as black peppercorns and coriander
Fresh herbs: thyme, bay leaf, marjoram
Garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

In a large pot combine vinegar, water, agave and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the green chilies and slice them into thirds. Cut a small slit into the bottom of the yellow peppers; leave them whole, as well as the red chilies.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until slightly tender, but not mushy. Remove from skillet and allow onions to cool. Add the green sliced chilies to the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

When ready to assemble jars, be sure they are sanitized and ready to be filled. Add one garlic clove, a few spices and one each of the bay leaf, thyme and marjoram sprig. Fill each jar with a generous amount of sliced onions, red chilies, green chilies and one yellow pepper. Fill each jar with the hot brine and leave about 1/2 inch of space from the top of the jar. Cover tightly and process in a hot water canner for long term storage or simply place peppers in the fridge unprocessed for immediate consumption. Enjoy with your next sandwich!!

Brrrrrrrrr.. Fall has officially arrived here in San Francisco. Jack frost and associates arrived late last night on the red eye! You know the switch when your favorite slippers have to come out of retirement and your food cravings go from grilled fish to braised meats. Today I want to talk about the classic meatball… Momma Mia, the Swedish Chef and all things juicy. And who doesn’t love meatballs? I mean really.. rich, airy, sweet, crispy nuggets of meat. Great with pasta, on toasted sub rolls with melty cheese, in soups or simply on it’s own.

Classics like deviled eggs, grilled cheese, clam chowder, blts, éclairs, and balls of meat never go out of style and will forever turn adults into giddy little kids.. fond memories of times past! So on this brisk morning I want to share this simple basic meatball recipe with you. Put on some Sinatra, light a fire and have a ball making this classic tasty dish!

Happy Cooking!

Meatballs
Makes 20 small meatballs

Ingredients
For the sauce
6 cups fresh tomato concassé or canned Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch of fresh basil
salt and pepper

For the balls
3 pounds ground beef or pork (or combine the two)
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Italian (non flavored) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, chopped and sautéed with wine and herbs

Special Equipment
Large braising pan

Instructions
For the sauce
Poach the garlic cloves in the olive oil over low heat with a pinch of salt and pepper until the garlic begins to brown. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 of the basil. Simmer for about 1/2 an hour, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent the sauce from drying out. Continue to stir as the sauce simmers. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Process in blender until smooth. Chop the remaining basil and add to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Balls
In a large bowl, mix meat with eggs. Then add bread crumbs, cheese and salt and pepper. Finally add minced garlic, onions and herbs.
Roll up the balls. Get the pan nice and hot. Add a squirt of vegetable oil. Cook meat balls until they are brown and crispy. Add the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve
Serve with pasta, on a roll or eat on it’s own.

I am, without a doubt, a fried chicken aficionado! Coming from Virginia, I grew up on buckets and buckets of the crispy stuff. What wasn’t eaten for the intended meal was placed in the fridge and devoured cold the next day. When I was training on how to become a cook,  I never even bothered to learn how to make the fried version. I mean really, why would I ever compete with folks who made it day in and day out. People with flour crusted hands and grease coated smocks approached the art of frying like Picasso approached a canvas. It really is an art that’s taken very seriously.

Now, living in San Francisco, I have cause. You can find OK fried chicken here but for some reason it isn’t the same. Maybe because you have to either travel over the bridge to Oakland or pay $20 a plate here in the city for something decent. Time to fry!

Initially, what got me inspired was an article in the September issue of Bon Appétit magazine. They ran a story with Thomas Keller (French Laundry) and Joel Gott (Taylors Automatic Refresher) throwing a picnic in their backyard. Of course Mr. Keller’s recipe had 20 steps including brining the chicken; so I wrote a simple version that is a bit more manageable. The one thing though that intrigued me was how Mr. Keller’s recipe called for letting the chicken stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours after dredging in the flour. So I gave it a try… tadaaaa! That step alone was probably the best advice you could ever add to a fried chicken recipe. It did a few things. First by letting the chicken sit at room temperature for a spell it prevented the fry oil from cooling down too quickly. The coating stayed on the whole time while frying AND the skin was dense and Mac daddy crispy!

The chicken turned out juicy and flavorful and yes, tasted even better the day after. So get out your skillet, put on some Johnny Cash and get busy with some hot grease. Happy frying!

Fried Chicken
Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
1 gallon fry oil

Instructions

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Let sit for 1 hour.
Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Next dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. Let chicken dry out at room temperature for 1/2 an hour. (This will help produce thick crunchy skin)

Add fry oil to a heavy medium sized pot or a large cast iron skillet. Raise heat to 325°. Do not allow oil to get hotter than 325°. This way it can cook slow and low and not burn the skin leaving the center of the chicken pink.
Place chicken, skin side down, into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 7 to 10 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor fry oil temperature every few minutes). Too low and it will make the chicken limp and greasy.
Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. * Don’t drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven.