Sarah Mastracco Chef On The Move

Lunch in Maine

After Santorini, our next stop was Dubrovnik, an amazing city located on the southern Dalmatian coast on the Adriatic Sea. We stayed in an apartment that was perfectly located in the old town called Karmen Apartments. At the time, I was not savvy to the Private Accommodation system they have in most Croatian towns. There are travel agencies in most places that will help you find a private apartment or room once you arrive. I found that this was the best way to go, especially if you plan to move from place to place every 2 to 3 days.

From Dubrovnik, we took a boat excursion to the neighboring Elaphite Islands of Lopud, Sipan and Kolocep. The trip takes about 6 hours and gives you a great opportunity to see these beautiful spots and enjoy a very delicious meal cooked for you on the boat, and plenty of wine if you butter up the crew.

After 3 nights in Dubrovnik, we rented a car and drove up the coast, stopping in Mol Ston to have an amazing lunch…oysters from the beds located directly next to the restaurant, fried calamari and melon wrapped in prosciutto.

http://www.karmendu.com/

During my 10 days in Hvar, I rented an apartment that was in the center of Old Town. Here is the link to rent by the day, week or longer…

http://hektorovichousehvar.hr/Home.aspx

After a week in Mykonos, Mary Curran and I headed to Santorini to relax and enjoy and slightly tamer side of Greece. After a 2 1/2 hour ferry, we landed in the port which is about 20-25 minutes by cab from Oia.

Arriving in Oia, we were blown away by the views of white-washed houses, hotels, shops and restaurants built directly into the cliffs that plunged into clear blue waters. Stunning! Our hotel, VIP Suites, was beautiful, affordable, and a perfect place to watch the famous sunsets of Oia.

The food in Greece has been the highlight of my month of travel. The seafood is fresh and delicious and the greek salads are perfect for lunch every day with a side of tzatziki, taramosalata and dolmas. In Mykonos, there are a few good restaurants and bars on the water in the area called Little Venice…perfect for lunch, sunset cocktails, dinner and late night partying. Caprice Bar is a very good spot for drinks after 11pm, good music and tables outside on the waterfront. For lunch, Kiki’s is a must. It’s completely rustic, set above a cove beach near Panormos Bay and Agios Sostis beach. A selection of about 15 salads accompany fresh seafood, meat and chicken from an open outdoor grill.

Salt and Peppa Prawns

2# head-on Prawns (about 12 per pound)

1 Tbs. whole white peppercorns, lightly crushed in a spice grinder or mortar & Pestal

1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed

3 Tbs. Maldon Sea Salt

1 Tbs. minced lemongrass

1 Tbs. chopped ginger

1/4 cup canola oil

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/vietnamese-dipping-sauce

Cilantro sprigs

Lime wedges

In a small bowl, mix the crushed white and black peppercorns, salt, lemongrass and ginger. Set aside while you prepare the prawns.

Use 10 inch skewers and starting at the tail, gently thread the skewer under the shell along the back until the tip reaches the head. Repeat with remaining prawns. Arrange evenly on a sheet tray and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle the peppercorn, salt, lemongrass and ginger mixture over the prawns, making sure to season both sides.

Heat a grill to medium high heat. Grill the prawns on the first side until light pink and slightly charred, about 2 minutes. Turn prawns onto the other side and continue to grill until cooked through, about another 1 1/2-2 minutes. Serve with lime wedges, vietnamese dipping sauce and cilantro sprigs.

Serves 4 as a main dish or 8 as an app.

Shots from North Lake Tahoe

Beef Stew

4 strips thick cut bacon, diced
4 # stew meat (boneless chuck-eye roast), cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
2 Tbs plus 1/4 cups flour
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large leek, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 # small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups red wine, (Pinot Noir is a good choice)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
3 Tbs. chopped parsley (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a towel lined plate and set aside.
Return the pot (with bacon fat) to medium heat. In a large bowl, toss the cubed beef with 2 Tbs. flour, salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove beef from pot and set aside. Add the carrots, celery, onion and leek to the pot and stir. Return the seared beef to the pot of vegetables along with the thyme and bay leaf. Add the remaining ¼ cups flour and stir until all flour is incorporated.
Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and place in oven for 1 ½ hours.
Remove pot from oven and add the potatoes. Cover and continue to cook for another hour. Uncover and continue to cook until beef is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, about 1 more hour. Stir in the peas and crisped bacon and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Rob and Mary Dusenbury hosted friends for a New Year’s day feast in San Francisco of Hoppin John, Collards and Stewed Tomatoes. Hopefully that means good luck and lots of prosperity for the year ahead! We also made a big batch of Spicy Bloody Mary’s with Old Bay and drank Prosecco and CA brews to ring in 2010!

Dusenbury’s Hoppin’ John

5 strips bacon

1 yellow onion, diced

3 red peppers, medium diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tsp. thyme leaves

2 Tbs. fresh sage, minced

2 cups short grained white rice

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

4 large andouille or kielbasa sausages

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cups black eyed peas

pan fry 5 strips of bacon, dice and set aside for collar greens, and preserve grease.

pan fry one large diced yellow onion in bacon grease on medium high in large dutch oven or crock pot for 5 minutes

add 3 medium diced bell peppers (orange, green, red) and sauté for 3 more minutes.

Add 5 cloves minced garlic plus 2-3 tsp fresh thyme leaves and 2 tbs fresh minced sage leaves and sauté 5 more minutes.

Add 2 cups short grained white rice and stir til coated in oil

Add one quart of chicken stock or vegetarian stock, bring to boil with lid on, then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, pan fry 4 large andouille or kielbasa sausages in about 2 Tbs. olive oil.

Add 2 cups of black eyed peas, stir, add additional liquid as necessary, then let simmer another 20 minutes on low.

Slice up schnausages, salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve with collard greens and stewed tomatoes.

On the last night in Lake Tahoe, I made a simple but very satisfying dinner for my family…Seared filet mignon with butter and parsley, boiled and pan roasted fingerling potatoes and shaved brussels sprouts with crispy bacon. The whole process took about 30 minutes and everyone was very happy with the results.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

4 slices bacon, diced into ½ inch pieces
2 Tbs. butter
2 # brussels sprouts, cut in ½ through the stem then cut into ¼ inch slices
Salt and pepper to taste
In a medium sauté pan over medium low heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the butter to the pan. Increase the heat to medium and add the shaved (sliced) brussels. Cook until brussels are cooked through but still have a bright green color, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

Just spent 4 amazing days in North Lake Tahoe with my family in a cozy house near Homewood and Tahoe City. Our view of the lake was stunning and we had lots of time to relax and cook. I made dinner for all on the 1st night…spaghetti and meatballs. This recipe made enough for us to have meatball subs for the next 2 days.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely grated onion
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling on top)
1 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
3 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pepper
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups favorite tomato sauce
1 # spaghetti

Place bacon in a food processor and grind to coarse paste. Transfer to large bowl. Gently mix in beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, ½ cup cheese, crushed red pepper, parsley, salt and pepper.

Using moistened hands and about 2 tablespoons for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on plastic wrap lined sheet pan.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs. Cook until brown on all sides, turning carefully with a spoon or spatula, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel lined plate. Add more oil to pan if needed and repeat with remaining meatballs.

Heat tomato sauce in a large pot until simmering. Place the seared meatballs in the sauce and cook until meatballs are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Spoon in about 1/2 cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti with parm cheese sprinkled on top.
Serves 6 

Sauteed Veggies with Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions

2 Tbs. olive oil
30 cipollini onions, peeled and stems trimmed
2 tsp. honey
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 sprigs thyme
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bunches baby carrots, peeled
4 turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
1 # haricot verts, trimmed
1 # brussels sprouts, cut in 1/2
Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat olive oil a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cipollini onions, stem side down and sear until lightly brown, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side, another 2 minutes, then add the honey and balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook until slightly syrupy, about 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth, thyme and garlic and BTAB. Place saute pan in the oven and roast until onions are soft when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 10-15 minutes.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain carrots and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove from ice water, pat dry and set aside. Repeat this process with the turnips, haricot verts and brussels sprouts. When all vegetables have been cooked, drained and dried, heat 3 tbs. butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add cooked vegetables and sauté until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the glazed cipollini onions and a drizzle of the onion pan sauce.

Thanksgiving in LA!

NYC-Downtown

Places to go, restaurant recs, etc…

Definitely go to the Highline and Chelsea Market, Saturday Farmer’s market in Union Square, coffee, tea and pastries at 71 Irving Place, delicious Vietnamese sandwiches at the Num Pang sandwich shop, Casa Mono/Bar Jamon on Irving Place for really good Spanish tapas and wine, sit at the bar and have a drink and bite at Gramercy Tavern. Have a great Italian feast at L’Artusi and drinks after at The Highlands scotch bar or Wilfie & Nell. Check out Madison Square Park and grab a burger at the Shake Shack, try for a seat at Spotted Pig, drinks and sausages in the beer garden at The Standard. Brunch, bloodies and oysters at Pastis. Have some of the best Italian food in town at Scarpetta, either the main restaurant or (no reservations) at the bar. Take in the good times and great food at Minetta Tavern. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO and check out the beautiful views, waterfront park, Sunday flea market or eat brunch at The Vinegar Hill House. Lower east side also has great places…Freeman’s, Schillers Liquor Bar, Inoteca, brunch at Prune. Evening drinks at Smith & Mills, Employees Only, Little Branch, Apotheke…