Greens, Cajun Pork Butts, Gumbo, Crepes, Sweet Potato Pie, Boiled Shrimp … just a few of the things I’ve cooked during my 5 dinners down here. I have one more to go on Sunday. And then I fly home. In the meantime, enjoy these raw images.
and of course, a big thank you to Murphy Goode Winery for the sponsorship of this trip.
Do you know someone in or around the beaches of Louisiana and Alabama? Do they have old-school family recipes? Send’em our way. In fact, the smaller the town the more interested we are in them!
We’ll be in and around the Gulf Coast from October 7th through 23rd (roughly — we’re easily swayed by juke joints, gumbo and cold, cold beer).
SipSnapSavor@Gmail.com
Posted in Families 2010 - Southern Route, Food Background, Food Photography, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
Jamie and I are gearing up to hit the road this Summer. We’ll be traveling from The Great Lakes to The Big Easy over the course of 4 weeks and hope to dine with as many strangers as possible.
As we begin all our preparations to be on our Culinary Road Trippin’ adventure, we’d like to take a moment and reflect back on all the good times. The swell times. The sit-in-the-car-so-long-you-get-stir-crazy times. The tired times. The exciting times. The times where you wish had a clean pair of socks and a teddy bear. The times where you walk into a bar packed with military men during happy hour.
Posted in Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, People, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
Today, our very special new friend Julia from Conde Nast Traveler, decided to feature this project on their blog, Moveable Feast.
We are honored.
Overjoyed.
Proud.
Thank you to everyone who supports us and believes in us. You help us drive that extra mile, capture that story, snap that picture and write the whole thing up for everyone to enjoy.
Superbowl Sunday coming up, next.
Posted in Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, People, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Conde Nast, Food
“We’re experimenting as we go along on this dessert.” – Patti
It’s Autumn and apples are in season. Crunchy, crisp, juicy, tart and juicy apples. For a complete guide to everything apple related, click here.
When you are experimenting with fruit desserts the most fun variable is the fruit itself. Play with heirloom varietals and combinations of fruits. My personal favorite dating back to the early 80′s when my grandfather would make it for me, fresh from his garden, is strawberry rhubarb pie.
Mmmm
Patti Londre runs Worth the Whisk, a complete cooking bible online. She hosted our finale dinner over the 09 Fourth of July holiday weekend. When I saw the apples coming towards me, I was pretty excited. Apples have large amounts of quercetin which is known to activate energy levels in your body.
We had a LONG drive home in front of us. So Patti graciously donated the whole batch of Apple Delights to us and our road trip home to San Francisco.
MWA Patti!
Apple Delights
1. Unfold slightly softened puff pastry sheets. If the sheet defrost too much and come to room temperature, they may become difficult to work with. Pop them back into the freezer for a few minutes.
2. Cut the puff pastry into little squares, about 2″. Plop each square into a greased muffin tin opening.
3. Scopp heaping spoonfuls of applesauce into each puff pastry opening. Use Chunky apple sauce and sprinkle with cinnamon after each scoop.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.
5. Let cool and Enjoy!
Posted in Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, People, Recipes, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
“You’ll notice I have a two drawer dishwasher. Pug dogs think an open door is a buffet table. So we put these pull out drawers in to keep Sake out of the dishwasher.” - Patti
We were greeted by Penny the mischevious kitten and Sake the heavy breathing albeit laid back pug. They both eyed us for a moment. And then Penny went into attack mode on my leopard dress. She wouldn’t give up until the queen of the jungle, my very unalive printed dress, knew who was BOSS in this household.
Hilarious.
Patti is a foodie-pro who runs Worth the Whisk. Her husband, Larry is a professor at USC. Together they run a very pretty household just a mile from Marilyn Monroe’s tucked away gravesite and a stones throw from UCLA.
“You girls ought to go down to Marilyn Monroe’s grave, it’s a quick mile walk from here. Here lemme show you on the computer.” – Patti
So we did. We went.
But not until we had stuffed ourselves silly with Lasagna. Patti was making an extra lasagna for a friend who had just had surgery. She’s ridiculously sweet and kind like that.
“You can never have enough cheese. Never.” – Patti
“Everything about lasagna is on the ‘or so’ side of measurement.” – Patti
Londre Lasagna
1 Box Lasagna Noodles (whole wheat will absorb everything in the pan and get mushy. Use white pasta for lasagnas)
1 Pint Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/3 C Shredded Parmagiana Reggiano
Several Cups Shredded Mozzarella (it’s up to you how much to use)
1 Can Spinach (or two handfuls fresh spinach, reduced down on the stove top)
Small Can of Black Olives, sliced
“This is the part where I start looking in my fridge for things I can sneak into the cheese mixture and hide in the lasagna.” – Patti
1/4C Egg Free Eggs or simply 1 egg
Several Cans Chopped, Peeled Tomatoes blended in a bowl with Tomato Basil Classico sauce
1 Tsp Dried Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
EVOO
1. Heat a large pot of salted water to a slow boil. Add noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes or until soft. Strain and cool until they can be handled.
2. Combine egg with cheeses and cottage cheese.
3. Take a large baking pan and drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles until pan is covered.
4. Spoon cheese mixture atop the noodles. Layer olives, tomatoes and cheese noodles.
5. Repeat.
6. Top with remaining tomatoes and cheese.
7. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Mojitos
3 dozen mint leaves, muddled in a large cup with a fork or wooden spoon
7-8 limes juiced (more limes if you use smaller key west limes)
1 1/2 C simple syrup
1 bottle Cachaca
1 liter of sparkling water
Add lime juice, simple syrup and mint leaves to punch bowl. If you have not muddled the mint yet, do so now. Add cachaca and sparkling water. Ladle into cups over ice.
CHEERS!
Posted in Families 2009 - Western Route, Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
“These recipes are mother to mother recipes. Mine comes from my mother and her mother and her mother’s mother in El Salvador.” - Ana Cox
Misconceptions are horrible ‘ceptions. Maybe it’s because I had listened to Snoop Dogg and he was always rapping about Inglewood being up to no good. But I was nervous about the Inglewood Sip Snap Savor dinner.
It turned out to be the most lovely experience with the most loving family. I sort of wanted to move in – Mom & Dad Cortez have four squirmy, giggly, classy daughters. Each with her own ideals and goals. It was fascinating to sit with them for a few hours in their kitchen and then in their garden patio for a long Sunday lunch.
When Jamie and I walked into the house, Fleetwood Mac was belting out in the living room. Sister Liza, was rolling limes along the length of the kitchen table in preparation for Mojitos. Mom Ana was buzzing around the kitchen and came out to greet us with hugs and smooches on our cheeks.
It already smelled incredible. Chayote Chilaquiles and Arroz Frito was in the air. The sun was shining. I was starving.
Salsa De Chilequiles
4 tomatoes
1/2 green or red bell pepper
1/2 white onion
1/2 slice of bread
1spoonful of paprika and Knorr tomate caldo
Salt & Pepper to taste
Put all vegetables, seasonings and the bread into the blender. Top off with water. Blend the “salsa” until smooth. The bread adds textures.
Heat over medium low heat. It perfumes your whole house and a slow heat allows all the flavors to coagulate.
Chayote: also known as sayote, tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophene, mirliton, and vegetable pear, is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.
Chilequiles: The name chilaquiles is derived from the Nahuatl word chil-a-quilitl which means “herbs or greens in chile broth”.
El Salvador: is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 6 million people
“We don’t put alot of condiments or heavy spiced sauces on our foods en Salvador. We preserve the way things really taste. It’s why I like fresh Asian foods so much. Fresh. Vibrant. Flavorful. Natural.” – Luz Cortez
“Wow! There’s no masking it’s natural flavor. This is Chayote. I will never forget it.” – Melissa
“Yes! Yes, its why I enjoy cuisines that serve fresh radishes and pickled vegetables. Lemon wedges. A little chile. Those natural condiments that preserve everything and bring it together. Not mask and hide. You have to have food integrity you know.” – Luz Cortez
“The center of the chayote is the tan rico part!” – Liza Cortez
“Eating meat all the time is too heavy. You feel better if you eat some vegetables. You can make these ahead of time, two or three days in advance. Store them in tupperware in the fridge.” - Ana Cortez
“This is a make you pretty dish. Full of proteins vegetables and it’s so simple!” – Luz Cortez
Chilequiles
Serves 10 people
6-8 Chayotes, peeled and sliced into disks, just as you would slice a cucumber into disks
1 pckg Ranchero soft Farmer Cheese
4Tblsp Crema Salvadorena
5 egg whites (save yolks)
1/4 C vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper
Soft boil the chayote disks. When soft, 8-10 minutes, let drain and cool. They need to be cool enough to touch. Meanwhile crumble the package of Ranchero cheese into the tablespoons of crema in a small bowl. Set aside cheese mixture.
When chayote is cool enough to touch. Spread cheese mixture on one side and top with chayote to make a sort of chayote/cheese sandwich. Set on plate and make another sandwich. Continue until all chayote has been sandwiched with cheese.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add in 2-3 yolks after peaks form. This egg meringue will be the coating on the chilequiles.
Heat large skillet on medium high heat with bottom of skillet filled with half of the vegetable oil. When hot enough, coat a chayote sandwich in the egg meringue and set into skillet.
Do not crowd chayote sandwiches as they fry. Depending on the size of the skillet, fry 5-6 sandwiches at a time. The sandwiches will bubble and foam up like little marshmallow puffs.
Continue frying in batches. Stop and stir Salsa de Chilequiles occasionally. Ensure the Salsa hasn’t gotten too hot.
When done frying arrange all chilequiles in a bowl. Top with Salsa de Chilequiles. Rice is a great side dish to this meal and for sopping up the beautiful Salsa.
Enjoy!
Posted in Families 2009 - Western Route, Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
“The family that opens cans together, stays together!” – Dr. Tom Neuhaus aka Casanova
In sunny San Luis Obispo it can be hard to find anything that deviates from the main populace formula of rancher/farmer chic or college undergraduate hipster. So it was a treat for Jamie and I to find ourselves in the progressively artsy home of two pioneering Chocolatiers and their families, cooking up West African delights in the coziest, friendliest kitchen.
“This whole project idea is marvelous. Bringing people together, aaah. Food is so close to everyone’s heart!” – Eve Neuhaus
Tom Neuhaus and his wife Eve run Sweet Earth Chocolates – a fair trade, ingredient driven sweets company. But they really run a lifestyle brand complete with West African Fair Trade socio-economic information that will convince to drops your Mars Bar with a quickness. Their extended family includes daughter Elise and son-in-law Martin who help run COG, a coop grocery in Berkeley.
“Don’t be bashful! Just cook. just. cook.” – Casanova
While we were perfectly content to marvel at the trials and tribulations of 80′s rap and hiphop artists. Eventually the conversation covered topics ranging from Dutch & English colonists to finding a modern day Sir Isaac Newton. Son-in-Law Martin, humorously spanked out his laptop to fact find and fact check throughout dinner. Forgot the name of an obscure spice, explorer or 17th Century Canadian politician? No problem.
He’s got you covered.
Our dinner conversation went something like this:
Berbers?
NO! Bergers.What? A marsupial?
Thats the Italian way to roast a chicken.
450 degrees for 10 minutesThe Brits were the best. Everyone hated France, ya know.
The best African colonies were Nigeria and Ghana. They were British Colonies.
The KING OF BELGUM! BISMARK?!?!
Henry Stanley, you know Morgan Stanley, helped carve Africa. That’s how the Belgian got The Congo.They smoked baskets of hands.
My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was the food taster for King Louis the XIIII!
Well, juju comes from Togo. TOGO. JUJU.
For dessert we had homemade fair trade chocolate marshmallow men. Dinner couldn’t have ended on a more fun note. Bellies full of delicious West African Red Red, Plantains and Heads filled with even more delicious world topics and stories.
To learn more about Fair Trade Chocolate click here.
To visit Sweet Earth Chocolates click here.
To glimpse inside the coop grocery in Berkeley, CA click here.
“We believe that capitalism comes in different flavors–not just the survival-of-the-fittest sort, but a softer, kinder, and more sustainable way of doing business that considers the needs of our planet and its people. Chocolate that’s better for the environment.Chocolate that’s better for the earth. Chocolate that’s better for the people.” – Sweet Earth Chocolates
Posted in Families 2009 - Western Route, Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
Posted in Food Background, Food Photography, Jamie Lloyd, Melissa Schilling, Road Trip, Team S.S.S.
Tagged Food
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