Yummy recipes by Sara Edwards: Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen

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Public Enemy #1 Bourbon Cocktail

We recently had a terrific stay at the Bardesonno Hotel in Yountville, California. Though we ostensibly went to Yountville to spend time in Wine Country, we must admit, we also spent quite a bit of time in the Bardesonno Bar hanging out with Jan Russell, their charming and very talented bartender. The artisanal bartending craze shows little sign of abating. Jan is an excellent representative of the movement, spending time in the local farmer’s market thinking about ways to include seasonal bounty and locally made spirits in her bar drinks. She discovered Nocino Walnut Liquor, which originally hails from Italy, but is now being made locally in Napa. She blended the walnut liquor with Bourbon and a hint of Buller Muscat for a truly fantastic Bourbon cocktail. I found Nocino Della Christina online at K & L Wine Merchants. I bought the Buller Muscat and the Jefferson Bourbon from them as well.

Public Enemy #1 Bourbon Cocktail

Public Enemy #1

2 oz Jefferson Bourbon
½ oz Nocino Walnut Liquor
½ oz Buller Muscat
Three dashes orange bitters

Shake well and serve up, or over ice.

Public Enemy #1 Bourbon Cocktail was first posted on November 16, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Vegan Two Bean Salad

Sometimes cancelled flights and changed plans are a blessing. A year or so ago I was supposed to attend a conference on the east coast. I was taking my father with me for a special weekend in New York and my husband was to meet us there. Mother nature intervened. A newsworthy blizzard arrived, our flights were cancelled, the conference postponed and the three of us were sitting in my kitchen in Los Angeles (where else?) packed suitcases in hand, with the babysitter on her way and paid for. Much to my husband’s surprise I said – “why don’t we get in the car and drive to Vegas?” Any of you who know me will realize spontaneity is not in my vernacular, it’s a wonder I even know how to spell it. Perhaps the moon was in the proper alignment, or some such thing – and in a matter of 15 minutes we had hotel reservations, tickets to Cirque du Soliel’s “O” and a multitude of meals planned.

Our three-day spontaneous Vegas holiday was way beyond fabulous. We ate great food, talked for hours, saw the Hoover Dam, shopped, took in “O,” and lost a teeny-tiny bit of money playing black jack. My kids and I are huge fans of Iron Chef Bobby Flay so we made a point of eating at Mesa Grill. The food was excellent. To start the meal we shared a chopped salad that was a modern take on my grandmother’s Four-Bean Salad (I had no idea Bobby knew my grandmother – but apparently he did). Chef Flay’s version was light, with a hint of lime. I came home and set to work recreating his dish. The fresh flavor of this salad with its hint of citrus makes it a great pairing for something spicy.

Vegan Two Bean Salad

8-10 small servings

1 can red beans
1 can garbanzo beans
½ red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
½ cup canola oil
½ cup sugar
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped Persian cucumbers
4 cups of hearts of Romaine lettuces, washed and coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped chives

Drain and rinse the beans. Mix the beans together in a medium bowl. Add the red onion.

Beat together the oil, sugar, vinegar and limejuice. Pour over the bean and onion mixture. Allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Pour the beans and red onion through a sieve. Set aside the dressing. Just before serving add the tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Toss with the chopped Romaine lettuce, and chives and serve immediately. If you like a little more dressing on your salad, add some of the reserved dressing to the bowl and toss one more time before serving.

Vegan Two Bean Salad was first posted on November 6, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Vegan Lentil and Rice Salad

Vegan Rice and Lentil Salad

Lentils and rice, eaten together, form a complete protein. Though it’s taken a number of years, more Americans are finally embracing the lentil. We eat a lot of them, especially French Green lentils and Beluga lentils. Both of these lentils hold their shape if they are cooked until just tender, and therefore make a great addition to salads. This is one of our go-to weeknight dinners. We make enough of it for the Stern boys to take a large serving each in their school lunches. I even eat leftovers for breakfast. Once dressed this salad will last about three days in the fridge. It’s a family favorite.

Vegan Rice and Lentil Salad

Makes 8 servings

3 cups water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
½ cup French green or Beluga lentils
8 scallions, finely diced, white parts only
½ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
2 cups Persian cucumbers, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons cumin
¾ cup vinaigrette
salt to taste

Bring water, olive oil and 1-teaspoon salt to a boil in a lidded 2-quart saucepan. Stir in rice. Bring back to a boil, cover pan, lower to a simmer and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and then spread rice across a sheet pan to cool.

While the rice is cooking, pick over the lentils and rinse them in a sieve. Add 3 cups of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the lentils and boil gently, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender. Drain and spread with the rice on the sheet pan to cool.

Place the scallions, parsley, dill, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice, cumin and vinaigrette.

Once the rice is cool (about ten minutes), gently toss the rice with the vegetables in the large mixing bowl. Gradually add half of the dressing. Toss to coat. Add about ½ of what is left of the dressing. Toss to coat. Taste. Add salt if needed. Add final amount of dressing to taste.

Vegan Lentil and Rice Salad was first posted on October 30, 2015 at 2:23 pm.
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Broccoli Carrot Coleslaw

This salad is irresistibly crunchy. It’s a crunch sensation, but don’t try it unless you have good teeth. I mean it. I’m not going to be blamed for your dental work if your teeth can’t handle this recipe. No, seriously.

Broccoli Carrot Coleslaw: Makes six servings

Salad

12-oz broccoli slaw (sold at TJ’s already prepared)
10-oz sliced white cabbage
10-oz grated carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
6-oz sliced toasted almonds (I use unsalted almonds)
1 cup dried cranberries

Dressing

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup canola oil
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons salt

Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve.

Broccoli Carrot Coleslaw was first posted on October 24, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Traditional Old Fashioned from S.Y.Kitchen

The little towns of the Santa Ynez Valley have changed a lot since my childhood. The towns themselves aren’t much bigger in size than they were forty years ago, but the Valley’s dusty gas stations and tired food joints have given way to farm-to-table restaurants, world-class chefs and bartenders, and cozy little shops sure to please the most cosmopolitan shoppers. I have a weakness for the town of Santa Ynez. It looks straight out of central casting for some windswept, western town complete with a gun-toting sheriff and a pack of wily coyotes. S.Y.Kitchen sits a quarter block off of the main drag, a stone’s throw from the massive, sprawling Chumash Casino (no need to EVER go there). The food is fresh and fabulous and the drinks are as good as those you’d find at a swanky bar in Manhattan. Mixologist Alberto Battaglini makes a Traditional Old Fashioned with Real McCoy 12 Year Aged Rum that knocked my socks right off my feet. It’s worth the labor to make one at home.

Traditional Old Fashioned from S.Y.Kitchen (makes one drink)

Frosted glass (yes, this is a necessary ingredient)
Angostura bitters
A brown sugar cube
¼ oz HOT water
2 oz Real McCoy 12 Year Aged Rum
1 real maraschino cherry (for garnish)
1 large piece of orange peel (for garnish)

Mixologist Alberto Battaglini at S.Y.Kitchen

Place a paper napkin across the frosted glass. Set one sugar cube on the napkin. Soak the sugar cube with the Angostura bitters. Drop the sugar cube into the glass. Using the paper napkin, ring the glass with the wet part of the napkin (you’ll get a nice light sugar glaze on the rim). Pour ¼ ounce of hot water on the sugar cube allowing it to dissolve. Add ice cubes. Alberto likes the larger square cubes. He runs them under cold water first which makes them nice and clear inside the glass. Break up the sugar with a muddler. Add the rum and stir until the ice starts to melt. You want about ½ ounce of melted water in the drink. Garnish with a slice of orange peel and a real maraschino cherry.

Traditional Old Fashioned from S.Y.Kitchen was first posted on October 14, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Pineapple & Arugula Daiquiri from S.Y.Kitchen

I had the good fortune to spend a couple of hours with Mixologist Alberto Battaglini at S.Y.Kitchen in Santa Ynez, California. Santa Ynez is a one-horse town that sits amidst the rolling hills of the Santa Ynez Valley. These days (Fall 2015) the Valley has turned a golden yellow color from years of drought. The oak trees sit isolated, with vast acres of dry grass spreading as far as the eye can see. It’s still beautiful, but in a barren, West Texas sort of way. It’s not the lush, irrigated Valley I remember from my childhood. The town of Santa Ynez is charming, with a number of small shops and restaurants. It’s quieter and more authentic than its close neighbor towns of Solvang and Los Olivos. If you’re headed into the Valley to go wine tasting or exploring, I highly recommend a stop at S.Y.Kitchen. It’s a gem, and its mixologist Alberto Battaglini is one of the best bartenders I’ve ever encountered. He’s creative, charming, and focused on seasonal ingredients and small batch spirits. His Pineapple & Arugula Daiquiri is one of my favorites. Alberto is a big fan of Real McCoy Rum, as am I. This drink uses Real McCoy Blanco.

Pineapple & Arugula Daiquiri (makes one drink)

One small handful of wild arugula
2 oz pureed fresh pineapple (no sugar added)
2 oz Real McCoy Rum Blanco 3 yr.
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz simple syrup (recipe below)
½ oz Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liquor

Pineapple & Arugula Daiquiri S.Y.Kitchen with Real McCoy Rum

Mixologist Alberto Battaglini uses a light simple syrup. He uses one cup of sugar mixed with one cup of hot water. He stirs the sugar until it dissolves and then chills the syrup for later use.

Lightly muddle the arugula in a drink shaker. Add chopped ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake very hard. Pour through a fine mesh strainer. Serve.

Pineapple & Arugula Daiquiri from S.Y.Kitchen was first posted on October 4, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Quinoa Chicken Salad

This salad makes a terrific school lunch or a light dinner. My kids are much more likely to eat vegetables if they are mixed in with rice, or quinoa, or pasta. This salad works with Bhutanese or Himalayan Red Rice, or Red Quinoa. Red rice is considered divine and can be offered as alms, gratitude offerings or in vows seeking rain or protection of crops. I’m thinking we should be putting some out in an effort to bring much needed rain to California. You’ll find Red Rice in specialty shops or online at Amazon. Red Quinoa is available everywhere. Use whichever you have in your cupboard.

Quinoa Chicken Salad

Makes six lunch-sized servings (six cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 cups Bhutanese Red Rice or 1.5 cups Red Quinoa
3 cups water
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
4 oz. sliced black olives
¼ cup chives, chopped
½ cup green onions, diced
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup celery, diced

Dressing

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon salt
1 shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

Both red rice and quinoa need to be rinsed in cool water before they are cooked.

If you are using red rice, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add 1½ cups red rice and a pinch of salt and stir to coat grains with the oil. Cover with 3 cups cold water. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring a few times. Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook for 20-25 minutes. Check to see if the liquid has been absorbed and taste for doneness. If there is extra water remaining, pour the rice through a strainer and drain off the extra liquid.

If you are using red quinoa, place the quinoa and 3 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Return to a simmer, cover and cook on low heat until just tender. Drain off any extra water and place the quinoa in a mixing bowl.

Add all remaining salad ingredients to the rice or the quinoa and toss gently.

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour half of the dressing over the salad. Toss gently. Taste. Add additional dressing to taste. Can be made ahead.

Quinoa Chicken Salad was first posted on September 24, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Real McCoy Bridgetown Negroni

Real McCoy Bridgetown Negroni (Photo Credit: Real McCoy Spirits)

The traditional Negroni cocktail is made with one part gin, one part vermouth and one part Campari and is garnished with an orange peel. Dating back to the early 1900s in Italy, the drink has taken on a number of forms over the years. Swapping whiskey for gin turns the drink into a Boulevardier. Or you can add Jenever instead of London style dry gin and you’ve got a Dutch Negroni. The Real McCoy version has rum as its foundation rather than gin, and adds Blood Orange Soda for a lighter, more refreshing cocktail than the original Negroni. I’m in love with Blood Oranges and put them in everything I possibly can when in season. When they aren’t readily available I’ve been known to resort to drinking blood orange soda. I was thrilled when I found this recipe combining two things I love – Real McCoy Rum and blood oranges. I posted another version of a Negroni a few years ago that I was served at The Corner Door Restaurant in Culver City. You can find it on my blog by clicking here. I might have to stage a battle of the Negronis in the Kaganoff Kitchen. I believe such a battle is known as a Win-Win.

Real McCoy Bridgetown Negroni (makes one cocktail)

1 ½ oz The Real McCoy 5 Year Aged Rum
½ oz Sweet Vermouth
½ oz Gran Classico or Campari
2 oz Blood Orange Soda (or more)

Shake first 3 ingredients with ice in a drink shaker. Pour over ice in an old fashioned glass. Top with blood orange soda to taste and stir gently.

For a smokin’ garnish, use a match to singe a slice of orange peel and top with a real maraschino cherry.

Real McCoy Bridgetown Negroni was first posted on September 11, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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The Dirty Barbados

The Dirty Barbados. Photo Credit: Real McCoy Spirits, Corp.

Although my husband and I have been wine drinkers for most of our adult lives, we have been caught up in the artisan bartending revolution of the last few years. I’m embarrassingly fond of drinks that sport infused simple syrups and exotic bitters. I love trying out new producers of bourbon, rum and vodka. It is a long and involved tale that brought me to The Real McCoy Rum. The story involves my sixth grade square-dance partner and his cousin – as all good rum stories should. I’m not going to bore you with the whole thing (at least not right now), but I’ll leave you with this – The Real McCoy is, actually, The Real McCoy. Click through to their website for the story. It’s a hoot. The rum is fantastic, and should you share my love of interesting new drinks, give this one a shot over Labor Day Weekend, or whatever day it is.

The Dirty Barbados

Created by Chef James Wyman at the Oyster Club Restaurant in Mystic, CT

2 oz. The Real McCoy 5 Year Rum
1 oz. ginger-infused simple syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
dash of orange bitters

pinch of sea salt

Shake vigorously with ice and pour into an ice packed glass. Top with the sea salt.

Handmade Ginger-infused simple syrup

4 oz. fresh ginger root
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Peel the ginger root with a vegetable peeler and cut into thin rounds. Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium high heat. Add the sliced ginger and bring the mixture back up to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the ginger to steep in the sugar syrup for at least 30 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve. Toss the ginger root.

The ginger syrup will keep in the fridge for a month in an airtight container, long enough for you to make LOTS of fabulous rum drinks with The Real McCoy Rum!

The Dirty Barbados was first posted on September 4, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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Asian Sauce

Green Beans with Asian Sauce

My friend Chef Anne refers to this sauce as her, “All Purpose Asian Sauce.” She has served it to us tossed over green beans, or as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken. She says that if you want to make it a salad dressing, add a little lemon juice. We love it over vegetables of all kinds, and even use it on grilled fish.

All Purpose Asian Sauce:

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Will keep in the fridge for 8-10 days.

Asian Sauce was first posted on August 29, 2015 at 5:00 am.
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