Garden Update 2

The ladybugs were a temporary success. For several days they voraciously ate the aphid larvae, but after a week there was only one ladybug left. Either they ate their fill and left, or they all died shortly after release. The aphid population dramatically decreased during this time, however they came back in force. Further research led me to a mix of 1 cup olive oil, 1 and 1/2 cups water and 2 teaspoons dish soap mixed in a spray bottle. I use "environmentally friendly" all-natural dish soap, so I was not hesitant to try this concoction. I mixed the ingredients and sprayed all of my plants with the entire bottle today. About an hour later I hosed the plants off to remove the residual spray and any dead aphids, if there were to be any. Upon inspection of the soil at the base of my tomato plants, I found thousands of little carcasses - what a beautiful sight!

This concoction really works! I was amazed at the convenience and efficacy of the oil/water/soap mix; I highly recommend it to anyone struggling with aphids in an organic gardening scenario. Let's hope I don't have to spray every day...

Our basil plants, which have grown to gargantuan heights, are starting to flower. Looks like the end of the season for them.

All of the pepper plants are showing fruit. The first haul, and I say that with some seriousness, looks to be over 20 bell peppers, 10 jalapenos, 2 Hungarian yellow banana peppers and 5 Anaheim peppers. The mystery hot pepper has started to flower, but we still don't have a clue as to its varietal. Keep your fingers crossed for habanero!

Our other herbs are not doing as well as we had hoped. The parsley is still relatively small, but we have used quite a bit of it. The cilantro is now dead, and we never got a chance to enjoy it. The rosemary plants are not growing out of control as they are known to do, but are still producing enough of the herb to be useful. Oregano and lavender plants are still thriving, and the oregano has been an excellent addition to our weekly meal of angel hair with white clam sauce.

Unfortunately it looks like we lost the yellow squash. This plant never really took off, and I can't tell if it was too much water or too much sun that killed it. Either way, the empty container will be home to some additional flowers this weekend.

I ate one of the tomatoes this morning, and it was absolutely delicious! Several more San Marzanos are starting to turn red, so we're hoping for a small early harvest soon. There is one Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato that has started to ripen, but I fear that the aphids have severely stunted its growth. The tomato is the size of a golf ball - our expectations were for slightly larger fruit.

More to come!

Attack of the Ladybugs!

The other week our garden became infested with aphids - there are so many that at 3 in the afternoon you can see clouds of them in the backyard! Upon inspection of the plants, we noticed the little devils had begun laying eggs all over the tomatoes. Even the peppers were not immune.

We did some research about organic pest control and found that ladybugs were the best natural predator for aphids and other flying insects. So, a week later, I received my shipment of about 1000 beautiful ladybugs. They have just been released in the garden. Let's hope they can control the destructive aphids and restore the San Marzano tomatoes to their former glory! Stay tuned!

Garden Update 1

We've got a few new additions to the Cucina di Campo Chef's Garden. Just planted Jalapeno Peppers and another pepper, either Serano or Habanero. The plant tag said Serano, my intended choice, but upon transplanting to its new container I noticed the container tag said Habanero. We are all hoping for Seranos; many of our summer salsas contain this perfectly hot pepper. Habaneros have an excellent flavor, very fruity, but are almost too hot to use in our salsas.

Also planted Dill, another favorite herb. Excellent for the salmon recipe posted earlier, and should help deter the aphids and other flying insects the Marigolds can't keep up with.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Cucina di Campo has started a Chef's Garden! With hopes of a bountiful harvest, we have begun work on our container garden to grow ingredients for recipes. Here's a list of what we planted:

San Marzano Tomatoes
Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Anaheim Chiles
Hungarian Yellow Sweet Banana Peppers
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Cilantro
Basil
Oregano
French Lavender (Provence)
Spearmint
Rosemary
Yellow Crook Neck Squash

We are still waiting for the eggplant seedlings to be ready - apparently they do very well in the Arizona heat!

The garden has been active for about 3 weeks now, and the tomatoes are starting to show fruit. We had a cold spell a few weeks ago that caused some blossom end rot on the San Marzanos, but the new fruit looks fine. Looks like we will have a bumper crop of peppers - there are 11 plants!

In an effort to diminish the effect of flying insects, we planted marigolds around the garden. Functional and beautiful!

We'll post garden updates as things grow, so keep coming back.

Ukrainian village. Beauty in a bottle

Happy new year!

Christmas Crab Boil in North Carolina

Mmmmm, Carolina blues! Old Bay and Beer.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Cucina di Campo! Many more stories to come in the new year!

The Worst Italian Food in Arizona

Where not to go - Andiamo Bistro. We just got back from dinner at the worst restaurant in Arizona. This atrocity is located in the Albertson's shopping center at Indian Bend and Hayden in Scottsdale. Please, do us all a favor a do not waste your time there.

I could spend time talking about how ridiculously overpriced the food is, but I won't. Instead, allow me to throw a little learning at you. From the minute we entered the strip mall fronting "bistro" we felt like we were uninvited. There were 4 people huddled around the bar watching a basketball game on the tiny television. It turns out that 3 of those people actually worked there. The fourth was a kid that looked like he just left the gym.

We were shown to a table in the empty restaurant right next to the only other guests. Why bother spreading us out - that would make us feel too much at home. Water came, and eventually a waitron completely unable to make eye contact took our wine order. The overpriced swill was delivered, and our orders taken. In an effort to get out of there quickly, we ordered no appetizers or salads, heading straight to the cheaper pasta entrees. Cheap is a relative term - $18 for linguine and clams, $15 for spaghetti Bolognese. No, these were not fresh, housemade pastas as you would expect.

About a half hour later, without so much as a "How ya doin'" from the waitstaff, the hostess came out and said "Sorry, we are out of clams. Can we substitute mussels or shrimp?" Uh, sure, give me shrimp. A half an hour to figure out you were out of clams? It's not like you have multiple tables to cook for. We were the only people in the place at this point. Well, except for that sweaty kid at the bar. He kept ducking into the kitchen, playing with the food. He ended up with a big plate of something, but whatever.

So, now about 40 minutes after we sat down in this empty restaurant we received our entrees. Two gargantuan portions of horribly overcooked pasta. Here is one of the funniest parts - the "waiter" asked if we wanted cheese. Go figure, Italian restaurant with two pasta dishes on the table and all, but I digress. He goes to the kitchen, gets a dish of cheese, and proceeds to sprinkle about a tablespoon on one of the pastas. He promptly runs out. Whoops! Guess it looked like there was more in there! He up-ends the cheese dish over my plate and smacks it the back of it with his hand, asking "do you need some more?" Yes, please, I'd like just a little cheese.

The cheese debacle over, I tuck into my pasta Bolognese. Have you ever been to Sbarro? If not, you should try it. Sbarro is a 4-star restaurant compared to this place. Even a 5 year old child would know to take pasta out of the water sooner than this fraud of a chef. How can you possibly justify serving $15 pasta when the spaghetti is so water logged it looks like bucattini???

The linguine vongole was an abomination. This plate had 3 clams and 3 shrimp. There was no sauce. I think the cook poured some clam juice into a pan and added garlic salt. There ya go - white clam sauce. Please. Is this for real?

We muscled through and had to stifle a laugh when asked if we wanted anything else. I was tempted to ask for my time back, but I knew they had a hard enough time cooking. It is a wonder this place has stayed open as long as it has. Good night Andiamo - we won't be back, and you shouldn't either. This is without a doubt the worst restaurant in Scottsdale, probably Arizona.

The Frontera Empire

Everyone knows Rick Bayless. The impish, bespectacled, goatee sporting Chicago chef famous for his Mexican cuisine and PBS television series. I must admit, Cucina di Campo has fallen under his spell and loves everything Bayless. We make his salsas, drink his margaritas, and wish we could travel to Mexico City with him. There is something about his smile, that glint in his eye and the pace of his speech that pulls you in, not letting go until you ask for more. Yes, we've been Baylessed.

A recent trip to Chicago offered an opportunity to visit the Frontera Empire run by Rick and his wife, Deann. Rick has three restaurants - Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and the new Xoco. Topolobampo is the critically acclaimed upscale Mexican restaurant, awarded 4 out of 4 stars by Chicago magazine. White tablecloths, fine wine, and expensive Mexican food. Frontera is the original, a casual Mexican grill featuring Rick's authentic cooking. Both spots share a front door, and can be identified by the incredibly long line awaiting entry. Xoco is Rick's take on a Mexican street food restaurant, and is located around the corner from his other two places, in the same building.

Rick has built quite an empire, a paean to traditional Mexican cuisine in a stiffly upscale environ. Don't be confused; this is not a local Mexican joint. The average wait is 2 hours, and your bill will most likely rival that of a steak house. If rumors are to be believed, and throngs of anxious patrons any reflection, Rick's food is worth both the wait and the cost.

A dining companion and I tried to get into Frontera a few weeks ago, and encountered the typical 2 hour wait. We were offered a chance to wait at the bar for our table, or stand in line outside with 50 other people. The bar it was. Or wasn't, as it turns out. This was no bar, rather a mass of hungry humanity 10 deep trying to get the attention of the bartenders, praying to pay inflated prices for a chance to sip a signature Margarita. Did we just walk into a fallout shelter in Mexico City with news of a nuclear holocaust in the air? Incredulous, we turned around and left.

How about Topolo, I mused. Wrong again. Same wait, but this time I could spend three times as much once I sat down. Ok, this is crazy. It's Tuesday night. The hostess kindly informed us that Xoco had just opened earlier in the week but would be closing at 9, less than an hour from now. Let's go!

Xoco looked promising with a line only about 25 deep. Finally we will get to taste some of Rick's creations. Yes readers, I was wrong again. Xoco's concept has you lining up to order sandwiches (tortas), soups, hot chocolates, pastries, and small bowls of hot food. You pick from the menu, order at a counter, and wait for your food to be delivered in the seating area. Unfortunately, Xoco has instituted a policy of no take-away. This means that you have to wait for someone to leave the seating area before you can even place your order. So what looked like a 15 minute wait was really another 2 hour wait. Unbelievable. Nobody's food is this good.

The Frontera empire believes it is still living in the heady days of the early '90s when buzz made the place. Sorry, but that is no longer the case. Velvet ropes outside of empty clubs have gone the way of parking limos in front of restaurants to make them look fancy. Rick, there is no reason to make people line up to eat a small sandwich. Give us our food and let us go! Long lines may make you look good in the beginning, but will turn away the rest of us. Sure, your die hard fans may not have a problem waiting 2 hours to eat a taco, but let's be real.

I came back to Chicago this past week and thought I would give Xoco a try, just to be sure I wasn't getting the wrong impression. I arrived at 1:30 and got into line. I was informed that it was only a 20 or 30 minute wait, and I was determined to make it in this time. 45 minutes later, I was in front of the counter ordering food.

45 minutes of staring at the menu and watching people cook is plenty of time to work up an appetite and set your expectations high for the food you are about to receive. I ordered a carnitas torta in a bowl of tomato broth, the "Aztec," a hot chocolate with chiles and nutmeg, a churro and a cookie to go. $20. Not bad, not cheap either. The hostess directed me to a shelf along the wall to await my food. You know these kinds of seats - an 8 inch shelf with some stools set against a wall. Yeah, I get to stare at plaster and rub elbows with other suckers as I eat my overpriced sandwich!

Let me tell you, that was the best hot chocolate and churro I have ever tasted. No joke, the best. Great job guys (is this Rick's food, or the chef's?). The sandwich came, and it was cut in half an resting in a bowl of thick, smoky, spicy tomato soup. Good idea, until you pick it up. Yes, soggy bread and pork does not mix. My sandwich completely fell apart, leaving me with a bowl of spongy bread, pork pieces, pickled onions and tomato soup. Oh well. Hey, where is my silverware? Oh, that's right, you don't get that here. It is a "street food" shop. Imagine a street vendor charging 100 pesos for a pork sandwich - don't think he would last very long.

I proceeded to use my hands to get the rest of the sandwich in my mouth and slurped the soup. It was delicious, everything I was anticipating. The Frontera crew really know how to make food.

After all of the effort that I went through to try Rick's food, I have to say I was disappointed. There is no excuse for the kind of wait you are faced with. Of course, from Rick's perspective it all makes sense. Too bad I'm not Rick Bayless. It's good to be the king.

Calling All Recipes

In the interest of community, Cucina di Campo is calling for your recipe submissions! Feel free to add your recipes as comments to this posting.

"Traditional" Bloody Mary

This is the presentation of a bloody mary at the Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta. Quite amazing!

Olive Oil Cake

A good friend of ours invited us to a dinner party with the promise of her moist olive oil cake. I was a bit taken aback by the name of this dessert, and was intrigued at the possibility that it represented. Olive oil in a dessert? I had heard of stranger things (anyone remember the Trout Ice Cream from Iron Chef?), and was keeping an open mind. Well readers, that mind was blown last night. This chef, not known for desserts, has found a must make cake that will grace the table of Cucina di Campo as often as possible. You simply must try this. Thanks E!

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
10 oz olive oil
10 oz milk
2 oz lime zest
3 tsp lime juice
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10" round cake pan. Whisk the eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, whisk until blended. Pour into the prepared pan, bake for 1 hour.

The cake achieves a crackly patina on the top, ready to accept any number of garnishes. Our host chose to mix a bit of the homemade Lemoncello we brought with powdered sugar to create a simple glaze. Poured over the cake and some fresh strawberries, the Lemoncello glaze was the perfect complement to the olive oil cake's moist, citrus flavor.

Chile Verde

I am famous for several dishes, but this Chile Verde recipe is at the top of the list. Every summer the amazing Hatch chile pepper is made available to us at a few local markets. I usually get mine from Arriba Mexican Grill, where every weekend in August the chiles are brought in from New Mexico and fire roasted right in the parking lot. My friends start getting excited in July when Arriba runs its ads announcing the start of Hatch chile season, and for good reason. While you can get these delicious peppers year-round in cans, nothing compares to driving home with a still warm 4 pound bag of freshly roasted Hatch chiles. The smell is intoxicating, and one never truly knows how hot the batch will be. If you must use canned chiles, make sure you buy the Hatch brand. There is a specific terroir in Hatch, New Mexico that produces a unique breed of chile unmatched by California grown anaheims.

This recipe may seem arduous, but you will discover that the effort is well worth it when the final product is tasted. The yield is fairly high - invite some friends and freeze leftovers.

4 lbs pork shoulder, cubed*
4 lbs fire roasted Hatch chiles, skins and seeds removed, roughly chopped*
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, both green and white parts, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 brown onion, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp cumin
4 bay leaves
1 Serrano chile, diced*

Working in batches, brown the pork cubes in canola oil over medium-high flame. Do not crowd the pan - you want the pork to brown, not steam. Remove each browned batch to a plate - the pork will not be cooked through, but will be brown on the outside (it will finish cooking in the sauce).

When all the pork has been browned and removed from the pan, add the brown and green onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Add 1 tbsp kosher salt to vegetables. Stir and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the pork back to the pan with any juice remaining on the plate. Add the chicken stock. Add the Hatch chiles.

Add cold water to cover the ingredients in the pan, leaving at least 1 inch between the water and the top of the pan. Stir in the cumin and bay leaves, add 2 tbsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

Place the cover slightly ajar, reduce flame to medium-low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. This dish gets better as it cooks, but after too long (around 3 or 4 hours) the pork will disintegrate and you will have something totally different.

Chile verde is delicious topped simply with sour cream and served with warm flour tortillas. Add a bit of crumbled cotija cheese on top if desired.

Best new tequila

Just found the best new tequila - Dos Lunas. Delicious, this agave liquor is a must try.

Deconstructed Guacamole, or Avocado Salad

I can't remember where I first got the inspiration for this recipe, but I know that it is not entirely my own. Avocado salad is a new twist on guacamole - instead of mashing everything together, why not chop the ingredients and make a cool summer salad? The addition of black beans makes this a filling side dish that people will love at your next barbecue.

2 avocados, cut into large dice
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into medium dice
1/2 cup diced red onion
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp diced jalapeno
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (the juice of about 2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chopped garlic

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and gently toss. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of those underrated dishes that people usually only eat at restaurants. This simple dish can be made at home and should become a part of your menu rotation. Make sure to use a good Marsala wine imported from Italy - California Marsala doesn't even come close. Yes, good Marsala will cost a bit more, but it will make many iterations of this dish; splurge on the good stuff. Pounding out the chicken breasts serves several purposes - the chicken cooks faster and goes farther, and you can work out the stresses of your day on the meat. Regular white flour is fine for dredging the chicken, but I've found that Wondra works very well for frying. Give it a try in this recipe, and keep it around for making exceptionally smooth sauces and gravies.

2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thick*
3 tablespoons Wondra flour*
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp dried Oregano
3 tbsp butter at room temperature*
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (cremini or white button)
1 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced

Mix the Wondra flour and a pinch of salt and pepper together on a plate. Dredge the chicken breasts in the Wondra mix, set aside. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet* heat the olive oil over medium high flame. Fry the chicken breasts for about 4 minutes a side or until golden brown and remove to a plate. Don't worry about cooking all the way through, the chicken will finish in the sauce. Keep the chicken warm in a 250 degree oven.

Add the garlic and shallots to the skillet used for the chicken (add another tablespoon of olive oil if there is not enough left in the pan). Saute over medium high flame until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture, about 5 minutes.

Add the Marsala to the pan. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet - the Marsala will deglaze* the pan and the bottom should become clean. Continue cooking the mushrooms and Marsala for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, oregano, and parsley. Taste the sauce, correct the seasonings with sea salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for another 5 minutes, return the chicken to the pan. Reduce the flame to medium low and finish cooking the chicken in the sauce (about 5 minutes). You may cover the pan, reduce to very low, and hold for 15 minutes if needed.

When ready to serve, remove the chicken to a warm serving platter. Increase the flame to medium high and add the butter to the sauce. Stir in the butter until melted and fully incorporated. Check the seasonings again, and correct if necesary with salt, pepper, and Marsala.

Pour the finished sauce over the chicken, and serve with peas and capellini*.

*To pound the chicken breasts, put one in a gallon size zip-top plastic bag with a few drops of water. Seal the bag and pound with a french rolling pin or empty bottle of wine. You can also put the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap, but I find that the chicken always slips out. The bag method is much cleaner. Flattening the chicken breasts is a great way to feed four people on two breasts - the chicken goes much farther when pounded and then breaded and fried. Wondra flour is an incredible invention. I won't go into detail here (check the website for the full story), but the process basically involves pre-cooking the flour with steam and adding some barley flour as a dough conditioner. This flour is perfect for use in sauce and gravy as it does not lump. I love using it for coating things that are to be fried; Wondra coated chicken fries up with a beautiful golden brown patina. Adding room temperature butter to a sauce is called "mounting" and it is essential. Yes, butter isn't the best for you, but go ahead, it tastes so good! The sauce will thicken and take on a gossamer sheen. As you know by now, Cucina di Campo highly recommends All-Clad stainless steel skillets for their superior cooking performance. Deglazing a pan is a process of adding liquid to a skillet that has become coated with the residue of frying. Adding liquid to the hot pan will remove the stuck-on brown bits (called fond) from the bottom of the pan, adding depth of flavor to a sauce. I love to serve Chicken Marsala with whole wheat capellini (angel hair), but you can serve it with any other pasta on hand or even rice.

Korean BBQ Pork

When I lived in San Francisco's Diamond Heights district we would frequent a place called Hahn's Hibachi. This Korean BBQ restaurant served Everest sized plates of barbecue, and one of our favorites was the "Pile O' Pork." Last night I pulled a couple of pork loin chops out of the freezer and decided to attempt to replicate the Korean barbecue flavor of Hahn's pork. It turned out perfectly - so sweet yet tangy, with that lovely sesame aroma. Served with some jasmine rice, this is an excellent summer meal.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup water
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper*
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
6 thin cut pork chops*

In a bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, onion powder, water, garlic, green onions, red pepper, vinegar, ginger, and shallots. Add a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk the marinade ingredients together well.

Place the pork in a resealable bag, add the marinade. Seal the bag and rub the marinade into the pork. Let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight if possible.

Remove the pork from the bag, reserving the marinade. Put the left over marinade into a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, than reduce heat to medium and simmer while the pork cooks on the grill.

Preheat a grill to medium high, and oil the grates. This is an important step - the pork will stick if the grill is not oiled. For more on proper barbecueing tips, visit Steven Raichlen's site. This guy is the authority on everything grilled. Grill the pork for several minutes per side, until cooked through.

Add the cooked pork to the pan with the leftover marinade, and toss the pork to coat. You can simmer the pork and sauce combination for a few minutes while you prepare the table - this adds even more flavor to the meat.

Serve pork and sauce over jasmine rice.

* I use crushed red pepper to add heat to this dish, and I like about 1 tbsp. Depending on your tolerance for heat, add more red pepper or explore the wonderful world of Capsicum annuum and thrown in a Thai chili. Hahn used several cuts of pork in his Pile O' Pork, and you can do the same. I used loin chops, but shoulder blade chops and/or ribs work well. Check out this site for more information on the various cuts of pork: Guide to Meat Cuts: Pork. If you make this for a party, double or triple the marinade recipe and use ribs, loin chops, and blade chops to add a little variety.

Lot's Wife

You know what salt is. At least you think you do. I'm not talking about that salt shaker on your table, rather that quixotic mineral responsible for the rise and fall of primitive cultures. You know, "worth your weight in salt." It's that important. Regular table salt, or iodized sodium chloride, is akin to white paint. Yes, it does the job, but have you tried painting a room with eggshell or linen? Subtle variations in those colors are much more pleasing that standard white, as are the enormous variations in salt.

A quick salt primer:

• Table salt is fine for enhancing the flavor of food at the table, and it contains iodine which is necessary for your health.
• Kosher salt, the most widely used salt in restaurant cooking, has a large flake and is by volume much less saline that table salt. The shape of the flake makes it easy for chefs to grab a pinch while cooking, and the lack of iodine makes it a chef's first choice. Avoid using in baked goods, as the flakes may not dissolve.
• Sea salt, as its name suggests, is produced by evaporating sea water (table salt is usually made from mined rock salt, or halite). There are many variations of sea salt, each with a distinct flavor that most people associate with the word "gourmet."
• Fleur de Sel, or "flower of salt," is produced by scraping the top layer of salt while producing sea salt. The best Fleur de Sel comes from Brittany, and is very expensive. The flavor here is divine, and worth every penny.
• Himalayan Pink Salt, usually from Pakistan, is most often used in curing meats. Some high end restaurants are using blocks of ancient mined pink salt (some say many millions of years old) as a serving vessel for charcuterie. I've never had a need for this salt at home, but it looks cool!
• Smoked Salt has a deep, smoky flavor, as evidenced by its name. This salt adds wonderful flavor to salads.
• Grey Salt is a moist unrefined salt from France. The sea salt is sometimes called Celtic Sea Salt. With a wonderful, mineral flavor, this is the salt revered by chefs for finishing dishes.
• Rock Salt has its home in three main areas - removing ice from your driveway, aiding in the freezing process for ice cream, and as a base for serving shellfish.

Now that you understand the different types of salts, let's explore their uses in a bit more depth. When cooking, I keep a ramekin of kosher salt by the stove. This is my cooking salt for everything on top of the stove; as mentioned earlier, I never bake with it. You can also use kosher salt to crust a steak - plain old rib eye steaks generously coated with kosher salt and cracked black pepper cooked over a hot grill are wonderful. Kosher salt is used to rim the glasses of classic margaritas, and as an accompaniment to shots of tequila.

Table salt only comes into play when guests think I have under seasoned my food. They are welcome to their opinion, as wrong as it might be. I love to use sea salt in my cooking, but there is a problem. Its cost is fairly high when compared to kosher salt, and its flavor tends to "cook out" if used too early in the process. Most chefs will use sea salt as a finishing salt unless they have the financial means to be wasteful.

Fleur de Sel is my favorite salt of all time. The flavor is incredible, and my guests are amazed at the flavor of food cooked with it. Again, as the cost is high, use this salt to finish dishes - sprinkle a little bit on the food just prior to service. I find that grey salt, generic sea salt, and Fleur de Sel are excellent finishing salts, and I will use which ever one I happen to have at the time.

When I serve oysters or stuffed clams, I prepare the serving platter with a generous layer of rock salt. This bed of rock salt allows you to balance the shells on the plate and provides a nice presentation.

Which salt should you use? I recommend starting with a box of kosher salt and some generic sea salt. Once you switch from table salt to kosher salt, you will begin to get a handle on layering flavors - the most important element of good cooking. Gradually introduce sea salt at the end of the cooking process until you understand how it works as a flavoring agent, and then branch out into other more expensive salts.

Over time you will come to understand the wonderful world of salt and all the depth of flavor it can bring to your table. Just don't look back - we all know what happened to Lot's wife.

Happy Kisses

I don't hide the fact that I am a Happy Hour junkie. Why pay twice as much for the same food and drink if you don't have to? We've been searching the Scottsdale area for the best happy hours, and have identified a few contenders. At the top of our list right now is Un Bacio, a beautiful Italian restaurant in the Gainey Ranch area (down the road from The Kitchen, see earlier post). Un Bacio means "a kiss" in Italian, and I think most of you are just now figuring out the title of this post...

Un Bacio has a special menu for its happy hour, which runs from 4:30 to 7 pm, Tuesday through Friday. There are half price drink specials - wine, beer and cocktails - and "small plates" of food. These plates are definitely not small - you will probably have left overs (I guess you could call them small if you were Brobdingnagian). A few of our favorite "small plates" are the Capellini with Baby Clams ($7.50) and the Stuffed Eggplant ($7). The Capellini is an incredible dish with plenty of fresh clams, more than enough for dinner. The Stuffed Eggplant is deliciously cheesy with a wonderful red sauce. Also try the Antipasto Plate ($8) and the Margherita Pizza ($9). In fact, the whole menu is a culinary masterpiece at unbelievable prices.

This is one of those places that understands the value of a good happy hour. Un Bacio will suck you in with a chance to taste the menu on the cheap, but they know you'll be back for the complete dinner soon. Cucina di Campo ranks it the "Best Happy Hour in Scottsdale" for now. You didn't think we would stop looking for great deals, did you?