Authors: Charlie Cascio
Esalen Cookbook (9 page)
Esalen Granola
This recipe was one of those Sunday brunch meals that created a lot of excitement in the Esalen kitchen as well as in the dining lodge. This recipe was perfected by Liam McDermott in the Esalen bakery. The bagels were made fresh from scratch. Kitchen staff who had never before experienced the chance to make fresh bagels were elated with their accomplishment, and seminarians who had never had a fresh bagel “homemade style” were equally excited to discover something new.
Makes 14 bagels
1 tablespoon dry active baking yeast
Pinch sugar
2½ cups lukewarm water (90 to 100 degrees F)
7¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
3 quarts water
½ cup molasses
In a mixing bowl, stir the yeast and sugar into the water until dissolved. Place in a warm spot until the mixture “blooms” (a foam will appear on the surface). Then add 3½ cups unbleached flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, stirring until the flour is dissolved into the mixture. Let stand for about 30 to 45 minutes in a warm spot to raise. You will know it’s ready when air bubbles start to escape from the mixture and it looks like a sponge.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, oil, and 2 tablespoons molasses. Stir this into the flour mixture until smooth.
Add 3¾ cups of unbleached flour into the mixture, stirring at first, and then kneading the mixture into a firm dough. Roll into a ball, and place in a large oiled mixing bowl, turning the dough to oil all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel. Place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for about 1½ hours. Rising time will depend on how warm or drafty the room, how active the yeast, and how warm the ingredients. The dough should double in size.
Separate dough into 14 individual ¼-pound pieces, about the size of tennis balls. Knead the air out of each piece until you have a tight dough ball, then let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the dough. With your thumbs, poke a hole into the dough ball and gently stretch it out to form a doughnut shape. Let the bagel rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
In the widest saucepan you have, add 3 quarts of water and ½ cup of molasses. Bring to a boil, and then lower to a gentle simmer. Drop the bagel into the water for 20 seconds and then, with a slotted spoon, turn the bagel and cook on the other side for 20 seconds. Be sure not to leave the bagel in the simmering water for more than 2 minutes or you will kill the yeast. Place bagels on a baking sheet that has been oiled or lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool on a wire rack.
BAGEL TOPPINGSDifferent toppings can be added to the outside of the bagels before they are put into the oven. You can be creative with toppings, adding or blending many different ingredients. At Esalen we top our bagels with minced onion, minced garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
LUNCHES
These savory scones are a meal in themselves. They are an interesting blend of quartered artichokes, sweet yams, and creamy pungent blue cheese. The addifion of the aromatic flavor of sage brings the mouth alive with a multitude of tastes! These scones also make a delightful lunch served with a salad or soup.
Makes 8 scones
1 large yellow onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium-size yams
8 ounces (small can) artichoke hearts
in water
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup unsalted butter
2½ cups grated Asiago cheese
½ pound crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Chop the onion into 1/2-inch dice and saute in a skillet with a small amount of oil until brown. Peel and chop the yams into 1/2-inch cubes, and then lightly steam until cooked but still firm. Drain the artichoke hearts and cut in quarters. Put the onion, yams, and artichoke hearts in a large bowl and set aside.
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1-inch chunks. Add butter to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry cutter until the mixture is the size of peas. Gently fold in the Asiago cheese and half of the blue cheese.
Mix the sage into the yam mixture and fold the mixture into the dough; briefly mix until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix. This dough should have a chunky appearance and a sticky texture. If the dough is not sticky, add a small amount of liquid (buttermilk, milk, or water) to create a sticky texture.
Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, scoop out baseball-size balls of dough and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten the ball with a fork, making a small depression on top. Place the remaining blue cheese in the depressions on top the scones. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes or until the scone is light brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.
CHARD CAKES (AKA ESALEN GARDEN CAKES)At Esalen, we count the days of the month by “Changeover Monday.” Every twenty-eight days in the Esalen kitchen, we receive fourteen new work scholars. Kitchen work scholars are people who come for a four-week workshop, and they receive a reduced fee for working thirty-two hours a week doing kitchen chores. Changeover Monday is the first day of the new work scholar kitchen crew, and this is the only training day the new recruits have. Chard Cakes were always on the menu because that was a meal that one cook could prepare alone, leaving the work scholars to train for their new job. The long-time staff would recognize “Changeover Monday” by this classic nutritious lunch. It’s a tasty way to get your daily dose of green vegetables.
Makes 4 to 6 cakes
CHARD CAKES4 eggs
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons water
½ medium-sized onion
½ pound swiss chard, washed and patted dry
with paper towel
1 tablespoon sesame oil for frying
DILL & HORSERADISH GOAT CHEESE SAUCE½ pound soft goat cheese or sour cream
1 tablespoon milk or water
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh dill
¼ teaspoon sea salt
To make the Chard Cakes, crack eggs into a mixing bowl, add salt and water, and beat with a whisk or fork until light and fluffy. Slice the onion into small half-moon slices. Cut stems from the leaves of the chard and chop the stems into fine strips. Lay the chard leaves one on top of another, roll up into a tight cigar-like shape, and slice into fine ribbons. Add the chard and onion to the egg mixture and mix well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and, with a large spoon, scoop up the egg and veggie mixture and drop into the pan. Cook until golden brown, approximately minutes; turn with a spatula and brown the other side. Serve with Dill & Horseradish Goat Cheese Sauce on top.
To make the Dill & Horseradish Goat Cheese Sauce, mash the goat cheese in a mixing bowl with the milk or water and horseradish until you have a smooth sauce-like consistency. Then add the dill. Serve over Chard Cakes.
Egg Foo Yong
These small Chinese omelets are packed with flavor and are easy to prepare. The shiitake mushrooms have a meaty flavor and savory texture that blends well with the crunchy vegetables and slight perk of the fresh ginger.
Makes 8 servings
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup ½-inch slices snow peas
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup finely sliced green onions
2 cups shredded Napa cabbages (Chinese cabbage)
or bok choy
1 cup ½-inch dice red bell pepper
3 tablespoons cilantro
2 teaspoons grated ginger
6 eggs
1¾ teaspoons sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Mix all the vegetables and the cilantro and ginger together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and cayenne pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the vegetables and toss until the vegetables are completely coated with the egg.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and then drop one large spoonful of the vegetable mixture (draining off the excess egg) into the pan. Press the vegetables down to a 1/2-inch thickness with a fork. Cook until brown on one side, about 3 minutes, and then flip and brown the other side. Serve with tamari gravy.
TAMARI GRAVY1 green onion, chopped in
fine rounds
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup tamari natural soy sauce
4 cups vegetable stock or water
¾ cup arrowroot or cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped parsleyIn a 2-quart saucepan on high heat, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes. Add tamari and saute for 1 minute more. Add liquid, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cover. Let simmer for 1/2 hour.Mix arrowroot with a small amount of cold water to make a paste the consistency of sour cream. Add this to the sauce, raise heat to high, and stir until thick. Add chopped parsley and serve over Egg Foo Yong.
Macaroni and cheese is a classic example of an American comfort meal. Using this comfort food as a base, Esalen created many tasty variations of it, including this one that is a favorite at the Esalen lodge.
Makes 6 servings
5 quarts water
1½ tablespoons salt (for cooking the macaroni)
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pasilla chile powder
1 can (8 ounces) mild green chile strips,
drained and finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
5 cups milk
2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 scallions, chopped in small rounds
1 bag Mexican-flavored corn chips
(or regular corn chips)
Pulse corn chips in a food processor approximately 10 times until they are small to medium crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside for topping.
Other books
Everyone Dies by Michael McGarrity
Secret Obsession by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Paper House by Anna Spargo-Ryan
This is a Love Story by Thompson, Jessica
Heroes (Hollywood Heartthrobs #1) by Kate Rivers
The Smart One by Jennifer Close
Stephanie James by Love Grows in Winter
A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes
Bound by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Los masones by César Vidal