The Wild Heart of Spring: A Feast of Light

March 9, 2018

Saturday, April 7th 2018 - 5:00 pm

Come celebrate the changing light with a feast for the senses. For this unique dining experience, I will be preparing a 6-course meal teeming with all the wild abundance of a spring harvest. Served in an intimate, immersive banquet installation set to the narration and music musings of author Nick Jaina, this is sure to be an evening to captivate the hearts, minds, and palates of those who join us to taste the Wild Heart of Spring.

I look forward to celebrating with my California community through food, art, and music at lille æske. After farming in Boulder Creek in 2014, I routinely return to the San Lorenzo Valley to collect my favorite ingredients from the region; where the local landscape and community inspire my cooking style. After completing my 2016 James Beard Women in Culinary Leadership grant, I continued to further my culinary education in Pennsylvania. I have been mentoring with outstanding chefs and most recently finished a local whole animal butchering apprenticeship with Primal Supply Meats in Philadelphia. This will be my third dinner at lille æske. I look forward to serving you at the table!

Tickets

Spring Onion Ragu

Warm Bitter Greens

Trauger's Strawberries// Kintnersville, Pennsylvania

Spring in Photos + Recipes

June 27, 2016

Rabbit Terrine// James Beard House// New York, New York

It is difficult to believe how much can happen in just a couple of weeks. Sorry if I left you hanging dear reader (you're the reason why I take the time to update this thing right?).
This winter I started plotting the season ahead. For those of you keeping score at home, I have remained in the state of Pennsylvania for the summer. Though I still have debilitating wanderlust, I am now focusing on my passion for cooking and have found the opportunity to apprentice at a restaurant tucked away in the Lehigh Valley.
The modest 200 year old stagecoach inn is home to Bolete Restaurant; the blood, sweat, and tears of the Erin Shea and Lee Chizmar, a dynamic couple, producing one of the finest dining experiences in the region. I have been appointed to apprentice with Chef Lee as a part of the James Beard Women in Culinary Leadership Initiative, where I will be working with Chef for 6 months.
I first discovered Bolete 3 years ago while on tour with Outstanding in the Field and I was excited to return to my home state. The dinner was held at Blooming Glen Farm and Chef was preparing fresh mozzarella for the first course and planning to pull the curds minutes before plating... for 200+ people. Our crew was prepared for a delayed and chaotic start to the dinner.

When I saw Lee directing his crew, I was in awe of his composure, his tact and his ability to thoughtfully communicate his vision to his crew. He plated the first course effortlessly, and our crew was taken aback. I knew then he was both a great Chef and teacher.
I am wholeheartedly passionate about cooking and bringing people together to celebrate food. I have a deep and intimate understanding of food and have spent my life learning as much as possible about the culinary arts. Professionally I have always found myself working in the front of house while longing to work in the back of house, but I had never found the right opportunity to do so. However, through self-education and entrepreneurship I have begun to build myself a basis in the back of house. At my own events I both manage the front of house and lead the back of house, but I know that I have much more to learn in my craft. This grant is the opportunity to discipline my skills by working professionally in an inspired kitchen.

Shiitake Oysters at Bolete//Bethlehem, PA

Noodle Pop Art at Mr. Lee's// Easton, PA — Noodle Pop Art at Mr. Lee's// Easton, PA

My father  and I crafted these extra long wooden spoons for our stock production at Mr. Lee's noodle bar. The flat top allows for scraping the bottom of the pot and the burned detailing a Japanese method called 'Shou Sugi Ban', our homage to ra… — My father and I crafted these extra long wooden spoons for our stock production at Mr. Lee's noodle bar. The flat top allows for scraping the bottom of the pot and the burned detailing a Japanese method called 'Shou Sugi Ban', our homage to ramen's cultural roots.

I was ushered back into the food scene of Philadelphia at the start of spring and reconnected with many of my old friends in the city of brotherly love. I was asked to curate the Demo Kitchen at The Philly Farm and Food Fest (PF3) and was excited to put together a dynamic schedule of Philadelphia's premier movers and shakers to educate the public.

It was important to me to bring together an eclectic mix of chefs, butchers, farmers, mycologist, fermentors and apiarists in an attempt to represent an entire food system.

The weeks leading up to the festival were packed with meetings with chefs and farmers planning their demonstrations, which lead me all over the city and the countryside. I was particularly excited to work with Bryan Mayer and Andrew Wood of Russet for their Whole Lamb Butchery demonstration. Before the fest we went out to Wyebrook Farm in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania and slaughtered the first lamb of the season under the expertise of Bryan and Andrew. It was an honor to watch them work with such skill, and they were sure to educate the entire team during the process. Bryan performed a highly efficient and mindful slaughter, exemplifying the methodology I aspire to in all of my butchering projects.

Bryan wanted his demonstration at fest to be both educational and personal. He wanted to give reference to the animal, showing that it was once a living creature that was raised with care in idilic conditions. Andrew taught us about preparing the blood with vinegar for sausage making. He walked us through the organs and demonstrated that you could actually re-inflate the lungs after they were removed from the cavity. I had never seen an animal so expertly broken down and came out of the slaughter with a greater understanding and appreciation of the art of butchery. This is the drive guiding my journey: facilitating the propagation of this sacred knowledge to make the sacrifice of an animal worthwhile not only as a means for consumption but as a way of reconnecting on deeper level with the circle of life.

During the Whole Pig Butchery demonstration lead by Heather Thomason of Kensington Quarters and Brooks Miller of North Mountain Pastures, three vegan protesters started yelling in front of them. Shocked, I scrambled to tell these protesters that this wasn't the right fight, Brooks' pigs were the real deal, I had been to the farm, these pigs were loved and raised in the most humane way possible. Single-mindedly ignoring my pleas, they continued to yell. Dumbfounded, I saw a man and his family standing behind the protesters continuing to watch the demo. I then realized, there were more people there wanting to learn about butchering than the three vegans who were protesting against it. I motioned to the audience to rush the stage and displace the protesters, they dashed to the front and then stood, continuing to watch Heather and Brooks' work.

I understood why those vegans were there; industrial farming practices are a disgrace to our society. It is my hope that the animals that we sacrificed for the demonstrations at the Philly Farm and Food Fest were for a purpose, not just for human consumption but for educating the public. We need to shatter the absent referent surround meat; we must acknowledge that the meat we eat was once a living animal and that we should be honest with ourselves about the conditions in which was raised. It is my mission to promote the dismantling of a food system that is unconcerned with the unspeakable cruelty suffered by animals in the service of our addiction to a profligacy of cheap meat.

Adrian Galbrith-Paul of Heritage Farm and Chef Charles Parker of Talula's Garden talk Greens

Worksheets for the Kids Corral by Philly Orchard Project and Everybody Colors

Salad Green Games at Broad Wing Farm// Morgantown, PA

Berks County Beauty// Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA — Berks County Beauty// Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA

Wash //Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA — Wash //Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA

Pig Friends// Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA — Pig Friends// Broad Wing Farm, Morgantown, PA

Pennsylvania Rye Berry Salad

Salad

1 cup rye berries

4 cups water

3 carrots, julienned

1 bunch ramps, sliced

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, sautéed

Salad Dresing

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

red pepper, salt & pepper, to taste

In a medium pot or a rice cooker, add rye berries and water. Bring to a boil, once boiling, cover and cook on low heat for 40 minutes. Checking every 15 minutes for firmness and water evaporation. Remove from heat and prepare salad.

In a small jar, mix together cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, red pepper, salt, and pepper.

Combine, carrots, ramps, mushrooms and walnuts. Toss in salad dressing. Add to prepared rye berries. Mix till combined.

Old Friends// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I enjoyed the bounty of Spring in Philadelphia at the Clark Park Farmers Market while curating small bites for Marta's Potluck for Psychedelic Science.

Clark Park Farmer's Market Haul// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Valley Milk House Cheese Plate// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rhubarb Compote

5 stalks rhubarb, sliced

1 cup sugar

1 lemon

In a small pot over medium heat, add rhubarb, sugar and lemon. Cook for 5 minutes until rhubarb is shredded. Allow to cool. Serve along side cheese.

Fiddlehead Ferns// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Trametes aka Turkey Tails// Upper Black Eddy, PA

Scar Tissue// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Forest Groceries// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Forager's Elixir

1 lb stinging nettles

1 lb dandelion greens

1 bunch garlic grass/chives

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 onions

1 bulb fennel, chopped

1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper, red pepper flake, to taste

In a medium stock pot, over medium heat bring 4 cups water to a boil with salt. Add garlic grass, dandelion green and nettles. Add onions, fennel and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add garlic, and cauliflower. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add mint and lemon juice. Blend with a blender until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flake to taste.

Buttermilk Grapefruit Cake

Cake

4 eggs

3 cups cake flour*

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 grapefruits, peeled

Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degree. On a large cookie sheet, lay out parchment paper and grease with butter.

Measure out all ingredients. Separate eggs.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Fold in egg yolks and in thirds add flour mixture while slowly adding milk. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites until they form glossy peaks and fold in. Pour batter onto pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating racks in oven around the 10 minute mark. Remove from oven and let cool. Run knife around sides of sheet pan. When completely cool, gently cut out desired cake size. I did 9 inches. Transfer the cake to desired serving plate lined with parchment paper.

Lemon Curd

4 lemons

1 cup sugar

1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

4 eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice(reserved from zested lemons )

salt, to taste

Zest 4 lemons. Combine with sugar. Cream butter and lemon sugar and add 1 egg at a time. Add lemon juice and salt.

Pour mixture in a small sauce pan and cook over low heat until thickened, stiring constantly until reached around 170 degrees. Remove from heat and pour through a sieve. Cool in fridge.

Whipped Cream

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a large mason jar. Add one cup of cream of time and shake until whipped. *You can also use an electric mixer.

Set 1st cake layer on pan and smooth out a dollop of lemon curd. Lay out a ring of grapefruit and repeat. Ice the outside of the cake with whipped cream.

*Lets be real, who has cake flour lying around? To substitute simply take all purpose flour and for every cup replace 2 tbsp with corn starch. Be sure to sift the mixture thoroughly (1 cup all purpose flour - 2 tbsp replaced + 2 tbsp corn starch, sifted 3 times over)

Robert H. Treman State Park// Ithaca, New York

Feet Meet// Watkins Glen, New York — Feet Meet// Watkins Glen, New York

Morning Love// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Slumber// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Morning Light// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Evening Light// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Worship the Sun// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Tree Tops// Milford, New Jersey — Tree Tops// Milford, New Jersey

Elderflower Beauty// Milford, New Jersey

Adventure Club Feast// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Pulled Pork Sandwiches on Ciobatta with Duck Fat Pesto// Milford, New Jersey

Love em' and Eat em' at Bobolink Dairy// Milford, New Jersey

Spring Pea Salad

salad

2 quarts spring peas

1bunch radishes

1 bunches mint

handful chives

1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

slice radishes and peas. mince mint and chives. In a large bowl, stir everything together.

dressing

1/4 cup mustard

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon red pepper flake

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

In a small jar, mix together all ingredients. pour atop salad.

The Delaware River Valley, Milford, New Jersey

March in Photos + Recipes

April 26, 2016

Spicy Peach Slab Pie

Dough

makes 1 (9*13) sheet pans worth of dough

470 grams good flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

340 grams butter, diced

3/4-1 cup cold water

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and knead. Slowly add water until dough is smooth. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm.

Spicy Peach Preserves

16 oz frozen peach slices

1/2-1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp clove, cinnamon, salt, to taste

1 tbsp red pepper flake

1 lemon, juiced and zested

In a large sauce pan add frozen peaches and brown sugar. Once peaches are soft add spices and reduce liquid, or reserve extra liquid for an awesome simple syrup. Puree in food processor until slightly chunky. Set aside.

Roll pie dough to fit a large rectangular cookie sheet. Lay preserves atop, cut remaining for lattice crust, apply an egg wash to crust. In a 375 oven bake for 45-55 minutes until golden. Serve with ice cream!

Max and Maggie playing the ATL farmer's market

Delaware Water Gap// Bushkill, Pennsylvania

River Stones// Upper Black Eddy, Pennyslvania

Spring Dreams at Philos Farm// Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Pig Friends at Philos Farm// Schnecksville, Pennsylvania — Pig Friends at Philos Farm// Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Hydrangeas// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

Moo Cow at Nolts// Leola, Pennsylvania — Moo Cow at Nolts// Leola, Pennsylvania

Sweet Spring// Lancaster City, Pennsylvania

Braised Lamb Neck

3-5lb lamb neck

Rub

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon herb salt

1 tablespoon red pepper flake

1 tablespoon five spice

1 teaspoon fresh ground peppercorns

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 lemons, halved

1/4 cup olive oil

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped

3 sprigs thyme, chopped

Score the Lamb Neck by running a sharp knife across the meat. Cut several gashes about 1/2 inch apart over the entire surface, then turn and move the other way to create a crisscross pattern. In a small bowl, mix together sugar, red pepper flake, five spice, salt, and pepper. Rub atop neck. Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Rub into neck until saturated. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

Braise

4 tablespoons butter

4 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 head fennel, chopped, reserving stalks

2-3 bay leaves

1-750ml bottle red wine

8oz tomato paste

Salt & Pepper

In a medium enameled pot, with a lid, over high heat, brown the lamb neck. Turn heat to medium and add butter and onions to the pot. Cook until translucent. Then, add the carrots, celery and fennel bulb. Cook until tender. Turn the heat to high again and add the wine, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to pull up the crispy bits. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined. Reduce the heat to low. Add the fennel stalks and bay leaf and cover. Simmer for 3-6 hours until neck is tender and pulling from the bone. Then remove bones, bay leaves and fennel stalks. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper.

Bobolink Cheese Board// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

New Herd at Bobolink Dairy// Milford, New Jersey Photo by Ellie Tremble

Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits

makes about 10 biscuits

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 stick (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

red pepper/chili powder to taste

In a bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt. Knead or in a food processor, add butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Add buttermilk and seasoning. Roll or press dough into 1-2 inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Makes about 20 biscuits.

*The dough is pretty fool proof and can be as simple or as dressed up as you'd like. I used butter for this batch but animal lard takes it to the next level, giving it a more savory depth (lamb lard being one of my favorites). Substitute lard in equal parts (3/4 cup).

Sausage Gravy

1 pound good sausage

2 tablespoon flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 teaspoons Black Pepper

pinch of salt

Cook sausage until brown. Remove meat, keeping the drippings in the pan. On low heat, slowly stir in flour and whisk until smooth. Continue whisking and cook mixture until flour begins to brown. Add milk, cream and seasonings. Drizzle gravy over biscuits and enjoy! Also, a soft boiled egg on top is always a good idea. Makes about 2 cups gravy.

*I love using my cast iron skillet for this recipe. After cooking the sausage and scrapping up all the crusty bits on the bottom, really makes this gravy that much better. I also like to sauté mushrooms with the sausage or adding a little bit of stock if I have it around. You can make your gravy as creamy or as thin as you prefer by adjusting the flour and milk.

Adrian of Heritage Farm// Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ladies Night// Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania Photo by Ellie Tremble

Peking Duck Noodle Bowl

April 19, 2014

Local peking duck, poached egg, rice noodles, spring peas, mustard greens, radish & leek.

I recently had the opportunity to do a guest chef night at Peeves Public House in Fresno, California. Peeves is trailblazing the Fresno food scene and offering a daily seasonal menu from Head Chef, Sean Dunn. I had the pleasure of planning a menu with Sean and he was gracious enough to let me loose in his kitchen. I was thrilled! The walk-in was loaded with wonderful local veggies from KmK Farms, fresh fennel, spring peas, radishes, mustard greens and my favorite peking duck, sourced from Mary's Ducks in Central California. As a starter we put out a simple fennel carrot slaw with mustard greens, romaine and a honey mustard aioli. For the noodle bowl, Sean prepared an aromatic broth with our vegetable scraps and pressure cooked the ducks, taking about an hour and half (as we only had 3 hours to prep for 60 covers, so pressure cooking saved us sometime). This dish was really a culmination of my favorite things about pho & ramen and really playing with textures and highlighting fresh seasonal produce. Noodle bowls is all about presentation and customization. Breaking a poached egg into the broth, nibbling on fresh greens, savoring the duck breast, slurping noodles…it’s a dynamic experience. Noodle bowls are also quite easy, and though I wouldn't recommend serving 8 of them a once (which happened during service) if it’s your first time, it really is a great way to enjoy your leftover veggies and meat. Making your own stock isn't necessary, but it is one of the simplest things to do, and you feel like you’re recycling your scraps and getting free soup in the process! Preparing stock also allows you to control the sodium level and mix those preservatives found in most store bought stocks. Though I used some out of this world ingredients for this bowl, you can really throw anything into some broth with noodles and be a happy camper!

Peking Duck Noodle Bowl

serves 4

BROTH

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Bones from 1 duck

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 inches fresh ginger, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 orange, quartered

Salt and pepper

In a stock pot, bring oil to temperature and cook bones for roughly 5 minutes. Add onions, celery and carrots stir until caramelized(about 10 minutes). Season with ginger, garlic, peppercorns and orange. Slowly add 16 cups of room temperature water, making sure to scrap up the flavor on the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2-3 hours uncovered, tasting intermediately.

Garnishes

1 pound spring peas sliced

1 bunch red mustard green, chiffonade

1 cup chopped scallions or leeks, chiffonade

1 cup radishes

1 tablespoon soy sauce/ fish sauce

1 package rice noodles (about a pound)

2 cooked duck breasts

Thai basil, for garnish

Handful bean sprouts

Lime slices, for garnish

Sriracha sauce, for serving

Bring broth to a boil, add noodles and boil until tender, about 3-5 minutes (depending on brand). Remove from broth and add to bowl. Top with veggies, duck breast, and garnish as desired! Don't forget, slurping noodles is a compliment to the chef.

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

June 12, 2013

After returning to the States from cool and balmy France, I came home to what seemed like a strawberry explosion. Excited for the season I went to my favorite fruit farm, Phillips Farm in New Jersey, and quickly picked up 2 pounds. The following day our farm share from Lancaster Farm Fresh was loaded with 4 quarts of the most delicate beauties. Dumbfounded and gitty, I immediately thought, preserves. When you have this amount of berries on your hands, the possibilities are endless. However strawberries are pretty perishable, and a lot of the varieties I prefer, bruise easily and taste best when eaten within a couple days of picking. Preserving these badboys allows you to enjoy their freshness year round; and believe me, come December, you'll be so happy you saved yourself a jar. The other great thing about this preparation is that you can also immediately do whatever you can think of with the stuff. From cocktails, pies, and ice creams, this base is extremely malleable for all your strawberry dreams. So get into the field before the season passes and enjoy the taste of the season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Makes 6 half pints

3 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves removed

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Method

Wash & clean berries and rhubarb. Hull berries and slice in half, set aside in bowl. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the bowl with the berries. Cover with sugar and stir. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare sanitized 1/2 pint jars and set aside. If you want to can them, prepare a water bath for jars.

When the juices are released from the fruit pour into a large skillet over high heat. Bring to a rapid boiling, stirring often for around 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. Remove from heat and funnel into sanitized jars. Secure lid to jars and boil in water bath for 10 minutes or simply store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Try these preserves in syrup on waffles, folded into whip cream to make a 'fool' or even stirred into your favorite gin.