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Lora Roberts: Mashed-up Murder Hello. My name is Liz Sullivan, and I'm not much of a gourmand. My idea of great food is to pick some fresh veggies from my garden and eat them with as little fuss as possible. I grow as many vegetables as I can in Palo Alto, California. It's true that my gardening is often interrupted by murder, but I do my best to put that behind me. I'm writing because Lora Roberts wanted me to describe what happened once when I became the temporary driver of a very famous Maven of Style named Hannah Couch (you were expecting a different name?). Lora wrote up the whole story in a book called Murder Follows Money, but she's busy right now, so I'll tell you about the fancy cooking I saw while Hannah was on tour to promote her newest cookbook. Luckily, she brought an entourage (something Lora confessed to me she's always wanted), including a food stylist who did most of the prep. Until then, I hadn't known that a media escort is responsible for prepping the demonstration food for cookbook authors. In fact, I hadn't know much about media escorts, as my temp jobs usually involved the more ordinary copying, filing, and receptionist duties. I was supposed to be doing just that at a public relations firm, but was kicked upstairs to be a driver when they were in short supply. I didn't much care for Hannah, who seemed to think the world revolved around her. But she turned out some tasty viands, I must say. She and her assistant, Naomi, were mean enough to curdle milk, so it was no surprise when murder took a seat at the table. Anyway, I learned several things from that experience. First, never drive famous people unless they're taking tranquilizers. Second, don't get mixed up in anything that involves vegetable mutilation, forced shopping, and gratuitous luxury. Third, always put a spoonful of sour cream in the guacamole. Oh, that's right. You want a recipe or two. I watched the cute food stylist, Kim, make guacamole this way, and I'm passing it on to you with my comments. Choose only the best avocados, firm, but faintly yielding to the touch. If they're too ripe, they have an off smell; don't use those. Cut them in half, remove the seed (stick a knife point in it and pull it out), and slip off the skins. The flesh should be smoothly green and unblemished. Mash the avocado in a molcajete and scrape into a bowl. (That's what Hannah required. I say, why get two utensils dirty? Mash in a bowl big enough to hold the avocados.) For each avocado, add the juice of half a lime, a teaspoon of sour cream (I use plain yogurt, because I usually have it around), a teaspoon of finely chopped cilantro, and a teaspoon to tablespoon of fresh salsa. If you don't have tasty fresh tomatoes and the like for fresh salsa, jarred salsa works. Add fresh-ground pepper and sea salt (regular salt and pepper are fine) to taste. Enjoy. My friend Paul Drake really likes this with his special steak and mushroom quesadillas. Now I'm going to give you one more recipe, something I really enjoy making because it's simple, delicious, and comes from the garden. It's also very good for you, especially in spring when your blood may need thinning (according to my grandmother). Pull up six or eight golf-ball sized beets (you could also buy them at the farmer's market). Cut the green tops off just above the beet, leaving a little tuft, and scrub the beets very well. You don't have to trim the root, just make sure no dirt clings to it. Put the beets in a steamer and steam them until tender; this may take twenty minutes or more, but start poking them with a fork around 15 minutes. Make sure you have enough water in there. Meanwhile, wash the beet greens in several changes of water and pinch the stems off right below the leaf; discard stems. Put greens in a pot with only the water that clings to their leaves. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until greens are wilted. Keep a close watch because you don't want to burn them. When wilted and tender, snip into inch-wide ribbons with kitchen scissors, and sprinkle with a good vinegar, like balsamic or a richly flavored fruit vinegar. When beets are tender but not falling apart, run cold water over them and slip off the skins, being careful not to burn yourself, because they hold the heat really well. Slice the peeled beets into thick rounds or quarters. Arrange the greens in an attractive bowl. Mound the beets in the center, like jewels in a nest. Dab with a little butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. They will taste sweet and earthy at the same time, an ambrosial dish for spring.
More from Lora:
Lee Harris ~ Jonnie Jacobs ~ Valerie Wolzien ©2005-06 by Lee Harris, Jonnie Jacobs, Lora Roberts and Valerie Wolzien. |