Abundant shades of green announce spring’s arrival like a royal herald and the notes of his trumpet are delicious fava beans, asparagus, fennel, spring onions and nettles.

And if you’re saying to your self what the . ..? Nettles…? Yes, stinging nettles, uber delicious, loaded with good-for-you vitamin C, calcium, potassium, flavonoids, histamine and serotonin — all the great chemicals one needs to re-energize after a cold winter and to combat spring allergies.

Apart from the fact that even the very young plants sting, nettles are sensational in soups, pasta dishes and frittatas. Truth be told, they are good in any dish that you might otherwise use cooked spinach or kale. But it is critical to cook nettles, if only plunged into boiling water for 30 seconds then shocked in ice water to get rid of the stinging. Oh, and wear gloves for the first part of the cooking process … Even easier, order nettle-anything when you are out, let us do the hard work in the kitchen.

But today, let’s talk about favas. They are among one of my favorite ingredients, albeit a laborious ingredient. They, more than asparagus, even green garlic or spring onions, sing of spring to me. If you’ve seen them and been intimidated, that’s OK. Once you take a bundle home and try it you will be hooked. They are seriously the king of beans…

Here is how to clean them, and a delicious, easy recipe to start spring off on the right bean.

First thing you need to do is remove the beans from the pods by running a finger up the seam of the pod, splitting it open and removing the beans. There are about four to five beans per pod. You’ll notice that the beans have a thick, pale green-white skin around them. Some people cook them up this way with sautéed garlic, onion and wine and they are delicious, but they become cooked-through, losing that green, spring vibrancy.

Secondly, you’ll need to remove the second skin. There are two different methods.

The easiest, in my opinion, is to put the fava beans in boiling salted water to blanch for 30 seconds. Remove the beans from the boiling water and submerge them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. This step softens the second skin. With your fingers, squeeze the bean at the base and pop the bean out.

The other method is to make a small slit at the bottom of the beans and pop them out, but this tends to break up the beans and you will still need to blanch them before eating. Favas can be eaten raw, but the starchiness is higher and the bean is less enjoyable.

Fava Bean Bruschetta

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. red-wine vinegar

1 T. agave nectar

1 small shallot, finely chopped

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2½ cups shelled fava beans

1 pint toy box tomatoes cut in half

¼ cup parsley leaves

¼ cup petite mint leaves

¼ cup petite basil leaves

4 slices French country bread

garlic clove

Steps: In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine oil, lemon juice, vinegar, agave nectar and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk to emulsify.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fava beans and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water. Remove outer skins and place beans in a large mixing bowl. Separate a ½ cup blanched fava beans.

Heat a grill pan set over high heat. Brush or drizzle with olive oil on both sides of bread. Grill until charred with grill lines, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and immediately rub with raw garlic clove, set grilled bread onto a platter or individual plates.

Smash the ½ cup of fava beans using a fork or wooden spoon, add 2 T. olive oil and sea salt. Use this mixture to spread on the bread before topping with your dressed mixture.

Whisk dressing to reincorporate. Drizzle over bowl of favas, tomatoes and herbs. Toss gently to combine. Divide salad among each piece of bread. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve immediately.

What is it about cheese that is so good? With hundreds of varieties ranging from milk type, to age, shape, region, firmness, fat content, additives, the cheesemakers themselves, you could eat a cheese a day for a year and not eat every cheese available.

If variety is the spice of life then cheese is certainly the life of any party. Whether you like creamy or dry, firm or semi-soft, pungent or subtle, there is a cheese for every occasion.

In a world of CEOs, Twitter handles and usernames, there is a title for every job out there except for maybe the cheesemaker. They’re just called “cheesemaker.” We could get a little Frenchie French and call them fromagere, but that still translates to cheesemaker. I thought that was interesting.

Here is a cheese-O-licious event to sink your teeth into. I’ve mentioned it before but want to make sure you get your tickets before they are gone. California’s Artisan Cheese Festival, a grand assemblage of boutique, artisan creameries, will be held in Sonoma County March 22-24. It is a fromage fest packed with the crme de la crme of California artisan cheesemakers.

If you embark on this lactose-loving journey you’ll probably find me hunkered down at one of my two absolute favorite creameries: Point Reyes

Farmstead Cheeses and Cypress Grove Chevre.

These two unique creameries have two distinct styles from two common-minded, sustainable artisan cheesemakers.

One of them preserves cow’s milk in sumptuous ways to create cheeses such as Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, which is characteristically creamy with mineral notes and a mild saltiness imparted by the coastal breeze of the Pacific Ocean, which sweeps in and cures the hand-crafted wheels (see www.pointreyescheese.com).

The other manipulates goat’s milk into magnificent varieties of cheeses, all of which hold a place near and dear to my belly. I could name them all, but picking my favorite is like trying to choose my favorite child. Impossible! I will say, however, that their signature offering — the Humboldt Fog — is unlike any other goat’s milk cheese, with the vegetable ash layered into each wheel, depositing subtle earthiness and twang that is individual.

Cypress Grove is groovy and so are the names of its cheeses: Truffle Tremor, Bermuda Triangle, Midnight Moon, Lamb Chopper and Purple Haze, just to mention a few.

Other showstoppers attending this year’s fest are Bellwether Farms, fine producers of sheep and cow’s milk cheeses (www.bellwethercheese.com), and Cowgirl Creamery, a small batch producer that focuses on four soft ripened cheeses and three fresh varieties, all special and individual in composition. Cowgirl does, however, distribute extraordinary artisan cheeses from more than 200 prized producers from America and Europe. Head to their website and have an awesome sampling sent right to your door(www.cowgirlcreamery.com).

Obviously I don’t have room here to name every artisan that will be at the festival, but their website does. And if you think you don’t know enough about cheese to appreciate it, you will be able to learn firsthand from a great schedule of chefs from around the San Francisco Bay Area. Cheese “Wonder Woman” Laura Werlin will be on hand to spread the spreadable gospel of cheese. Other noteworthy speakers will demystify the world of queso. They even have some four-legged friends on hand to milk and actually make cheese.

This is really a great event. Check out the schedule and pencil in a few curricular learning opportunities: www.artisancheesefestival.com. I hope to see you there!

Can’t make the event? Go see Kent and the crew at The Cheese Shop. He has all of the above mentioned cheeses available over in Carmel, along with hundreds of other offerings and all the fixings you need to throw together an awesome cheese spread. While you’re there, pick up a great bottle of wine and you’ll have yourself the makings of a wonderful evening, full of smiles.

Celebrity chef Todd Fisher is a Herald columnist, chef de cuisine at Stick’s at the Inn at Spanish Bay and a brand consultant. E-mail him at cheftoddsdish@gmail.com.

Apple Tart & Humboldt Fog
(Makes 8 servings)

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet unbaked puff pastry
6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ cup Calvados (Apple Brandy)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
6 (about 2¾ lbs.) Rome Beauty or McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
8 oz. Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog

Steps: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a -inch thickness. Invert a 9-inch plate on top of dough; trim dough around plate with a sharp paring knife to form a round (discard scraps, or save for another use). Refrigerate until needed. Assemble the tart in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Press softened butter evenly into the bottom of the skillet, then sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange apple wedges in a circle around edge, fill in the center with remaining wedges. Pour Brandy over apples and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place skillet over medium heat and cook until sugar mixture is light amber in color and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to oven; cook until apples have softened, about 30 minutes. Carefully place dough round on top; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let cool about 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of skillet; invert tart onto a serving platter. Replace any apples that may have stuck to bottom of skillet; drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Using a serrated knife, cut the tart into eight wedges and serve warm with a slice of Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog atop each wedge

Tongues are a rather amazing organ. Not only do they allow us to phonetically articulate, they are the taste factory by which we enjoy the flavor of foods. Tongues also serve as a tool to maneuver and manipulate foods as we chew, then usher that macerated food down our throats on its way to our stomachs. Tongues act as a natural toothbrush to clean our teeth and are critical when it comes to the all important art of smooching! However, I will reserve any further discussion in regard to that function for the after-hours column.

On average, the human tongue has 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds, where receptors for taste detect the five known tastes: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. As the foods mix with saliva, the receptors receive the data and send that information to our brain.

It is the bitter that I want to focus on for this column. Bitterness is the most sensitive of the known tastes and is often perceived as astringent, sharp and even unpleasant. Children and their supertaster receptors (highly sensitive taste buds) will find many bitter foods yucky and disagreeable.

But as we get older our taste buds tire, showing signs of wear and tear and abuse, allowing us to better assimilate the flavors we taste. So we find bitter flavors like coffee, Kalamata olives, marmalade, radicchio, even bittering agents like angostura bitters, fish sauce and unsweetened cocoa as pleasant and enjoyable flavors. In fact we crave the bitter to awaken our senses and stimulate our palates and balance other salty and sweet flavors on our tongues.

That ability to taste bitter is said to have been partly responsible for the longevity of the human race. Many plants are bitter and loaded with toxins that are poisonous and fatal if ingested. It is the ability to taste bitter and decide we do not want to eat certain death plants that has kept us alive. It is those same receptors that allow us to pick up hardwood smoke flavors like pine, hickory and mesquite or discern the nuances of red wines.

Often bitter and sour are confused or misinterpreted by olfactories and we phonetically articulate inaccurate information to others about a dish or a recipe. Lemons are sour while vinegar is bitter; they can cause similar reactions but are intrinsically different. The bitter taste comes from those foods with stronger, more earthy flavors, such as leafy green vegetables, coffees, teas and spices. Bitter foods in general have a host of benefits such as detoxifying the body and aiding weight reduction while providing antibiotic, anti-parasitic and antiseptic qualities.

The bitter taste alone may not be particularly appealing to some without being enhanced by other flavors. The bitter also aides in the balance of the complete dish by cutting through fats, enhancing sour and tart while contrasting sweets. The sour taste comes from higher acidic foods such as citrus, which includes lemons or limes. Some of the benefits of this particular taste include cleansing tissues in the body and increasing your body’s ability to absorb minerals. The sour taste is caused by a hydrogen atom, or ions. The more atoms present in a food, the more sour it will taste. Some sour foods, including fermented foods and certain dairy products like yogurt and sour cream can aid in digestion, circulation and waste elimination and are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals.

When it comes to vitamins and minerals one should remember that the tongues of some animals are consumed and sometimes considered delicacies. These delicacies are loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals not to mention great flavor. Hot tongue sandwiches are found on menus across New York City’s kosher delicatessens. Tongue tacos (Taco de lengua) can be found at almost every taco stand in these parts and is exactly that, a taco filled with beef tongue. Pig and beef tongue are consumed in Chinese cuisine. Duck tongues are served as a delicacy in Szechuan dishes, while lamb’s tongue is very popular in French and modern American cooking. Fried cod tongue is a common part of fish meals in Newfoundland.

It is incredibly common to find simple boiled, sliced cow tongues served with horseradish and bittersweet jellies in many countries.

And for a parting shot to the poor officiating of the Super Bowl, let’s not forget the tongue has one other all important act. Sticking one’s tongue out at someone and blowing a good ole fashioned raspberry.

Tacos de Lengua with Bitter Greens Salsa

1 medium-sized beef tongue, about 3 lbs.
3 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, whole
3 bay leaves
2 T. cider vinegar
generous salt
warm corn tortillas
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
lime wedges
Bitter salsa verde
Sliced red radishes

Steps: Prepare tongue by rinsing well. Place in Dutch oven or large pot (with a lid) and cover with water. Add in garlic, onion, bay leaves vinegar and salt and bring to a boil. Gently simmer for 2½ to 3 hours, checking occasionally for water level. Add water as needed to keep tongue covered. When done, remove from heat and allow meat to cool in its broth.

Once cool enough to handle, remove from broth. Prepare tongue by carefully peeling away rubbery outer skin and removing any excess fatty tissue. What should remain is a tender portion of meat that is similar to a fine-textured pot roast, but with a slightly higher fat content. Slice and season with salt. I like to re-warm the sliced tongue in a small amount of the broth and allow it to reduce and then serve on warmed corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and top with the bitter greens salsa and radishes.

Bitter Greens Salsa

½ cup baby arugula (washed)
½ cup dandelion greens
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 each serrano pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
½ cup olive oil

Steps: In Cuisinart, place all ingredients and pulse to chop down mixture. Add olive oil and run till smooth. Adjust seasoning.

Knock this one out for dinner tonight!!

With my beloved 49ers headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years, the game taking place in New Orleans and the fact that both teams playing will be coached by a member of the same family … I know I’m serving gumbo!

If you’re not familiar with gumbo, let me help you. The dish is the official cuisine of Louisiana. Gumbo originated in southern Louisiana in the 18th century. It was first mentioned in 1802 by a Harvard librarian who raved about a dish he experienced while on a trip through Louisiana, where a thick soup made with shrimp and okra was served over rice and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century.

Gumbo combines ingredients and the culinary techniques of several cultures, such as French, German, Spanish, West African and the native Choctaw Indians. Gumbo’s roots are tied directly to the history of the land. As slaves were brought from West Africa to work on plantations, they brought with them some of the foods and ingredients that reminded them of home. The French influence in the area took hold and brought methods of sauces and knowledge of sausage-making and spices acquired via Spain.

It is hard to know exactly who or what inspired gumbo, but I sure am glad they did. I think gumbo is one of those foods you must know how to make. So much so that I taught Honorable No. 1 son how to make it, because it is quintessential man food!

Gumbo can vary depending upon the area of Louisiana where you are partaking of the delicacy. In New Orleans (properly pronounced “Nawrlens”) you will find Creole gumbo, which typically consists of shellfish, most commonly shrimp or crab (although crayfish and oyster-laden versions spring up around the colder water months). Cajun gumbo will consist of chicken or duck, Tasso ham and andouille sausage.

Tradition frowns upon the mixing of meats with shellfish and disrupts true Bayou beliefs. Traditionally, gumbo will enlist the flavoring attributes of the “Holy Trinity,” a signature of Creole and Cajun cooking consisting of diced celery, onion and green bell pepper. This combination is cooked in a uniquely thickened stock that is dark and mudlike in color and consistency. Another differentiation between Cajun and Creole gumbo is that the Cajun version depends solely on two key ingredients of Gumbo, okra and gumbo file to thicken its stock. File powder, as it is generally known, is a fine powder of ground sassafras leaves. This powder not only thickens the stew but adds a distinct flavor that is gumbo and is introduced at the end of the cooking process. Okra is a West African flowering plant in the mallow family and the edible seed pods are primarily used in stews such as gumbo. These pods contain a slimy, almost mucus-like substance that thickens while cooking.

The Creole version uses both okra and the file powder, but also commissions a dark roux to thicken and flavor the stew. Roux is a classic French term for a combination of flour and butter cooked together and used to thicken soup and sauces. Roux can be prepared in three stages: white, which is very lightly cooked but has the most thickening power and lightest flavor; blonde, which refers to the color achieved by allowing the flour to toast and take on a tan color, giving a slightly nutty flavor to the substance being thickened; and brown, in which case the butter and the flour both toast to a dark, almost chocolate-like color.

Brown is the weakest in thickening power but the most flavor-enhancing of the three versions. Although many Cajun foods can be very spicy, gumbo usually is not prepared spicy, the spice is added to the topping with hot sauces like Crystal or Tabasco and traditionally gumbo is served over rice.

I have seen a number of variations to gumbo, including gumbo made with no meat or shellfish. When Catholics were expected to abstain from eating meat during Lent, a meatless variety was often served. This variety combined a large number of leafy greens, typically including turnips, Brassica juncea mustard greens and spinach. I once served a spectacular Mushroom Gumbo that uses no meat and may be one of the best versions I have ever tasted. But for this historic football game coming our way on Feb. 3 ,break out a large pot, start early and be ready to go by game time with this exceptional gumbo recipe that I have perfected over the years. I crossbreed the two styles and, let me tell you, I get rave reviews. Right Mr. Schip!?

CT’s Gumbo

1 T. vegetable oil
4 lbs. boneless, chicken thighs, skin on
1 lb. andouille sausage cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
½ lb. tasso ham or smoked pit ham cut into ? inch pieces
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup all purpose flour
2 T. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried mustard
½ t. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 T. salt
3 bay leaves
9 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
½ C. chopped green onions
¼ C. chopped parsley
2 T. file powder

Steps: In a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper, place in the pan in batches and allow to cook till skin is crispy and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the sausage and ham and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes.

Add to the pan the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring slowly and constantly for 10 to 15 minutes to make a dark tan roux the color of graham cracker meal.

Add the paprika, mustard, cayenne, chili powder, salt and bay leaves, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock and cook, stirring, until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for ½ hour.

Add the reserved chicken to the pot and simmer for half an hour longer, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface. To finish, stir in the green onions, parsley and file powder; mix till combined and its ready to serve.

Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Set out your favorite Louisiana hot sauce

Talking about our favorite food… BACON!!!

We had a tremendous time… The energy of the Live Audiance… the Lovely and Beautiful Rachael Ray by my side… and plates full of Bacon!!! it was a good day! Met Kevin Bacon back stage… my six degrees of seperation immediatly went to Zero!! Thanks for having me Rachael…

Did Beethoven compose his 5^th Symphony in a day? Did Picasso paint the Mona Lisa before breakfast? Was Gone With The Wind a simple short story thrown together one evening? To those questions you would shout a resounding NO! There was passion, research, suffering and love that went into each of those works of art and I believe the same time and effort should go into writing a menu. Okay maybe not the same amount of time, we would all starve but the same passion and effort should be expected from any artist seeking to create art. I follow a simple philosophy when crafting a menu, weather it is for a restaurant or a catered affair like a wedding, birthday, bar mitzvah, graduation, office party or even a funeral, one thing is ever present in a menu I have written. Enthusiasm, enthusiasm for the people that inspired it, enthusiasm for the ingredients that weave throughout it and most importantly enthusiasm for the individuals that will be enjoying the carte du jour created for them. When conceptualizing the menu for a new restaurant or tweaking the menu at an old watering hole I find it is important to create a story, a story of the food and the farmers, heritage of the community and of the location housing the restaurant. When I embark on the journey of crafting a menu for a catered affair, I spend time getting to know the person or people that the menu is being created for. Does the birthday girl have memories of sugar plum fairies or grilled cheese sandwiches served with tomato soup? Did uncle Don eat bacon at every meal, God rest his soul?  I am searching for food memories that stand out from their past, ingredients that touch them on an emotional level, family traditions… Secondly I embrace the seasons, and the bounty of that season, always at the vanguard of the time of year is the local offerings. What is rising from the Earth around me, grazing on the land of the valley to the South and swimming in the sea to the West and of course how is it farmed, raised or caught. Thirdly what makes it better and different than anything they have had before? Will I olive oil poach the fish for a soft, supple texture or grill it over red wine barrel staves to add an oaky, earthy element to enhance the experience. Lastly, I have always found that personality is a strength on a menu as much as it is on a stage. Once a menu is created and decided upon the real work begins, how does that menu translate to the dining room, the banquet hall or even the childhood home of the bride to be… how will the perfect menu be perfectly executed? If I slice the steak before it is plated will it retain its heat long enough to get to the guest hot? A great menu that cannot be executed is only fun to read once! Now I have said for years, anyone can cook a steak but you have to be able to sell the sizzle… I joked earlier that creating a menu is much like an artist painting a masterpiece, I’m not lopping of an ear or anything crazy like that but it is true for me, I want to find the right canvas, I must select the perfect colors and I must have the final image, the piece de resistance set in my mind. Now unlike cooking which has come very naturally to me, I have had to work very hard and taken a lot of criticism to get to a point where people pay me to criticize their menus. 

I have been writing and proofing menus for a very long time and have seen my fair share of mis worded, over capitalized and poorly described menu items. I love it when someone connects a title to an item like a California Burger but smothers it in Mushrooms and Swiss cheese, because nothing says California like mushrooms and Swiss?? Really? Is that like a Denver omelet with tomatoes and sausage?  I am all about creativity and expression through my food but there are some, call them fundamentals that are kind of adhered to. If you’re going to serve a “Classic” like fish and chips you can throw an Asian slant at it by dipping it in tempura and serving it with a cucumber slaw and salted wonton chips but you don’t throw bleu cheese into a Chinese Chicken Salad and say look how creative I am, It doesn’t work! Another favorite is when a salad description reads sun-dried cranberries and later in the same item tells me of the sundried cranberry vinaigrette… is one dried by the sun and the other dried-by the sun? And am I really suppose to believe that you simply couldn’t justify charging me $9.00 for my sandwich because $8.95 is all it really cost… Charge me the .05 no one is falling for that one anymore… I don’t feel like you saved me money! Yikes, that was a bit of a rant! Oh and Picasso did not paint the Mona Lisa… Just seeing if you were really reading!

Here are some of the need-to-knows about serving up bone marrow. First and foremost, purchase your beef bones from a butcher you trust is selling you what you’re asking for. Ask specifically for marrow bones, beef or veal. I prefer the old-school way of purchasing 1- to 2-inch rounds, cut like little bone marrow tree stumps. The marrow contains a fair amount of blood, so you need to soak them in ice water for 18-24 hours, changing the water every six hours. Then I like to freeze my marrow bones. This helps the bone to caramelize in a hot oven, but not allow all the marrow to melt away into the bottom of your roasting pan.

Once you have soaked and frozen your bones, it is important to work up a few accompaniments that will accent and amplify the profligacy of the marrow itself. Toast is classic. Chips would be good, too. And my truffled popcorn salad — epic!

I do want to say that one of the reasons this popcorn salad was so heroic was the micro mire poix greens sponsored by Fresh Origins. They provided the tiniest, cutesiest carrot tops, celery sprouts and red onion blossoms. Go to their website (www.freshorigins.com) to order awesome foodie trinkets to play around with and you will feel like a real-deal PBF&W chef.

Celebrity chef Todd Fisher is a Herald columnist, chef de cuisine at Stick’s at the Inn at Spanish Bay and a brand consultant. E-mail him at cheftoddsdish@gmail.com.

Roasted Bone Marrow at Home

16 2-inch veal marrow bones
1 cup finely ground panko bread crumbs
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
¼ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
¼ t. maldon salt
2 T. chopped truffle trimmings
2 T. truffle juice
1 oz. whiskey
1 T. minced shallot
4 T. olive oil
1 cup organic white-kernel popcorn
2 T. corn oil
1 bunch picked chervil
1 bunch picked Italian parsley

Steps: After soaking the marrow bones for 18-24 hours and changing the water every ix hours, freeze the bones. Heat oven to 450¼. In your blender or food processor blend the panko till very fine with the thyme leaves, pepper and salt, until you have fine crumbs. Remove from blender or food processor and set aside. In the same blender, combine the truffle trimmings, truffle juice, whiskey and shallot. Puree until smooth and slowly add the olive oil till emulsified and creamy. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place the frozen bones on a sheet pan, season them with salt and pepper and quickly add 1 T. of olive oil to your crumb mix. Top each bone with a T. of bread-crumb mixture. Roast for 10-15 minutes till crust is brown and bone has colored a little. Pop your popcorn and toss immediately with the fresh herbs, and dress with appropriate amount of truffle vinaigrette. Serve bones piping hot with a side of the popcorn salad a small spoon and a SLH Pinot.

That’s livin’ baby!!

Copyright 2012 Monterey County Herald. All rights reserved.

SO many choices to make!!!

My kids love New England style clam chowder, I on the other hand would prefer a delicious Red Manhatten style chowder… Here is a recipe for each!

Clam Chowder Recipes

 New England Clam Chowder (white)

 ½ lb. smoked bacon diced

1 C. Onion chopped

3 cloves Garlic minced

2 stalks Celery diced

6 each white potato cubed

2 T. all purpose flour

4 oz. brandy

2 cans chopped Sea Clams

2 cans Clam Juice

¼ t. Cayenne Pepper

1 T. Kosher salt

1 T. black pepper

¼ bunch thyme minced

½ bunch Italian parsley chopped

1 qt. heavy cream

In a large pot heat the bacon until slightly crisp and rendered of fat, add onions, garlic, celery and potato and cook for 5 minutes in the bacon fat stirring often, be careful not to color the vegetables. Add the flour and mix well to soak up the fat and make our roux, stir over medium heat for 3 minutes to cook flour. Add brandy and stir to mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes and add clams, clam juice, cayenne, salt and black pepper. allow to simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add cream and just seasoning let simmer another 5 minutes before adding parsley and serving your chowder…

Manhattan Clam Chowder  (red)

½ lb. smoked bacon diced

1 C. Onion chopped

3 cloves Garlic minced

2 stalks Celery diced

1 carrot diced

1 bulb fennel diced

6 each Yukon gold potato cubed

¼ t. red chili flakes

2 T. all purpose flour

4 oz. dry vermouth

2 cans chopped Sea Clams

2 cans Clam Juice

1 T. Kosher salt

1 T. black pepper

2 t. fresh oregano minced

28 oz. San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand

½ bunch Italian parsley chopped

In a large pot heat the bacon until slightly crisp and rendered of fat, add onions, garlic, celery, carrot, fennel, potatoes and chili flakes cook for 5 minutes in the bacon fat stirring often, be careful not to color the vegetables. Add the flour and mix well to soak up the fat and make our roux, stir over medium heat for 3 minutes to cook flour. Add vermouth and stir to mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes and add clams, clam juice, salt, black pepper, oregano and tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning , add parsley and serving your chowder…