All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

In the past few years, I’ve been looking all over Los Angeles for a delicious cup of coffee with character and a smooth finish. Btw, I’m a coffee addict, so my brew has to be satisfactory no matter what mood I’m in or what time of day it is.

As far as getting a great cup of java at a moment’s notice in L.A. or in other cities, you can’t just “step out” of your car and find a rich-tasting brew at big-name coffee bars or shops. If you’re lucky enough to find excellent coffee brewed with single-origin Arabica Beans (this is one premium coffee bean, as opposed to a blend), you’re dishing out almost $5.00 per cup.

Recently, I found high-quality coffee that is rich and smooth: Jaguar Forest® 100% Organic Coffee (hereinafter referred to as “Jaguar Forest®)”), made from single-origin Arabica beans. These organic beans are from one source and are grown in the shaded forests of Chiapas, Mexico – the natural habitat of the jaguar.

Stumbling around my own habitat every morning, I always need a cup of Dark Roast coffee  – it tastes bold and has a smooth finish. Now, do you coffee nuts out there realize what this means? It means that it tastes deliciously nutty. And the finish lingers with NO BITTER AFTERTASTE!

The Medium Roast coffee by Jaguar Forest® is perfect during the day. Its flavor is rich and smooth, with chocolate notes and a hint of caramel (with half n’ half cream, it’s almost orgasmic, but not quite!). A cup of this coffee is great with dessert, but definitely stands on its own.

When I pour myself a cup of decaf, I can even drink it at night and not feel the “jitters”. This coffee is as smooth and flavorful as the Dark or Medium Roast varietals!

I also discovered that Jaguar Forest® is a proponent of international Fair Trade regulations which help create better trade and living conditions for people. In this vein, Jaguar Forest® works with cooperatives consisting of coffee-producing families. People work together and receive fair compensation for their family members, including better healthcare and educational resources.

All of the above facts and the great taste of Jaguar Forest® 100% Organic Coffee were the reasons why I chose this product for the 2014 launching of The Kitchen Buzzz Shop!

Wanna buy a bag or two of this great coffee at a fantastic price?
Go here: The Kitchen Buzzz Shop

Frosted with chocolate ganache, this flourless cake is absolutely magnifique for February 14th! First, shop for Valentine’s Day decorations. Then, make the cake and enjoy the romance. Happy Valentine’s Day!

For the Cake:

Butter, flour and parchment paper for 9-inch springform pan

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon rum

1-1/4 sticks unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs, separated

Four 3-inch wide strips of aluminum foil (for cake assembly)

1 cup ground, unpeeled almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F oven. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Place a 9-inch round parchment paper circle at bottom of pan; dust the sides of pan with flour, shaking off excess.

3. Fill a double-boiler pan with about 2 inches of water. Place the double boiler element over the pan and place on stove burner set on high heat.

4. Add the chocolate, rum, butter and sugar to the double boiler. As the mixture heats, stir it with a wooden spoon until it becomes uniform.

5. When chocolate mixture is uniform, remove the pan from heat and allow to cool a little.

6. Meanwhile, in a 2 or 3-quart mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set egg whites aside.

7. In a separate 1-pint bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are uniform.

8. With a spatula, transfer the chocolate mixture to a 3-quart mixing bowl.

9. Gently stir the beaten egg yolks into the runny chocolate mixture.

10. Stir the ground almonds into the chocolate-egg yolk mixture.

11. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate batter, taking care not to mash or deflate the egg whites.

12. When mixture is uniform, transfer it to the prepared spring form pan.

13. Place the spring form pan on a rack positioned in center of oven.

14. Bake the cake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, check to see if the center of cake has puffed up. If it still looks sunken and wet, bake the cake for an additional 5 minutes.

15. After 5 minutes, if the cake looks puffed up, insert a knife with pointed tip in center of cake. If knife comes out clean, the cake is done.

16. Transfer the cake to a rack or trivet set on a counter; let it cool completely.

17. When cake has cooled completely, remove the sides of spring form pan.

18. Invert the cake over a platter and gently lift off the pan bottom.

19. Peel off the parchment paper and set cake aside.

MAKE SURE THAT THE CAKE IS COMPLETELY COLD, BEFORE YOU PREPARE THE GANACHE:

For the Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon rum

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Place chocolate and rum in a medium glass or porcelain bowl (it should be heatproof).

2. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

3. When the cream has just begun to simmer, immediately pour it over the chocolate in bowl and let it stand 2 to 3 minutes.

4. After 2 to 3 minutes, whisk the chocolate-cream mixture until smooth. Let cool slightly before using. Set aside.

Pour Ganache Over Cake:

1.  Pour the runny ganache over cake, start pouring in center of cake and then pour over rim/sides of cake.

2. Let the ganache forms drips over the cake sides.

3.   Set the cake aside so that the ganache will solidify – about 30 minutes.

4. When the ganache has solidified, cover the the cake with aluminum foil and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

5. This cake can be made one day ahead and refrigerated.

Text and Photograph ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

Make this Basic Chicken and Vegetable Soup in no time. It’s so easy and also tastes better than any readymade soup from a restaurant. All you need is one chicken, carrots, zucchini, potatoes and seasonings. When the soup is done, you won’t have to cook for the next three days.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 2-1/2 to 3 pounds), skin removed
3 bay leaves
1 brown or white onion, peeled and halved
4 zucchini, tips discarded
4 medium carrots, peeled with tips discarded
4 medium potatoes (any variety)
1 chicken bouillon cube
Salt (to taste)

1. Place chicken, bay leaves and onion in an 8-quart saucepot. Cover chicken completely with cold water.

2. Set sauce pot with chicken and water, covered, on a stove burner and bring to boil.

3. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini into 1-inch circles and transfer them to a 6-quart bowl filled with cold water.

4. Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces and transfer them to the bowl with zucchini.

5. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Transfer potatoes to the bowl with zucchini and carrots; set aside.

6. When chicken soup boils, remove cover and add bouillon cube.

7. Cook on medium-high for about 45 minutes to one hour or until chicken is done.

8. After 45 minutes, test doneness of chicken by cutting into the thickest part of the breast meat with a fork and knife.

9. If the meat is completely white, it is done. If it is still pink, cook chicken 10 to 15 minutes longer.

10. When chicken is done, using thongs and an extra large fork or spoon, transfer the chicken to a large glass or porcelain bowl or platter. Set aside to cool.

11. Meanwhile, strain the broth into an 8-quart bowl. Return the broth to the sauce pot.

12. Bring the broth to a boil. When broth boils, add the zucchini, carrot and potato chunks.

13. Boil for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are crunchy-tender (test by inserting a fork in potato). If needed, cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

14. Meanwhile, as soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones.

15. Tear the chicken into bite-size pieces.

16. Add the chicken pieces to the soup and heat through.

17. Taste the soup and, if needed, adjust the salt level. Serve immediately with fresh bread.

Text and Photograph ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

What’s all the hubbub about at Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery (hereinafter referred to as “Bay Cities”)? For most people, it’s about the pre-made, fresh salads, pastas, eggplant parmigiana, meatballs, deli meats and desserts. However, among all those selections, there’s one item that is the VIP of all foods here! Standing on its own, Bay Cities even pays tribute to it.

It is the “Godmother” sandwich!

Eating this sandwich is almost surreal – at first, you bite through a golden crust of soft, freshly-baked bread (it’s made every morning on the premises). Then, you sink your teeth into ham, domestic provolone, mozzarella cheese, salami, peppers, lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayonnaise and more. The experience of tasting all these flavors simultaneously is HEAVENLY!

The wonderful personnel at Bay Cities knows that you can’t wait ’til you go home to enjoy the sandwich. So as soon as you dash out the door, you’ll find tables and benches where you can instantly devour the “Godmother” in peace. No distractions, please!

Bay Cities is one of the food sanctuaries I run to for “hard-to-find” ingredients. You name it and Bay Cities has it. Let’s start with the artisanal pasta varieties that I love so much! Are you looking for chiocciole or ziti? Look at how deliziosi they look – hard to choose, isn’t it?

If you want to treat your dinner guests to something unique and colorful, then I suggest the Italian Harvest® Organic Orecchiette. Orecchiette is an Italian word for “little ears.” Orecchiette are from the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Basilicata.

You still need a sauce. You can start by purchasing tomatoes in glass jars. Go ahead and select your favorite brand.

You will probably need premium quality olive oil to start making that sauce.

One of the brands I prefer is none other than our local Ojai Olive Oil Company® 100% Organic olive oil. If I run out of this pure olive oil, I can quickly pick up a bottle or two at Bay Cities in Santa Monica, instead of driving 125 miles into the Topatopa mountains.

Bay Cities also carries my favorite flour for making pizza.

If you’re not sure about what cheese you need, Lawrence is the cheese meister and is sure to guide you in the right direction.

How about dessert? Since it’s a few weeks after Christmas and New Year, Bay Cities still carries Italian traditional panettone used during the holidays.

Tre Marie Panettone® is my favorite brand. This panettone is moist and rich with luscious ingredients. Notice all the fruit Tre Marie® Panettone contains. I’m sure you’ll want to rush back into Bay Cities to buy a panettone for dessert. You can order a coffee or cappuccino and enjoy it outside before heading back home.

Oh – I forgot something! I’ve gotta go back inside to get that beautiful dish I was looking at and, of course, Bay Cities’ delicious, homemade bread. Buon Appetito!

Text & Photographs ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real
[except for Antimo Caputo The Chef’s Flour photograph]

Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
1517 Lincoln Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA. 90401
310-395-8279
http://www.baycitiesitaliandeli.com

I’m sure many of you worry, as I do, about bacteria in salads and/or lettuce leaves.

Many years ago, my mother-in-law, Esperanza, was watching me prepare a salad (I don’t think anyone likes to be “watched” by their mother-in-law – lol!).

Just as I was about to transfer the rinsed and spun-dry lettuce into a salad bowl, I heard the words, “Nancy, after you’ve washed lettuce 3 to 5 times, let it sit in cold water with a little distilled vinegar for about 5 minutes. This will kill any bacteria that has stuck to the leaves.”

Although this wonderful matriarch and loving woman has passed many years ago, every time I prepare a salad, I still hear those words. Of course, I heed the advice. Here’s the trick:

Recipe for Treating Lettuce

1 head lettuce (any type), cut into strips or chopped and washed 3 to 5 times, until water runs clear
1/4 cup distilled vinegar

1. Place the cut and washed lettuce pieces in a salad spinner or a bowl.

2. Completely cover the lettuce with cold water.

3. Stir in 1/4 cup distilled vinegar.

4. Let the lettuce sit in water/vinegar mixture for 5 minutes.

5. Drain the lettuce and spin dry.

6. Use the lettuce as directed in recipe.

Text and Photograph ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real