A New Book from Chef Clara Moore and Matt Sorrell
We had a lovely book release party on November 9th (I know, that was two months ago). But I am now downloading and uploading photos and wanted to share them with everyone! We had fun with old and new friends.
Photos by Tim Lumpkins, Tim Lumpkins Creative
Join us from 2-4 this afternoon at Vom Fass in Maplewood. We will be signing books and they will be sampling wines!! Get all your Foodie Holiday Gifts at this wonderful little store.
Then in the evening, we will be at Parker’s Table (behind the Tip Top Cleaners) in Clayton from 5-7 signing books and noshing on salumi from Salume Beddu and sampling some of their massive wine selection. If you haven’t seen Parker’s Table yet – this is the best time to come and check it out.
Neil Das, our main photographer on this project posted a bunch of great quality photos from the book – check out his website : TheDasslerEffect.
We could not have asked for a better eye to capture great pieces of St. Louis. Thanks Neil!!
The manuscript is shipped off to the printer! So we are just a few weeks away from the real thing. Sharon, Matt, Ben, and I have been staring at a digital copy of the book for so long I think we forgot that it was even going to be printed….
This is what the cover looks like:
We are busy busy scheduling events, signings, and other fun book related things for November! We have already got preorders from some wonderful stores all over the area and will be shipping out the Kickstarter rewards as soon as we get the books and the gorgeous swag from Firecracker Press.
Stay Tuned!
At our Kickstarter Kick-Down Party last Friday – we ran into the charming David Craig. So I stopped and had a quick conversation with him about the book and where it is heading.
Listen to it on his blog: Food Talk STL
and he took this cute picture of Matt and I. (His post also includes an old interview we had last May, check it out.)
Thank you to every every everyone that supported, pledged, retweeted, reposted, and took the time to read the 30 Day of Ingredients posts! It has been super fun to write them, I hope you all have shared in my fun by reading them (and I hope there was some inspiration that happened too!).
Our last day is something strange, and (at least to me) exciting.
I went shopping yesterday to get food for our party tonight (you can read about that here) and I purchase two kinds of spring roll wrappers – one was the normal thin kind, and then I purchased a thicker kind with Sesame Seeds inside, like this:
It says “Spring Roll Wrapper” on the package – so, like a normal spring roll wrapper, I soaked it in water to soften it. But it didn’t work, it never got very soft. Then my dear friend Joe mentioned that it also says “microwave for 2 minutes” on the package as well. Well, that just sounds crazy to me.
What is it microwaving going to do?
Let me tell you people – it was magic. Here is a video of what happened.
So…as you can see – I couldn’t quite “wrap a spring roll” with it, but it did turn into a beautiful crisp cracker like thing (that I will also be serving at the party tonight). This is what it looked like cooked:
What
the
what?
Please don’t hesitate to give in the final hours of our journey through Kickstarter – you can read about our Stretch Goal to find out what we will do with the the money that extends us past our goal.
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30 Days of Ingredients is part of a Kickstarter Campaign for our upcoming book, Shop Like A Chef. The culinary guide book to St. Louis promises to get you out of the mega-store and into the small local shops full of exciting ingredients and inspiring products.
If you would like to learn more about Shop Like A Chef, please check us our here and here – and don’t hesitate to contribute to our Kickstarter. And, as always, Keep Cooking!
A few days ago my uncle introduced me to these interesting little things:
They are completely dried limes, also called black limes – I have seen them in potpourri before, but as a cooking ingredient……WHAT? So I did a little research. Here is what I found:
They are called black limes because inside they are black, and sometimes the outside is black as well. Like this:
They originate from the Middle East where they are boiled in salt water and then sun dried – which renders them practically indestructible and ageless. They are sold whole or powdered (I have seen them powdered, labeled as loomi) and have a sour, citrusy, bitter, and slightly smoky flavor. They are used in soups and stews, simply pierce the hard fruit and drop it in the cooking liquid – it will imbue the dish with wonderful tang. Or crush them (cut them in half, remove the seeds, and grind in a spice grinder or if you want a work out – a mortar and pestle) or buy the powder and add it to rice as it cooks, sprinkle it on chicken or fish, or mix it into your favorite spice rub.
I have seen these at Jay’s on South Grand – but I am sure if you keep your eyes open, you will find them easily. Be sure to rinse them before you use them.
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30 Days of Ingredients is part of a Kickstarter Campaign for our upcoming book, Shop Like A Chef. The culinary guide book to St. Louis promises to get you out of the mega-store and into the small local shops full of exciting ingredients and inspiring products.
If you would like to learn more about Shop Like A Chef, please check us our here and here – and don’t hesitate to contribute to our Kickstarter. And, as always, Keep Cooking!
A few years ago I discovered the wonder of mustard seeds, that incredible little spicy pop in your mouth when you add them to a dish – or grind them up to make your own mustard. Mustard seed is another “ancient food,” used in a metaphor by Jesus and known to humans many hundreds of years before that. These tiny yellow (or sometime black) seeds grow into a gigantic bush with beautiful yellow flowers.
You can find mustard seeds at the base of many Indian and Pakistani dishes, or in the pickles and mustards of Eastern Europe. You can sprout these seeds for spicy little sprouts or add them to chili for a great flavor and texture.
I got this bottle at Penzeys Spices in Maplewood on the Manchester strip. That place is a spice wonderland! Find just about anything you need – and you can even smell (or taste) everything before purchasing.
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30 Days of Ingredients is part of a Kickstarter Campaign for our upcoming book, Shop Like A Chef. The culinary guide book to St. Louis promises to get you out of the mega-store and into the small local shops full of exciting ingredients and inspiring products.
If you would like to learn more about Shop Like A Chef, please check us our here and here – and don’t hesitate to contribute to our Kickstarter. And, as always, Keep Cooking!
This cute cucumber-like vegetable is ubiquitous in Indiam Cuisine. It has a crisp texture and mild flavor, and is also known as an ivy gourd. Tindora is often found pickled, or in curries and chutneys. I think mine heavily spiced with cumin seeds and sauteed with ghee!
I got these little devils at Seema on Page – this is a wonderful Indian grocery with a huge selection and a super helpful gentleman behind the counter. You can find all kinds of spices, flours, snacks, and frozen treats.
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30 Days of Ingredients is part of a Kickstarter Campaign for our upcoming book, Shop Like A Chef. The culinary guide book to St. Louis promises to get you out of the mega-store and into the small local shops full of exciting ingredients and inspiring products.
If you would like to learn more about Shop Like A Chef, please check us our here and here – and don’t hesitate to contribute to our Kickstarter. And, as always, Keep Cooking!
I know this isn’t exactly an ingredient, but this citrus squeezer is an essential tool in any kitchen. Think fresh lime for your margaritas, fresh lemon on your fish, and get rid of that overly bitter store bought lemon and lime juice. Fresh citrus has a sweetness that can’t be replicated. Oh, and did I mention that there is no better and easier way of getting all the juice out of the fresh fruit.
I got this lovely yellow juicer at Kitchen Conservatory on Clayton – where they have just about every piece of equipment and gadget you could possibly, as well as over 600 cooking classes a year.
Get a chance to win this, and other great goodies, at our Kick-Down Party on May 24th at Salt on Lindell Blvd from 7pm to 11pm – where we are going to count down the last hours of our Kickstarter. We will have food from various St. Louis Foodie Neighborhoods (think Cherokee Street and Olive Chinatown).
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30 Days of Ingredients is part of a Kickstarter Campaign for our upcoming book, Shop Like A Chef. This culinary guide book to St. Louis promises to get you out of the mega-store and into the small local shops full of exciting ingredients and inspiring products.
If you would like to learn more about Shop Like A Chef, please check us our here and here – and don’t hesitate to contribute to our Kickstarter. And, as always, Keep Cooking!
Shop Like a Chef - A Food Lover's Guide to St. Louis Neighborhoods 