Inspired by Haven (Carrot Coconut Ginger Soup)

Often I am asked what is my favorite restaurant in Oakland. I can answer, without question, Haven in Jack London Square. Open for just over a year Haven is an outstanding example of the talent and fine dining Oakland is attracting. Haven's cuisine is probably best described as New American, or better yet, New California Cuisine. Chef Kim Alter's* dishes are among the most creative I have personally sampled. She is particularly adept with vegetables and grains. Two of her dishes score in the top two positions on my list of best food I have ever eaten. The menu at Haven changes frequently and some of the best dishes evolve with the change in season. I view this as the mark of a truly great restaurant, and ultimately a great chef. I hate to harp on a new idea, and I understand the argument for consistency. But, with Americans amidst our own food renaissance, diners attitudes are changing. This is paving way for chefs to boldly express themselves through their food. I believe that one day some of their menus will be widely accepted as a fine art.

While I am sure by the time this post is published the menu at Haven will have changed; it is worth mentioning the two dishes I will never forget. On my first visit to Haven I ordered Smoked Black Rice and Squid. I was initially intrigued by the smoked black rice, but a bit apprehensive about the squid. Squid is a difficult ingredient to work with. When cooking it quickly it should only be cooked for between one and two minutes. Further cooking by even 30 seconds can take it to a texture not unlike rubber bands. When braising squid, in soups for example, it must be cooked for upwards of 40 minutes to return it to a softer texture. This dish was executed perfectly! The smokey flavor of the rice came through just beyond a hint and complemented the nutty flavor of the rice. The squid was softened nicely with just a bit of bite. I gather a similar dish is now being served with Uni (Japanese sea urchin) which I must try!

The second dish came from the chef's tasting menu on my second visit. This is perhaps the most creative dish I have ever eaten. Served in a fairly small portion, probably due to its richness, was a Sunflower Seed Risotto. I was assured that this dish was cooked exactly as you would a risotto, but with sunflower seeds instead of rice. This risotto was nutty, rich, and perfectly al dente; the flavor was exquisite! I suspect that duck stock was used as apposed to chicken stock used in a more traditional risottos.

Much of the allure behind eating at places like Haven is being exposed to these creative dishes. Some of the techniques and equipment used in preparing these dishes are a bit beyond my capabilities as a self-taught home cook, but that never prevents me from drawing on these dishes for inspiration.

The recipe in this post is my take on the Carrot Coconut and Ginger soup from the chefs tasting menu at Haven. The soup was served with an accoutrement of "compressed apples" made by soaking apples in ginger beer in a vacuum bag. The apples paired perfectly with the ginger and carrot. I don't have a vacuum sealer and I was looking for something a little simpler. I made eight trials of this soup before settling on this recipe. I am quite pleased with this version. This soup is simple, delicious, and makes an impressive first or second course. Be sure to read the notes section of the recipe.

If you are an adventurous eater I highly recommend the chef's tasting menu when visiting Haven. Call first and make a reservation. If you want to be a little more in control of your meal you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I highly recommend ordering anything made with grains or duck.

* I do not personally know Chef Kim Alter, but it is important to mention her name because the dishes at Haven are of her own vision and she deserves every bit of credit for her part in the success of Haven.

(My recipe for Carrot Coconut Ginger Soup inspired by Haven Restaurant, Oakland CA follows)

I Hella ♥ Oakland Skillet

Chicken Roasted Pepper and Black Bean Soup with Avocado

I started Oakland Skillet to journal my explorations of food and share my recipes with my friends and family. (And, as a way of cutting down on the number of "Hey look what I made!!!" txt's I was sending out). I know it's been a few weeks since my last post, but I've been quite busy lately. I've taken quite an interest in the woman I've been dating. It is so easy for me to get absorbed in the excitement and loose track of what I'm doing for myself. Last night my sister reminded me how important it is to keep doing the things that made me happy before I entered this relationship. One of those things is Oakland Skillet. This project has, of course, reenforced some of my more established interests. More surprisingly, it has led me me to discover some that I previously snubbed.

First of all I want to thank all my Hungry Patrons for all of your praise and positive feedback. Nothing pleases me more than to hear that you are trying these recipes at home with great success. I've received Facebook messages from acquaintances I haven't seen in years. Phone calls from friends and family thanking me for inspiring for their dinner. At least one adventurous follower told me she made the Crispy Pata! Complements from my colleagues regarding my writing are among the most flattering. This blog has given me a lot to feel good about.

Oakland Skillet is not only a way for me share my recipes, it has become an outlet for me to demonstrate my creativity and foster my more expressive passions. Long before I found my passion for food I loved photography. Tying food photography in with this blog has forced me to see my subjects with a fresh objective. I will admit that I'm not as meticulous as I could be with the photography since I am always anxious to feast on the final product. I have shared a few of my photos from the Philippines in the Crispy Pata post and I'd like to continue to find ways to incorporate more of my photographs from my travels in upcoming posts.

Since starting Oakland Skillet I have come to realize: I like to write! I find the nonlinear potential of a word processor facilitates my re-reading changes and editing. These capabilities are very much in accord with the way I think. When speaking I can't go back and change what I've already said, but when I sit down to write I'm allowed to take my time and clarify my message. Writing provides me with a platform for articulating and expounding on my passions. I have struggled with writing all my life, but particularly in school. What might take the average student an hour to write would often take me a full day. I wrote it off as a weakness, telling myself that I wasn't fit for writing. I remember thinking when I started this blog I wasn't going to write long introductions in posts. I discarded that attitude while writing my second post: My Bread. Recalling what lead me to try that recipe for the first time and considering what a great experience I had in New York this past Fall was all I needed to get started.

I am really excited about this new relationship and it is the most adult-feeling relationship I have ever felt. I'm not going to promise a post a week or make any promise of any regular frequency. I am promising myself that I will remember to take the time I need with my own projects and see to it that I keep doing the things that make me such an awesome guy.

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A recipe for Chicken Roasted Pepper and Black Bean Soup with Avocado follows

Healthy Option 2: Ribollita

I'm back from the farmers market. There are some really beautiful greens growing here in the Bay Area right now. I kinda wish I'd bought some of the little young fennel too, but oh well next week and another post. I came home with a 3 1/2 pound cabbage. It looked amazing, but oh my god this thing is a monster. It is bigger than my own head (before adjusting for inflation). I found this interesting looking traditional Italian soup recipe here called Ribollita. The recipe looked like it would make good use of what I had on hand and my farmers market hoard.

Ribollita literally means "reboiled" in Italian. After eating this soup for a second dinner I can attest that it is even better when reboiled. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock or water for the chicken stock. The soup is traditionally a peasant food that makes use of the left over soup, often minestrone.

(Recipe for Zuppa Ribollita follows)

Healthy Option: Kabocha Squash and Lentil Soup

The Holidays are almost over and it is time to eat some healthier foods. I can't believe the abundance of candy and cookies around the holidays. I'm weak, so when they are around I eat them. I didn't make a single dessert this Christmas, but I probably ate more sweets during the last two weeks than I did during the previous four months. For my next few posts I am going to try to post some healthy meals that don't sacrifice flavor.

This recipe is based on a recipe I found on one of my favorite food blogs. The original recipe can be found here. I forgot to get a fennel bulb when I went to the market, so I improvised using what I had on hand. I plan to try this recipe again using the fennel bulb, but I am quite pleased with the outcome. This soup features the Kabocha Squash which is an excelent roasting squash, but any smooth textured squash would suffice. The addition of the kale worked very well and the garlic croutons puts this soup over the top.

(Kabocha Squash and Lentil Soup recipe follows)

Black Bean and Calabrese Sausage Soup

The Calabrese or Salsiccia Calabrese is a pork sausage made traditionally in the region of Calabria, Italy. It is most similar to what most Americans know as the spicy Italian sausage. Calabrese is made with fennel seed, dried ground hot peppers like the cayanne, and a sweet paprika sometimes called pepe rosso which gives the sausage its deep red color. If you have never had a Calabrese and live in the Bay Area may I recommend: Top Dog. This spicy sausage is entirely underrated.

If there is one culinary custom I inherited from my mother it's soups. Growing up my mom would make a pot of soup nearly every week in the evening and we probably ate that soup for 4 meals that week. For a while I might have said I was fed up with soup. But soups are so essential to my culinary roots I could never get by without them. And, lets face it, as much as I love to cook I can't cook every day. I make a pot of soup on Monday and I'll have lunch and dinner for two or three more days.

This soup is my own recipe and I will admit it is a culture clash, but please don't call it fusion-food. The Calabrese is there as a flavor component and not the bulk of the soup. I think you'll find the bright heat from the New Mexico chili powder and the manzano pepper along with the moderately smokey flavor from the bacon and roasted pepper topped off with garlicky bitter greens a perfect combination. This soup will warm your insides as the winter continues to blow in. I promise you will love it.

(recipe follows)