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I like to cook for people who like to eat. That’s where it all started.
Chef Sofia Mileti and I kicked off the first guerilla dining event with a delicious, locally sourced, nutrient dense menu to feed a table lined with good friends.
Check out this menu Sofia put together…!
GUERILLA DINING FEATURING THE EPICURIAN
TALENTS OF SOFIA MILETI & LEAH POKRASSO
FRIDAY JUNE 17TH, 2016
Opening Libation
‘The Thyme is Now’
Espolon Reposado ~ Muddled Thyme ~ Maple Syrup
Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice ~ Pink Salt Rim
It was the perfect drink to welcome the weekend and our guests on a warm Friday evening.
Carpaccio of Grass Fed Beef
Garlic Scapes ~ Radish ~ Caper Berry ~ Arugula
Parm Crisps ~ Smoked Olive Oil ~ Volcanic Salt
This creation of Sofia’s was the perfect first plate to start the night. The flavors were dynamic with the umami flavor from the parmesan crips and brightness from the caper berries. The beef was flavored with lemon, smoked olive oil and freshly ground pepper. The arugula lent a peppery presence. We garnished the carpaccio with delicately shaved, transparent radish slices and black volcanic salt. Yum.
Shaved Fennel Salad
Grilled Stone Fruit ~ Mizithra Cheese ~ Fried Basil
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Thinly sliced fennel perfectly dressed in a bright balsamic dressing – my mouth literally started to water as I typed that. It was balanced with sweet and savory with grilled stone fruit and the salty greek cheese. The fried basil sat on top like a sail on a boat. Again so yum.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Bing Cherry Chutney ~ Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Hericots Verts
A generous serving, like you have someone taking care of you. That’s what it tasted like, it went right to the heart. The pork was perfectly juicy, and pared well with cherry chutney where there were notes of spice, sweet and tang. The color of the yellow squash and bright green haricots verts reminded us that we were not only serving a delicious meal, but a healthy one.
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Fresh Berries ~ Lavendar Crème Fraiche
A lovely dessert to finish a satisfying meal.The olive oil provided a bright, fresh flavor as well as a moist texture which was accompanied with a subtle zing from the Meyer lemon. And then there was the lavendar crème fraiche, these two beautiful things belong together, and well as vanilla bean which Sofia decided to add, so glad she did!
Food and weather go hand in hand – so here’s a quick weather report; It was the kind of evening in which you didn’t need to bring a jacket, or even a layer – the air felt like velvet. Beautiful plates were delivered one after the other to our grateful eaters. Meanwhile in the kitchen we crafted and planned each plate with care and delight. In the background was Flamenco guitar music provided by our talented friend, Bo Johnson, accompanied with the sound of inspired conversations and silverware dinging the plates. At the end of the night when Sofia and I joined our guests with a tall glass of red wine in hand and our stained aprons still on, Bo serenaded us with a special song. That sort of thing only happens in the company of magic. And to top it off one of guests had her acupuncture kit and gave me a quick treatment – The unfolding of it all made me laugh!
The evening ended with everyone in the kitchen, of course, where we savored a little taste of the cherry chutney, or a quick taste of the last of the lavendar creme fraiche. Friends gathering over a shared love, a love of food but really a shared love of the fruits of our labor, a labor of love.
A quick sit to take it all in before returning to the kitchen.
I’m excited to share that I am now cooking for a startup in Los Alamos. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to cook for! Happy and grateful.
Today I made a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi from his book Jerusalem. 
First I cut the oranges in wedges and put them in a sauce pan with saffron, vinegar, honey and covered it with water – it was a beautiful sight and a lovely aroma. I let it cook for an hour or more.Then I gathered all the beautiful greens and herbs I bought from the Co-op – mint, basil, cilantro, kale, butter lettuce and romaine. Washed and chopped them. I made the dressing by chopping up a couple serrano chiles and added fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and olive oil. You can see the whole recipe in a clear format here. It ended up being a delicious and beautiful lunch. The color of the orange saffron sauce with the all the colors of green was a perfect summer day lunch.
My cousin Liz is in town visiting from NYC and this is a photo of her oatmeal I made this morning. She said “Leah you should do a post on how to make oatmeal, my parents would love it!”. So this goes out to Aunt Joan and Uncle Berg in Sandy Oregon. Here’s how I “oatmeal”.
Here’s what I made on this rainy spring morning.
In a medium sized heavy bottomed sauce pan on med-high heat toast 1 cup of gluten free rolled oats, until you can smell the fragrance of tasty oats, about 3 minutes. Then add about 2 cups of filtered water (more or less depending on your preferred consistency) and a pinch of real salt. Bring to a light boil, then turn down heat to low. Add about 5 thinly sliced apricots and 1/4 cup of dried rose hips. Rose hips are really good for you, and give a great tangy sweet flavor. Add about a tablespoon of butter to give your breakfast the fuel of good fat. I’m usually an “eggs for breakfast kind of a person”. I need my protein and fat to help with my blood sugar. So when I make oatmeal I have to make it with nuts, seeds and good fat, like butter and/or coconut oil. When the oats are cooked through, about 10 minutes, serve up a bowl with some good toppings. Add a splash of half and half, a few slivers of butter (I love butter), chopped almonds, a tablespoon of chia seeds and a splash of grade b maple syrup. Enjoy!
Today was an extra special lunch because chef Nicholas Toll joined me in the kitchen. It was great to have an extra pair of very talented hands!
We started by charring the yellow onions and ginger for the broth, which is a great way to get extra flavor. I learned this technique from my favorite food blog smitten kitchen – check out her recipe, which we loosely followed.
A glimpse of the beautiful pho broth – anise, cloves, cinnamon and a bay leaf. We left the onion skin on which gives the broth a golden hue.
Nicholas made a quick carrot and radish pickle! He flavored the brine (he used apple cider vinegar) with cilantro stems, cloves, a star anise, salt and pepper. The pickle added a much needed splash of red and orange. 
Oh and how can I forget to mention that we fried shallots in lard for a crispy flavorful garnish (insert heart eyes). Lard is the perfect frying oil, it’s a hardy fat that can handle high heat unlike vegetable oil, that is easily damaged. The lard did not smoke. The mainstream is finally catch up the notion that lard is in fact good for you. Check out this article by Food & Wine “Lard: The New Health Food?”. And if you’re ready to learn all about fat and oil check out the article “Oiling of America”. 
Folks from the neighborhood were happy to arrive to such a cozy scene. A kitchen warmed with a stock cooking for hours and a community coming together.
I wanted to make cabbage for St. Paddy’s day, plus cabbage is an all-star vegetable. For it contains all kinds of plant magic that’s designed to keep us healthy.
This cruciferous vegetable is made up of some major players when it comes to nutrition and cancer prevention. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to read all about it! Check out this website for more information on why you should be eating more cabbage!
I made SmittenKitchen’s cabbage and sausage casserole, which came out delicious! I enjoy the sense of connection I feel when I’m making these recipes that are I know people have been making for generations. Speaking of, I also made potato kugel. That also came out really well, it was approved by a long time kugel-eater.
I lined the table with pickles, mustards, sauerkraut, sour cream, chopped parsley and green onion. Some of my eaters sat outside to enjoy the warm spring weather. I think it’s time to get a long picnic table so we can all get some time outside for lunch. Life is good.
Today the weather is warmer here in Santa Fe. Since I grew up here, these warm spring days remind me of when I was younger and I love it. In the spirit of Friday and feeling 16 again, we enjoyed some cold beer with our noodles.
Before my hungry eaters arrived, Brian Eno, David Bowie and Lou Reed joined me in the kitchen giving the food some extra good vibrations – here’s the play list. 
Here is the recipe for a very simple and tasty lunch. A bowl of pad thai style noodles in a peanut sauce with the flavors of umami, tang, sweet and spicy. 
Topped with a simple salad made with sliced cucumbers, cilantro, mint and basil dressed in a little toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar for a bright note to complement the nutty flavor.
I marinated the chicken in the peanut sauce from the noodles before frying them in the wok with hot toasted peanut oil. The chicken browned nicely – and well… it’s just fun to use a big wok sometimes. On the table were peanuts and chili/garlic paste, for a touch of red and heat. We eventually brought everything to the table to keep filling our bowls.
Each week I meet more of my neighbors in this industrial Siler Midtown District community who come in search of lunch. Today Shehan joined us. He has a studio across the way where he makes beautiful knives. He kindly sharpened my knives as a trade for today’s lunch. 
Today’s lunch may have been one of my favorite so far. Spanish food has a special place in my heart, with the generous use of olive oil, greens and fresh ingredients. It’s a live and it’s proud.
The recipe for the tortilla was great. The texture was perfect and with a side of aioli, it hit the spot! I also added a chopped parsley at the to give it some extra color and taste. For the Meatball with Greens and Beans recipe, I recommend making your own chicken stock. The store didn’t have chicken feet or chicken backs so I bought two chicken thighs and cooked it in the pressure cooker with carrots, celery onion and a bayleaf for about 40 min. I also added broccoli rabe to the greens, because well, why not?
If you can’t escape from the windy game of tug of war between winter and spring here in Santa Fe to a Caribbean vacation, just make ceviche.
If I get the timing right I stop by my sister and brother-in-law’s restaurant Paper Dosa when the kitchen staff is on break eating, an always delicious, lunch. One day when I conveniently stopped by, Ruben, one of my favorite people, had made ceviche. It reminded me of how much I love this dish. It was silly of me to think it was only to be enjoyed by the ocean with the feel of salt on my skin while also sipping a Dos Equis. When I looked outside this morning at the windy day ahead I thought to myself “I wish I was on a beach in Mexico”. Then I thought about lunch, naturally, and said – today I’ll make Ruben’s ceviche. 
At lunch we all were teleported to a table under a shady palapa for at least a little while while we ate. The ceviche was so easy and simple to make. I topped off the ceviche with avocado, lime, tostada shells and Valentina Salsa Picante. And alongside the ceviche I served a side salad made with cabbage, carrots, radishes, cilantro and red onion marinated in a lime vinaigrette.
Here’s Ruben’s Ceviche recipe, give or take:
Get a pound of tilapia, cut in medium sized cubes, and marinate in salt and fresh lime juice (about 10 limes) for an hour. The fish will turn white and you’ll be able to see the grain of the fish. Then finely dice 5 tomatoes, 2 jalapenos, 1 white onion and 1/2 bunch of cilantro. When the fish is done marinating mix it all together. Enjoy with hot sauce and tostada chips! Oh and a cold light Mexican lager.
One of my favorite food blogs is the Smitten Kitchen. I look at her blog to find inspiration for what to make. This Leap Day Monday morning I looked around and found this tasty-looking recipe.
At lunch time we all gathered around the table with our bowls of vermicelli noodles marinated in savory almond sauce topped with moist and delicious chicken with the fresh and crunch of carrots and cucumbers with sprigs of basil and cilantro. On the table was almonds, if the eaters wanted more crunch, a spicy cilantro and lime fish sauce for more tang, umami and spice. The more I ate the better it got, and to make it last longer I added more veggies and eventually a second serving of the those vermicelli noodles. Yum.
Note, I substituted the peanut butter for almond butter, because almonds are a healthier choice.
For the last 8 months I’ve been teaching cooking classes at Jemez Health and Human Services on behalf of Mogro. It’s been a great experience. It’s more or less the same group that comes every class and we have a great time! Together we’ve made chicken curry, pesto, soups, salads and healthy desserts!
In class I have the young people come up and help me mix and stir. And as a class we taste and talk about how to balance flavors. We make everything from scratch using whole foods, of course. We talk about the dark age of nutrition, when our food entered the factories and would come out in boxes full of chemicals and preservatives. We also talk about the wisdom of traditional people and our ancestors when it comes to nutrition. It’s been one of my favorite classes that I’ve taught.
