Cook the Cover
Story by Aja Goare
Photography by Richard Fusillo
Videography by Stephen Heraldo and voiced by Dustin Klemann
Food styling by Chef Rachel Ponce
Shot on location at La Lomita Ranch in San Luis Obispo
Inspired by our friends at Edible San Diego and their annual Cook the Cover celebration, we put the call out to you, our readers, to be featured in the magazine – asking you to share your own beloved recipes that bring back warm memories. And wow, did you deliver. We read recipes that told family stories, dishes that embraced a go-big mentality and others that celebrated the subtleness of a quiet, cozy winter. Our team then tested the recipes, styled the food, and swapped stories with the finalists about each dish.
Here are the three cream of the crop original recipes that stood out to our editorial team, courtesy of the talented cooks who have proven to us that there is no better comfort than a home cooked dish.
Meet Our Cook the Cover Winner
The winner of Edible San Luis Obispo’s first ever Cook the Cover competition shared a holiday dish that has won his family over on three occasions without imposing on his work schedule. Unlike many who celebrate the holidays with a few days off, Father Ian Dellinger prepares the meal after a marathon of church services.
Duck is considered by some a difficult dish to prepare – if the meat is under or overcooked, which can happen easily, then the dish is ruined. But Ian says his recipe is pleasantly manageable, even after a full day of work.
“The first time [I made the dish] was 2018,” says Ian. “The criteria were I have to be able to come home from three services over the course of 16 hours, including midnight mass, and prepare a dish that isn’t too laborious. Also, I’m focused on something that’s visually stunning, and was different than turkey, beef or ham.”
What he’s named his “Christmas Duck Breast over Beluga Lentils and Wilted Greens” is a family favorite, even for his brother-in-law, who happens to be a Bay Area chef. Drizzled with pomegranate glaze, the tartness pairs well with a hint of sweetness from agave syrup and a bit of citrus to add acidity.
“I actually don’t like fruit and meat because I don’t have a sweet tooth, so the tartness helps with that,” explains Ian. “But you have to have something that cuts the fat of the duck. You’ve got this lean breast meat, but also have a fat cap on it. Even if you cut the fat cap off like I do, you still need something to cut through that and it’s usually the acid. So, the tart and acid-citrus help balance the duck and also give it another dimension.”
This fatty meat can be an intimidating choice for novice and seasoned cooks, alike. But Ian has a couple tips to smooth out the process.
“If you’re not familiar with cooking duck breast and you know it’s supposed to be medium rare, my suggestion is cook it in a pan with fat side down first. Flip it over and cook longer; if you’re dividing up into minutes, cook a minute longer on the fat side than the meat side.”
While some use a thermometer to check the temperature of the meat, Ian relies on touch. He suggests using a method of pressing thumb to palm of hand (as shown in video) to determine doneness.
The key to success, he says, is practice.
“I learned this from my brother-in-law, he said never do something new on Christmas day,” he laughs. “So definitely try it some other time in December and see how it goes.”
He pairs it with locally sourced wines – but a pinot noir is the classic match-up.
“Last Christmas, we had that and more with it – we had wines from Santa Barbara County, SLO County and Sonoma County at the table for Christmas last year,” he shares.
When serving his holiday feast, Ian looks for two measures of success.
“You know you nailed it when you slice it open and it’s the perfect color. Then everything else is going to be fine. But the indicator that it’s been a good Christmas dinner together is everyone stays at the dinner table hours later,” he explains.
Once the night comes to an end, the conversation and time shared around this heartfelt meal is what truly leaves him and his guests full.
Christmas Duck Breast over Beluga Lentils and Wilted Greens
Recipe by Father Ian Delinger
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup pomegranate syrup
- 1 cup agave syrup
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 2 oranges
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups dry beluga lentils
- 6 duck breasts
- 20 ounces spinach
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- Zest from 1 orange
PREPARATION
Step 1
Prepare pomegranate sauce by placing pomegranate syrup, agave syrup, balsamic vinegar and orange juice in small saucepan. Simmer until thick and reduced by half. (This can be prepared a day ahead.)
Step 2
In large pot, bring 4 cups of water plus salt to a boil. Add beluga lentils. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain in colander and keep warm. While lentils are cooking, in extra large skillet or two large skillets sauté duck breasts skin side down, over medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes and turn and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes until medium rare. When medium rare, duck breast should give a little when pressed with finger – not squishy (signifying underdone) or firm (overdone). Remove from heat and place duck breasts on paper towels to drain fat. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Cut duck breasts into ½ inch slices.
Step 3
On large platter, spread spinach greens to platter edges. Spread hot lentils over spinach. Place slices of duck breast over lentils. Drizzle pomegranate sauce over dish, then sprinkle pomegranate seeds, followed by orange zest. Serve using a flat spatula and serving spoon so guests can scoop under greens, duck and lentils in one movement.
Pairing Note
This dish pairs well with many San Luis Obispo County wines, particularly Pinot Noir from the Edna Valley, Chardonnay, Albariño, or North County Zinfandel.
And meet our Cook the Cover runners up.
Oyster Chowder
Recipe by Margot Kandarian
“I developed this recipe while working for Morro Bay Oyster Company. I was the farm supervisor there for the past four years and have recently transitioned to running my own mobile oyster bar full time, Flying Colors Co. I grew up in a local farming family, so eating local for both seafood and produce is really important to me. Working on an oyster farm provided me with a bounty of oysters to use to perfect this dish. It’s a pretty flexible recipe – I’ve done it with and without leeks/fennel/celery/onions, depending on what is in season. It’s also great cooked with clams instead of oysters.”
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- ½ pound bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 leeks, sliced (fennel can be substituted)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 5 dozen fresh oysters
- 1½ cups half and half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chives or parsley, for garnish
- Hot sauce
- Sourdough bread, optional
PREPARATION
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake potatoes for about 20 minutes; potatoes should be golden brown and toasted on the outside. Let cool and then dice.
Step 2
In medium pot, cook bacon. Once cooked, remove and dice when cooled. Drain out most bacon grease from pan, leaving about 1 teaspoon of grease in pan. Add butter into remaining bacon grease and sauté leeks, celery, onion and garlic. When golden brown and soft, deglaze pan with wine. Add potatoes and stir. Allow all contents to simmer. Chowder will be thick, similar to a gravy consistency.
Step 3
While simmering, shuck 4 dozen oysters. Leave 1 dozen unshucked to be placed directly into soup, for a lovely plating effect. Save oyster liquor as oysters are being shucked. Stir half and half into chowder. Continue stirring. (Add in more water, fish stock or clam juice to get chowder to preferred consistency.) Add shucked and unshucked oysters, and oyster liquor. Let chowder continue to simmer for 10 minutes. For serving, sprinkle with bacon on top. Follow with salt, pepper, chives or parsley and hot sauce. Serve with toasted sourdough bread. (Note: Chowder is even better as leftovers once flavors have time to meld!)
Gluten Free Vegan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Bananas Foster Sauce
Recipe by Lydia Ross
“Living with food allergies requires some creativity and out-of-the-box cooking, but for me it’s a fun challenge to develop recipes that are delicious and beautiful. This is what brings me true joy, the memories around the kitchen table with my family, not letting severe food allergies or celiac take away from making memories and enjoying life. Being able to share recipes with others who experience food allergies or dietary restrictions is another gift. I don’t want anyone to feel left out or deprived, but instead experience the abundance and variety that life offers, making sure no one misses out on an appetizing meal or scrumptious dessert.”
PREPARATION
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large mixing bowl add bananas, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Mix with wooden spoon. Add salt, baking soda and vinegar. Mix well. Add vanilla, oil, apple sauce and baking powder. Mix again. Fold in gluten free flour. Pour into a greased 9-inch square by 2-inch-deep cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick: when cake is done, toothpick should come out clean. Remove from oven. Let cake cool in pan, then remove. Finish cooling on a wire rack.
Step 2
To make frosting, combine all frosting ingredients. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream all ingredients together to preferred frosting consistency. Add dairy free milk to thin if needed. Once cake is cooled, frost.
Step 3
To make bananas foster sauce, in a saucepan over medium heat combine water, brown sugar and vegan butter. Stir until melted. Add rum and dairy free milk. Whisk. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When cooled, slice cake and drizzle sauce over.
