One of my favorite scenes in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally is when Meg Ryan’s character Sally has the following exchange with a waitress:

Sally: I’d like the chef salad please with oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode.
Waitress: Chef and apple a la mode.
Sally: But I’d like the pie heated, and I don’t want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side and I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it’s real. If it’s out of the can, then nothing.
Waitress: Not even the pie?
Sally: No, just the pie, but then not heated.
 
I laugh (my bf laughs harder) because it hits close to home. As a chef, I know how personal food can be, and admittedly, I have been known to be...particular. In my younger days, even more so.
 
As a child, soft and crunchy were too different to coexist. Foods were either soft and tender or crunchy and crisp, and never the twain shall meet. My desserts of choice had to be velvety smooth; any crispy, fruity, or even sprinkles decorated on top ruined it for me. Don’t get me started on my dislike of sweet on savory/meat.

Gradually my taste palette evolved and I became a true texture-convert due to my love for pavlova. Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this personal game-changer is a meringue-based dessert with a soft marshmallow center and crisp outer shell. The contrasting textures are brilliant—it’s a little crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. By the second day it loses its crispness and becomes a decadent truffle-like brownie, but still pillowy light. The recipe is adapted entirely from Smitten Kitchen. She lowered the sugar and upped the chocolate and it’s just perfect. I didn’t change a thing.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Number of servings: 10​

Ingredients
Meringue

• 6 large egg whites
• 1 ½ (300 grams) cups granulated sugar
• A couple pinches of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) balsamic or red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup (20-25 grams) cocoa powder, the best you have, sifted
• 2 ounces (55 grams) semi-or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Topping

• 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 4 cups mixed fresh berries
• 1 ounce (30 grams) semi-or bittersweet chocolate, grated or shaved, to finish

Directions

1. Prepare your pan: Heat your oven to 350 °F. Line your largest baking sheet—it needs to hold at least a 12-inch round because these can spread; I used a pizza pan—with a sheet of parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle on it with a pencil and flip the paper over so that you can see the line, but it won’t get into the pavlova.  
2. Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle the sea salt, cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites and gently fold everything with a rubber spatula. You can leave it a little swirly/undermixed.
3. Shape the pavlova: You can secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue underneath it. Mound the meringue into the 9-inch circle, smoothing the sides and top if you desire.
4. Bake the meringue: Place in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees. The pavlova will bake for 60 to 90 minutes. When it’s ready it should look crisp on top and be dry to the touch, but when you prod the center you should feel a little give beneath your fingers. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely inside. You can leave it overnight. It can also be kept at room temperature until needed.
5. To serve: When you’re ready to serve, invert the cooled pavlova onto a big plate and peel off the parchment. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Pile it onto the meringue. Scatter with berries and shave chocolate over with a vegetable peeler. Serve in wedges and keep leftovers in fridge.

We’ve been in a heat wave this week and the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, stove or grill. On these hot days, a shrewd dinner choice is a poke (it's POH-keh, by the way) bowl. Poke bowls are basically deconstructed sushi and restaurants sporting the dish seem to be popping up everywhere, which makes sense as they are incredibly healthy. However, you can easily make poke at home and the process lends itself well to a “make your own bowl” party, where everyone can assemble their own bowls as desired.

I switched out regular rice for the root vegetable kohlrabi (see photo at bottom) to keep the dish low carb (jicama and daikon radish also work beautifully) and make it a no-cook meal. However, if we're having guests, rice will make an appearance as well. Japanese short-grain sushi rice is traditionally the base of the poke bowl, but it can be made with white or brown. I have also used wild green salad mix as the base–one of my favorites is store bought seaweed salad.

​This versatile dish begs to be customized. I have listed the ingredients I love below, but feel free to make it your own with ingredients you enjoy and have a "cool" party!

Number of servings: 4​

Ingredients
Poke

• 2 pounds fresh sushi-grade ahi tuna, diced into ¼ inch cubes
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup purple cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 avocados, peeled, sliced or diced
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 2 mangoes, cubed
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1-2 red Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
• Optional "mix-ins": edamame, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, nori, microgreens, wonton crisps, rice crackers, tortilla chips, black & white toasted sesame seeds, wasabi, Sriracha sauce

Kohlrabi “Rice” or Regular Rice

• 1-2 large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into chunks (Jicama or daikon radish also work well)
• Short grain Japanese sushi rice, or regular white or brown rice 

Poke Dressing

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons, toasted sesame oil
• ¼ heaping cup scallions (approximately 4 scallions, white and green part), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated or minced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. Trim any dark flesh and fat from the tuna and discard. Dice into ¼ inch cubes and place in large bowl. Refrigerate.
2. Place kohlrabi (or jicama/daikon radish) into a food processor and pulse until it looks like rice kernels. DO NOT pulse too much or it will turn into mush.
3. Mix all the poke dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over ahi tuna and gently toss. NOTE: once you have mixed the dressing with the tuna, serve immediately or the acids from the dressing will cook the fish.
4. Add rice to each bowl and assemble with your desired toppings. 
5. Some people (me!) like a little kick in the sauce, so I have wasabi paste or Sriracha on the side to add to my personal poke bowl.

The root vegetable kohlrabi, which you can find in any good produce section. 

A quick note that you should expect regular recipe posts every Wednesday (with occasional lagniappe as is deemed necessary). ;-)

Nectarine and Marscarpone Tart in a Gingersnap Crust
A perfect summer dessert, the tart nectarines and spicy gingersnap crust offset the not-too-sweet filling nicely. Originally a Bon Appétit recipe that Smitten Kitchen adapted, I made a few additions, namely, heavy whipping cream and cinnamon as I prefer a fluffier, less dense filling. The topping is open to a variety of summer fruits. I have made this tart and topped with cherries and other stone fruits as well.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Number of servings: 8-10​

Ingredients
Crust

• 37 gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken (about 9 ounces; about 3 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of pieces)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of cinnamon

Topping

• 4 to 5 small nectarines, halved, pitted, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup apricot jam, warmed (original recipe called for peach)

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened.
3. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
4. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

​
Flling

1. Beat all the filling ingredients in medium bowl until smooth.
2. Spread filling in prepared crust.
3. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Topping

1. Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles.
2. Brush with jam.
3. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.

Another seasonal (in California, we are in the throes of cherry and corn season) client favorite, this one is quick and simple to prepare, and the colors and ingredients scream summer. The sweetness of the corn with the charred lettuce, tangy pickled cherries, and shallots make for a fresh, vibrant combination.
 
Adapted from Heather Christo
Number of servings: 6

​Ingredients
Pickled Cherries and Shallots

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup pitted cherries, sliced in half (I used Rainier cherries)
• 1 fresno red chili, thinly sliced

Salad

• kosher salt
• 3 hearts of Romaine lettuce, sliced in half
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ears of corn, shucked

Directions

1. In a small pan, simmer together the red wine vinegar and sugar and cook for about 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Combine the shallots, cherries and chili slices in a bowl and pour the vinegar-sugar combination in. Cover with saran wrap and set aside.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Rub the cut side of the lettuce and the ears of corn with the olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
4. Grill the corn until cooked and lightly charred on each side. Pull the corn off the grill and set aside. Alternatively, you can microwave the unshucked corn cobs on a plate with a little water for 5-6 minutes. Shuck and set aside.
5. Grill the lettuce briefly (less than a minute) until it just has grill marks and is lightly wilted on the grilled side.
6. Arrange the grilled romaine hearts on a platter.
7. Cut the corn off the cob and combine it with the pickled cherry combo. Season to taste with kosher salt. Top the grilled romaine hearts with the pickled cherry and corn combination and serve immediately.

Sticking with the strawberry theme from the last post, here's a fun single bite of goodness that has worked well for many of my Fourth-of-July catering events. There are many different ways to customize the filling (suggestions below), but the simple vanilla is a good foil for the chocolate and graham-cracker dip.

I have used gluten-free graham crackers for clients who require that; you can substitute with nuts (chopped pecans, walnuts) or even sprinkles. 

Happy Fourth!
​​
Yield: 24 strawberries

Ingredients

• 24 large fresh strawberries
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1  cup heavy whipping cream
• 2-4 Tbls powdered sugar (use a little more if mixture is too loose, adding a little sprinkle at a time.  I like mine less sweet, but it’s up to your taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla (Be creative: In place of vanilla, I have used vodka, Kahlua, Bailey’s, or espresso powder, almond extract, and most recently, I had leftover Lorann cotton candy flavored oil from another project and I used that.)
• 1 package bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ½ pint Blueberries

 
Directions

1. Rinse and hull strawberries. Using a paring knife cut out the top and scoop part of the middle out to leave room for the filling. Cut the bottom off for a flat edge, so it can stand upright.
2. Place strawberries on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whip (with an electric hand mixer) cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla or other flavoring until stiff peaks form.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture in piping bag with a very large tip (otherwise you’ll have trouble piping it out). Alternatively, you can place mixture in large Ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Refrigerate while you melt the chocolate.
5. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in your microwave for 20-second increments, stirring with a spatula until melted.
6. Place graham cracker crumbs on a plate or shallow bowl.
7. Dip strawberries halfway or on one side (see photo) into melted chocolate, letting extra chocolate drip off. Dredge the melted-chocolate dipped strawberry into graham cracker crumbs and place on to parchment-lined tray. Once you’ve dipped all the strawberries, place in freezer to set (approx. 5 minutes).
8. Time to fill your strawberries. Pipe cheesecake mixture into strawberries and top with blueberries.
9. Refrigerate until time to serve. Best served the same day.

Introduction
Hi! Welcome to my first blog post, and thank you for stumbling onto this page.

I am an Oregon-girl (and a U of O grad, Go Ducks!) who has cooked for my own family for decades, but decided to apply it as a self-employed trade into the teeth of the 2008-09 financial crisis. A layoff from a corporate job in the sleep-education field gave me the opportunity to experiment with different culinary techniques in the kitchen, and subsequently create and execute meal plans for friends.

As Silicon Valley slowly recovered, I formally launched the Moveable Feast personal-chef service, and have enjoyed serving the bay area's mid-peninsula ever since. Besides the many families I have had the pleasure of cooking for, my clients have included executives from Apple, Facebook, Google, YouTube and, up north, Boeing.

Here you will find all sorts of recipes from healthy to comfort food to indulgent desserts. I cook seasonally and with as much local ingredients as possible. I develop all the recipes on this site myself along with the photography and food styling.

With the help of my partner-in-crime Don Zulaica (who has written/edited everything from medical-device marketing to local newspapers, national music magazines and entertainment web sites), this blog will share delicious recipes and experiences from the past decade, document the continuing journey, and hopefully give you a few ideas for dishes to try out in your own kitchen.

Hope you're having a wonderful 4th-of-July holiday!

Cheers,
Jacquie Steiner

Crispy Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
Of all of the posts at the Moveable Feast Facebook page, and the upwards of two dozen salmon preparations, this gets the most requests for its recipe. It's also one of the more popular seasonal dishes from my summer menus.

Sweet strawberries and basil might seem an unusual pairing with salmon, but coupled with the kick of red onion and/or serrano pepper, balance out the entree nicely.

Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• (2) 8 oz pieces of salmon fillet, skin on
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp red onion, minced and/or 1/2 seeded serrano pepper  (if you like more of a kick)
• 2 Tbls basil, julienned
• 1 Tbls (or more to taste) lime

Directions

1. I use a cast iron pan. You can use stainless steel. Place pan over medium high heat. Dry salmon filets with paper towels and brush salmon with olive oil on both sides. Season with kosher salt.   
2. Place fish in the hot pan skin side down, press on fillet gently, turn heat down to medium low and cook for 6- 7 minutes until skin is crispy. Flip the fillets and cook another 1-2 minutes. The internal temperature should be 120 degrees. Don't overcook.
3. In a small bowl, toss strawberries with basil, red onion, serrano (if using) lime and a pinch of salt.
4. Plate salmon, sprinkle with sea salt and spoon strawberry salsa over fillets.
5. NOTE: I have made this skinless as well. Follow the same directions.