Confessions of a Mormon Foodie

Making Hal 9000 – Part 5: It’s Full of Stars

2012-01-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Read part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 of the Hal 9000 Cake Project

Now that the base cake was done and the difficult, if somewhat lacking, candy eye were completed, it was time to add the details and finish the cake.

First, I needed to add a grill texture to the bottom of the cake to simulate Hal’s speaker grill. I put the frosted cake back in the freezer, saying another “thank you” to my wife for that tip, and let the frosting harden up a bit. Removing it from the freezer, I took my chef’s knife and make very shallow cuts in the frosting, horizontal and vertical, creating a passable speaker grid.

Next, I shaped a piece of blue colored fondant for the name label at the top and put the candy eye in place. I used white cake gel to add the trim and write HAL 9000, as well as cover up the seam around Hal’s eye.

I’ve decided I don’t like cake gel for these kinds of things. It was too gooey and didn’t give me great results. I had already resigned myself to getting whatever I got with this cake, though. The mission was finished. It’s degree of success had yet to be measured.

I don’t know if the result was worth all the trouble or not. The cake impressed my wife and kids, even if it wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. I did learn a few things along the way. I keep telling myself, “Next time, I’ll know this and can try that,” but I’m not sure they’re be a next time. Not with Hal, anyway.

Maybe I can make candy lightsabers. Hmmm …

Making Hal 9000 – Part 4: I’m Afraid I Can’t Do That, Dave

2012-01-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Read part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the Hal 9000 Cake Project

Then next problem in the mission came from the cake, itself. Or, rather, from it’s covering.

Black fondant would have given me a smoother finish, but I don’t like to completely cover cakes in fondant. I don’t like eating that much fondant in one sitting. I prefer butter cream frosting so, I settled on chocolate frosting and a brown Hal.

I cut the cooled cake in half, placed one half on top the other, and glued them together with frosting. I next trimmed the sides to get the correct dimensions and a smoother edge. So far so good. The trouble was, the frosting wouldn’t stick. Or rather, it stuck too much. The crumb of the cake was so tender that whenever I tried to spread it over a trimmed side, it would tear the cake apart. It didn’t matter how much I whipped and mixed and soften the frosting, every stroke with the knife tore piece after piece of cake away from my beautiful rectangle.

Unlike David Bowman, my shipmates weren’t dead. My wife knows that when she sees me sitting at the table with my head in my hands and swearing, it’s a pretty clear sign that something is wrong. Responding to my distress call, she came over, assessed the situation, and suggested I put the cake in the freezer for a little while.

My wife has taken one more cake decorating classes than I have. That’s not hard to do, considering I’ve never taken any. The point is, she knows of what she speaks. She just doesn’t like the actual work involved in decorating cakes, so doesn’t do it very often She happy to let me be the glutton for punishment that I am.

The freezer trick worked wonders. Unfortunately, I had to make a run to the store to pick up more supplies. I ran out of chocolate frosting 3/4’s of the way through.

Things were looking up, though. I had the frosted cake, and a defective candy eye. The rest was just details.

Making Hal 9000 – Part 3: Open the Pod Bay Doors, Hal.

2012-01-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the Hal 9000 Cake Project

As you can see in the picture, the set up on the scoops isn’t very solid. I needed a way to make them as level as possible while the candy cooled and hardened, so I put them on top of two bowls. As I stuck the red eye into the candy goo from the second batch, the scoop tipped, pouring molten candy over my cupboard. Speaking in tongues, I worked as fast as I could to pour more candy in the scoop and move the red light piece back to the center without burning myself. This worked great until pushing things around upended the ice cream scoop, dumping more candy.

The third time was not the charm. This time I tipped it over trying to clean up the candy that had spilled. It was like a little kid. Get something clean just in time for the kid to make another mess.

Finally I got things settled, with the red light buried much deeper than I’d hoped. By that time I was tired of it, though. Sometimes projects aren’t finished so much as they are abandoned. I would live with whatever the result was, or trash the candy eye altogether. Hal would not get the best of me any more than he did David Bowmen.

If that had been the only problem, I might not have lost my mind.

Making Hal 9000 – Part 2: Would You Like to Play a Game of Chess?

2012-01-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Read Part 1 of the Hal 9000 Cake Project.

The tricky part was going to be Hal’s eye. I knew that, going in. The plan was to make a clear candy shell for the outside, and a red tinted shell for the glowing center. I hunted around town a bit and found two ice cream scoops that I thought would work for molds. Next, I found a couple of recipes for “stained-glass candy” and counted myself set.

The first batch of candy worked pretty well. I poured the outer layer of Hal’s eye first, then tinted the candy red and poured the “red light” piece. Unfortunately, the candy didn’t behave as I had hoped. It had caramelized slightly, giving the clear candy a yellow-tan tint instead of being crystal clear. I also had trouble making it a shell. I couldn’t pour the inner candy out of the mold, and still have it stick enough to the sides, to make a shell. I was stuck with two solid pieces, each half of two different spheres.

Like any good astronaut, I had a back-up plan, using only colored fondant to make a 2-D version of Hal’s eye. In the end I decided that wasn’t good enough. I would try again with another recipe that would give me better results.

I didn’t find one.

In the end, I settled on embedding the “red light” I had made in the first batch into the outer clear shell of the second batch. This is where the real nightmare began ...

Making Hal 9000 – Part 1: A Cake Odyssey

2012-01-17T22:57:00.001-07:00

January 12th is the birthday of HAL 9000, the computer installed in the Discovery spaceship from 2001: a Space Odyssey. Why anyone but a die-hard science-fiction fan-boy would care is beyond me. Being a die-hard science-fiction fan-boy, I decided to celebrate Hal’s birthday by making a Hal cake and watching 2001 with my kids. They were happy to do it. They're suckers for chocolate cake.

I was nervous going into the project, although I knew I could do the main body pretty easily. The iconic face of Hal is just a long rectangle, after all. It was the eye that bothered me. That glowing, red, menacing computer eye! I had three goals in mind. It had to be 3-dimensional, recognizable and above all, edible.

Cue “The Blue Danube”

I started by making a single-layer chocolate cake in a 13 inch by 9 inch cake pan. I bought a commercial cake mix, knowing I had quite a bit of work cut out for me with the decorating. This was going to have to take place over a couple of week nights, and I wouldn't have that much time in the evening.

The cake was baked the first night, and then cut and shaped the next. I cut the full cake in half, setting one half on top of the other, and trimmed it to make the sides and top even. So far so good. The second night, I would make Hal’s eye.

Little did I know, this part of the project might prove to be as doomed as the Discovery mission.

To be continued ...

Favorite Holiday Cookies

2011-11-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

When it comes to Christmas food, cookies rank high on the list of staples. All kinds of cookies. For us, they're synonymous with Christmas. I always try to make at least one cookie recipe I've never tried before. If you got some suggestions, I'm all ears.

In order to help get us into the Christmas cookie spirit, here are links to my favorite holiday cookie recipes.

Five-Spice Cookies
Icebox Sugar Cookies with Variations in Flavor and Variations in Style
Orange-Spice Sugar Cookies
Tangerine Dainties

Family Food History

2011-11-20T15:43:00.002-07:00

How many of you have a family cookbook? It occurred to me this might be a good idea. Sure, I’ve got the recipes I like up on the blog, and a dozen or more cookbooks on my shelves, but there’s no central place the find all the recipes my family likes to eat. If we had a family cookbook, it would be easier for my wife and kids to make the things we like, without trying to hunt down the recipes in a dozen cookbooks or the internet.

I also have a collection of the recipes used by three generations of home cooks: my mother, her mother, and her mother’s mother. A great treasure, I know. Right now they’re scattered between several index cards, old newspaper and magazine clippings. Wouldn’t it be great if they were included in the family cookbook, along with my own recipes, as well as the modifications I’ve made to some of their recipes? Can you imagine it? Four generations of home cook’s experience in one binder. It boggles my mind.

With that boggled mind, I started compiling these recipes into a book. It’s been slow going. To make it easier I’ve been using some cookbook software, but I’ve got a very old copy that will need to be replaced sometime soon. I settled on a few categories that made sense for me:

Appetizers
Salads and Dressings
Sandwiches
Soups and Stews
Vegetables
Rice, Grains and Beans
Pasta and Pizza
Eggs and Breakfast
Fish
Meat
Poultry
Breads
Desserts

Next, I got a large 3-ring binder and created divider cards for each category.

The next, ongoing, step is going through my blog archives and the recipes from my ancestors, entering them one at a time into my cookbook software. The software allows me to insert pictures, so I’ve been doing that where I could, as well. As I add them, I print them and put them in the notebook. To help get the rest of the family involved, I asked my oldest daughter, a growing talent in graphic arts, to design the cover.

I’m both excited and daunted by the project. It’s a kind of “family food history,” a genealogy of familial food. When I finish it, I’m planning on making a gift of it to my siblings and other relatives. I hope they like it, but it's a long way off.

How do you organize your family’s recipes?

Low and Slow (Cooker) Beef Stew

2011-11-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

I’d be hard pressed to find a food my wife likes better than beef stew. It’s a winter staple for her. We have cans of the stuff hanging around the pantry all the time. I can’t stand the canned stuff. Most of it is crap. To make it palatable I’ve always got to mess with it or I won’t be able to keep it in my mouth long enough to chew and swallow. Making your own is much better, even if it can take all day to do it.

Enter the slow cooker. I love using a slow cooker for cheap cuts of meat. It takes what can be a chewy mess and turns it into a tender and tasty indulgence.

Low and slow is the answer, my friends. Low and slow.

I’m not going to kid you, though. This recipe takes a bit more work than most slow cooker recipes. A bunch of stuff gets cooked a bit before putting it into the crock pot in order to get better caramelization and richer flavor. The results are worth the effort, though. Even my wife agrees.

Now I just need to figure out what to do with all of these extra cans.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Measuring cups and spoons
Paper towels
Large skillet
Slow cooker
Large spoons, slotted and non-slotted
Whisk
Vegetable peeler

Ingredients
3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1 large onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound carrots, cut into 1/2-inch circles
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper as needed
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup red wine or cooking sherry
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Directions
Pull apart the roast along it’s major seams, using a knife as needed. Trim excess fat and silver skin. Cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until smoking. Brown the beef in batches, about 5 minutes for each batch, and add to the slow cooker. Add more oil as needed.

Reduce the heat to medium, adding 2 more teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds more, until fragrant.

Stir in the wine and tomato paste, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, until the wine reduces by half, about 3 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker.

Add the 3 1/2 cups of the broth, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Stir in the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Discard the bay leaf. Set the cooker to high. Whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Stir into the cooker. Add the peas and parsley. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened, the flour is cooked, and the veggies are tender, about 30 minutes to an hour more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings

Twice-Baked Potatoes

2011-11-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

You’d think that baking a potato once would be sufficient. It is, but why settle for sufficient when you can have glorious? Mashing that potato with cheese and then re-baking it in crispy potato shells turns sufficient into twice-baked potato elegance.

To cut down on the cooking time in oven, we’re going to microwave the potatoes a bit, first. While this recipe uses cheddar cheese, gruyere, feta, or almost any other cheese can be substituted.

Equipment Needed
Box grater
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Skewer
Rimmed baking sheet
Potato masher
Large spoon
Mixing bowls
Microwave

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 medium russet potatoes, about 2 pounds, scrubbed clean
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Adjust and oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 450 degree Fahrenheit.

Poke several holes into each potato with a skewer or fork. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes, or until slightly soft to the touch. Transfer the potatoes to the oven and cook directly on the middle oven rack until a skewer slide in easily, about 20 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh out of each half and transfer to a bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell. Arrange the shells upright on the baking sheet and return them to the oven. Bake about 10 minutes, or until slightly dry and crisp.

While the shells are cooking, mash the potato flesh until smooth. Stir in the cheese, sour cream, buttermilk and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the shells from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Carefully spoon the potato mixture into the shells. Return the stuffed potatoes to the oven and bake until spotty brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Oaty Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

2011-10-26T20:32:00.000-06:00

In marriage, we often have to make sacrifices. We give a little, our spouse gives a little, we both compromise. One thing I’m not compromising on is my oatmeal cookies. Not only does my wife not like oatmeal cookies, she doesn’t like raisins, either. Too bad for her. These are great cookies. All the more for me, I guess. If it weren’t for the children, anyway.

Most oatmeal cookie recipes just don’t have as much oaty flavor as I’d like. This recipe is different. It actually has more oats than flour. The raisins balance the heartiness of the oats with fruity sweetness. Too bad they get eaten so fast. Oh, well. Munch all you want. I’ll make more.

Equipment needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Parchment paper (optional)
2 Rimmed baking sheets
Whisk
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula
Hand-held mixer
Ice cream scoop (optional)
Cooling racks

Ingredients
2 sticks butter (16 tablespoons), softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions
Adjust oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (or use cooking spray).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar using a hand mixer on medium speed, until blended and fluffy. While the mixer is running, add the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the beaters and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Add the oats and raising and mix until just incorporated.

Using and ice-cream scoop, scoop up about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, placing them on the two lined baking sheets about 2 1/2-inches apart. You should get about 10 cookies per baking sheet. Gently flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand.

If you don’t have a good ice cream scoop, you can roll the dough into balls with your hands.

Bake in the oven until the tops are lightly golden, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 25 minutes. Swap and rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking.

Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling, or serve warm. With milk.

Makes 20 cookies.

Greek Salad, Hold the Lettuce

2011-10-15T14:51:00.001-06:00

When my wife thinks of a green salad, she thinks of iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing on it. That is not a green salad. Who said green salad had to have lettuce? Not me. Certainly not the Greeks. Fortunately, they have a very nice green salad that focuses on fresh cucumbers and raw onions. Don’t get me wrong, you can add lettuce if you want. Romaine hearts would work really well with this recipe, but you don’t need them.

This recipe uses feta cheese, but you could use any mild cheese such as Romano or even cottage cheese. Just make sure to chill the salad well and don’t dress it until just before serving.

Equipment Needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Vegetable peeler
Garlic press (optional)
Mixing bowls
Whisk

Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1 small onion
1 small green pepper

for the dressing
12 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions
Peel the cucumber, cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Peel and half the onion. Cut each half into thin slices.

Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper. Slice into thin, horizontal strips.

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Chop into 3/4-inch pieces.

In a bowl, toss together to cucumber, onion, tomato and green pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

When it’s time to serve, prepare the dressing. Place the minced garlic into a small mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Whisk together. Add the chopped olives and mix in. Keep whisking while slowly adding the olive oil. Add the feta cheese and mix it in, as well.

Add the chilled vegetables to the dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve in individual bowls.

Makes 4 servings.

Vegetable Soup

2011-10-10T15:14:00.000-06:00

Classic vegetable soup is an odd form of comfort food for me. My mother used to served canned vegetable soup from time to time and, to be honest, I didn’t like it. Little did I know that making it myself would change my feelings. This recipe, stolen from America’s Test Kitchen, is delicious. It’s comfort food, improved on.

To improve the flavor, cook the vegetables over low heat using some of the same techniques as quick soups. This draws out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and improves the flavor of store-bought vegetable broth. You could make this with chicken broth, but I don’t recommend it. This soup is much better when the vegetables take center stage. If you’d like, replace the potatoes with a can of white beans. Just drain and rinse them before adding to the pot.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press
Fine-mesh strainer
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven or large pot (6 quart)
Vegetable peeler
Large spoon
Mixing bowls

Ingredients
1 onion, minced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt as needed
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Ground black pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or 6 quart pot over medium-low heat until shimmering. Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and 3/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the broth, potatoes, and tomatoes. Bring to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and remove from the heat. Let the soup stand for 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Weeknight Tacos

2011-10-05T21:10:00.000-06:00

For quick and tasty tacos on a weeknight, don’t resort a store-bought kit. Stale spice packets laden with chemicals and excess sodium are aren’t welcome. A simple combination of herbs and spices, along with chopped onion and tomato, will give your family the taste they crave. And you’ll only spend about 30 minutes making dinner.

To save time and get everyone involved, have your kids prepare your family’s favorite taco toppings while you cook the meat. For us that means shredded cheese, lettuce and chopped tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. Feel free to add avocados, onions and minced peppers. Whatever you like!

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Garlic press (optional)
12-inch skillet
Large spoon

Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt as needed
1 pound ground beef (the leaner the better)
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
8 taco shells (homemade are best)

Directions
Peel and mince the onion into 1/8-inch pieces. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet until shimmering. Add the onion, along with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef cook until no-longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain the excess fat.

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, 1 tsp salt and cayenne pepper. Stir in and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, vinegar and sugar. Stir and simmer until very thick, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve with desired toppings. Serve with a simple green salad for a complete meal.

Makes 4 servings.

Emergency (Wartime) Chocolate Cake

2011-10-02T14:30:00.000-06:00

In 1918, the Royal Baking Powder Company of New York created a book of recipes, called Real War Recipes, designed to save on eggs, butter, milk and wheat flour. The book was written in response to a call by the Conservation Division of the United States Food Administration, who was shipping such ingredients to Europe in support of our allies in the war effort and feeding a starving populace. While this modern recipe for Emergency Chocolate Cake didn’t appear in their book, it is inspired by typical recipes of the time.

Many people are under the impression that the name, Emergency Chocolate Cake, is in reference to the fact that it can be cooked to quickly, and with little effort, to quickly appease their chocolate cravings. While I can sympathize with that sentiment, it’s simply not the case. It refers to to the wartime situation and takes into account rationing during wartime efforts. Because of that, it's also a great cake for using food storage staples.

This cake is very easy to make. It’s moist and super rich, jam packed with chocolate flavor. It’s so rich, in fact, that you may want to make sure you’ve got a glass of milk on hand. It can be served straight from the pan or turned out and dusted with powdered sugar or a bit of whipped cream.

Equipment Needed
Measuring cups and spoons
8-inch square baking pan
Whisk
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula
Cooling rack

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is best)
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar (optional)

Directions
Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and water together until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and vanilla. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the flour mixture and mix until well combined into a smooth batter.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few crumbs, about 40 minutes. Remove the cake and place the pan on a wire cooling rack. Let cool in the pan 1 to 2 hours.

Cut into squares and serve straight from the pan or turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, or serve with whipped cream.

Makes 9 servings.

Pasta Shells with Broccoli and Sausage

2011-09-16T21:34:00.001-06:00

There are hundreds of recipes for pasta with a variety of cooked vegetables making up a crude sauce. One favorite features small shell pasta, or conchiglie, with broccoli and sausage. Roasted peppers play a big role, as well.

This recipe for pasta with broccoli and sausage is relatively simple, and very quick to make. It shouldn’t take much more than about 30 minutes from start to table. It’s simple ingredients, and quick cooking time, make it a perfect weeknight meal. You can use your own roasted red peppers, or canned.

For more variation, you can substitute sun-dried tomatoes for the red peppers, or broccoli rabe for the broccoli.

Pecorino Romano is the cheese of choice for this dish. You can substitute Parmesan if Romano is unavailable. This sauce works best with shapes that will grab onto the bits of vegetables and sausage. Small shells are readily available at my grocery store, but other small pasta shapes, such as penne or orecchiette, will do nicely.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Rasp grater or microplane
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven or large sauce pot
Skillet
Large spoon
Colander or mesh strainer

Ingredients
4 ounces Italian sausage
1 cup roasted red peppers
6 medium garlic cloves
1 bunch broccoli, about 1-1/2 pounds
2 ounces Romano cheese (about 1 cup, grated)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 pound small shell pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for the skillet
1 tablespoon salt, for the pasta water

Directions
Squeeze the meat out of the casings and discard the casings. Rinse the roasted peppers and cut into thin strips. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the florets off the broccoli head. Slice the larger florets into 1 inch pieces by slicing through the stems. Trim the bottom of the large stalks and peel the outer layer. (Peeling the outer layer removes the bitter parts of the broccoli stalk.) Cut the peeled stalks into 1/4-inch thick pieces Grate the Romano cheese with the rasp grater or microplane. You should have about 1 cup of cheese after grating.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. While it's coming to a boil, you can work on making the sauce.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage in the skillet, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the broccoli, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cover, and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, about 2-4 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and the broccoli is tender, about 5 - 7 minutes more.

When the water in the dutch oven begins to boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta shells. Cover and simmer until the pasta is almost tender, but still a little firm (al dente), about ten minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta shells in a colander and return to the pot. Stir in the broccoli and sausage mixture, grated Romano cheese and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add reserved pasta water to "loosen the sauce" if needed. Add more salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Makes 6 servings.

Black Bean Salad

2011-09-04T16:04:00.000-06:00

Black bean salad is a great side dish for tacos, enchiladas, or any Mexican entree. It has a bright flavor and is very easy to make. It’s quick, too. It shouldn’t take you much more than ten minutes to put together. You can prepare it up to a day in advance, if you’d like, giving the flavors time to develop.

It’s no secret that I don’t like avocados so, I didn’t include any. If you like them, however, you can add 2 chopped avocados. Don’t add them until just before you’re ready to serve, though. Otherwise they’ll get too mushy and ruin the salad.

If using fresh corn, you’ll need about 3 to 4 cobs. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain before adding.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Large spoon
Paring knife
Fine-mesh strainer
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Skillet
Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes
2 cans (16 oz.) black beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

For the Dressing
4 green onions
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned)
1 tsp honey
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions
Trim the roots and remove any dried outer parts of the green onion. Slice thinly and set aside.

Remove the chipotle chili from the adobo sauce. Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the pack of your paring knife and mince. You’ll need about 1 Tbsp of minced chipotle. If you like it very spicy, leave in the seeds.

Core the tomatoes with a paring knife and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Rinse and drain the canned beans in a fine-mesh strainer.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook the corn, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mix the green onion, chipotle, honey, lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the beans, tomatoes, parsley and toasted corn. Toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Cream of Pea Soup

2011-08-31T09:34:00.001-06:00

I have always liked peas. I’ve eaten plenty of split pea soup in my life, too, but I wasn’t in the mood for something heavy in the middle of summer. Finding this recipe for cream of pea soup seemed like it might be just the right solution for a light summer meal.

What I don’t like about most cream soups is they taste mostly like cream. It’s like the vegetables were there just to make your mother, or nutritionist, happy. I wanted more robust vegetable flavor. According to America’s Test Kitchen, processing the raw veggies before adding them to the soup helps add flavor and reduce cooking time. Certainly the flavors in this cream of pea soup recipe were brighter and fresher than I expected.

I had a problem, though. My food processor broke down and I’ve not replaced it. I tried using my blender instead, chopping up the peas in batches, but the results were less than desirable. Most of the peas broke up, but I suspect I would have gotten smoother results if I’d used a food processor. Cleaning the blender wasn’t any fun, either

This recipe uses frozen peas, but you can substitute equal amounts of other fresh or frozen vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, or carrots also make delicious cream soups. You could even try combining them. If you use fresh veggies, I recommend blanching them before chopping them.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Food processor
Measuring cups and spoons
Large cooking pot or Dutch Oven
Large spoon
Rubber spatula
Blender or Hand Blender

Ingredients
1 yellow onion
1 1/2 pounds frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbl butter
Salt as needed
2 Tbl all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Ground black pepper
Chopped parsley or chives to garnish

Directions
Peel and mince the onion into very small pieces and set aside. Place the peas in a food processor and pulse until chopped fine.

Melt the butter in a large cooking pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more. This removes the “raw” flavor of flour.

Slowly stir in the chicken broth, scraping any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas and simmer until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more. Puree in batches in batches a food processor or blender. Alternately, you can use a hand blender.

Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Bring the soup to a brief simmer, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Makes 6 main dish or 8 side dish servings.

I like eating cream soups with crusty bread and butter. It makes an excellent light lunch or dinner.

For a vegetarian version of this soup, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Asian Spice Mixes

2011-08-26T06:35:00.000-06:00

Finishing our tour of homemade, regional herb and spice mixes, we find ourselves traveling through Asia. The flavors are exciting, spicy, and will make your taste bugs tingle.

Even though all the spice mixes in this series are regionally inspired, that doesn’t mean they won’t work well in dishes from other countries. The following Shanghai blend, for example, works equally well to kick up Mexican dishes.

As with the previous flavor stops in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Northern Africa, to make these you’ll want a quality coffee/spice mill and spice jars.

Shanghai Coastal Mix
2 Tbl crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground anise

Grind to a fine powder.

One of hottest spice mixes in this series, it’s an excellent choice for adding kicking up the heat in any dish. I especially like it on eggs.

Indian Spice Mix
3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp dill seed
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp fenugreek seed

Grind to a fine powder.

Fenugreek is sometimes hard to find in my town. If you have trouble finding it, just leave it out. I enjoy using this blend in rice dishes, or any time I want to get a hint of curry without the curry.

Bali Spice Mix
2 bay leaves, crushed
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Grind to a fine powder

This blend provides a nice alternative in stir fries, satays, fish and tofu dishes.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of the flavors of the world through these spice mix blends. To some, mixing your own spice blends has probably seemed odd, while other may consider it being lazy. It’s neither. Instead, they provide a quick and easy way to add variety and excitement any meal.

Photo by abcdz2000 via sxc.

North African Spice Mixes

2011-08-25T09:36:00.001-06:00

Fresh from our short tour of the flavors of the Riviera, our next stop on the spice mix tour takes us across the Mediterranean to coastal North Africa. If you missed the first two installments in this homemade herb and spice mix series, you can always go back to visit Europe and the northern Mediterranean coast.

As always, you want a good spice mill and spice jars to blend these for yourself.

Moroccan Mix
2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Grind to a fine powder.

This distinctive mix is excellent in meat and/or vegetable stews, served with rice or couscous. I wonder if Bogey used this in Casablanca?

Harissa (dry)
1 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
4 tsp red pepper flakes

Grind to a fine powder

Harissa is actually a spicy chili sauce hailing from Tunisia. This dry spice variation is excellent. It adds a unique flavor, as well as a nice amount of heat, to any dish.

Next time, we’ll visit India and Asia for a blast of flavors from Shanghai China, through India, to Indonesia. Stay tuned flavor lovers …

Mediterranean Spice Mixes

2011-08-24T14:18:00.001-06:00

Last time, I introduced you to Graham Kerr’s idea of Ethmixes, herb and spice mixtures based on regional flavors to quickly spice up your meal. I gave you two Norther European blends so, this time let’s travel south and visit the Mediterranean. Ah, flavors of the Riviera … yum!

As with the previous blends, you’ll want to use a good spice grinder.

Southern France Mix
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 1/2 tsp sage
2 bay leaves, crushed
2 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Grind to a fine powder.

This mix adds great flavor and complexity to almost any dish.

Northwestern Italy Mix
4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp sage
2 tsp dried rosemary

Grind to a fine powder.

This is an excellent go-to blend for any Italian themed dish, especially tomato based pasta sauces. I also like it with sauteed vegetables.

Greek Isles Mix
2 Tbl dried oregano
3 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp dried lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Grind to a fine powder.

This is a surprising alternative for beef, lamb, and fish dishes. It’s great for flavoring a rice pilaf, too. The Greeks invented the edible complex, didn’t they?

Next time we’ll cross the Mediterranean into coastal North Africa. Are you ready for homemade Harissa?

Spice Up Dinner with Homemade Spice Mixes

2011-08-23T15:36:00.001-06:00

Quickly putting together a meal sometimes means whipping up whatever is on hand. Even if you plan meals in advance, life gets in the way sometimes and plans have to be changed. It’s not your fault. That’s just modern life.

Quick meals don’t have to be boring meals, though. Changing the herbs and spices is a great way to add flavor variety to our lives, especially when improvising. Instead of endless trial and error, trying to figure out which spices go with what herb for what dish, try using a pre-made spice mix. Just don’t rely on the ones at the grocery store.

In his book Swiftly Seasoned, Graham Kerr introduces the idea of “Ethmixes,” spice and herb blends based on regional flavors and made at home. I love this idea. They’re a wonderful addition to the cooking arsenal, quickly adding depth of flavor and variety.

Here are two of my favorite European blends. They are based on Graham Kerr’s recipes, modified for availability of ingredients, amounts likely to be used within a year, and my own tastes. I’ll share more of my mix variations in the coming days.

Equipment Needed

Making your own spice mixes is easy. You will need some equipment that you may not have purchased before, though. First is a good coffee/spice mill. I don’t drink coffee, so I only need one. If you grind your own coffee, though, buy a separate mill or your coffee will have the peculiar flavor of herbs and spices.

The next is a collection of empty spice jars. Almost any small jar with a tight lid will do. If they are UV resistant, that’s even better. Mark your jars with the date you create the mix. Use them within 6 months to a year. After that, the flavors will weaken and some will simply become stale. Ick.

Directions
For each of the following mixes, simply combine the ingredients in your spice mill and grind into a fine powder. With some mixes, you will mix in addition ingredients after you grind the others. Some herbs instill better flavor if used that way, instead of being ground.

Scandinavian Medley
2 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
3 Tbl dried parsely
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp salt

Grind into a fine powder, then mix in 1/2 tsp dried dill weed

This one is much simpler that Graham Kerr’s version. I enjoy it in fish dishes, vegetable soup, and almost everything else.

Northern France Mix
3 tsp dried tarragon
3 dried bay leaves, crushed
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 tsp dried parsley

Grind into a fine powder.

I like this mix as a rub for roasts or in meaty stews.

Stay tuned. I'll be sharing more spice mixes, next time.

Creamy Polenta with Parmesan Cheese

2011-08-15T11:57:00.000-06:00

Polenta can be quite a nice treat, either as a side dish or main course. It’s odd to think that this much sought after, and sometimes expensive, dish began life as congealed corn much. Yup! Let hot corn mush harden and you’ve got polenta.

Italians don’t only each it after it’s firmed up, though. Intelligent foodistas that they are, they enjoy it hot from the pan as well, as creamy polenta. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Contrary to what some may tell you, the best polenta is made from coarsely ground cornmeal. If you like eating craft glue, by all means, use a fine ground cornmeal. Otherwise, stick with a course grind. Stone-ground cornmeal is a close second choice, but because of it’s uneven grind, you get uneven results.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that it's so easy. My ten year old made the polenta you see pictured.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Microplane or rasp grater
Measuring cups and spoons
Saucepan
Whisk
Wooden (or plastic) spoon

Ingredients
3 Tbl butter
2 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup, grated)
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups coarsely ground cornmeal
Salt as needed

Directions
Cut the butter into large chunks and set aside. Grate the cheese with a fine rasp grater or microplane. You should end up with about 1 cup of grated Parmesan.

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking the whole time to avoid clumps. Reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring often, making sure you get into the corners of the pan, until the polenta is smooth and soft. This can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the humidity and corn meal. Taste to check if it’s done. It should have a warm toasted corn flavor and be smooth in texture. Stir in the butter and grated Parmesan. Season with additional salt to taste and serve.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, your favorite marinara sauce, or with any other desired toppings.

Makes 6 servings.

I posted a recipe for the firmed up version of polenta, earlier. I like this mash recipe better. If you want firm polenta, you can allow this mixture to cool, cutting it into squares and frying just as I did in the original recipe.

Food Joke Friday - Hotel Breakfast

2011-08-12T13:26:00.001-06:00

A man orders breakfast in the hotel he’s staying at and calls over the waiter.

"This morning I’d like two boiled eggs, one so undercooked that the whites are runny, the other so overcooked it's turned to rubber. Also, I’d like some grilled bacon that’s been left out overnight and gone cold, horribly burnt toast with butter straight from the freezer that’s impossible to spread, and a glass of orange juice from concentrate that’s been watered down so you can barely tell it’s orange.”

"That's quite a strange order sir," the waiter says. "It might be difficult to fill."

"Really?” the guest replies. “I don't understand. That's exactly what I got here yesterday when I ordered two boiled eggs with bacon, toast, and orange juice."

Braised Green Beans with Bacon

2011-08-10T12:01:00.001-06:00

How can you go wrong adding bacon to green beans? I haven’t got a clue. This delicious side dish goes well with almost any entree. The addition of cider vinegar and brown sugar makes the flavor pop.

This recipe uses canned green beans for convenience, but fresh ones are always the best choice when you can get them. If using fresh green beans, trim the ends and then cut in half, widthwise. Increase the chicken stock to 1 cup and increase the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Skillet
Wooden Spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Paper towels

Ingredients
1 yellow onion
2 cans green beans, 15 oz cans
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbl apple cider vinegar
1 Tbl brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Directions
Peel and mince the onion into 1/8 inch pieces. Drain the green beans.

Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Turn the bacon over a few times during cooking. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, chop the bacon and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the mined onion with a pinch of salt until translucent and starting to brown, about 8 more minutes. Add the drained green beans, broth, vinegar, brown sugar and thyme, along with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Bring to a brief boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Creamy Lemon Bars Recipe

2011-08-09T16:11:00.000-06:00

A lemon walks into a bar and the bartender asks, “Why the sour face?”

Unlike that tasteless joke, these lemon bars are full of flavor. Creamy, refreshing, and not too tart, they’re a perfect summer dessert. They were a hit with my kids and I think yours will enjoy them, too.

I use bottled lemon juice for these bars out of convenience, but you can certainly use fresh lemon juice. Tossing some lemon zest in with the lemon juice will only improve the flavor. You’ll need 4 fresh lemons and 1/4 cup grated lemon zest.

Equipment needed
Measuring cups and spoons
9” x 9” baking pan
Aluminum foil
Whisk
Mixing bowls
Instant-read thermometer
Fine-mesh strainer
Rubber spatula
Cooling racks
Saucepan
Chef’s knife

Ingredients

Crust
8 Tbl butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cooking spray

Filling
2/3 cup lemon juice
7 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 Tbl granulated sugar
Salt
4 Tbl butter
3 Tbl heavy cream

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions
Cut all of the butter into small pieces and place on a small plate or bowl to soften, about 30 to 60 minutes. Keep the butter for the crust separate from the butter for the filling to make it easier later on.

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Line the baking pan with two long sheets of aluminum foil, perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over the side to make a foil “sling.” This will make it easier to remove, later. Make sure the foil is pushed into the corners and smooth against the sides and bottom of the pan. Coat the sides and bottom with cooking spray.

Making the Crust
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 8 Tbl of the softened butter and mix with clean hands until the butter is incorporated and the mixture looks like course cornmeal. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly across the bottom with your fingers. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until it just starts to brown.

Making the Filling
While the crust bakes, whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs in a medium saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup plus 2 Tbl granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest, if using, along with a pinch of salt. Add the rest of the butter and cook over medium low heat until slightly thickened and registering 170 °F on a thermometer, about 5 minutes.

Immediately pour the mixture through a strainer into a mixing bowl, pushing the liquid through with a rubber spatula. Stir in 3 Tbl heavy cream.

Remove the crust from the oven and pour the hot lemon filling over it. It’s important that both the crust and the filling be hot to prevent the crust from getting soggy and the lemon curd cooked properly.

Bake until the filling is shiny and jiggles only slightly when shaken, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool in the pan about 2 hours. Remove the lemon bars from the pan using the foil sling to gently lift them out onto a cutting board. Cut into 9 squares. Dust with additional powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 9 servings.

Rawesome Foods and the Raw Milk Debate

2011-08-04T14:33:00.000-06:00

Recently, food co-op Rawesome in Venice, California was raided by the FDA for selling raw milk without a permit. This has re-kindled the on-going debate about the safety of raw milk, the operations of the FDA, and the individual liberties of Americans.

It should be noted that this is not the first time Rawesome has been raided. They were similarly raided in 2010. The recent raid raid came as a result of a sting operation the FDA has been running there for the past year, presumably since the first raid occurred.

While this seems to be a question of proper permits, the question of raw milk consumption is a debate between food safety and potential health benefits.

A Short History of Pasteurization in the US

After the discovery of germ theory in the 1890’s, milk was pasteurized to control the potential hazards of highly contagious bacterial diseases, including bovine tuberculosis, that could be easily transmitted to humans through the drinking of raw milk. At the time, no product testing was available to determine if a farmer's milk was safe or infected so, all milk had to be treated as potentially dangerous.

In the United States, milk pasteurization was widely used in the 1920s and it was considered a major breakthrough in public health. Pasteurization has been credited with reducing infectious disease rates in the U.S. more than 90% over the past century. In 1924, Grade A pasteurization became a recommended federal policy, but interstate commerce of unpasteurized dairy products was not limited via federal legislation until 1987.

Health and Safety Issues in Raw Milk

Pasteurized milk is heated to 161 °F for 15 seconds, killing harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, sometimes found in milk. The pasteurization process, however, also destroys some vitamins as well as healthy bacteria, such as L. acidophilous.

Exposure to harmful bacteria present in some milk can lead to tuberculosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, and several other food borne illnesses. The symptoms range from nausea, to diarrhea, to death. According to the FDA, in 2002 there were nearly 200 deaths that could be directly associated with exposure to such bacteria by drinking raw milk. Pasteurization also kills many bacteria that lead to spoilage, contributing to a longer shelf life.

Pasteurization isn’t discriminatory in killing bacteria, however. It also kills “helpful” bacteria, such as L. acidophilous, used in culturing yoghurt and cheese. Milk products with L. acidophilus, have been associated with a decrease in pediatric diarrhea, decreased levels of toxic amines in the blood of some dialysis patients, aids in lactose digestion and has been linked to a a reduction in certain risks associated with coronary heart disease.

The FDA maintains that the benefits of pasteurization far outweigh the loss of health benefits. L. acidophilus can be found in pasteurized yoghurt and cheeses. Some raw milk advocates cite government regulation of raw milk consumption as a threat to civil liberties, noting that adults are allowed to consume more dangerous substances.

My Opinion on Raw Milk

The debate over raw milk is interesting. On the one hand, the benefits of destroying pathogenic bacteria in our food supply can’t be ignored. On the other, such bacteria can be re-introduced if the milk is handled improperly after pasteurization. Such bacteria is not present in all milk and there are several tests available to check for it before the milk is put in the refrigerator section of stores.

My own experience with consuming raw milk has been limited. There are a few farms in Utah that are licensed to produce and sell raw milk. They use incredible handling procedures to ensure it’s safety, going miles beyond the norm to maintain proper temperatures. By law, they make you sign a waiver sto ensure you know the risks, and they don’t sell to minors. I have occasionally purchased and consumed milk from them. Growing up, my grandparents and at least one uncle kept cows. Drinking fresh, raw milk while visiting them was not uncommon. They would pasteurize the milk in large batches on the stove before serving it, from time time, as well. I have never gotten sick consuming raw milk.

As for taste, I don’t find much difference. There’s a greater taste difference between organically produced milk, pasteurized or not, and other milk. Different brands have different tastes, as well. I’m guessing this is due more to the diet and living conditions of the cows than anything else. I prefer the organic variety, but it’s more expensive so, I purchase it as a treat, not a staple.

Currently, I want a legal choice between raw and pasteurized milk, as long as food production and sanitation guidelines are being held to the highest standards and enforced. It’s insane to think that we have to sign a waiver to buy raw milk, but adults can buy cigarettes without signing anything.

Raw milk with cookies? Evil! Cigarettes and whiskey? Go ahead and kill yourself, we don’t care. It’s ridiculous.

Does this mean I’m rushing out to buy raw milk? No way. I’ve already laid out the benefits of pasteurization and, like the FDA, I think they outweigh the loss of a few nutrients. I can get my daily doses of L. acidophilus by eating yogurt and cheese, thank you. (I make my own yoghurt and buttermilk from time to time using NFD milk. I’ll show you how, another day. It’s easier than you think.)

That doesn’t mean I’m riding on the FDA’s anti-raw milk bandwagon. I think the current policies and enforcement are too heavy-handed and hurt small, local farmers. The fact that the FDA uses federal tax dollars to help states that actively seek to counter raw milk consumption is an indirect way of pressuring states to give up the authority to govern food commerce within their own states.

That’s a debate for another day, though. I’d like to hear your opinion. Please share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment, below.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

2011-08-01T15:31:00.000-06:00

Ah, the classic egg salad sandwich. Easy to make, yummy to eat. My wife certainly loves them. I'm pretty fond of them, too. You don’t have to put egg salad on bread to enjoy it. It works nicely as a light side. If you’re not watching your carbs, though, why not? Toasting the bread first is nice, too.

The secret in this simple recipe is not to chop the eggs too finely. Keep it course or they will dissolve into the dressing.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula

Ingredients
1 celery stalk
1/4 yellow onion
12 hard-boiled eggs.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbl dried parsley, or 2 Tbl fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Cut the celery stalk into long thing strips, then cut the strips crosswise into very small pieces. Mince the onion into 1/8-inch or smaller pieces. Cut the eggs in half, lay them on their side and coarsely chop.

Mix the mayonnaise, chopped celery, minced onion parsely, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of pepper, mustard, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in the eggs. Season with addition salt and pepper to taste.

Spread on bread to make sandwiches, or eat as a cool summer side dish.

Makes 4 cups of egg salad, enough to make 6 sandwiches.

Caprese Salad, Revisited

2011-07-31T20:16:00.000-06:00

Two years ago I posted a recipe for Caprese salad, a cold salad made from tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. I always like to try new recipes and this version turned out so much better than the first, that I thought I’d share it with you.

Caprese salad is a wonderful cold side dish for hot summer days. It’s bright flavors make a nice change from traditional green salads. It’s at it’s best with fresh tomatoes ripe from the vine, but store-bought ones can be used nicely, as well. Although I use Roma tomatoes in this recipe, you can easily substitute cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any firm tomato from your garden.

Using fresh mozzarella cheese is vital for the success of this recipe. The blocks you find in the grocer’s refrigerator section aren’t going to cut it. Go to the deli counter and find the round balls of fresh mozzarella. They are tender and creamy, not hard and dry.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Paring knife
Chef’s knife
Mixing bowls
Salad spinner
Fine-mesh strainer
Small saucepan
Rubber spatula
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Garlic press (optional)

Ingredients
8 Roma tomatoes (or 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes)
1 large clove garlic
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese.
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt
3 Tbl dried basil (or 1 cup chopped fresh basil)
Ground black pepper

Directions
Core the tomatoes with a paring knife. Quarter lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the tomatoes, sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt together in a mixing bowl, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. This helps season the tomatoes, and draw out some of their excess liquid.

In the meantime, mince the garlic using a garlic press or chef’s knife. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch chunks.

Transfer the tomatoes and any accumulated liquid to a salad spinner and spin to remove seeds and liquid. Return the tomatoes to the mixing bowl and pour the tomato liquid through a fine mesh strainer over a small saucepan to remove the seeds and reserve the liquid. You should have about 1/2 cup of extracted juice.

Add the vinegar and garlic to the saucepan with the tomato juice. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 5-7 minutes.

Cool the tomato juice mixture to room temperature. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the tomato juice mixture to the mixing bowl with the tomatoes. Add the cheese and basil then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 – 6 servings.

Food Joke Friday - Ordering Soft Drinks

2011-07-29T11:09:00.000-06:00

A girl walks into a restaurant and asks the waiter, “How much is a soft drink?”

“One dollar,” the waiter replies.

“How much is a refill?” the girls asks.

“The first one is free,” the waiter says.

“Oh, good,” the girls says. “I’d like a refill, please.”

Big, Chewy, Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-28T14:22:00.001-06:00

My friend and fellow food blogger Mark Hansen once told me he likes chewy cookies, not crunchy ones. Have I got a chocolate cookie for you, my friend. These cookies are big and totally tasty. Using melted butter, along with extra egg yolks, keeps these cookies rich and chewy. We use dark chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate, or even butterscotch chips if you’d like to.

Equipment needed
Small saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Rimmed baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)
Rubber spatula
Hand mixer or standing mixer (recommended)
Ice cream scoop
Cooking rack

Ingredients
2 sticks butter (16 Tbl)
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 additional egg yolks
1 Tbl vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag dark chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Directions

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally as it melts. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 325 °F with two racks set to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. You can use cooking spray, instead, but I find the bottoms of the cookies aren’t as likely to overcook with parchment paper and clean up is easier.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well blended. You can use either a hand mixer or a standing mixer. You can also a wooden spoon or stiff whisk, but it will take longer.

Beat in the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters with a rubber spatula as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture a little at a time until all is combined, about 30 to 40 seconds. Do not over mix. Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.

Using a medium ice cream scoop (about 1/3 cup), scoop rounded balls of dough onto the two parchment lined baking sheets, 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are golden and the centers are soft and puffy, about 20 minutes. Rotate and switch the baking sheets, from one rack to the other, halfway through, to ensure even baking.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. The cookies may not look done to you. Take them out, anyway. They’ll continue cooking and firm up on the baking sheet as they cool.

Serve warm or transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

Makes 16 to 20 large cookies.

Roasted Bell Peppers, the Easy Way

2011-07-27T15:13:00.002-06:00

There’s no reason to pay for a jar of roasted bell peppers when you can make them easily and affordably at home. All it takes is a good baking sheet, your broiler, and a bit of attention. Cutting the peppers and removing the seeds before roasting makes it easier to remove the skin, and lets you avoid rinsing them. Washing them removes much of the flavor, not just the skin.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Rimmed baking sheet
Aluminum foil
Mixing bowls
Plastic wrap

Ingredients
4 sweet bell peppers, red or green
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

Directions

Cut 1/4 inch from the top and bottom of each pepper and gently remove the stem from the lobe.

Lay the pepper on it’s side, and cut through one side the pepper, horizontally, rolling it as you cut, to remove the seeds and ribs in one fell swoop. Cut the pepper strips as needed to get them to lay flat.

Adjust the oven rack so that it is 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches from the boiler element. Head the broiler (500 °F) for 5 minutes. If your oven rack is more than 3 1/2 inches from the broiler, set an upside down rimmed baking sheet on it to raise the level.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the pieces of sweet pepper on the baking sheet, skin side up. Flatten them as needed. Cook under the broiler until the skin is spotty brown and puffed up, about 9 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through cooking to ensure even browning.

Transfer the hot peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let them steam for at least 10 minutes or longer if they need to cool more so they can be easily handled. Peel and discard the skin from each piece.

The peppers can be stored in an airtight container for use in other recipes, but can also be served as an appetizer. Slice the peppers into strips, drizzle a little olive oil over them, and season with salt to taste.

How to Make Garlic Croutons

2011-07-25T17:33:00.000-06:00

I used to think of croutons and just dried bread squares. Let's face it. That's what they are. Most of the time the croutons I’d get in restaurants were okay, but once in a while I’d come across things that would be best used in slingshots to kill small rodents. Yes, they were that hard. Freshly made, however, croutons can be a revelation, adding a wonderful crunch and additional flavor to green salads and are a must for a good Caesar salad.

Croutons are simple to make at home. The results are well worth it, too. Certainly they’re better than the flavorless cubed formations you normally find in the supermarket. Baguettes are the classic choice for making croutons, but almost any type of bread will do. I like using homemade wheat bread. Leftover stale bread works great, too.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Serrated slicing knife
Whisk
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula (optional)
Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 loaf of sliced bread
3 Tbl olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Peel and mince the garlic cloves using a garlic press of chef’s knife. Using a serrated slicing knife, cut the bread slices into 1/2-inch thick strips, then cut each strip into 1/2-inch cubes. You should end up with about 4 cups of bread cubes.

Whisk the olive oil, minced garlic, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss with your hands or a rubber spatula until completely coated. Spread the bread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the center rack until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow the croutons to cool before serving.

Makes 4 cups of croutons.

Once made, croutons can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week, although I prefer eating them the day they are made.

The Power of Bacon

2011-07-21T15:34:00.000-06:00

Want to get a man to salivate? Say, “bacon.” It works on women, too. The only people this doesn’t work on is die hard vegetarians. Oh, Jews and Muslims aren’t going drool like a mad labradoodle, either. They don’t eat piggies. Mormons do, though. So does just about everyone else.

In case you’ve been living at a vegan commune, bacon is cured pig meat. It is highly salted, either by brine or dry pack, and usually smoked. It can be made from several cuts of meat, but mostly from the side and back cuts, except in America. Here in the US, it is almost entirely made from pork belly. Outside of the US this would be known as steaky, fatty, or American style bacon.

While other countries* use bacon, I think America has raised it to a national obsession. It’s become America’s meat. It’s cooked and cured differently in different countries, but here in America bacon is almost always smoked. The Virginia House-Wife, published in 1824 and thought to be one of the earliest American cookbooks, mentions nothing about unsmoked bacon. Historical evidence seems to suggest that bacon making was one of the few cooking tasks that wasn’t gender specific. Either sex could be makin’ bacon.

Bacon can be cooked any number of ways: smoked, boiled, fried, grilled, even microwaved. It is wonderful enough to eat by itself, and versatile enough to be used as a flavoring agent for other dishes. It’s highly addictive nature is probably due to the large number of umami (savory) factors in it, giving it a high flavor profile.

In spite of America’s bacon mania, there’s one thing most American’s have quit doing, using bacon fat. Like most animal fats, pig fat liquefies, becoming bacon drippings when heated. If the meat is uncured, it becomes lard when cooled. From cured meat, such as bacon, it becomes rendered bacon fat.

I recommend saving your bacon fat. This may seem strange in today’s hyper-health conscious world, but don’t dismiss the idea out of hand. Rendered bacon fat is very flavorful and can be used for a variety of cooking purposes. In Southern cooing, rendered bacon fat is used as a base for cooking and as an all-purpose flavoring. You’ll find it in everything from gravy to cornbread to salad dressing. If I don’t have any bacon on hand, I’ll use it to add flavor to split pea soup and other dishes, instead of the regular oils or butters used to cook them.

The idea isn’t super healthy, I admit, but it does save some money and adds interest to cooking. It appeals to the frugal side of me. My mother didn’t do it much, but my grandmother and great-grandmother did. You just didn’t waste anything in those days. It was too hard to get in the first place.

Rendering bacon fat is easy. Next time you cook bacon, just pour off the accumulated fat, run it through a fine mesh strainer, and let it cool. You can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several weeks, or several months in the the freezer.

*What American’s think of as Canadian bacon is actually back bacon, smoked or unsmoked bacon cut from boneless eye of pork loin.

Mexican Rice Recipe

2011-07-20T10:45:00.000-06:00

Coming up with side dishes for taco night can be tough, even if you include a salad. A favorite of mine has always been Mexican rice. I fooled around with quick ways of making this dish for years, but they were always sub-standard. This recipe, modified for my panty from an America’s Test Kitchen recipe, is the bomb. It uses a trick I first learned by watching Rick Bayless, cooking the rice in the oven.

Equipment Needed
Strainer
Measuring cups and spoons
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Food processor or blender
Dutch oven or large saucepan
Long handled spoon

Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1 can diced tomatoes, 15 oz. can
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
3 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbl tomato paste
Salt
3 Tbl dried parsley
Pepper
2 tsp lime juice

Directions
Place the rice in a strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Open the canned tomatoes and drain them, reserving the juices. Peel and quarter the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Set each aside.

Put an oven rack into the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Add the onion and tomatoes to the blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add back only enough of the reserved juice to make exactly 2 cups. Remove extra and either discard or save for use in something else.

Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. The rice will start to become lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and chili powder. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Stir in the tomato mixture, broth, tomato paste, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir once halfway through cooking.

Remove from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork. Mix in the lime juice and dried parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

You can add additional chili power or a few dashes of Tabasco sauce if you want more heat.

Black Bean Soup

2011-07-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

I really like black beans. Because of that, we've got a lot of canned black beans in our food storage, and I mean lots. Enough that I’m not sure we’re going to eat them all before the expiration date. Consequently, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make them. Why not a black bean soup?

This recipe for black bean soup is easy to make, and pretty tasty. It relies on chiles to kick the flavor up a bit, so try not skimp thinking it will be too hot. Fortunately, it doesn’t use too many. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Colander
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch Oven or large sauce pot
Blender or food processor

Ingredients
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 15 oz. cans black beans
1 Tbl canola oil
2 tsp chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbl fresh lime juice
Parsley or cilantroMa to garnish
Salt as needed

Directions
Drain and rinse the black beans in a colander. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalepeno, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the chili powder and cayenne pepper. Cook for one minute more to bloom the spices. Stir in the beans, broth, water, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Process three cups of the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Be careful, it’s hot.) Return the pureed soup to the pot. My preference is to use a hand blender and process until mostly smooth. Add up to 1/2 cup more of water, if you think it’s too thick. Return to a simmer.

Remove from the heat. Add the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.

You can also garnish with sour cream, minced red onion and/or diced avocado, if you’d like.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cauliflower – Brussel Sprout Gratin

2011-07-14T07:13:00.000-06:00

My kids love brussel sprouts and cauliflower. It’s my wife’s fault. I take no claim to such strange behavior. I like them, but not enough to go crazy over them. Because I tend to dote on my little mutants, though, I cook brussel sprouts and cauliflower from time to time.

A few weeks ago, I found myself with a small head of cauliflower and about a pound of brussel sprouts that needed to be used. Not enough of either one for a proper dish, but combined … well, I just might have something. What about a vegetable gratin? I think the results were tasty, and my family certainly enjoyed them enough that there weren’t any leftovers.

This dish uses frozen brussel sprouts because I can’t often get fresh ones at my local grocer. If you use fresh ones, par-boil them before using in the recipe.

Equipment Needed
Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cups and spoons

Small saucepan Food processor or blender
Dutch oven or other large pot
Colander
12-inch Skillet Whisk
Glass baking dish
Garlic press (optional)
Rasp grater or micro-plane
Paring knife
Ingredients
1 small head cauliflower
1 pound frozen brussel sprouts
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4 Tbl butter
4 slices quality sandwich bread
1 Tbl all-purpose flour
1 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
1 /2 tsp dried thyme
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions
Remove the leaves and core of the cauliflower and cut into florets the same size as the brussel sprouts to promote even cooking, about 1-inch pieces. Peel and mince the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Grate the cheese with a small rasp grater or micro-plane. Remove the brussel sprouts from the freezer and set aside. Par boil them if using fresh ones.

Placing a cooking rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the Crumb Topping
You can use already made bread crumbs if you want, but making them fresh isn’t hard and give great results.

Melt 2 Tbl butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Put the bread slices into a food processor, along with the melted butter 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper. Pulse about times to create bread crumbs and combine. Set aside.

For the Vegetables
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large cooking pot or Dutch oven. Add 1 Tbl salt. Add the caulflower florets to the water and boil until most tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and let drain fully.

For the sauce
Melt the remaining 2 Tbl butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook an addition 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the flour to coat. Whisk in the yoghurt and milk and bring the whole to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper. Remove from the heat.

Gently stir the cauliflower and brussel sprouts into the yoghurt mixture. Transfer to a 9 x 9 inch, or other medium sized baking dish. Spring the top evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the bread crumb mixture. Bake until golden brown with the sauce bubbling around the edges, about 12 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Banana Bread, Not Too Sweet

2011-06-29T23:54:00.000-06:00

It doesn't happen very often around my house, but once in a while the bananas get a bit ripe before they get eaten. Very ripe bananas are perfect for making banana bread, though. In fact, they're the key to making a moist and flavorful banana bread.

I stole this recipe from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. It was included in an America's Test Kitchen edition of Let's Get Cooking for the Nintendo DS. (I'll give you a full review of that, later.) I don't know if it's the best banana bread I've ever had, but it does have wonderful banana flavor and wasn't overly sweet, like some banana bread can be. I did modify the directions slighlty, based on my own experience and kitchen. Although America's Test Kitchen won't tell you this, it actually tastes better the second day.

This banana bread recipe uses walnuts, but they're optional. You can substitute pecans if you'd like, or simply do without the nuts.

Kitchen Equipment Needed
Mixing bowls Saucepan
Skillett
Cutting board

Kitchen knife
Measuring cups and spoons

Loaf pan Whisk
Rubber spatula

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
6 tablespoons butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mash the bananas into paste with a fork. 3 bananas will make about 1 1/2 cups. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool. Beat the eggs in small bowl; set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until toasty and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove them from the pan and let them cool a bit. Lightly chop.

Generously spray the loaf pan with the cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the nuts, if using. Do not over mix! The batter should be fairly thick and chunky.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan with the rubber spatula and smooth the top. Bake on the lower middle oven rack for about 50 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and come out with just a few crumbs attached.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving, about 1 hour.

Makes about 10 slices.

Note: If you don't have 3 very ripe bananas at the same time, freeze them until you do. Frozen bananas, once thawed, work great for this recipe.

Yes, it's my fault the photo is so blurry. Sorry. If you think this one's bad, and it is, you should have seen the other ones. Yeesh.

Easy No-Cook Melba Sauce

2011-06-23T14:01:00.001-06:00

Melba sauce is made from raspberries and current jelly and is a perfect topping for ice cream, fruit, or pound cake.

Traditional Melba sauce is cooked raspberries and current jelly. I love that combination, but current jelly is sometimes hard to find and a bit expensive. I wanted something less expensive and quicker to make, so I came up with this no-cook variation.

Note: If you choose not to use the current jelly, increase the confectioners' sugar to 1/2 cup and increase the apple juice to 1/4 cup.

Equipment Needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Blender or food processor

Ingredients
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup current jelly (optional)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple juice

Directions
Puree everything together in a blender. Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, or leave them if you prefer.

Photo by Alexander Kalina

Bread Maker Pizza Dough Recipe

2011-06-16T10:22:00.001-06:00

This is my favorite pizza dough recipe, ever! It's light and tasty, strong enough to hold up to lots of toppings, but with a tender crumb. It's easy to make, too, because it starts life in the bread machine. It does use quite a bit of yeast, so don't be surprised by the ingredients list. It's not a typo.

Ingredients
1 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon dry yeast

Directions
Add the ingredients to your bread maker in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set the machine to the Dough cycle and let it run. When done, shape the dough into an 18” round pizza pan or pizza stone and let it rest for ten minutes before adding your favorite toppings. You can also use a sheet cake pan, if you don't have a pizza pan. If the dough is too stiff or springy when shaping, let it rest for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pizza on the middle oven rack for ten minutes, and then check for bubbles. If you see any large bubbles, pop them. Continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes until the crust is golden.

Makes enough dough for one 18” pizza, or 6 individual pizzas.

Food Joke Friday – Stressful Dieter

2011-06-10T10:48:00.001-06:00

Those of us watching our weight, and hoping that we aren't just watching it grow, may have a common interruption to our diet plan: stress. Usually, stress comes from work, children, or spouses, but there are other known causes. In any case, I've decided to pull back the curtain and reveal the typical stressed out dieter's daily meal plan.

Breakfast
3/4 cup cooked oatmeal with cinnamon and 1 tsp Stevia based sweetener
1/2 grapefruit
8 oz. skim milk

Lunch
4 oz., lean broiled chicken breast
1 cup raw green lettuce salad
1 teaspoon “light” vinaigrette dressing
1 cup herbal tea, Stevia sweetener optional
1 Oreo cookie

Then STRESS happens.

Mid-Afternoon Snack
The rest of the Oreos in the package
1 pint of Chocolate Cookie Dough ice cream
1 jar hot fudge sauce
2 cans diet soda

Dinner
1 large loaf buttery garlic bread
2 liters diet cola
1 large supreme pizza
3 candy bars

Late Evening Snack(s)
1 pint of Rocky Road ice cream
1 complete Sarah Lee Frozen cheesecake, eaten directly from the freezer
1 bag potato chips
1 tub sour cream based Ranch dip
1 can diet soda
1 serving of guilt topped with a resolution to do better tomorrow.

Rinse and repeat.

Vegetarian Kimchee

2011-06-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

Kimchee is a spicy, pickled cabbage relish. One of my friends refers to it as “Korean sauerkraut.” For years I thought this was totally vegetarian. The recipe I used to make it doesn't have any meat products in it at all. Imagine my surprise when I learned that traditional kimchee has fish sauce, make it unsuitable for a strictly vegetarian diet.

I first learned about my culinary faux pas from the incredibly talented Micheal Natkin. His vegetarian food blog, Herbivoracious, is packed with amazing ideas and recipes and I highly recommend giving it a visit. Commenting on a blog post where he uses kimchee, and I revealed my ignorance, he invited me to post my recipe for vegetarian kimchee. Well, Micheal, it's been nearly a year since you asked me, but I'm finely getting around to sharing it.

I find this recipe to make a brighter, crisper kimchee than those that are commercially available. Honestly, I like i

Just to let you know, I stole this recipe from Jeff Smith. His TV show, The Frugal Gourmet, and his many wonderful cookbooks, inspired me to get into the kitchen. I've modified it slightly so that it's easier to make.

Equipment Needed
Kitchen knife

Cutting board Grater
Very large mixing bowl Large crock or pottery casserole with lid

Ingredients
2 pounds Napa cabbage (about one good-sized head)
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 one medium carrot, grated
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes, adjusting for taste
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Directions
Remove the limp outer leaves from the cabbage. Quarter the cabbage lengthwise and then cut across each quarter into 1 1/2 inch wide pieces. Place the cabbage in a very large mixing bowl and toss with the kosher salt until evenly coated. Cover with a dish towel and let stand for 30 minutes. Toss the salted cabbage 2 or 3 times while it stands.

In the meantime, chop, grate and mince the other ingredients.

Once the time is up, rinse the cabbage thoroughly with cold water and drain. Toss with the remaining ingredients and pack into a large crock or food safe pottery. Add just enough water to cover the cabbage, about 1 cup. If you can, weight it all down with a plate to keep it well packed. Cover the mixture and allow it to sit on the cupboard or pantry for 2 days.

Transfer to glass jars and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 1 quart.

Kimchee can be served as a relish with any Korean entree or used in cooking soups or noodle dishes as desired. I like snacking on it with rice crackers and have even used it in peanut butter sandwiches.

NOTE: This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. I've never tried to hot-pack can my kimchee (it doesn't last that long), but I suspect it could be canned for food storage quite easily.

Is MSG Safe?

2011-06-05T23:22:00.000-06:00

With the discovery of glutamate receptors in the tongue, showing that glutamate is a taste (umami) and not just an “enhancement,” the question of whether MSG is safe to use rears its ugly and confused head.

What is MSG?

First, let's define what we're talking about. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the free form sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid naturally occurs in many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste (miso), and cheese. It's also found in asparagus, tomatoes, corn, peas, and even human milk.

Glutamic acid was identified in the year 1866 by Karl Ritthausen, in German chemist. Later, in 1907, Kikunae Ikeda, a researcher at theTokyo Imperial University, identified it in the brown crystals left behind after the evaporation of kombu. These crystals of glutamic acid reproduced a flavor he detected in many foods, especially in seaweed. Professor Ikeda called this flavor umami. He went on to patent a method of mass-producing a crystalline salt of glutamic acid: MSG.

MSG and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.

The question of MSG's safety began in April, 1968. Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine stating:

“I have experienced a strange syndrome whenever I have eaten out in a Chinese restaurant, especially one that served northern Chinese food. The syndrome, which usually begins 15 to 20 minutes after I have eaten the first dish, lasts for about two hours, without hangover effect. The most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations...”

In 1969 this syndrome was attributed to the flavor enhancer glutamate, largely due to the widely-cited article "Monosodium L-glutamate: its pharmacology and role in the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" (CRS)* published in the journal Science, that year. It became known under the names "Chinese food syndrome" and "monosodium glutamate symptom complex."

Symptoms attributed to the Chinese restaurant syndrome are rather common and unspecific. They have included burning sensations, numbness, tingling, feelings of warmth, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, bronchospasm in people with asthma,drowsiness, and general weakness.

The Science of MSG Safety

Finding reliable studies on the safety of MSG had been a struggle. As with all things on the net (including this article), lots of people seem to quote lots of other people and then say, “See? This shows I'm right” regarding their position on the safety of MSG. Oddly, people on both sides of the argument quote the same studies as evidence as being for their position, and against the opposing one.

The problem with many of the studies that show MSG is the cause of CRS symptoms, an association has never been demonstrated under rigorously controlled conditions, even in studies with people who were convinced that they were sensitive to the compound. A 2002 study, for example, found that rats fed on diets supplemented with 10% and 20% pure monosodium glutamate suffered retinal degeneration, possibly through glutamate accumulation in the eye. The problem is, these amounts are more than 10 times higher than those used for flavoring or naturally found in foods prepared for human consumption.

The one constant seems to be MSG sensitivity. Some people are sensitive to it, and others aren't. Those that are sensitive should avoid it. Those that are not sensitive, can enjoy it in moderate amounts.

My Take on MSG

After reading doing the research, and reading the hype on both sides, I've decided to throw my hat in with the MSG is generally safe at normal consumption levels crowd. I've never suffered when eating MSG laden food at Chinese restaurants. It's not just Chinese food, though. You're likely to get as much glutamic acid from eating pizza with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese as you are moo goo gai pan.

Does that mean I'm going to rush out and buy a bottle of MSG? No, but not because it isn't safe. I simply don't need to. It's already found in ingredients I commonly use to help flavor foods, such as meat stocks and cheeses. I don't add any ingredient to my foods unless there's a reason. If I don't need the MSG to make things taste good, why buy it?

For more information on MSG, and another foodie's take on the MSG safety issue, I found the following websites to be useful, or at least entertaining:

If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everyone in Asia have a headache? - The Guardian

Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful? - The Mayo Clinic

Monosodium glutamate: Poison the body to better the taste! - Worldwide Health Center (this is a commercial site, but the posted article was interesting)

Research on MSG – Feingold Association

MSG Myths (video) – Web MD

*Note that CRS, Chinese Restaurant Syndrom, should not be confused with the other kind of CRS that so many of us face as we get older: Can't Remember .... what was I talking about, again?

Umami – Is MSG a Taste?

2011-05-31T04:42:00.002-06:00

When I was in school, I was taught there were only four tastes your tongue could pick up: Sweet, Salty, Sour, and Bitter. Recently, however, a fifth taste has been discovered: Umami, commonly added to food in the form of MSG (monosodium glutamate).

I say discovered, but that's really a misnomer. All that really means is that Western scientists have confirmed a fifth taste receptor on the tongue that detects glutimate. The Japanese have known about it for years. The Chinese may have known about it, too, considering they seem to have started the whole MSG in food craze.

A taste is a sensation created by receptors on the tongue. The flavor of food is a combination of its taste, smell, texture, temperature, and perhaps a few other chemicals.

While there is no direct English translation of the word umami, it's often described as "meaty", "savory" or "broth-like". Traditionally, MSG has been considered a taste enhancer; it was thought to make the tongue more receptive to other tastes. Although the Japanese have considered umami a taste for a long time, only recently have taste receptors on the tongue been identified, which allowed umami to be officially classified as the fifth taste.

Glutamate gives some vegetables a "meaty" taste. For example, umami is the "meaty" or "savory" taste found in sauteed mushrooms, fermented foods and sauces such as soy sauce, and even fresh tomatoes. The umami taste is also high in cheese, shellfish, stocks, broths and even chocolate.

Most prominently associated with glutamate, ribonucleic acids can also impart an umami taste. Glutamate and ribonucleic acid may complement each other, creating an enhanced umami taste.

Glutamate is an amino acid. In its free form, called a salt of glutamic acid - monosodium glutamate or simply sodium glutamate - it imparts the umami taste to food. Glutamate is also an amino acid that makes up regular proteins, but when glutamate is bound in a protein, it doesn't really impart the umami taste.

Adding a pinch of MSG to your seasoning mix or or directly when cooking foods may generate a more "meaty" or "savory" flavor. Another option is to use foods naturally high in glutamate. This may be secret behind the use of stocks, broths and tomatoes in imparting a rich, savory flavor to dishes.

This is all well and good, but isn't MSG dangerous to our health? I've always thought so. The more research I do, though, the weirder it gets. Stay tuned …

French Peanut Butter Sandwich

2011-05-25T17:08:00.000-06:00

Ah, food of French Provence! Well, sort of. The next internationally inspired peanut butter sandwich combines French cheese and herbs with creamy peanut butter for a bright sandwich with peanuty undertones. Maybe we should call it pain avec le beurre d'arachide et le fromage de chèvre.

There's a bit of prep involved with this peanut butter sandwich variation. Start with about two tablespoons of chèvre (goat) cheese. Mix in about 1/ 4 teaspoon dried basil. Next, peel, seed, and thinly slice 1 cucumber. You'll only need about half of it. Get out the creamy peanut butter and a couple of slices of good French bread.

With this prepped, spread a layer of peanut butter on the bread, then a layer of the goat cheese mixture. Top with slices of cucumber, and then sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the top.

You can serve this as an open face sandwich, as I have, or closed, with peanut butter and cheese on both sides. You'll probably only want one layer of cucumber in this case, though.

You can use cream cheese instead of the chèvre, but the flavor won't be as interesting.

Get Free Food Storage Just for Watching

2011-05-20T16:12:00.003-06:00

I found an interesting food storage company the other day: eFoods Global. They're a new food reserve company located here in Utah. This isn't ordinary food storage or military-style MRE food. They have a unique approach I've not seen from other food storage companies. Their mantra is: Serve, Save, Share. You can serve it tonight for dinner, save it for future need, and share it with others to help them get prepared.

eFoods is currently offering 6 FREE meals to anyone who will take their Food Freedom Tour. The tour is a series of 5 short videos illustrating why being prepared with food storage is important, and why eFoods is a good choice. The 6 meals are free, although customers are asked to pay $9.95 for shipping. Their goal is to get new customers to try their food. With the growing need for us all to build a quality food storage solution, I wanted to let you know about them and, hey, who doesn't like free food?

You can take the Food Freedom Tour and claim their free food packs here.

Korean Peanut Butter Sandwich

2011-05-18T16:22:00.000-06:00

International Peanut Butter Sandwich Month has been extended, in case you didn't guess. This time, we're heading to the Korean peninsula and asking, “What would a Korean peanut butter sandwich be like?”

Take a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter and mix it with a tablespoon of soy sauce. This will be enough spread for two sandwiches.

Toast four bread slices (I used white bread this time), and spread the peanut butter mixture on each slice, one side only please. Alternately, you could use puffed rice cakes instead of bread.

Now, don't let this next part freak you out. Put a layer of kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage) on one slice for each sandwich and then sprinkle on a bit of green sliced green onion on, as well. Put the slices together like a normal sandwich and cut in two pieces, if desired.

This peanut butter sandwich variation is tastier than your brain thinks it is.

Peanut Butter Quesadilla

2011-04-28T22:35:00.000-06:00

“What would a Mexican peanut butter sandwich be like?” I asked myself one day. I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food, but some of it really peaks my taste buds. So does peanut butter. Duh. I kicked my brain into gear, putting together flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques from “south of the border,” and came up with a tasty peanut butter sandwich variation.

Before you think my taste buds have gone wonky, let me assure you that the rest of my family thought it was pretty tasty, too. I even taught my middle daughter how to make them. She did quite well, thank you.

Equipment Needed
Cast iron skillet
Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Spatula
Mixing bowl

Ingredients
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup re-fried beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons tomato-mango salsa (any sweet tasting tomato and fruit salsa will do)
pinch of onion salt
1/2 cup grated queso blanco, or use grated cheddar
2 flour tortillas
1 tablespoons cooking oil
Extra salsa and sour cream for dipping, as desired

Directions
This recipe makes two peanut butter quesadillas.

Combine the peanut butter, re-fried beans and ground cumin in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Spread the peanut butter mixture onto one side of two flour tortillas. This mixture will want to stick more to the knife than the tortilla, so you'll want to pat it down.

Spread the salsa on top of the peanut butter, about 2 tablespoons per tortilla. Sprinkle each with a pinch of onion salt. (If you want, you can use chopped green or yellow onions, here. I just didn't have any the last time I made this and the onion powder seemed to work really well.)

Divide the grated cheese between the two tortillas, sprinkling evenly, and fold each one in half, making a classic quesadilla.

Heat the oil a cast iron skillet over medium heat. You can use a regular skillet if you don't have a cast iron one. Cook the peanut butter quesadillas on each side until crispy and brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cook one at a time so you don't crowd your pan.

Remove the cooked quesadilla from the pan and let it cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Cut each one in half and serve with extra salsa and some sour cream, if desired.

I know. It sounds crazy. Maybe it is, but sometimes, crazy can be delicious.

Makes 2 servings.

Peanut Butter and Tomato Sandwich – Southern Comfort

2011-04-25T20:27:00.000-06:00

A classic peanut butter sandwich variation hailing from the South, peanut butter and tomato sandwiches are a must try. At least once, anyway. Maybe you've already had one. They're not all that uncommon.

The classic sandwich is simply peanut butter, a slice of tomato, and a bit of salt. This is nice, but I felt like it needed a bit of an update.

In my version, you start by toasting the bread. While that's going, mix about 2 teaspoons of tomato powder into 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. (Tomato powder is very versatile and deserves a place in your food storage.) Spread this mixture on the toast, followed by a thin layer of mayonnaise. Top with a thin slice of fresh, beefsteak tomato. Sprinkle on a little onion salt and some cracked black pepper and enjoy, open faced.

You can make a closed face sandwich as well, if that's your preference.

If you really want to get sophisticated, try mixing the peanut butter with sun-dried tomatoes instead of topping with a fresh one.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich - the "Elvis"

2011-04-11T23:31:00.001-06:00

Peanut butter and bananas, baby. The PB&B. What a great peanut butter sandwich variation. Jaqueline, of Purple Chocolat Home, came by last time and reminded me taht Elvis Presley loved these. I do, too. I like to slice the bananas thinly and overlap them on the bread. On toasted bread is nice, too.

Besides the peanut butter, honey or strawberry jam are great additions to this peanut butter sandwich. Chocolate syrup is, too. It takes about one half of a banana to make one of these. If you really want to get crazy, why not serve the sandwich with slices of the the other half of the banana and some chocolate sauce? Yum.

Want to enter Adventure Land? Try grilling one of these. As the peanut butter melts into the bread ... ooooh ....

International Peanut Butter Sandwich Month

2011-04-06T11:34:00.000-06:00

Inspired by blogs such as Peanut Butter Boy and Scanwiches, I've decided to make April International Peanut Butter Sandwich Month at Mormon Foodie. The idea is to create and share your favorite peanut butter sandwich variations based on international cuisines. Or not. As long as they have peanut butter, that's fine.

The Max Special

I first got the idea of a month of peanut butter sandwich variations while watching an episode of Gourmet Magazine's Diary of a Foodie on PBS. Ruth Reichl, the magazine's editor-in-chief, made a sandwich she called the “Max Special.” Simply put, it's a sandwich made with peanut butter, mayonnaise, and sliced green olives. I thought it sounded disgusting, but Ruth seemed to enjoy herself eating it. After trying it, I realized that my first impressions were mostly right. I'm not a huge fan of this sandwich. If it's not actually disgusting, at least it's an acquired taste. My oldest daughter disagrees with me, however. She quite liked it and has made them for herself from time to time every since.

Now it's Your Turn

So, here's the challenge. Create and share your own peanut butter sandwich variations and share them with us as comments. If you find a sandwich variation you like, let us know that, too. I'll post the ones that I like best, or get the most good comments, as a “winners” post next month.

Here are the submission rules.

They have to have peanut butter as a main ingredient. No chicken sandwiches with peanut sauce, although that sounds pretty tasty.
They have to be wrapped in some kind of bread/grain product, at least enough that it can be argued that it's a sandwich. Tortillas are fine. So are rice crackers. Lettuce or nori wraps won't cut it. Anything that actually has “bread” in the title is perfect.
They have to contain only food. No non-food items, such as Pokemon cards or plastic twist ties, are not allowed.

That's pretty much it. Anything else goes. They can be fresh, grilled, broiled, raw, or whatever. Contest winners will get … well, I don't know. Five minutes of fame? A link to their own websites, if they have one? My undying gratitude? I don't know. Maybe I'll think up something good later.

Photo credit: David Villarroel

The Ultimate Diet

2011-04-01T11:19:00.003-06:00

There have been all kinds of different diet plans floating around for the last several decades, Atkins, Paleolithic, Raw Food, Vegetarian, 3-hour, 4-hour, South Beach, Manhattan … you name it. While they all have there proponents and detractors, I don't think any of them have gone far enough. Sure, they all have there rules and restrictions, but they're just mamby pamby when it comes to the diet I discovered yesterday. If you really want to lose weight, look to those individuals who have really gone and lost it: Zombies.

Yes, that's right. Just look at them! They're husks of their former selves. Each one looks just as thin and emaciated as an up and coming runway model. Isn't that the look that television has been showing us is so important to have for years, now? When has TV ever lied to us?

It's the perfect diet, combing the paleolithic diet with the raw foods diet. Zombies limit themselves to one food and one food only: fresh human brains. Why brains? Have you ever tried to get a fresh human brain? It's hard. You've got to work for it. First, you'll burn tons of calories and get a great cardio workout chasing those victims down. Don't get me started on how hard it is to dodge shotgun blasts, either.

Once you've caught the food, it's not like it just lays down and lets you eat it. Oh no. You've got a fight on your hands. It's built in strength training! If you do manage to kill, without it escaping and starting that whole “chase thing” over again, you've got to crack the skull open. Fortunately, a few sharp thwacks against the ground will do it. Once the skull is cracked open, slurping up the brains is the reward you get for all your hard labor. Getting rewarded is important if you're going train yourself to stick to any diet.

So, my friend, if you really want to lose weight, try combining your exercise with your supper. Try the zombie diet. There's nothing quite like the fresh hunt, kill, and slurp to get your juices flowing.

Just watch out for shotguns.

Editors note: If you find the zombie diet too difficult for you, you can ease yourself into it by trying cannibalism, first.

Image credit, Michal Zacharzewski

What's in Your Disaster Preparedness Kit?

2011-03-25T14:47:00.000-06:00

Following news of the disaster in Japan, each breaking development more troubling than the last, the number of people that are cut off from food, clean water, or adequate shoulder, is growing. In Utah, we have been given warnings for several years that a major earthquake is on its way. Unfortunately, many of us are not prepared for disaster.

While we may not be able to do much sent donate money towards the relief efforts in Japan, we can prepare ourselves and our own families for possible disaster. Just a few simple steps to and be taken to ensure a basic level of preparedness. According to FEMA's Ready.gov website, good idea to have a basic disaster preparedness kit at home, in your car, and even in your office. Looking at a recent disasters, is not hard to see that food and water becomes scarce very quickly.

Items to include in a basic emergency supply kit:

Water, 1 gallon per person per day for three days. This one will be used for drinking, cooking and sanitation. Water purification tablets, or some other water purification systerm, is also recommended.
Food, at least three days worth. Canned foods, dry goods, or any properly stored non – perishable food items are needed. Some companies still emergency food supply kits that can make purchasing them easy.
Battery powered or hand crank radio. Get one that will tune in to the NOAA weather station. News of where to go in case of an evacuation of other important information will be broadcast from there.
Battery powered or hand crank flashlight. An LED headlamp may also be a good idea to keep your hands free during an emergency.
Extra batteries and/or a solar charger.
First aid kit. Include any prescriptions you can't do without.
He reflective emergency blanket. Made of mylar, lightweight plastic sheets reflect radiant body heat back to you.
A whistle. These can be used as signals to call for help if you are trapped.
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air.
Plastic sheeting and duct tape to create a makeshift shelter or patch holes in an existing shelter.
Moist towelettes, plastic garbage bags, feminine hygiene items, and plastic ties for help with personal sanitation.
Basic toolkit loading a wrench or pliers turn off utilities.
Can opener. Vital if your kit contains canned food.
Local maps, case you need to take unfamiliar roads during an evacuation.
Include a cell phone with chargers, power inverter, or solar charger.

You may also want to consider packing:

A change of clothes. Think in layers to prepare for all kinds of weather.
Boots or shoes that will protect your feet and dangerous conditions.
Copies of important documents such as, passport, assurance documents, and contact list.
Camping items such as sleeping bags, tents, waterproof matches, candles, and a mess kit.
Food and water for your pets.
A fire extinguisher.
Emergency flares, especially if you keep the emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle.
Books, blank paper and pencils, crayons, and anything else you can think of that will serve as age appropriate entertainment that doesn't require electricity.

Putting together your own emergency preparedness kit can bring peace of mind as well as needed supplies.

Photo credit: Ics9

The Clean Plater - Food Poem by Odgen Nash

2011-03-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

I seem to be in the mood for poetry, today. At least it has very few calories.

Some singers sing of ladies' eyes,

And some of ladies lips,

Refined ones praise their ladylike ways,

And course ones hymn their hips.

The Oxford Book of English Verse

Is lush with lyrics tender;

A poet, I guess, is more or less

Preoccupied with gender.

Yet I, though custom call me crude,

Prefer to sing in praise of food.

Food,

Yes, food,

Just any old kind of food.

Pheasant is pleasant, of course,

And terrapin, too, is tasty,

Lobster I freely endorse,

In pate or patty or pasty.

But there's nothing the matter with butter,

And nothing the matter with jam,

And the warmest greetings I utter

To the ham and the yam and the clam.

For they're food,

All food,

And I think very fondly of food.

Through I'm broody at times

When bothered by rhymes,

I brood

On food.

Some painters paint the sapphire sea,

And some the gathering storm.

Others portray young lambs at play,

But most, the female form.

“Twas trite in that primeval dawn

When painting got its start,

That a lady with her garments on

Is Life, but is she Art?

By undraped nymphs

I am not wooed;

I'd rather painters painted food.

Food,

Just food,

Just any old kind of food.

Go purloin a sirloin, my pet,

If you'd win a devotion incredible;

And asparagus tips vinaigrette,

Or anything else that is edible.

Bring salad or sausage or scrapple,

A berry or even a beet.

Bring an oyster, an egg, or an apple,

As long as it's something to eat.

If it's food,

It's food;

Never mind what kind of food.

When I ponder my mind

I consistently find

It is glued

On food.

Photo credit: Ilker

Braised Pork with Colcannon for St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T10:05:00.000-06:00

Unless you're Irish, Saint Patrick's day is mostly an excuse for drinking beer and wearing green. Come to think of it, that's pretty much what it's for if you are Irish. For a foodie, it's an excuse to eat Irish food. With that in mind, I'd like to share this recipe I found for a whiskey-braised pork shoulder with colcannon. Served with Irish soda bread, it should make a hearty supper.

Note: you can omit the whiskey if you want, replacing it with more broth. There isn't really a good substitute for whiskey in cooking.

Food Prices are Rising, Home Gardening Can Help

2011-03-09T17:46:00.001-07:00

Unrest in the Middle East combined with stock speculation are driving crude oil prices higher and higher. Because of this, food prices, already at a record highs, are likely to increase even further throughout the year.

Hiroyuki Konuma, of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), has said, "The potential risk is crude oil may continue to go higher, and if the floods and drought happen again, we'll face further price increases." He has also said that, "… we're in a much better situation than the crisis in 2008."

In a video press briefing from Bangkok, Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior FAO economist, said “We will get an increase in production but not sufficient to ease the market ... High, volatile prices will continue in 2011 and even in 2012 ...We have to be extremely cautious about what is going to come in 2011-2012. Spring is going to be extremely critical, when farmers will decide what crop they’re going to plant. In many major producing regions, we have already hit maximum acreage.”

Higher crude oil prices were not the only things that have contributed to higher food prices. According to an index compiled by the FAO, prices have surged as bad weather has ruined crops from Canada to Australia. Suffering from its worst drought in 50 years, Russia has stopped exporting grain.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wheat production for 2011 is estimated at 645.4 million tons. The demand, however, has been forecast at 662.7 million tons. Corn is not any better. Its production is estimated at 814.3 million tons, compared to a demand of 836 million tons.

Rice production is the only cereal grain where production, estimated at 451.6 million tons, is slightly above the estimated demand of 451 million tons. Unfortunately for South Asia, rice prices rose to record highs in January.

Fortunately, the FAO has also proposed a solution. Yesterday, they released a report that suggests small scale farming practices could be used in double world food production in 10 years. So called agroecological practices, very similar to organic farming, focus on increasing soil quality and biodiversity.

To me, this implies that it is more important than ever for us to build up our food storage and supplement it with home vegetable gardening. Even though my family garden was a near disaster last year, we are planning on trying again this year. We know we can't grow everything, but we can certainly supplement our diets with a nutritious homegrown food.

Photo credit: Christa Richert

Freeze Destroys Crops in Mexico - I Hope You Have Food Storage

2011-02-16T09:16:00.001-07:00

I hope you've already laid in some canned or frozen veggies in your food storage. Produce prices are expected to rise dramatically in the next few days after a freeze destroyed a massive number of Mexican food crops. Like it or not, most of the produce sold in the U.S. during the winter is grown in Mexico. Another reason to buy local and put in your own garden this year?

Fourth Birthday - Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-02-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Confessions of a Mormon Foodie's fourth birthday! It's hared to believe it's been four years since I started this blog. It's been a fun ride, and I hope to bring you more food and fun as the years go on. This year I've decided to celebrate with a Red Velvet Cupcake recipe from Dan and Sharon Yim. Dan is the community director at Kitchen Monki. If you'd rather have a full blown Red Velvet layer cake instead, I made one for my daughter's birthday a couple of years ago.

Balloon photo by Sue Byford

Food Blogging at a Snails Pace

2011-02-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello gentle readers! As much as I'd like to give you a treatise on slow food, today it's more about slow food blogging. I just want to apologize in advance if my post frequency slows down and becomes even more erratic than normal. I've been diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome in my right wrist. Typing much without aggravating it is a bit rough, not to mention keeping my wrist brace off the keyboard. Fortunately I'm left handed so I'm not completely down for the count.

Hmm. Maybe I should pick up some speech recognition software.

How to make Beef Bourguignon

2011-01-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

This celebrated dish from Burgundy, France, makes a rich, warming dinner for a winter weekend. Beef is simmered in a rich red wine sauce to make it tender and flavorful. The beef should be marinated for several hours, or overnight. This recipe specifies flank steak, but other nicely marbled cuts, or even "stew meat" can be used. As involved as this recipe is, though, you may not want to skimp on the ingredients.

Equipment needed
Mixing bowls

Measuring cups and spoons

Kitchen knife

Large oven-safe saucepan

Medium saucepan Large skillet

Ingredients
1 medium Carrot, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium Celery Stalk
1 1⁄2 pounds Beef Flank Steak
1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2-in. pieces
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Bouquet Garni, usually thyme, basil, and sage
1 2⁄3 cups Burgundy, I use a non-alcoholic variety.
Salt, as needed
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil, add more if needed
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon Flour
5 cups Veal Stock, or brown stock
Water, as needed
8 Baby Onions
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
8 Fresh Button Mushrooms, trimmed and quartered.
3 slices Bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.
Dried Parsley Flakes, or fresh to garnish

Directions
Place the beef, onion, celery, carrots and garlic into a non-reactive mixing bowl. Add the bouguet garni and wine and gently toss together. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for half a day, or refrigerate overnight.

After marinating, place a large sieve into another mixing bowl. Pour in the marinated beef and vegetables to strain off the marinade. Remove the bouquet garni. Reserve the marinade and the bouquet garni, for later.

Dry the beef and cut into 2 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, F.

Heat cooking oil in a large, oven-safe saucepan over high heat. Add the marinated beef and saute briefly to brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the beef to a dish.

Put the marinated vegetables in the same saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium low and saute gently until the vegetables start to brown. Take care not to burn them.

Add the tomato paste and flour. Stir and cook briefly. Return the strained marinade to the pan. Turn the heat back to high and bring it to a boil.

Return the beef to the pan and add the stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add the bouquet garni, cover, and turn off the heat. Place the saucepan into the preheated oven and cook for 55 minutes. At this point, you can prep the remaining ingredients.

While the beef mixture is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.

Fill a clean saucepan with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Add the baby onions to the water and boil until soft. Remove and discard the water.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon until most of the fat melts and then add the mushrooms. Add the boiled baby onions. Cook until the mushrooms are done.

Remove the stewed beef and juices from the oven and skim off any fat. Add the cooked vegetables and stir together.

When serving, remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in individual serving bowls. Use a ladle to pour some of the sauce over each serving and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6.

Bread and Buttery Pudding, from Gary Rhodes

2011-01-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

In this video, celebrity chef Gary Rhodes shows us how to make “Bread and Buttery Pudding,” warm winter dessert. It looks tasty. It also looks like a great way to use up stale bread, while sneaking in some dried fruit into your kid's diet.

Basically, bread and butter pudding is bread and raisins cooked in a vanilla custard. It just screams for variations, different kinds of fruit, different flavors of custard, and so on.

I think I'm going to try my own variation, soon. I'll post it when I do. Maybe you'd like to share your variations in the comments, here.

How to Make Red Berry Coulis

2011-01-18T21:57:00.001-07:00

Normally you'll find berry coulis, a light, cooked berry dessert, served in the late summer or early fall. The last of the seasons berries aren't as fresh. Not wanting to throw them out, though, whoever came up with this dish did us all a favor. Even though it's out of season, the bright berry flavors shine through and is a perfect break from heavier, winter fare. This recipe uses frozen berries, anyway, so it can be made all year.

Equipment needed
Mixing bowls
Medium saucepan
Serving bowls

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Water
1 1/4 cups Water
5 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 cups Frozen Strawberries
1 1/2 cups Frozen Raspberries
1 1/2 cups Frozen Blueberries
Yogurt, if desired

Directions
Put the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

Heat the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and bring the water to a boil. Gradually stir in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sugar water and make a syrup.

Carefully add the frozen berries (don't thaw them) to the hot syrup. Stir and bring to a brief boil.

Transfer the berries and syrup from the saucepan to a mixing bowl. Fill a larger mixing bowl with ice water. Place the bowl with the berries in the bowl with the ice water to chill, while stirring.

Once the berries and syrup are chilled, transfer them to individual servings bowls. Top with yogurt or serve over ice cream. Yum!

Makes 4 servings.

Saving Dinner

2011-01-11T16:10:00.003-07:00

How many times have you gotten started making dinner and then discovered you were missing a key ingredient? I'm sure there are plenty of us out there that have had that problem.

No? So, it is just me after all.

As stressful as a sudden cooking challenge can be, it can also be an opportunity to test your cooking skills.

This last weekend, I'd planned to make a vegetarian dinner of cornbread stuffed acorn squash, garlic mashed potatoes, and a green side salad. No problem. It was the weekend and there were no other plans. I had all day to work on dinner. I could prep some things early and then finishing up dinner would be a snap.

The first part of the plan was executed flawlessly. I composed a quick salad of fresh green lettuce, cucumber, and sweet bell peppers. The mashed potatoes and stuffing both came from a box.

Hey, I'm a foodie, not some over-zealous gourmand. Even I don't cook everything from scratch.

The acorn squash would take about an hour or so to prepare so, I stowed everything in the refrigerator for later. Thinking myself safe, I headed off to play Tomb Raider Anniversary on the Wii until I was needed back in the kitchen. I needed a bit of jumping and running and grabbing and flipping and shooting for a few hours.

Well, I was actually just pushing buttons and waving the controllers around like an idiot, but it still looked cool on the TV screen.

Once it got closer to dinner time, I sent one of my house elves, a.k.a. my nine year old daughter, down to the pantry to retrieve the acorn squash. We’d had the squash for a little while but, winter squash keeps pretty well so we should be fine, right?

Not on your life. After cutting into them I realized they’d deteriorated to the point where they had nearly as much skin as flesh. They had an odd odor as well. Not bad, really, just not right. Being the paranoid food-safety conscious twit that I am, and not wanting to eat, let alone serve, bad tasting crap food, I threw them out.

Now what? I had a starch dish (potatoes) and a veggie dish (green salad), but no main dish to throw the other starchy bits (the stuffing) into. No focus for the meal. That’s just boring.

Boring dinner? Not in my house, Mister.

Whenever I’m in a lurch for ideas, I consult my true blue kitchen friends, my cook books. Even if I don’t find an immediate solution, at least they give me ideas.

Okay, what else did I have in the fridge? Maybe some protein. Ham? Eggs? Onions? More green peppers? They were possibilities, but what should I do with the stuffing?

Flipping back to my mainstay cookbook, inspiration struck. I decided to make a perverse version of a quiche using the cornbread stuffing as the crust. The eggs should hold it together, nicely. I might have made stuffed green peppers but I didn't have enough of them.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how it would come out. I decided to make it in a spring-form pan to help make presentation a little more interesting. I wanted a perverted quiche, not a perverted casserole.

I do wish I’d greased the bottom of the pan better, though. The stuffing stuck fast to it. Fortunately I was able to cut it away with a long slicing knife after I removed the sides of the pan.

I wish I could say I’d better planned this dish because it turned out to be quite a hit. Only my six year old, who won’t eat much except macaroni and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches anyway, didn’t have seconds.

Unexpected cooking challenges will happen from time to time, no matter how well you plan out your meals. They don’t have to be tragedies, thank goodness. Instead, they can be opportunities to improvise new dishes. Sometimes those dishes will be terrible and only fit for the garbage can. Other times, they can turn out to be new family recipes that may just become a staple in your cooking repertoire.

Now if I could just remember how much of what ingredient I put in that darned thing, then I could share it with you.

Illustration credit: Yarik Mishin

Carbonated Water Maker Review, U-Fizz

2011-01-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Guess what I got for Christmas. A carbonated water maker! How cool is that? Actually you can carbonate about any drinkable liquid in this thing, not just water.

The U-Fizz carbonated water maker isn't one of those metal devices that requires expensive CO2 cartridges. Those are pretty amazing, but a bit pricey for me right now. What I most I like the U-Fizz, though, is that it let's me do SCIENCE! Basic science to be sure, but it's a lot fun. It also lets me play with my food … er … beverages.

Basically, the U-Fizz carbonated water maker is a plastic tube connecting two plastic caps, with a rubber seal involved. That comes packaged with a cylinder that acts as a baking soda delivery device. That's really just a couple of plastic cylinders, one with holes in the side that fits nicely inside the other one without holes. That way you can fill the holey (not holy) cylinder with baking soda without making too much of a mess on your kitchen counter.

In one empty 2-liter bottle, you put vinegar and baking soda. In the other, the water or other beverage you want to carbonate. The two bottles are connected with the tube. The reaction of the baking soda an vinegar creates carbon dioxide which is then force,d under pressure, into the water (or other beverage), carbonating it. You have to shake the daylights out of the chilled beverage bottle to help the larger pockets of CO2 to break into small bubbles and spread throughout the drink for a full two minutes. You can also swirl the vinegar bottle to help move the baking soda vinegar reaction along. I find it easier if I get help. I have my ten year old swirl while I shake. You just don't want to get vinegar down the tube and into your drink. There's no vinegar taste at all. It's just carbonated water.

The manufacturer says it's just like soda, but I don't think so. Carbonation is used to add a “bite” to drinks in the form of carbonic acid. It's actually not the bubbles. I don't think this device creates nearly as many bubbles as most commercial soda has, but it's still pretty good. Interestingly, some sodas, like cola, owe their distinctive “bite” more to the added phosphoric acid (phosphate) than to the carbonation.

Even though it doesn't make as many bubbles as I'd like, I still enjoy the taste it delivers. I'm actually using it to help me kick my excessive sugary soda habit. The price is right, too. You can find it on Amazon for around $7.00. Is it a replacement for the high end carbonating devices? Not really. Is it a lot of fun for a very modest price? Absolutely.

Which is why I'm giving it 3 1/2 Zucchinis

For you food science geeks out there, here's the chemical formulas for the creation of carbon dioxide gas from baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), as well as the process of creating carbonic acid, by combining water and carbon dioxide under pressure. In other words, carbonated water. Pressure is important, here. Without it, carbon dioxide does not stabilize well in water. That's why carbonated drinks go flat once they're opened. (Just so you know, most carbon dioxide in water is suspended in the water and not in the form of carbonic acid.)

Creating carbon dioxide from vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH → CH₃COONa + H₂O + CO_2(g)

Carbonating water (creating carbonic acid from water and carbon dioxide)

H₂O + CO₂ → H₂CO₃

For more info on carbonation and carbonic acid formation, click here.

How to Make Candied Citrus Peel

2010-12-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Candied citrus peel, or “candied peel,” is used in many recipes for festive holiday breads, such as panettone and Dresdner Christollen (Christmas stollen). You'll also find it used in cookie and candy recipes. They can also be enjoyed on their own.

Candied peel can be hard to find in the grocery store, and is somewhat expensive. Making your own is actually pretty simple, but it does take a bit of time. It can be made with several different kinds of citrus fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruit are all fair game.

I originally got this recipe from Elizabeth LaBau. I modified her recipe only slightly, to make it just a bit easier for home cooks. Her recipe uses oranges, but she also uses them as a simple baseline for other fruit. Her conversion works pretty well: 1 grapefruit counts as 2 oranges, 2 small lemons or limes count as 1 orange. You'll want to use about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar per “orange.”

It is best to use organic fruit for this recipe. If you can't get organic citrus fruit, wash the outside thoroughly to remove the residual pesticides.

Equipment needed
paring knife
medium saucepan
measuring cups
spoon
baking sheet and parchment paper or fine mesh cooling racks

Ingredients
4 oranges
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar plus 1 cup sugar for dredging

Directions
Using a sharp paring knife, cut the top and bottom off of an orange. Score the peel into quarters, and then again, into eighths. Peel the orange carefully, trying to keep the peel intact.

Next, cut away the bitter white pith from the backside of the peels. It's easiest to do this by laying the peel flat on a cutting board, and carefully running the knife between the pith and peel. It's okay is a little bit of the pith remains on the peel. Discard the pith. The remaining outer peels will be about 1/8 inch thick.

Repeat this process with the remaining oranges. The peels can be set aside in the refrigerator until needed. They'll keep for a few days in case you need to build up your supply.

Combine 2 1/2 cups of sugar and all the water in a medium saucepan, uncovered, over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, boiling it uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the citrus peel strips, pushing them down into the syrup with a spoon, and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, until reduced to about 1/4 the original amount. The peels should be just covered by the syrup at that point. DO NOT STIR. The sugar is so concentrated that stirring may cause a chain reaction, giving you large sugar crystals instead of syrup. Reducing to 1/4 the volume will take about 2 hours.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Drain the peels in a colander. You may be tempted to use the remaining syrup, but I find it too bitter, in spite of the high sugar content.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow dish. Dredge the peels in the sugar, both sides, and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Add more sugar for dredging as needed.

Place the baking sheet on a rack in the upper third of the oven and let dry for 1 hour. Check the peels every 20 minutes to make sure they are drying and not cooking. Alternately, you can put the peels on cooling racks and let them dry overnight.

Once the peels are dry, scrape off any large sugar clumps. The peels can be stored in a cool, dry place for a few weeks. Candied peels can be used as directed in recipes, or dipped in chocolate and enjoyed by themselves.

Christmas Traditions – Aebleskivers

2010-12-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

If you're a long-time reader, you may remember that my family spent a generation in Denmark. One of the family recipes that came across the Atlantic when they immigrated to America was for aebleskivers.

Aebleskivers are a cross between a pancake and a popover and are cooked on the stove in a special pan with round wells where the batter is poured and turned as it cooks, giving them their distinctive shape. Most aebleskiver pans are cast iron. There are two varieties available, one for gas stoves and one for electric stoves. The electric stove variety either have a flat bottom or a ring surrounding the wells to better distribute the heat and avoid “hot spots” on the bottom each pocket.

In Denmark, aebleskivers are commonly served before Christmas. In North America, there are several festivals throughout the year that celebrate the aebleskiver and Danish culture.

My mother never made aebleskivers that I remember. Her grandmother made them all the time and became quite famous for them, however. Over the last couple of years my own family has resurrected the old family recipe and the traditions that go with it. I don't use my great-grandmother's old recipe, though. It's a bit too heavy on the eggs. This is another recipe I found in my grandmother's recipe collections, that I like much better, with just a bit of modification to make it easier.

Equipment needed:
Aebleskiver pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Hand mixer or whisk
Chopsticks, spoons, or skewers to help turn the aeblesivers while cooking

Ingredients
3 large Eggs, separated
1 cup Milk, or Half and Half
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
butter, as needed
powdered sugar as needed for dusting

Directions
Separate the egg yolks and whites. In a small bowl, beat the yolks until smooth. Mix in the milk and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the egg yolk mixture and thoroughly mix together. Gently fold in the egg whites.

Heat an aebleskiver pan over medium heat and melt 1/4 teaspoon butter in each well. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons batter into each well. Begin turning over gradually using a teaspoon or skewer, as soon as the aelbelskivers begin to brown. Keep turning until nicely browned and cooked on all sides (you won't need to turn them over more than once or twice).

Remove from the pan and serve hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are also good with jam or syrup.

You can also stuff these with small chunks of apple, a scant teaspoon of applesauce, bits of ham, cheese, green onion, or whatever suits your fancy. Just drop them into the batter after you put it into the wells, but before turning.

Photo credit: WikiCommons

Provo Gurls (Off Topic)

2010-12-16T12:56:00.002-07:00

Okay, I know this isn't food related, but it still made me smile. I just think it's fun when Mormon's embrace the stereotypes and then make fun of themselves with them. This is BYU's sketch comedy group, Divine Comedy, doing a parody of Katy Perry's "California Gurls"

Lemon Battered Fish

2010-12-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite “pub” foods is fish and chips. This lemon flavored variation is a family favorite of ours. Even my youngest, who is one of the most picky eaters I've ever met, let alone spawned, loves these. The batter keeps the fish tender and moist. It takes a bit of work, but the results are well worth it. You can serve this with tartar sauce or something else if you want, but I wouldn't.

Equipment needed
kitchen knife
mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
whisk
large skillet

Ingredients
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 large Egg, beaten
2/3 cup Water
2/3 cup Lemon Juice, divided
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour, in addition to the first cup
2 pounds White Fish, cut fillets into strips
Oil, for frying
1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, water, and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Add to the flour/soda mixture and blend into a smooth batter.

In separate shallow bowls, place the remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Dip the fish fillets in the lemon juice, then the flour, and coat with the batter.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a bit of the batter into the oil. If it immediately rises about half way up, and then all the way to the top after a few more seconds, the oil is hot enough. Fry the battered fish, a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Garnish with lemon if desired.

Makes 5 servings

Gordon Ramsay on Christmas Cooking

2010-12-08T08:48:00.001-07:00

Like everyone else, I've been pretty busy preparing for the Christmas holiday. To help us both out, I thought I'd share these tips from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay about cooking and hosting that amazing Christmas party you're wishing you hadn't volunteered for.

Food Joke Friday - Chocolate Ice Cream

2010-12-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

A man approaches an ice cream truck and says, "I'd like three scoops of chocolate ice cream, please."

The woman behind the counter replies, "I'm very sorry, sir, but our delivery didn't come this morning. We're out of chocolate."

"In that case," the man continues, "I'll have two scoops of chocolate ice cream."

"You don't understand, sir," the woman says. "We have no chocolate."

"Then just give me some chocolate," he insists.

Frustrated, the woman asked, "Sir, will you please spell 'van,' as in 'vanilla?'"

The man spells, "V A N."

"Now spell 'straw,' as in 'strawberry.'"

"OK. S-T-R-A-W."

"Now," the woman asks, "spell 'stink,' as in chocolate."

The man hesitates, looks confused and replies, "There is no stink in chocolate."

"Yes sir. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Photo credit: Larisa Valenzuela

Reducing Stocks for Flavor and Food Storage

2010-11-30T12:36:00.001-07:00

Last time, I introduced you to the concepts of homemade brown stock. I find homemade stocks to be superior to store-bought canned stocks, but they are labor intensive. If you just haven't had enough fun while making your own stock, and are a complete glutton for punishment, you can reduce your stock to create two other flavor vehicles and enhancers: demi-glace and glace de viande.

When making stocks, I don't normally reduce them. Very few recipes require it. Their are a few advantages, though. Stock reductions have more concentrated flavor, take up less storage space, and can be stored for a much longer time. This makes them a wonderful solution for long-term food storage.

Just to remind you, the last step of making the brown stock was to reduce the stock down to about 3 quarts of liquid. You may also recall that I don't normally do this. I find that I can just freeze the stock at this point and it's just fine. To make the demi-glace and glace de viande, however, you should reduce the stock to about 3 quarts before proceeding.

You'll be much happier if you heed my earlier warnings and don't add any salt when making your stock. The salt concentration will be way too high when it gets reduced, otherwise.

Making a Demi-glace

A demi-glace is used as a base for sauce espangole, one of the five French “mother sauces” as codified by French chef Auguste Escoffier. It can be used as a base for other sauces as well, or used on it's own. Because it is labor intensive to make, many cooks will substitute it with a simple jus lié.

To make a demi-glace, reduce the stock by half (again), and cool. A cooled demi-glace will solidify into a gelatin-like substance that can be cut into large chunks, wrapped in plastic and frozen. In the regrigerator, a demi-glace will keep for about six months. In the freezer, it will keep almost indefinitely.

Sometimes, the demi-glace will be gelatinous, but not completely solidify. In that case it should be frozen in a plastic zipper lock bag or other plastic freezer container, much like a regular stock.

Making Glace de Viande

Glace de viande, or “meat glaze,” is a dark brown, gelatinous, flavoring agent bordering on bouillon. I use it much the same way as bouillon, using it to flavor soups and sauces.

To make glace de viande, strain the hot (and still liquid) demi-glace again and reduce over medium low heat to it's maximum. As it reduces, you can transfer the liquid to a smaller, more sturdy, saucepan. The last hour or so of reduction should be done over very low heat. All of the free water is being removed and it can burn if you're not careful. The glace will get very dark and thick, like molasses. Bubbles will form on top like they do with caramel. You'll know you're nearing the last 15 to 20 minutes when the bubbles break, but no steam escapes. If there is any fat left in the mixture, it will separate and should be removed with a spoon.

The mixture is fully reduced at this point and will be as thick as caramel. Remove the glace de viande from the saucepan to a clean bowl to cool. Use a spatula to scrape as much off the sides of the saucepan as you can.

A cooled glace de viande will become a rubbery solid that can be stored in a loose jar or open bag in the refrigerator almost indefinitely. You don't really need to freeze it, although you can.

There will be a lot of glace left over in your pan. In order to recover it, and clean your utensils, place the spoon and spatula back in the saucepan and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil, remelting the glace. The sticky stuff should now be off the utensils, making them easier to clean, and the liquid can be used as stock.

Making stock, demi-glace, and glace de viande are pretty labor intensive, as you can see. I think the results are worth it, though. I certainly wouldn't want to make it very often. That's just too much, even for me. Once or twice a year, though, will improve your sauces and add to your food storage skills.

Photo credit: Silvia McCabe

How to Make a Brown Stock

2010-11-28T23:33:00.001-07:00

Nearly a year ago I blogged about making turkey stock. It was essentially a quick, white stock using turkey bones. You can also use chicken or whatever you have lying around. As part of my independent cooking training (a.k.a. trying to teach myself how it works) I decided to try making a brown stock, or Fond Brun.

The difference between the French white and brown stocks is both simple, and substantial. The basics are that in a brown stock, you bake the bones first, browning them and rending some of the fat. This gives the stock a darker color and, I suppose, a richer flavor. They are also quite often made with beef bones, instead of poultry. Chicken bones are often added, however, when not enough beef bones are available. Because it's right after Thanksgiving, I used turkey bones, mixed in with the other bones I'd saved over the year (more on that, further down).

Buying bones from a butcher to make your own stock is probably not cost effective. Bones are getting pricey, these days, although I can't figure out why. I'm not sure making brown stock is cost effective, either. It takes a very long time to cook, so the electricity costs are probably substantial when compared to the cost of canned beef stock. Glutton for punishment that I am, though, I had to try it.

If you're going to take the time to make stock, make a lot. It takes just as much time to make a little as a lot. I don't know how many pounds of bones or vegetables I actually use, but my stock pot gets pretty full. I sometimes, worry that I've overcrowded things, but its always turned out fine. I think I got about 4-6 quarts of stock when all was said and done, this time. Not bad when you consider the only thing “extra” I paid for was the electricity.

Here's how I make it work. Instead of buying bones, save the bones from various roasts and the like you cook from time to time. You can also save unused trimmings from vegetables. Just pop them in a couple of plastic bags and freeze them until you have enough saved up to make stock. In this case, I used bones from roast pork, beef, turkey, and chicken.

As for the vegetables, some people like using broccoli stalks, some stay away from them. I like them. Celery is great, but be careful about celery leaves. They are very strong and bitter and many cooks advise to stay away from them. Stay away from vegetables that may dissolve in the water or add starch, like potatoes or cauliflower. The classic brown stock uses carrots, onions, tomatoes, leek and celery.

Although included in the classic French brown stock, I do not use tomatoes, partly because I never have any left over and partly because it just seems wrong to me. I also do not save the root ends of onions or celery, as dirt is often hiding in them. I don't like dirt in my food.

The classic brown stock is seasoned with thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns. This seems odd to me because a good stock, properly made, will be nearly flavorless. In his book, Complete Techniques, Jacques Pepin describes stock as the “hidden and modest friend” that enables a cook to produce a well-finished sauce. It's a vehicle for flavor, having no identity of it's own. In spite of this, I still add a couple of bay leaves.

Do not add salt to the stock! If you reduce it, the concentration of salt will overpower everything.

Equipment needed
Jelly roll pan or roasting pan
Stockpot, Dutch Oven, or other large cooking pot
Slotted spoon or tongs
Strainer or chinois
Kitchen Knife
Skimmer or large spoon

Ingredients
About 10 pounds of bones (more or less), cut into 2-inch pieces if possible
About 2 pounds of vegetable trimmings, carrots, celery stalks, onions, broccoli, leeks and, if you must, tomatoes.
2 bay leaves
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large a large jelly roll pan or roasting pan with cooking spray. Add the bones to the pan, spreading them out evenly over the bottom. Cook in the over for 1 1/2 hours, turning over halfway through. They will be very brown. Add the carrots and onions to the bones and return to the oven, cooking for 1 more hour.

Remove the bones and vegetables from the oven and transfer them to a large stock pot. Use a slotted spoon or tongs so the fat drippings are left in the pan.

Pour out the accumulated fat drippings in the roasting pan. The solidified juices left in the pan (fond or glace) are what we're after. Pour a bit of water into the pan and place over the stove. Bring the water to a boil and, using a metal spatula, scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan, allowing it to melt into the water.

Add this water to the stock pot. Fill the pot with additional cold water, leaving about 1 inch of head space for safety. Slowly bring the water and bones to a boil over medium high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, or medium low, and gently simmer for one hour. Skim the top to remove any scum or foam that may accumulate. This is the albumin from the bones, along with a little fat and other impurities. If this is not skimmed off, the stock will be cloudy and less digestible. If the stock is boiled too fast, the albumin will not separate and the fat will emulsify back into the stock, increasing the calories.

Add the remaining vegetables and gently simmer for 10 hours, even overnight. During the cooking, water will evaporate. Replace it it periodically to the keep the same level of liquid. It is better to have more liquid than less. If the liquid is over-reduced with the bones, a lot of the glace will stick to the bones and be lost.

Remove the pan from the heat and strain it through a very fine mesh strainer.

Normally you would return the liquid to a clean pot and boil it down, reducing the stock by about 1/4, or to about 3 quarts. I find this step unnecessary unless you are planning on reducing it further to make a demi-glace, or glace de viande (I'll teach you more about those, next time).

Let the stock cool a bit and then put it in the refrigerator overnight. The remaining fat will solidify on top and can be removed the next day.

I like to store the completed stock in zipper lock freezer bags, laid on their sides in the freezer, about 1 to two quarts per bag. Laying them flat to freeze lets you store the frozen stock upright, later on.

If you want to, return the bones (not the vegetables) to the pot and fill it with water, simmering gently for another ten hours, just like before. You can even re-brown the bones and add more vegetables if you want to. It won't be as rich as the stock made the first time, but it's still very good. Except for the electricity and time, it's also more or less free.

Mormon Coffee

2010-11-21T15:21:00.001-07:00

This guest post comes from my friend, and fellow food blogger, Mark Hansen.

We Mormons often refer to ourselves by the scripture that calls believers a “peculiar people”. We are that, indeed. One of our quirks that makes a lot of other people scratch their heads is our “Word of Wisdom”, particularly the part that prohibits drinking tea and coffee.

Over the years, there’s been much debate over the interpretation of this injunction, which we call the “Word of Wisdom”, but nonetheless, it remains, and the faithful follow it, often not fully aware of why.

That discussion is not where I’m going with this, trust me.

Because, here, in our food blogs, we’re not about theological debates. We’re all about food. And this particular letter of our law has led many of us to partake in alternatives. For example, rather than drinking traditional teas, many of us will often indulge in herbal teas, mints, lemons, etc...

…And it has also earned a wink and a nod to the product known as Pero, or in some circles, “Mormon Coffee”. It’s made simply from four ingredients: malted barley, barley, chicory and rye. It’s a powder, and you mix it with boiling water. I, myself, like it with a bit of honey. I also like it made with milk, but I think I like it better with just honey.

Well, today, I thought it would be fun to try some twists, just for fun. All of these were mixed just as the directions said, but with a bit of honey added to taste. I experimented a little, and tried various amounts and combinations. I came up with four that both my son and I really liked.

Spice Pero

This one was the first one I tried, and it took me three attempts to hit amounts that I liked. I started with, as the instructions on the carton state, a heaping tablespoon of Pero powder in my cup. To that, I added a little more than a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, and a little less than a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg. I boiled up some water and poured it in. I added the honey last of all.

I found that stirring it for a longer time really helped the flavors to settle in. This one was interesting, and complex. The sweet would hit me first, and then the richness of the dark Pero. Finally, the zing of the cinnamon would dance in. The final result was tasty and unique.

Pero with a Punch

This one took a couple of tries, too, because the first one was way too hot! Again, I put the heaping spoonful in the cup, and then shook in a short sprinkle of cayenne powder. In went the water and then the honey. I really liked this one. It had edge.

Peppermint Pero

I wasn’t sure how to get the mint into the drink. My first thought was to use a mint tea bag, but I didn’t have one of those. But, I did manage to find a peppermint candy! We ground that up with the back of a spoon and dropped it in the cup with the Pero powder. The fact that it was candy added some sweet to it, and the aftertaste of the mint really shone through. I still did add some honey, as well. My son and I both thought this was our favorite.

Some Final Hints

Don’t just heat the water, boil it. If it’s not that hot, it won’t dissolve all of the powders, and steep the spices. Also, the longer you let it sit, stirring, steeping, and cooling, before you drink, the more settled in the flavors get. Often, by the end of the cup, it tasted its richest.

I sure had a lot of fun trying these out, and found some flavors that I’m sure to keep using all through the long cold winter.

Thanks for the great tips Mark! I like to sweeten my Pero creole style, with a little molasses. It's also great sprinkled over vanilla or chocolate ice cream. I don't think Pero tastes like coffee, but it does have the same toasty appeal, without the caffeine.

Mark dishes on dishes in dutch ovens at Mark's Black Pot and on Mormon life at Mo' Boy.

How to Store Rice

2010-11-17T22:04:00.001-07:00

As many rice varieties as there are, when it comes to food storage they can be boiled down (Sorry. Bad joke.) to two basic kinds: white rice and brown rice. Cooking and storing them are very similar, but there are some important differences that should be noted.

About Rice

As a cereal grain, rice is one of the most important staple foods for a large part of the world. It is second highest in worldwide grain production, right after corn. Most corn isn't grown for human consumption though, so, as far as humans are concerned, rice is a big deal.

As the seeds of the rice plant are first milled, removing the touch outer husks, we are left with what we think of as brown rice. Further milling to remove the bran, bran residue, and cereal germ, leaving only the endosperm, gives us white rice.

Nutritionally, brown rice packs more punch than white because of the fiber and other nutrients found in the bran and germ. There is also a small amount of fat in the germ, meaning that brown rice can spoil more easily than white rice. For this reason white rice is favored by most long-term food storage experts.

White rice is sometimes buffed and/or treated with glucose, flour, or talc to improve it's appearance. It can also be enriched with various compounds to improve it's nutritional content. Many of those methods involve dusting it with powders that wash right off when you rinse the rice to clean it so, I don't think it's worth bothering with.

Rice is a good source of protein, but it is not a complete protein. It needs to be combined with other protein sources such as beans, soy, nuts or seeds to complete the essential amino acid profiles as found in meat. Classic beans and rice, without the meat added, is an excellent vegetarian protein source.

Storing Rice

All rice is best stored hermetically sealed, with the oxygen removed, in a cool, dry place. Simple oxygen absorption packs can be used when storing, but I don't know that they are especially needed with white rice, unless you plan on keeping it for a very long time. I believe in rotating my food storage, eating what we store, so when we do it right, it never lasts more than one year.

Cool means around 70 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Even under those conditions, brown rice will start to go rancid in about 6 months. Storing brown rice below 60 degrees, or even freezing it, will extend the shelf life considerably. White rice will last between one and two years, without freezing.

Lentil Tacos

2010-11-14T20:00:00.001-07:00

My daughters are “sometimes” vegetarians. They like eating hamburgers, hot dogs and other foods that carnivores enjoy, but only on days when they don't have to think about where it came from. Other days getting them to eat anything that came as the result of killing an animal is like negotiating with an emotional terrorist.

“What's for dinner, Dad?” they ask.

“We're having meatloaf tonight.”

“What? No! I can't eat that. A cow was murdered for this, Dad!”

“You ate the hamburgers we had the other day and went back for seconds. This is the same kind of meat. You've liked my meatloaf in the past. What's the problem?”

“Oh, Dad! You just don't understand!” and they dash off to their rooms crying like little banshees and making me feel like I've broken their hearts by killing the family dog.

They certainly got one thing right in that conversation. I don't understand.

At times like this it's helpful to have a few vegetarian recipes up your cooking sleeve. In this case, it's a taco made with lentils instead of murdered cows.

Equipment needed:
Large frying pan with lid
Kitchen knife
measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 cup Dried Lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Paprika
2 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth, or water
1/2 cup Salsa
12 Tortillas
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, chopped
Sour Cream
Queso Fresco, or other cheese, grated

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika. Cook and stir for one minute, allowing the spices to bloom.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 - 30 minutes. Uncover and sit in the salsa. Cook about 6-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and some of the lentils start to break up.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into a tortilla shell and top with the tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and cheese as desired. Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings.

Couch Tomatoes

2010-11-09T17:12:00.001-07:00

Aren't fresh, garden ripe tomatoes wonderful things? Too bad you can't get something that good at the grocery store. Tomatoes can be had year round at major grocery stores, but they don't often have much flavor. Canned tomatoes make a good substitute and are best canned in their own juice. Other tomato based products are sometimes called for in recipes to add richness and depth to the dish.

Tomato Sauce
There are all kinds of variations of tomato based sauces. Usually they are served as part of the dish, not as a condiment. Tomato sauces are quite common for use with meat and other vegetables, and are probably best known for pasta dishes.

Sun-dried Tomatoes
Sometimes tomatoes halves, sometimes smaller pieces, dried tomatoes are often packed in olive oil. Sometimes they are sold loose. You can easily make your own if you have a food dehydrator. It's a lot less expensive that way, as well. They're great in salads, sauces, stews and pasta dishes.

Tomato Paste/Puree
Packed with rich tomato flavor, tomato paste is often used to add flavor and color to sauces, soups and stews. Sun-dried paste is slightly sweeter and more mellow in flavor than traditional reductions.

Tomato Powder
Beyond canned pastes and sauces, tomato powder is an interesting long-term food storage option. It is normally mixed with water to dilute it to the desired thickness. It can also be added strait to soups stews in lieu of tomato paste.

Crushed Tomatoes
Whole and diced canned tomatoes are great products, but crushed tomatoes are available as well. They are particularly useful in sauces, soups, and stews, lending a smooth, thick consistency. Add a few herbs and spices, such as basil, garlic and black pepper, crushed tomatoes make a delicious and quick tomato soup.

Photo credit: Agata Urbaniak

Sauteed Pork with Mustard Sauce

2010-11-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Normally I'm not excited by a large cut of meat as the centerpiece for a meal. Don't get me wrong. I'm no vegetarian. Meat for meat's sake has just never been my style. Having said that, sometimes it's nice to to enjoy a simple cut of meat, pork in this case. In this case, simple means French cuisine.

Isn't “simple French cuisine” an oxymoron? Normally I would think so.

Sauces are a big deal in French cuisine, along with with herbs, cheese and wine. The idea of “mother sauces” is a core principle. Simple variations on the mother sauces create all kinds of wonderful dishes. The tradition of mother sauces has continued into modern times, and this recipe is no exception. It uses a mustard sauce, a simple variation on a basic cream sauce.

I think this dish works very well as a Sunday night dinner, because of it's nature. It would work equally well as a weeknight dish, though. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and doesn't dirty a lot of dishes in the preparation. It's a great example of a “one pot” dish. The pork is served with tomatoes to brighten the dish, but they aren't required.

Equipment Needed:
Meat tenderizer
Kitchen knife
Frying pan
Kitchen tongs (optional)

Ingredients:
4 medium Pork Loin, about 7 oz. each, or use pork chops
Salt, as required
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
2 1/2 tablespoons Butter
2/3 cup Cream
2 tablespoons Grainy Mustard
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
8 Cherry Tomatoes
4 sprigs Fresh Italian Parsley, or dried

Directions:
Tenderize the pork by hitting it with a meat tenderizer until it has a uniform thickness. Score the fat around the pork with the tip of a knife. Make 3 - 4 cuts into the fat, cutting partway into the meat, to cut the sinews. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over both sides of the pork.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute one side of the pork until golden brown. Turn the pork over and saute until the other side is also golden brown. Once browned, reduce the heat to medium low until pork is cooked through. Take the pan off the heat and remove the pork. Set aside.

Pour the oil from the frying pan and remove any excess oil with paper towels. Use tongs so you don't get burned. Put the butter in the pan over medium heat until it melts. Add the cream. Mix in the mustard and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and let it cook until thickened slightly. Return the pork to the pan.

Transfer the pork to serving plates, pouring the remaining sauce over the pork. Garnish with tomatoes and parsley. Enjoy!

Make 4 servings.

Thank You for your Feedback

2010-11-03T13:34:00.000-06:00

I just want to say thank you to all those who participated in our recent survey. Based on the results, over the next few weeks you'll be seeing some changes to the site, and the frequency of certain kinds of posts. I hope you like the changes. If there's anything else you'd like to comment on, or request, let me know by commenting below.

Photo credit: Jeffery Chen

Getting to Know You

2010-10-25T13:26:00.001-06:00

Confessions of a Mormon Foodie has been up for a few years, now. My goals have always been to provide my readers with recipes and other information to help make their lives better, as far as meal time is concerned. Food storage, basic information on various ingredients and kitchen equipment, and the like are all part of that equation. I also like to have a little fun along the way. Food preparation and consumption is an important part of family life. I believe that it can help bring families together, if only around the dinner table.

One thing I've never really done well, though, is learn more about you, my gentle readers. With apologies in tow, I'd like to remedy the situation. Please fill out the following survey and let me know something about yourself, and what you expect from me. You don't need to answer any question you don't feel comfortable with. While I'm curious to find out what you like, if there are things you don't like, feel free to vent. I'm a big boy. I can take it.

Food Joke Friday - Gummi Bear Diet

2010-10-22T13:35:00.001-06:00

According to a recent article, nutritionists say there is a simple way to tell if you're eating right: colors. Fill your plates with bright colors. Greens, reds, yellows.

I decided to eat a plate of gummi bears. Who knew eating right could be so easy?

Photo credit: Shannah Pace

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olives, and Herbs

2010-10-19T00:19:00.000-06:00

Posting two pasta dishes in a row? You've think I'd gone pasta crazy. I'd have a hard time arguing that, but in this case, it's actually my oldest daughter, Writer Girl. The one who likes making candy? She's discovered she likes to make pasta dishes, too.

This offering is a simple, vegetarian, spaghetti recipe that gets it's flavors from aromatic olives, garlic, and herbs. It's a perfect break from heavier meals. The original recipe comes from Julia Della Croce, but this is our version. modified to make it slightly easier to make.

Equipment needed
Large Skillet
Small Skillet
Large saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen knife

Ingredients
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 large Garlic cloves, Very finely chopped
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Marjoram, chopped
1/3 cup Black Olives, Pitted and Sliced
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
1 pound Spaghetti
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup Fresh Bread Crumbs, lightly toasted

Directions
Combine all but 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic in a deep, broad skillet. Turn the heat to medium low and saute until the garlic softens and begins to color lightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, marjoram, olives, pepper flakes and warm through, about 20 seconds. remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, stirring frequently to prevent the strands from sticking together. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water to moisten the pasta sauce.

While the pasts is still dripping and moist, transfer to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. If it needs more moisture add a little of reserved cooking water.

In a separate small skillet, heat remaining olive oil and add the bread crumbs. Saute over medium low heat, until crunchy. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta, and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Food Joke Friday - Duck and Friends

2010-10-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

An American tourist in China decides to have lunch in a restaurant where the specialty is duck. The waiter explains each dish as it is brought to the table.

"This is the breast of the duck; this the leg of the duck; this is the wing of the duck ..." and so on.

Then came the dish the American knew was chicken. He waited for the explanation. Silence.

"Well?" he finally asked, "What's this?"

The waiter replied, "This is a friend of the duck."

Photo credit: Yosep Sugiarto

Fusilli Pasta with Tomatoes and Olives

2010-10-14T02:15:00.002-06:00

October 25 is World Pasta Day, or so the people at Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant tell me. Who I am to argue? I've never needed an excuse to eat pasta, but passing up a chance to celebrate it would go against my foodie nature.

It's also the beginning of fall, and all those wonderful tomatoes are more than ready to be eaten. Either that or canned. Before you get your canner out, let me offer this recipe that's heavy on that fresh tomato flavor, and will help us all celebrate World Pasta Day: Fusilli with Tomatoes and Green Olives. While the pasta must be cooked, this is a salse crude – an uncooked sauce.

Fusilli, is a long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta and if often confused with rotini, its twisted cousin. Rotini has a tighter helix; fusilli is more like very long, twisted macaroni. Either pasta will do for this sauce, however.

If you want to use other types of pasta, that's fine. Almost any will do, but I would recommend something that will be able hold on to the chunks of tomato and olive.

Equipment needed
Kitchen knife
mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
large saucepan

Ingredients
3 ounces Green Olives, chopped
10 Fresh Basil Leaves, torn into small pieces
1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 pound Tomatoes, fresh vine ripened or cherry tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 pound Fusilli (corkscrew) Pasta
Salt, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Parmesan, mozzarella, or capers to garnish

Directions
Combine the tomatoes, olives, basil, red pepper, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Let marinade while the pasta cooks to blend the flavors. If you don't have fresh basil, a few teaspoons of dried basil will do nicely.

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta cook until al dente, then drain.

Add salt and pepper to the sauce, seasoning to taste. Toss with the cooked pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese, capers, or grated Parmesan as desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 – 6 servings

The Naked Diet

2010-10-08T09:18:00.002-06:00

"A great way to lose weight is to eat naked in front of a mirror. Restaurants will almost always throw you out before you can eat too much."

-- Frank Varano

Photo credit: Laura Nubuck

Weekly Meal Planning Part 2 – Bagging Dinner

2010-10-05T13:22:00.000-06:00

After introducing you to the idea of creating meal bags as part of our weekly meal planning, it's time to get down to actually putting the meals together. Now that the plan is made, each day's recipes have been printed, and the needed groceries acquired, its time to assemble each day's meal bag.

Start With the Bags

We started by getting nine moderately sized gift bags, one for each day plus two extra. We needed the extra bags because we're doing the prep on Saturday morning, but we're planning from Monday to Sunday. That way we've got enough for the overlapping days. We also got a box of sandwich bags and a box of gallon sized freezer bags.

First, we took seven freezer bags and marked them with a number, 1-7, to correspond with the numbers we wrote on the printed recipes. We made two number 6's and two number 7's, because they are the extra days. You can number the gift bags, too, although we don't. You'll see why you don't need to, as we go along.

Prepping According to Plan

When assembling the meal bag, take the a gift bag and corresponding freezer bag and set them aside. I put the freezer bag on the counter and the gift bag on the kitchen table for easy access. Next, grab the recipe that goes along with those bags. For example, Monday is day #1 for us so, to prep for Monday I would grab the printed recipes and bags that all have #1 printed on them.

Look at the printed recipes for that day and see what ingredients need to be refrigerated and which ones don't. Ingredients that need refrigeration are going to in the freezer bag. Those that don't need to be refrigerated will end up in the gift bag.

The goal is to make cooking easier and faster the day you are cooking it. We're deferring the prep time from the day we cook to the day we prep. Figure out how much measuring and prep work you can do ahead of time, and what will just have to wait. For dry ingredients, once you measure and prep an ingredient, it can go into a sandwich bag, and then into either the gift bag or the numbered freezer bag. By putting it into a cheap sandwich bag, first, you can reuse the numbered freezer bags without having to wash them each time. We want to make things easy, not fill up the local landfill single-handed.

Also look and see which ingredients are used at the same time in the recipe. Those that can be stored in the same bag. For example, if you're adding a bunch of herbs and spices in the same step, those herbs and spices can all be combined in the same sandwich bag.

Preparing the Ingredients

Prep the ingredients the best you can. For example, chopping or grating vegetables before hand, putting them in sandwich bags, and then in the freezer bags. Canned goods, that closely match the amount you need for the recipe, can just be put in the gift bag. You don't need to open the cans. Any amount that you don't need can be refrigerated for use, later, the day you cook that meal.

Liquid ingredients aren't going to fit in a bag very well. I worry the sandwich bags will leak. In those cases you can just leave those ingredients for the day you cook, or put them in some other container. We've started experimenting with prepping sauces and dressings and putting them in small jars or used and washed cottage cheese cartons in the refrigerator. I'll put a piece of masking tape with the number of the day on them, just like the bags. So far I've not found a case where I needed to use more than one per meal.

Some cooking could be done on the prep day, if want. Be careful about that, though. Most food doesn't last as long in the refrigerator after it is cooked. Where possible, I try and avoid freezing anything that needs to be cooked that week. I don't want to spend time defrosting it the day I'm cooking, or remember to take it out of the freezer the day before.

Storing the Meal Bags

Once the prep is done, and the ingredients are sorted, put the printed recipes for that meal in the gift bag. The gift bag can then go to the pantry and the freezer bag put in the refrigerator, until needed.

That's it! When the evening meal comes long, just get the appropriate bag and follow the directions in the printed recipe. Much of the prep work has already been done so, it won't take as long to put together. If you've done the prep right, you know you've got everything to make that meal because it's already in one of the bags.

We've been doing the “meal bag” thing for about 3 weeks now, and so far it's worked out pretty well. The only downside are those days when I feel like experimenting in the kitchen. I'm not as spontaneous with ingredients as I used to be. In fact, I kind of have to “plan” my cooking experiments more than I used to. There's something to be said for being able to look at the available ingredients and put something tasty together.

Still, I think the meal bags are working out better overall. There's less stress of “what to make,” or “I'd like to make THIS tonight. Do we have the ingredients?” We know we do because it's all in the bag. As a side effect, I think it's helping us to rotate our food storage better and control our weekly grocery costs. We not as eager to rush out and buy something from the grocery store on a whim if we've already got it on hand. Last week we planned meals that only used ingredients from our food storage, so we didn't have to go grocery shopping at all. I don't want to that every week, mind you, but it was comforting to know we could.

Photo credit: Maira Kouvara

Food Joke Friday - Chocolate Marijuana

2010-10-01T12:10:00.001-06:00

Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana does.

The researchers also discovered more similarities between them, but can't remember what they are.

Have you got the munchies?

Photo by Gerhard Taatgen jr.

Weekly Menu Planning – It's in the Bag

2010-09-27T16:25:00.002-06:00

Whenever I think about putting a meal in a bag, I think lunch. School lunch, work lunch ... either way. Who knew that bagging dinner might be a good idea, too?

A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to a special fireside put on by the High Priest Group in our ward. As part of the presidency of that group, naturally I had to go. I'm glad I did. A woman from the upper echelons of the LDS Church welfare and food storage programs came and spoke to us about getting our food storage together. At the bequest of the First Presidency, she was called to do some major studying on food storage and food storage recipes. The whole thing was very enlightening.

One thing we took away was the idea of a “bagged meal.” In this case, you get everything you need to make a single meal and put it in a bag. Canned goods, packets, dried stuff, whatever, along with direction on how to make the meal. That way, when it comes time to cook, you just go grab the bag from your panty and start cooking.

The bagged meals also come in handy if someone in the ward is ill or, for whatever other reason, needs to have meals brought into them. No problem. Just grab a bag and hand it over to the Relief Society President.

My wife and I have started implementing that idea, along with the meal planner at KitchenMonki, to make meal preparation faster and easier. Our goal for some time has been to have better, more regular family meals prepared by the family, not just me. The fact that I want my kids to learn to cook is no secret. The fact that my wife hates to cook from scratch is no secret, either.

Weekly Meal Planning with Bagged Dinners

Here's what we've been doing to create a week of bagged meals. On Friday night, we create a dinner plan for the week using the meal planning tool at KitchenMonki. Any tool would do, even a piece of paper. We just happen to like this one. Each of my children has been assigned to one day of the week to cook, with help from either Mom or Dad depending on the day, leaving the other days for my wife and me.

When making the plan, we only plan for dinners. Breakfasts and lunches during the week are still pretty much up for grabs, either by default or necessity. It gives us a chance to eat any leftovers and it just works better for us, given everyone's schedules. When planning those dinners, we get the kids involved. Whoever is cooking gets a say in what they want to make that day, with a little guidance when needed from yours truly. That way, they are invested in the process of planning full, mostly balanced meals. They get to learn a bit about nutrition menu planning because they are doing the planning. They are also more invested in the idea of making their dinner, and are more happy to actually do it when the time comes.

Printing the Menu Plan

Once the plan is made we print out the weekly menu as one document and put it up on the bulletin board. That way everyone knows what's coming up for dinner that week, and can remind themselves of what they're cooking on their days.

Next, I print out the recipes for each day as a single document. I staple the pages together, write the day of the week on it, and make other notes based on any modifications or clarifications needed for that day. Then we put a number on each day's packet: 1 through 7, depending on the day. For us, the week starts on Monday not Sunday so, Monday is #1, Tuesday is #2, and so on.

Next, we check the menus and create a grocery list for the week. If there's anything we already have on hand, great. If not, we add it to the list. Saturday morning, or late Friday night, I go to the grocery store and pick up the items we need, along with any staples we may need for breakfast and lunch.

After the chores and grocery shopping are done, we get the kids together and prepare the meal bags, each person prepping their own meal.

But I'll tell you more about how we do that, next time.

The Power of Zucchini

2010-09-24T13:29:00.001-06:00

Food Joke Friday is being temporarily interrupted by this not-so-breaking news story. A Huson Montana woman has discovered the true power of zucchini. Not only can it be used in various culinary creations, or given away as fellowshipping, it makes for pretty powerful bear repellent.

From the Missoulian:

A woman in the Huson area warded off a charging black bear with a garden fresh zucchini early Thursday after the 200-pound bruin attacked her dog and swiped at the woman's leg.

… The woman was clutching the door jamb and trying to keep the bear out of her house when she reached inside and grabbed the only object on the counter - an 18-inch zucchini that she harvested from her garden.
She threw the vegetable at the bear's head and the animal retreated, running back up the the hill and into the darkness.

And so, what could have been a grisly scene of nature gone wild was turned into a triumph of woman-kind over great adversity, due to tenacity and the power of the mighty zucchini!

I really wish I could make this stuff up.