Can Do Can Don't

Our diets now consist mostly of canned food. It's convenient during these times and for the most part tasty. Can we live on canned food? Will it be just as good as fresh? Can it last us through this self containment period or will it go bad after a few weeks?

This is a big question many of us are going through. Let's face it food shopping today is not the leisurely trip it once was.It's a quick grab for whatever's left on the shelf and then a quick scoot out. Some of what we'll buy now can last us well after this pandemic is over. This was the subject of an article in Wednesday's New York Times. It was written by famed chef and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. He explored a variety of shelf lives for different foods, from spices (which can literally last forever) to flour ( which lasts long too) and foods that never have an expiration date. These are vinegar, honey vanilla, molasses and corn syrup. Salt and pepper never expire either. What about those cans? As a rule metal lasts longer than glass which lasts longer than plastic. There are some tinned foods left from century old Antarctic expeditions that are still edible. The only food that has to be opened by the expiration date is baby food. Canned food can last for years so what you buy now will still be good two to three years for now. The same is true for canned soda which will still keep its' fizz for twelve months or more.

 Do check, however on the can's appearance when you go food shopping. Don't buy if the can is bulging or rusting. Those are two very sure signs of spoilage. Even canned meats like deviled ham and chicken will last for years along with canned tuna , salmon and crab. Tuna in oil will also last long too so you can stock up now and use it for salad Nicoise over the summer. As for jarred foods,you can see if the product is spoiled if the lid's  center pops up in the middle. This definitely means spoilage.Canned foods are also as versatile as their fresh counterparts. Canned corn can be tasty side dish served hot with a butter sauce but it can also work well in a salad too. Use fresh chopped peppers to turn it into fiesta corn. Green beans can be graced with an almondine sauce or flavoring minestrone soup. Keep in mind that canned meats can be made into a variety of different dishes. It may garner smirks and giggles but Spam is transformable into anything.Turn it into a breakfast omelet with some eggs and cheese. Spam burgers can be fun and you can even create Spam fingers in your air fryer. Serve with a barbecue sauce for a different kind of dinner. As for canned fruit, buy the healthier choice  which is fruit packed in water instead of syrup. Mostly this is peaches -versatile for desserts and snacking and fruit salad. Think canned peaches and vanilla ice cream on waffles for dessert.

Canned food is a staple in our lives these days. We need it and will need it for months to come. Choose cans wisely and turn them into delicious meals.

Heirloom Recipes From The Brass Sisters

Sheila and Marilynn Brass are the cooks with the books.The stars of the popular PBS show Food Flirts wrote two great books Heirloom Cooking With The Brass Sisters and Baking With The Brass Sisters (both published by St. Marten's Press). I tried their corn fritters and had an instant hit  - and an empty plate. The recipe is a tad labor intensive but worth it,.The recipe originated in 1910 from a woman the Brass Sisters called The Church Lady of Mansfield,Ohio. This recipe is one of her earliest, with her recipes cards spanning forty years of cooking.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 eggs separated
1/2 cup milk ( I used Soy Good's coconut milk. It worked in perfectly)
1 tablespoon butter melted (this was subbed in with Miyoko's Vegan Butter)
1 cup canned or cooked corn (for more color and flavor I used Green Giant's Fiesta Corn
2 tablespoons butter softened at room temperature (again Miyoko's was used here)

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cooked chives

Place flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and set aside.(the combined dry ingredients below)

Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl.

Beat in milk and melted butter.

Add dry ingredients and gently stir to combine. 

Gently fold in corn.

Beat egg whites until stiff in a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Fold egg whites into batter.

Melt two tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Spoon one tablespoon batter into pan for each pancake, pressing down gently on them,once they are formed to make them thinner.

Cook pancakes until tops begin to bubble around the edges about two minutes. Turn and cook until the undersides are golden brown , about two minutes more.

 Serve immediately, topped with sour cream and chives. They can be kept warm in a 200 degree F oven for no more than 15 minutes. Store any leftovers in a cover container in the fridge. They can be refried.

I didn't  have any leftovers because they were a huge hit and eaten as they landed on the draining towel. This old classic is our new family favorite.

Recipe , page 56 in Heirloom Cooking With The Brass Sisters (St Martin's Press,2008)