Missourians are a brave tough crowd. From the pioneers who founded the state, to Harry Truman to the brave people who went through that devastating life shaking tornado,. They can make do with almost anything in any situation. The same goes for their food. They take risks with traditional dishes and create something bold and unique.. They are culinary warriors.
Missourians come from hardy immigrant stock. Their state is a mishmash of cultural finds from ribs to ravioli, from German to Chinese.. They have created a truly awe inspiring recipe book that puts their spin into time honored recipes. Take for example, St Louis. famed fried ravioli. Instead of served crispy and hot with a side o f marinara sauce for dipping. It's genius. They have put their on spin on classic Chinese cashew chicken renaming it Springfield. Here instead of marinating it in soy Missourians deep fry the chicken and then add the sauce. it's a tasty American spin on a traditional dish,.German food also plays an important part here thanks to many German immigrant settling the state in the 1840s; St. Louis offers as many different kinds of wurst s as Munich , Berlin or Hamburg does. Stollen is a popular Christmas and Easter cake here.
Missouri most famous city , St, Louis is known for its; ribs. it's a different style of cutting them ,mainly trimming away the brisket part or tips. These are usually slow cooked over a low heat to ensure a melt off the bone tenderness.Saucing the ribs with St Louis barbecue sauce is also needed to produce an authentic tasting treat. Since St Louis is a German town, beer is used in the sauce. This makes the meat butter soft and tasty. Horseradish and other piquant flavorings are also added to give the ribs some bite.
Missourians are a hardy race, forged from strong pioneer immigrant stock and buffered by their good food. They have contributed some unique and delicious food to America;s cookbook and table. The state is known as "The Show Me State" but it should be renamed "The Show Off State" for their strength and fortitude. - and good cooking.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Just Simple Desserts
Put away those frostings and meringue topping .Summer is here and it's time to start paring down desserts. You no longer have to have rich tortes or trifles. This is the time of year for simple sweets - homemade cakes and crumbles that involve fresh fruit and cream. It's also a time to think easy - fridge cakes and 1-2-3 puddings.
If you do insist on baking or even buying cake think pound. A slice of any flavor of pound cake with fresh berries and Cool Whip is a nice touch to any summer birthday meal. Pound cake is relatively easy to make . The only real headache is heating up the oven for almost two hours on a hot day. However many markets sell freshly made ones from plain to chocolate chip to marble . You can easily buy one and then dress it up anyway you like. Cobblers and crumbles are also a snap to whip up and fun to make; especially if you have fresh picked berries or peaches to add to them.
If you want something fancier, look no further than fridge cakes and rice pudding. There are some quick refrigerator cakes to make that suit any occasion from shower to barbecue. The most famous one is the chocolate wafer with whipped topping This log is wonderful and you and do so many variations with it. Add mint flavoring to the cream before assembling. Or serving raspberries with it on the side. Another great recipe is the Nilla wafer cake that involves Nabisco;s Nilla wafers and vanilla pudding. This last has graced many a picnic table. Rice pudding is a simple summer dessert that can also be varied. You can add pistachios for an Indian vibe or almonds and lemon. Some go the traditional route with raisins and cinnamon.
Summer is here and it;s a time for simple desserts. Try a slice of pound cake or a parfait glass of rice pudding at your next gathering. They are a sweet light ending to nay barbecue or picnic.
If you do insist on baking or even buying cake think pound. A slice of any flavor of pound cake with fresh berries and Cool Whip is a nice touch to any summer birthday meal. Pound cake is relatively easy to make . The only real headache is heating up the oven for almost two hours on a hot day. However many markets sell freshly made ones from plain to chocolate chip to marble . You can easily buy one and then dress it up anyway you like. Cobblers and crumbles are also a snap to whip up and fun to make; especially if you have fresh picked berries or peaches to add to them.
If you want something fancier, look no further than fridge cakes and rice pudding. There are some quick refrigerator cakes to make that suit any occasion from shower to barbecue. The most famous one is the chocolate wafer with whipped topping This log is wonderful and you and do so many variations with it. Add mint flavoring to the cream before assembling. Or serving raspberries with it on the side. Another great recipe is the Nilla wafer cake that involves Nabisco;s Nilla wafers and vanilla pudding. This last has graced many a picnic table. Rice pudding is a simple summer dessert that can also be varied. You can add pistachios for an Indian vibe or almonds and lemon. Some go the traditional route with raisins and cinnamon.
Summer is here and it;s a time for simple desserts. Try a slice of pound cake or a parfait glass of rice pudding at your next gathering. They are a sweet light ending to nay barbecue or picnic.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Healthy Food , Healthy Foodie
Ever notice how hospital food is always bland? ( I did after spending seven hours in my local one due to some silly stress today).There's a reason why it's so salt free and tasteless - it's healthy or supposed to be for you. No matter what age we are - whether seven or seventy we're all supposed to eat (and eat slowly because gobbling and wolfing are bad for you) organic , free range meats and wholesome healthy veggies and fruits.
This would work if there weren't so many temptations out there. There's snacks and cookies,, loaded with sodium and sugar, There's soda , pure sugar pure vice but oh so good, especially with ice on a hot day, How can we give up burgers and fries ? Or ice cream? Or chocolate. We're hard wired to love what's bad for us whether it's fast cars, fast men (or women) or fast food. If it's sinful bring it on.
Luckily there are compromises. Try flavored seltzer when you want a tasty and carbonated drink. There; no sugar as with a cola or root beer but it does quench your thirst and it is perfect on a hot day. For sweets there are some fun fruits out there like the pluot. This apricot plum hybrid is wonderful whether in a picnic basket or a lunch box. It has a candy like taste but it's fresh , organic fruit. Eat chocolate but go for the dakr kind than for the milk or white. For fun snacks try cut up veggies with Greek yogurt. Want burgers? Go for the turkey or veggie kind. Less calories, less cholesterol and they're still patties.
Healthy food doesn't mean sacrificing what you love. It just means a compromise for a better lifestyle and diet. You can still have what you crave but make it good for you
This would work if there weren't so many temptations out there. There's snacks and cookies,, loaded with sodium and sugar, There's soda , pure sugar pure vice but oh so good, especially with ice on a hot day, How can we give up burgers and fries ? Or ice cream? Or chocolate. We're hard wired to love what's bad for us whether it's fast cars, fast men (or women) or fast food. If it's sinful bring it on.
Luckily there are compromises. Try flavored seltzer when you want a tasty and carbonated drink. There; no sugar as with a cola or root beer but it does quench your thirst and it is perfect on a hot day. For sweets there are some fun fruits out there like the pluot. This apricot plum hybrid is wonderful whether in a picnic basket or a lunch box. It has a candy like taste but it's fresh , organic fruit. Eat chocolate but go for the dakr kind than for the milk or white. For fun snacks try cut up veggies with Greek yogurt. Want burgers? Go for the turkey or veggie kind. Less calories, less cholesterol and they're still patties.
Healthy food doesn't mean sacrificing what you love. It just means a compromise for a better lifestyle and diet. You can still have what you crave but make it good for you
Friday, May 20, 2011
Amazing Tuna
Tuna is one of those foods that can simple or elegant. You can put it in salads or have it as steaks. It's great mixed in tomato sauce or blended with mayo. This fish is so versatile you can use it six or seven times a week and each time it will still be fresh.
Tuna has been eaten for centuries, mostly in Mediterranean countries such as Italy Greece and Spain.It's from the Latin word thunnus .It is a salt water fish mostly swimming in the warmer waters around the Equator, It' s abundant in both the Pacific and Mediterranean and most commercial tuna in the US is harvested from California. Americans eat about3.6 pounds of it a year whether in steaks ,salads, sandwiches or just straight from the can with crackers.
Tuna has several different recipes. It's now chic to throw it on the backyard grill. Tuna steak can be cooked a variety of ways and you can even make it rare. Most chefs marinate it to emphasize its' briny flavor. Canned tuna is great too. Bumblebee, that American kitchen standard, has even the yummy Italian style where the fish is preserved in oil and not water and also flavors such as lemon pepper and basil tomato. The flavored tunas are great in salads and make a neat twist on the traditional French Nicoise.
Tuna is a versatile fish that you can have as a tasty grilled steak or a salad. It always good to keep some on hand because it stretches a menu. It also adds variety to every day meals. Always plan on having it for summer dining.
Tuna has been eaten for centuries, mostly in Mediterranean countries such as Italy Greece and Spain.It's from the Latin word thunnus .It is a salt water fish mostly swimming in the warmer waters around the Equator, It' s abundant in both the Pacific and Mediterranean and most commercial tuna in the US is harvested from California. Americans eat about3.6 pounds of it a year whether in steaks ,salads, sandwiches or just straight from the can with crackers.
Tuna has several different recipes. It's now chic to throw it on the backyard grill. Tuna steak can be cooked a variety of ways and you can even make it rare. Most chefs marinate it to emphasize its' briny flavor. Canned tuna is great too. Bumblebee, that American kitchen standard, has even the yummy Italian style where the fish is preserved in oil and not water and also flavors such as lemon pepper and basil tomato. The flavored tunas are great in salads and make a neat twist on the traditional French Nicoise.
Tuna is a versatile fish that you can have as a tasty grilled steak or a salad. It always good to keep some on hand because it stretches a menu. It also adds variety to every day meals. Always plan on having it for summer dining.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A Very Low Calorie Diet
Ever think that eating cake and pizza could lose you a few pounds? Or diving into a whole plate of brownies could actually be good for your waistline? It is if you pantomime eating it. That's right. Do what you did when you were little and make believe you're eating.
This strange concept was the subject of an article by Henry Alford in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Mr. Alford got himself to believe that he was actually snacking, He used utensils or his fingers imagining cutting into a tortilla or cake and then began to chew and even swallow. He tricked his body into thinking he was eating the actual thing. The best part of it - at then end of this experiment he actually lost weight - ten pounds to be exact. It seems that a recent Carnegie-Mellon study showed that people who repeatedly pretended to eat their favorite foods actually satisfied the craving for them. It started off with M&M's and then Mr. Alford took it a step further.
Is this a good idea? Actually the author also tried imagining eating high calorie treats when he was eating low calorie ones. he also conducted the test during trips to culinary rich countries such as France and Germany where many a diet was destroyed.I have a better idea. Why not let yourself have a small version of what you desire every now and then. It's a break from eating healthy foods and something to look forward to once in a while. Have that cream puff but once a month or every two months . Enjoy that overloaded bacon cheeseburger and fries but once a season.Don't deprive yourself of the things you love. Just cut down on them.
Dieters will do and try anything to shed pounds. Sometimes the best bet is just moderation. Don't go overboard every day with favorite foods. Stave off them. That's how you really lose the weight.
This strange concept was the subject of an article by Henry Alford in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Mr. Alford got himself to believe that he was actually snacking, He used utensils or his fingers imagining cutting into a tortilla or cake and then began to chew and even swallow. He tricked his body into thinking he was eating the actual thing. The best part of it - at then end of this experiment he actually lost weight - ten pounds to be exact. It seems that a recent Carnegie-Mellon study showed that people who repeatedly pretended to eat their favorite foods actually satisfied the craving for them. It started off with M&M's and then Mr. Alford took it a step further.
Is this a good idea? Actually the author also tried imagining eating high calorie treats when he was eating low calorie ones. he also conducted the test during trips to culinary rich countries such as France and Germany where many a diet was destroyed.I have a better idea. Why not let yourself have a small version of what you desire every now and then. It's a break from eating healthy foods and something to look forward to once in a while. Have that cream puff but once a month or every two months . Enjoy that overloaded bacon cheeseburger and fries but once a season.Don't deprive yourself of the things you love. Just cut down on them.
Dieters will do and try anything to shed pounds. Sometimes the best bet is just moderation. Don't go overboard every day with favorite foods. Stave off them. That's how you really lose the weight.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Recipe Wars
It's happened to all of us. We've gone surfing for one simple recipe and wound up with a million . The question is what's good and what's not. ? What reviews should we trust? That's the problem in our quick info age. There are just too many recipes and reviews to follow. How do we figure out what recipe is for us?
That was the interesting topic of the great Julia Moskin in her article in today's Dining section of The New York Times. So many of us (includng myself for this blog) use the Internet to search recipes as opposed to doing it the old fashioned way cracking open a good and well informed cookbook. Luckily the newest search engine, Bing, has a special recipe section that will take users straight to what they're looking for. However once you're there, you'll still be at sea. Type in chocolate chip cookie recipe, for example and you'll get a million recipes. Which ones are good? Is it someone's gourmet one from the Food Channel ? Or Aunt Edna's out in North Dakota? Whose croissant recipe do you trust? Jeanne Marie's in Paris or Rachel Rays'? The next question is how to decipher the many that are out there.
Many home cooks look for what's known as "rich snippets". That means the recipe should have not only an exact cooking time but also nutritional facts attached to it. There should also be yield and the author mentioned either at the beginning or the end. The numbe of stars next to it should be also considered however take into consideration that one chef's tasty is another's ick. Also it pays to check not just the first two pages of the search but subsequent ones. Sometimes the third and fourth pages weld a better or easier version .
What web recipes are good and what aren't? The best advice is to look for fully detailed ones. Also take into consideration the number of stars and even good reviews that follow it. Best of all , first make the recipe and taste it yourself. If it's a winner , then stick with it, if it's horrible, then it's back to the search engine and your quest for good recipes.
That was the interesting topic of the great Julia Moskin in her article in today's Dining section of The New York Times. So many of us (includng myself for this blog) use the Internet to search recipes as opposed to doing it the old fashioned way cracking open a good and well informed cookbook. Luckily the newest search engine, Bing, has a special recipe section that will take users straight to what they're looking for. However once you're there, you'll still be at sea. Type in chocolate chip cookie recipe, for example and you'll get a million recipes. Which ones are good? Is it someone's gourmet one from the Food Channel ? Or Aunt Edna's out in North Dakota? Whose croissant recipe do you trust? Jeanne Marie's in Paris or Rachel Rays'? The next question is how to decipher the many that are out there.
Many home cooks look for what's known as "rich snippets". That means the recipe should have not only an exact cooking time but also nutritional facts attached to it. There should also be yield and the author mentioned either at the beginning or the end. The numbe of stars next to it should be also considered however take into consideration that one chef's tasty is another's ick. Also it pays to check not just the first two pages of the search but subsequent ones. Sometimes the third and fourth pages weld a better or easier version .
What web recipes are good and what aren't? The best advice is to look for fully detailed ones. Also take into consideration the number of stars and even good reviews that follow it. Best of all , first make the recipe and taste it yourself. If it's a winner , then stick with it, if it's horrible, then it's back to the search engine and your quest for good recipes.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Salmon Are Running
Salmon is one of the most versatile fish out there. It can be used in every kind of dish from breakfast to dinner. It can start off as a canapes or be the body of the main meal. It's also elegant ,giving even the simplest spread classiness. Home cooks to professional chefs can't go wrong with this fish.
Salmon and its' cousin the trout, are unusual fish in the sense that they are both fresh and salt water fish. They are spawned and hatched in rivers and streams and swim out to the ocean to live. They once again swim back to sweet water areas to spawn and repeat the life cycle. Salmon is considered an "oily" fish high in the much needed Omega 3s. They're also high in Vitamin D as well. Their pink color comes from eating high in carotenoids krill and smaller fish. Salmon either come from the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans although the Pacific variety is the more preferred.
Salmon can be made different ways. It can be baked, roasted or grilled. Most groceries or fish stores sell salmon steaks or cutlets which are perfect for the oven or the barbecue. You can marinade the meat to get rid of the "fishy" taste, although salmon has a wonderful mild sweet flavor. You can also turn it into a salad with chopped celery and onion. Salmon is also good as a spread for finger sandwiches . Just add mayo to even a can of salmon and it makes a wonderful paste.
Salmon is a great , versatile fish for summer meals. It can be made into everything from sandwiches to cutlets.Try it for just a simple dinner or for a fun party.
Salmon and its' cousin the trout, are unusual fish in the sense that they are both fresh and salt water fish. They are spawned and hatched in rivers and streams and swim out to the ocean to live. They once again swim back to sweet water areas to spawn and repeat the life cycle. Salmon is considered an "oily" fish high in the much needed Omega 3s. They're also high in Vitamin D as well. Their pink color comes from eating high in carotenoids krill and smaller fish. Salmon either come from the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans although the Pacific variety is the more preferred.
Salmon can be made different ways. It can be baked, roasted or grilled. Most groceries or fish stores sell salmon steaks or cutlets which are perfect for the oven or the barbecue. You can marinade the meat to get rid of the "fishy" taste, although salmon has a wonderful mild sweet flavor. You can also turn it into a salad with chopped celery and onion. Salmon is also good as a spread for finger sandwiches . Just add mayo to even a can of salmon and it makes a wonderful paste.
Salmon is a great , versatile fish for summer meals. It can be made into everything from sandwiches to cutlets.Try it for just a simple dinner or for a fun party.
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