Is it proper to eat trash? Yes if it it's the refuse that came off common fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly enough what most of us toss from our produce can be used in a variety of recipes.Much can be made from roots and leaves along with pits and peelings.Don't throw anything out. Not after reading this.
Utilizing entire stalks and roots was the main article in today's New York Times Dining section regular, Julia Moskin.In it she explores the idea of "nose to tail"vegetable cooking. This process has long been used with meats ;cooking every part of an animal's body. Now chefs are looking at the discarded parts of corn, broccoli and some fruits to make delicious dishes. It just comes with one caveat. Sometimes the pieces such as the kernel inside certain pits contain what's is known as cyanogens, compounds that are part of the highly lethal cyanide. Before cooking ,it's wise to read up on what's OK to eat and not eat.
The yield is remarkable. Broccoli stalks can be made into a delicious salad once cooked. Cauliflower leaves can be cooked into a tender cabbage like dish and it has almost the same taste except with the cauliflower undertones. Fruit pits are crushed and used as flavorings in puddings and ice creams. Discarded celery stalks are used to make a pungent celery salt while other roots and leaves can create entirely new dishes. Using entire veggies and fruits are nothing new. There are century old recipes for pickled green tomatoes and watermelon rinds. After all early American cooks used everything thanks to bumper crops and a need to satisfy hungry families.
Don' tthrow away anything from your produce. Those stalks and leaves can create some tasty and new dishes. Save anything and everything before you throw them out.If not you may be missing out on a valuable ingredient,
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
From Hot To Cold
A favorite dish is a favorite dish no matter what the season. Yet what happens when those tummy warming meals are to be craved during these hot days? Adapt them to summer cooking. You can still have your delicious favorites yet prepare them in easy hot weather friendly ways. You not only enjoy them but also cook them in a way that’s comfortable during these sweltering times.
The microwave is the best way to make any quick version of a meal. You can still have a warm dinner but in half the time. A fun dish that can be adapted to the summer is baked mac and cheese. You can mix Velveeta along with already boiled macaroni and some milk. Add a quarter cup of flour for shortening and it’s an easy to do fave. If you want crunch, add some bacon croutons or a layer of bread crumbs on top for layering. Spaghetti is easy to. You can easily boil up some and for a fresh sauce just saute some basil garlic and sliced fresh tomatoes. It’s a different spin on a sauce, yet it still tastes the same but with a garden fresh tang.
You can even make a hot lunch during these sweltering days. A hot sandwich is a nice break from cold ones and wraps. You can buy already sliced cold cuts form your local deli or supermarket Put on sliced bread or roll and add some already made hot gravy. It’s not cooking but with a lot of flavor. Homemade soup is another noon favorite . You can make any stock on a stovetop. Then add whatever you want . if not just buy the already made ones. Then add fresh veggies for a nice garden vegetable or try making bisques using fresh seafood and meats.
Just because it’s summer it doesn’t mean you have to give up your winter favorites. Adopt recipes to fit these hot steamy days. It's surprisingly simple.
The microwave is the best way to make any quick version of a meal. You can still have a warm dinner but in half the time. A fun dish that can be adapted to the summer is baked mac and cheese. You can mix Velveeta along with already boiled macaroni and some milk. Add a quarter cup of flour for shortening and it’s an easy to do fave. If you want crunch, add some bacon croutons or a layer of bread crumbs on top for layering. Spaghetti is easy to. You can easily boil up some and for a fresh sauce just saute some basil garlic and sliced fresh tomatoes. It’s a different spin on a sauce, yet it still tastes the same but with a garden fresh tang.
You can even make a hot lunch during these sweltering days. A hot sandwich is a nice break from cold ones and wraps. You can buy already sliced cold cuts form your local deli or supermarket Put on sliced bread or roll and add some already made hot gravy. It’s not cooking but with a lot of flavor. Homemade soup is another noon favorite . You can make any stock on a stovetop. Then add whatever you want . if not just buy the already made ones. Then add fresh veggies for a nice garden vegetable or try making bisques using fresh seafood and meats.
Just because it’s summer it doesn’t mean you have to give up your winter favorites. Adopt recipes to fit these hot steamy days. It's surprisingly simple.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Versatile Chickpea
Chickpeas are one of the most versatile beans a cook can use. They can be dried, mashed or fried. They can be used in dips or soups. They are the perfect ingredient for any dish , in any season.
Chickpeas have been around since our Neanderthal days. There is evidence of the dried beans in caves found in Southern France. It was first cultivated in Asia and the Middle East in larger quantities. The name comes from the Latin cicer and pease or pea. It was then called chichepea in Medieval France and then shortened to chick pea or by the English who called it the cavalance too.It is also called garbanzo by the Italians which comes from the old Spanish garroba or algarroba although another theory is that it's from the Basque garbantzu.
Chickpeas are a wonderful addition to any dish. They add a rich meatiness and texture to salads along with color .Mashed them and add olive oil and spices to make a creamy, smooth and nutty hummus for dips. Chickpeas are also a wonderful addition to minestrone and pasta e fagiole. They do not become soggy, or mushy. Another way of having them is dried and salted. This is a popular and addictive snack at Italian street fairs. The Greeks love them cooked with spinach and feta cheese ans a tasty side dish.
Chick peas are a wonderful addition to any meal. They add a nuttiness and a meatiness to any salad, soup ro dip. Try them for a delightful variation.
Chickpeas have been around since our Neanderthal days. There is evidence of the dried beans in caves found in Southern France. It was first cultivated in Asia and the Middle East in larger quantities. The name comes from the Latin cicer and pease or pea. It was then called chichepea in Medieval France and then shortened to chick pea or by the English who called it the cavalance too.It is also called garbanzo by the Italians which comes from the old Spanish garroba or algarroba although another theory is that it's from the Basque garbantzu.
Chickpeas are a wonderful addition to any dish. They add a rich meatiness and texture to salads along with color .Mashed them and add olive oil and spices to make a creamy, smooth and nutty hummus for dips. Chickpeas are also a wonderful addition to minestrone and pasta e fagiole. They do not become soggy, or mushy. Another way of having them is dried and salted. This is a popular and addictive snack at Italian street fairs. The Greeks love them cooked with spinach and feta cheese ans a tasty side dish.
Chick peas are a wonderful addition to any meal. They add a nuttiness and a meatiness to any salad, soup ro dip. Try them for a delightful variation.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Gathering Up Family Recipes
Summer is the time of family reunions. It's also the time to swap and collect decades old family recipes. After all food and most importantly a shared meal is what keeps families connected through the decades and even the centuries. That's why it's important to hold fast to these gems that link us to our families and to our heritage.
A good idea is to have everyone bring a favorite family recipe to the next gathering. Some older relatives like moms and aunts may be the bearers of the family culinary archives. Have them write the casserole and cookie recipes. Keep in mind to use exact measurements however. Someone else's dash may be another's dollop. Don't skimp by using short cuts. If Oma's potato pancake call for shredded potatoes don't sub in frozen hash browns.The same goes for Nonna 's sauce recipe. You don't want the family manicotti recipe ruined by the store bought stuff.
How to store these recipes? Have a few cousins volunteer to help compile them in books. You can scan in the hand written recipes and then print them out . Remember to put who contributed what and where it came from geographically. Also separate them into courses so there's no confusion when searching for a dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas (such as don't put the fruitcake recipe next to the baked ham one) If the dish has a story behind it include it in along with pictures of the finished product. A family crest is always a nice touch on the cookbook's cover.
Family recipes are just that - recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Treasure and cherish yours. They link you to your ancestors and to you heritage.
A good idea is to have everyone bring a favorite family recipe to the next gathering. Some older relatives like moms and aunts may be the bearers of the family culinary archives. Have them write the casserole and cookie recipes. Keep in mind to use exact measurements however. Someone else's dash may be another's dollop. Don't skimp by using short cuts. If Oma's potato pancake call for shredded potatoes don't sub in frozen hash browns.The same goes for Nonna 's sauce recipe. You don't want the family manicotti recipe ruined by the store bought stuff.
How to store these recipes? Have a few cousins volunteer to help compile them in books. You can scan in the hand written recipes and then print them out . Remember to put who contributed what and where it came from geographically. Also separate them into courses so there's no confusion when searching for a dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas (such as don't put the fruitcake recipe next to the baked ham one) If the dish has a story behind it include it in along with pictures of the finished product. A family crest is always a nice touch on the cookbook's cover.
Family recipes are just that - recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Treasure and cherish yours. They link you to your ancestors and to you heritage.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Good Roast Beef Sandwich
There's nothing like a plain roast beef sandwich for a summer lunch or dinner. It's the easiest to make .It's also the easiest to serve. Best of all it's easy to tote to the beach or the office. A roast beef sandwich is a no brainer idea for what to eat during these hot days.
As far as the filling you can easily make a roast in this weather. A better method is cooking it with just a brush of olive oil on the e grill. Cooking roast beef leaves it tender and that makes for a melt in your mouth slice. It also has an added smokiness that's brought out by just a simple sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.If it's too hot to cook, then go to your local deli or deli counter at your grocery store.I've found that the butchers there always give you the pinkest, tenderest slices, perfect for the best sandwich. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff. It tends to be overly salty and sometimes slimy.
A good sandwich demands a good bread. Italian or French bread is the perfect foil. They're both crunchy and chewy, absorbing any leftover juice. Another good choice is a simple hearty white like Pepperidge Farm 's sandiwch bread. This has a soft yet textured crumb to it and its mild,yeasty taste goes well with the meat's robust flavor. Avoid kaiser or any other kind of rol.s There's almost too much bread which overcomes the roast beef's flavor. Hamburger buns are too squishy . Avoid them too.
Nothing beats a simple roast beef sandwich on a summer's day. It's just two ingredients simple enough but layered with richness. It's easy perfection with the best flavors!
As far as the filling you can easily make a roast in this weather. A better method is cooking it with just a brush of olive oil on the e grill. Cooking roast beef leaves it tender and that makes for a melt in your mouth slice. It also has an added smokiness that's brought out by just a simple sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.If it's too hot to cook, then go to your local deli or deli counter at your grocery store.I've found that the butchers there always give you the pinkest, tenderest slices, perfect for the best sandwich. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff. It tends to be overly salty and sometimes slimy.
A good sandwich demands a good bread. Italian or French bread is the perfect foil. They're both crunchy and chewy, absorbing any leftover juice. Another good choice is a simple hearty white like Pepperidge Farm 's sandiwch bread. This has a soft yet textured crumb to it and its mild,yeasty taste goes well with the meat's robust flavor. Avoid kaiser or any other kind of rol.s There's almost too much bread which overcomes the roast beef's flavor. Hamburger buns are too squishy . Avoid them too.
Nothing beats a simple roast beef sandwich on a summer's day. It's just two ingredients simple enough but layered with richness. It's easy perfection with the best flavors!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Dippin Dots Grow Up!
Everybody loves Dippin Dots. This frozen treat has a stand in almost every mall in America.At first it just offered just the basics, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.Like every other product, it's growing up. It's so popular that the New York Times Dining section covered it yesterday in an interesting article by Jennifer A. Kingston.
Dippin Dots is not your typical ice cream. These are individual balls of ice cream base that have been flash frozen in liquid nitrogen to form "pearls". Even though this is a popular way to serve any food these days, Dippin Dots was the first, starting twenty-three years ago, There are also Mini Melts another brand that is very similar, both in taste and shape. Dippin Dots, though is all over, mostly at malls where there are several flavors to choose from. The original three flavors are now competing wtith cookies and cream, cotton candy and bubble gum to name a few.
The company is also appealing to a more sophisticated, adult crowd with its' new division, forty Below Joe. This is coffee dipped in liquid nitrogen to form pellets that can be eaten from a cup. This is probably a more refreshing way to have the drink than just a glass of iced coffee. Flavors are going to be the unsweetened espresso, along with vanilla, caramel and mocha. What is neat is that the dots can be mixed to create a frozen latte or frappeccino taste. There is also going ot be a sorbet line that will have strawberry, citrus and pina colada dots that can be added to alcohol for a fun grown up treat or the more innocent soda for kids.
Dippin Dots may be a kid classic and fave but it;s growing up. This popular treat is attracting more sophisticated palates with its' new lines. It is still an unusual approach to ice cream. Now it'; going to be unique.
Dippin Dots is not your typical ice cream. These are individual balls of ice cream base that have been flash frozen in liquid nitrogen to form "pearls". Even though this is a popular way to serve any food these days, Dippin Dots was the first, starting twenty-three years ago, There are also Mini Melts another brand that is very similar, both in taste and shape. Dippin Dots, though is all over, mostly at malls where there are several flavors to choose from. The original three flavors are now competing wtith cookies and cream, cotton candy and bubble gum to name a few.
The company is also appealing to a more sophisticated, adult crowd with its' new division, forty Below Joe. This is coffee dipped in liquid nitrogen to form pellets that can be eaten from a cup. This is probably a more refreshing way to have the drink than just a glass of iced coffee. Flavors are going to be the unsweetened espresso, along with vanilla, caramel and mocha. What is neat is that the dots can be mixed to create a frozen latte or frappeccino taste. There is also going ot be a sorbet line that will have strawberry, citrus and pina colada dots that can be added to alcohol for a fun grown up treat or the more innocent soda for kids.
Dippin Dots may be a kid classic and fave but it;s growing up. This popular treat is attracting more sophisticated palates with its' new lines. It is still an unusual approach to ice cream. Now it'; going to be unique.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A Cold Perfect Cup Of Joe Or Tea
July calls for a tall glass of iced coffee or tea. There's nothing like a glass of either one when the temps hit the nineties or triple digits. The thing is if they're made wrong, both can taste like dishwater. Luckily there are a few solutions to make each glass of joe or Pekoe the perfect thirst quencher for these hot days.
Todays' Curious Cook column in the New York Times Dining section gave readers pointers making the most flavorful glass of any iced brew. Writer Harold McGee demystifies the process. It's not just pouring freshly brewed coffee or tea over ice (although you can do this). It's actually less work than what 's expected. Take cold water as opposed to hot. The usual boiling water cooks the leaves or grounds and also extracts. This forces chemical reactions and drives the aroma reactions out.Cold water immersion is a slower process and creates a more simpler extract.
Cold brewing produces a less acidic drink that also doesn;t have as much caffeine. The color is also clearer than coffees and teas first boiled and then chilled. The taste is also purer and more robust.If you want to make a lot of iced coffee , remember it's five cups to every half pound of coffee. There can be some variations with iced tea and the amounts used. The tea leaves also plays an important part in creating the perfect taste. The more fragile the leaves or smaller the particles the less tea and time needed for brewing. If a cold brew is taking its' time to steep just add more tea.
Summer demands a cooling glass of iced coffee or tea. Cold brew either for the perfect taste to enjoy during these sweltering days! It'll be the next best thing to air conditioning!
Todays' Curious Cook column in the New York Times Dining section gave readers pointers making the most flavorful glass of any iced brew. Writer Harold McGee demystifies the process. It's not just pouring freshly brewed coffee or tea over ice (although you can do this). It's actually less work than what 's expected. Take cold water as opposed to hot. The usual boiling water cooks the leaves or grounds and also extracts. This forces chemical reactions and drives the aroma reactions out.Cold water immersion is a slower process and creates a more simpler extract.
Cold brewing produces a less acidic drink that also doesn;t have as much caffeine. The color is also clearer than coffees and teas first boiled and then chilled. The taste is also purer and more robust.If you want to make a lot of iced coffee , remember it's five cups to every half pound of coffee. There can be some variations with iced tea and the amounts used. The tea leaves also plays an important part in creating the perfect taste. The more fragile the leaves or smaller the particles the less tea and time needed for brewing. If a cold brew is taking its' time to steep just add more tea.
Summer demands a cooling glass of iced coffee or tea. Cold brew either for the perfect taste to enjoy during these sweltering days! It'll be the next best thing to air conditioning!
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