Thanks Bobby Flay!
I'm watching Throwdown: German Chocolate Cake right now, and I just learned something.
German Chocolate Cake is, in fact, not German. It's named for a man with the last name German.
From whatscookingamerica.net:
German Chocolate Cake is an American creation that contains the key ingredients of sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans. This cake was not brought to the American Midwest by German immigrants. The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German."
1852 - Sam German created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The company name the chocolate in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin.
1957 -The first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker. The cake quickly gained popularity and its recipe together with the mouth-watering photos were spread all over the country. America fell in love with German Chocolate cake.
Showing posts with label who knew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label who knew. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Theresa Learns!
I'm watching a rerun of Top Chef Masters right now, and Hubert Keller made Scottish Salmon Mi Cuit.
I couldn't help but go "ok, but what did he DO?"
Oh, google!
Apparently, you can Mu Cuit lots of stuff. Tomatoes, chocolate, caramel, plums. Salmon. Lots of stuff!
After chasing all over google creation to find out, I learned that it means "semi-cooked" (you'll also see "partially cooked" as an option as well). So he served semi-cooked salmon.
And there you go...
I couldn't help but go "ok, but what did he DO?"
Oh, google!
Apparently, you can Mu Cuit lots of stuff. Tomatoes, chocolate, caramel, plums. Salmon. Lots of stuff!
After chasing all over google creation to find out, I learned that it means "semi-cooked" (you'll also see "partially cooked" as an option as well). So he served semi-cooked salmon.
And there you go...
Friday, June 5, 2009
Cat Cora's Crispy Fried Chicken
One of my newest cookbook finds is Cat Cora's Cooking From The Hip, and I made her Crispy "Fried" Chicken for dinner the other day. I made the comment on our twitter (follow us on twitter, @ChefBlog) the other day that I felt like it was a good Zehender's substitute, and I realized that to most of the world, that means nothing. So I had some explaining to do!
First, the recipe, and I'll explain a few tweaks I had to make, and one I didn't have to make, but did:
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup light buttermilk
1 2 1/2 - to 3-pound fryer, cut into pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cornflakes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Pour the olive oil into a baking pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding. Using your fingers, rub the oil over the dish so that it's completely but lightly coated.
Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a large plate, season the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken piece in the flour until it's completely coated. Tap the chicken against the side of the bowl to loosen any excess flour and set the pieces aside. Discard the flour.
Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal the bag (leaving as little air inside as possible) and crush the flakes using a rolling pin. Pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a large plate.
In a bowl large enough to dip the chicken pieces, mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne (if using), paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath all over, then roll in the crushed flakes.
Arrange the chicken pieces in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375° F, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. (The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.) Serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
As for my tweaks: I honestly didn't notice in the recipe that it says to put the spices into the buttermilk. I thought the recipe went "Dredge in the flour, dip in the buttermilk, the cornflakes, the spices", and I went "Yowza, that's alot of steps!" so I mixed the spices into the flour. Turns out, I was supposed to have put the spices in the buttermilk. So that was the tweak I made that I didn't have to make.
I also didn't have cornflakes, so I used crushed club crackers instead. I can't imagine the difference was enormous, but I'll try it the right way next time, so we'll see.
I also had to tweak the spices, because I found myself strangely out of both paprika AND sage when I went to make it. My Better Homes & Gardens cookbook says Marjoram is a good substitute for paprika, and Cayenne pepper is a good sub for sage, so I subbed. Cat Cora's tip for this recipe is that if it's got to feed kids, go a little light on the spices, and I did - not only because I had to feed a kid, but because I was subbing spices left, right and center. Next time I think I'll spice it up better.
Now, as for the Zehender's reference:
There's a restaurant in Frankenmuth, Michigan called Zehender's. They serve "authentic" German style chicken dinners. Fried chicken, cottage cheese, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and gravy, butter noodles...trimmings that go on forever! And you can buy it all you can eat, so they will seriously just keep bringing you food for forever.
Now, I don't know that Zehender's would go winning any James Beard awards (sidebar: if you don't know the James Beard awards, I'll put it like this - a James Beard award is to a chef what an Oscar is to an actress), but it's good food, it's a crazy fun place to go, and sometimes, isn't that all that matters?
Cat Cora's Crispy Fried Chicken recipe is a pretty solid stand in for the Zehender's experience. I was really impressed. Although, it loses most of the "crispy" when you store it in the refrigerator overnight, so the leftovers weren't nearly as exciting. Ha!
Check them out online!
Zehender's Restaurant. Their website says they are the largest family owned restaurant in the nation. Who knew?
First, the recipe, and I'll explain a few tweaks I had to make, and one I didn't have to make, but did:
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup light buttermilk
1 2 1/2 - to 3-pound fryer, cut into pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cornflakes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Pour the olive oil into a baking pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding. Using your fingers, rub the oil over the dish so that it's completely but lightly coated.
Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a large plate, season the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken piece in the flour until it's completely coated. Tap the chicken against the side of the bowl to loosen any excess flour and set the pieces aside. Discard the flour.
Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal the bag (leaving as little air inside as possible) and crush the flakes using a rolling pin. Pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a large plate.
In a bowl large enough to dip the chicken pieces, mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne (if using), paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath all over, then roll in the crushed flakes.
Arrange the chicken pieces in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375° F, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. (The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.) Serve.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
As for my tweaks: I honestly didn't notice in the recipe that it says to put the spices into the buttermilk. I thought the recipe went "Dredge in the flour, dip in the buttermilk, the cornflakes, the spices", and I went "Yowza, that's alot of steps!" so I mixed the spices into the flour. Turns out, I was supposed to have put the spices in the buttermilk. So that was the tweak I made that I didn't have to make.
I also didn't have cornflakes, so I used crushed club crackers instead. I can't imagine the difference was enormous, but I'll try it the right way next time, so we'll see.
I also had to tweak the spices, because I found myself strangely out of both paprika AND sage when I went to make it. My Better Homes & Gardens cookbook says Marjoram is a good substitute for paprika, and Cayenne pepper is a good sub for sage, so I subbed. Cat Cora's tip for this recipe is that if it's got to feed kids, go a little light on the spices, and I did - not only because I had to feed a kid, but because I was subbing spices left, right and center. Next time I think I'll spice it up better.
Now, as for the Zehender's reference:
There's a restaurant in Frankenmuth, Michigan called Zehender's. They serve "authentic" German style chicken dinners. Fried chicken, cottage cheese, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and gravy, butter noodles...trimmings that go on forever! And you can buy it all you can eat, so they will seriously just keep bringing you food for forever.
Now, I don't know that Zehender's would go winning any James Beard awards (sidebar: if you don't know the James Beard awards, I'll put it like this - a James Beard award is to a chef what an Oscar is to an actress), but it's good food, it's a crazy fun place to go, and sometimes, isn't that all that matters?
Cat Cora's Crispy Fried Chicken recipe is a pretty solid stand in for the Zehender's experience. I was really impressed. Although, it loses most of the "crispy" when you store it in the refrigerator overnight, so the leftovers weren't nearly as exciting. Ha!
Check them out online!
Zehender's Restaurant. Their website says they are the largest family owned restaurant in the nation. Who knew?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Why Steak Tartare?
As I was watching Iron Chef tonight, I wondered something - what is Steak Tartare, and why can we eat it?
Legend has, the Tartare tribe (who were so bad, that they are the reason the Great Wall of China was erected), were so busy causing mayhem, that they would carry cuts of meat seasoned with spices under their saddles. They wanted to eat, they whipped the meat out from under the saddle, and took a bite.
From chow.com:
3 medium oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional, adjust salt if added), rinsed and minced
2 teaspoons brined capers, drained and rinsed
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large egg yolks
10 ounces USDA prime beef tenderloin, cut into small dice, covered, and refrigerated
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
4 teaspoons olive oil
3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon crushed chile flakes (optional)
Combine anchovies (if using), capers, and mustard in a nonreactive bowl. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash ingredients until evenly combined; mix in egg yolks.
Use a rubber spatula to fold remaining ingredients into mustard mixture until thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with toast points or french fries.
They advise that if you intend to serve the meat tartare style, to let your butcher know, so s/he can be certain to give you the freshest cuts.
At any rate, the trick seems to be in the cut and treatment of the beef, that allows it to be eaten in a raw state. Got to say - I hear you, but I'm not convinced I'd try it. I'll take a Vegetable Tartare, thanks. ;)
Legend has, the Tartare tribe (who were so bad, that they are the reason the Great Wall of China was erected), were so busy causing mayhem, that they would carry cuts of meat seasoned with spices under their saddles. They wanted to eat, they whipped the meat out from under the saddle, and took a bite.
From chow.com:
3 medium oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional, adjust salt if added), rinsed and minced
2 teaspoons brined capers, drained and rinsed
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large egg yolks
10 ounces USDA prime beef tenderloin, cut into small dice, covered, and refrigerated
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
4 teaspoons olive oil
3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon crushed chile flakes (optional)
Combine anchovies (if using), capers, and mustard in a nonreactive bowl. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash ingredients until evenly combined; mix in egg yolks.
Use a rubber spatula to fold remaining ingredients into mustard mixture until thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with toast points or french fries.
They advise that if you intend to serve the meat tartare style, to let your butcher know, so s/he can be certain to give you the freshest cuts.
At any rate, the trick seems to be in the cut and treatment of the beef, that allows it to be eaten in a raw state. Got to say - I hear you, but I'm not convinced I'd try it. I'll take a Vegetable Tartare, thanks. ;)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Well, File This Under "Who Knew", For Sure!
Carpet bagging. I've heard the term before. To be honest, I'd always assumed it was slang for something naughty. What? Who knows!
Turns out, at least to our Australian friends, it's not only NOT naughty, it's a method of steak preperation!
Steak. Rock Oysters. Teriyaki marinade, and some toothpicks.
Cut slits in the steak, stuff with the oysters, "seal" with the toothpicks, marinade, grill and enjoy.
Who knew? Something my finance WON'T do with a steak. I'm curious enough that I'd probably give it a shot, but just looking at it on paper? I'm wicked squicked out. Heh.
Turns out, at least to our Australian friends, it's not only NOT naughty, it's a method of steak preperation!
Steak. Rock Oysters. Teriyaki marinade, and some toothpicks.
Cut slits in the steak, stuff with the oysters, "seal" with the toothpicks, marinade, grill and enjoy.
Who knew? Something my finance WON'T do with a steak. I'm curious enough that I'd probably give it a shot, but just looking at it on paper? I'm wicked squicked out. Heh.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Big? Single? Chef? Fox Wants To Find You Love!
We all know how well this goes, right? Right?! This is the unedited text of the email that was sent to me from some site that I can't figure out how to pry my email out of their address book.
FOX TV - "MORE TO LOVE"
LOOKING FOR A "LEADING MAN" WHO IS HUSKY, HANDSOME, BIG, BROAD & Single!
We are looking for "A Real Man" that America can relate to.
Are you loveable guy?
(THE REAL SINGLE WORLD IS NOT ALL SKINNY-MINI'S)
Finally, a relationship show about real people looking for real love.
The Executive Producers of the hit show "The Bachelor"
along with 495 Productions is looking for a husky leading man for a groundbreaking new show on primetime TV called "More to Love." The Bachelors we are looking for can have any occupation. Example: Perhaps you are a single Police officer, EMT, Fireman or cook who would love to meet fantastic women who have your same passion in life?
Not necessary, just an example We are looking for a REAL leading man... an outgoing, charming, handsome, broad & big single guy who appears 25-35yrs old & who is looking for love!
(no six pack required )
We are looking for a man that America will love!
If you think you are a great candidate or know someone who would be a GREAT STAR on this groundbreaking, prime time series, contact us immediately. Forward on to all your friends and family. You can be located anywhere in the country.
If you are a bigger guy who loves women--curves and all--then you could be the star of your own show. The producers of "The Bachelor" are looking for YOU!
EMAIL US IMMEDIATELY IF INTERESTED: Billywonka@aol.com
Include your full name, contact number, age, current pictures, occupation & why you think you're the perfect guy for the show. The more information the better!!
FOX TV - "MORE TO LOVE"
LOOKING FOR A "LEADING MAN" WHO IS HUSKY, HANDSOME, BIG, BROAD & Single!
We are looking for "A Real Man" that America can relate to.
Are you loveable guy?
(THE REAL SINGLE WORLD IS NOT ALL SKINNY-MINI'S)
Finally, a relationship show about real people looking for real love.
The Executive Producers of the hit show "The Bachelor"
along with 495 Productions is looking for a husky leading man for a groundbreaking new show on primetime TV called "More to Love." The Bachelors we are looking for can have any occupation. Example: Perhaps you are a single Police officer, EMT, Fireman or cook who would love to meet fantastic women who have your same passion in life?
Not necessary, just an example We are looking for a REAL leading man... an outgoing, charming, handsome, broad & big single guy who appears 25-35yrs old & who is looking for love!
(no six pack required )
We are looking for a man that America will love!
If you think you are a great candidate or know someone who would be a GREAT STAR on this groundbreaking, prime time series, contact us immediately. Forward on to all your friends and family. You can be located anywhere in the country.
If you are a bigger guy who loves women--curves and all--then you could be the star of your own show. The producers of "The Bachelor" are looking for YOU!
EMAIL US IMMEDIATELY IF INTERESTED: Billywonka@aol.com
Include your full name, contact number, age, current pictures, occupation & why you think you're the perfect guy for the show. The more information the better!!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Theresa Finally Finds Out What Mille-Feuille Is
In one of my culinary classes, we went on a tour of the Oak Point Country Club. They had an item on their menu called "Mille Fueille", and that sounded so intriguing, that I wrote it down, so I'd remember to go find out what that meant.
I finally remembered to go look!
I found out a few things.
One, according to Google, they spelled it wrong. It was spelled on their menu as "Mille-Fueille", and Google immediatly corrected me as "Mille-Feuille". So there is that.
The second thing I found out? It looks amazing! It's slices of puff pastry, sandwiched with jam, cream, or confectioners custard. They are called "vanilla skies". Which I don't know French, but I'd imagine that that's what "Mille-Feuille" translates too, or close to it, anyway.
I pulled up a recipe, just for fun. Aww, technology. It won't let me copy the recipe. Google it. From the looks of the pictures, you won't be sorry!
I finally remembered to go look!
I found out a few things.
One, according to Google, they spelled it wrong. It was spelled on their menu as "Mille-Fueille", and Google immediatly corrected me as "Mille-Feuille". So there is that.
The second thing I found out? It looks amazing! It's slices of puff pastry, sandwiched with jam, cream, or confectioners custard. They are called "vanilla skies". Which I don't know French, but I'd imagine that that's what "Mille-Feuille" translates too, or close to it, anyway.
I pulled up a recipe, just for fun. Aww, technology. It won't let me copy the recipe. Google it. From the looks of the pictures, you won't be sorry!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Spaghetti Is The Perfect Toddler Food. It Is!
Today as I was making spaghetti for dinner, a thought occured to me. With a little jazzing up, spaghetti is the perfect toddler food.
Noodles for carbohydrates, mushrooms for vegetables, throw in a little meat for protein, toss some cheese on top. Perfection!
I got a $5 roast chicken for dinner last night. To be honest, it was just OK. I know I seem like I love all food...that chicken, I could have done without. Part of the deliciousness of those roast chickens are that they are so moist and delicious and this one kind of wasn't.
But, I didn't want to waste, right? So I shredded up a bit, and tossed it in the spaghetti. Can of mushrooms, handful of cheese on top, some good sauce. Perfect!
And speaking of kid nutrition, I found this article about sneaking in nutrition for kids. To be honest, many of these points just left me more confused then I started out.
The tips:
~ Most children will eat vegetables if they are a part of homemade soup.
~ Pass cooked vegetables in a food processor and add to hamburger patties, meatballs or meatloaf.
~ Finely grate zucchini or carrots and add to pancake batter.
~ Add finely chopped cooked vegetables to canned or packaged soup.
~ Add freshly juiced carrot juice to canned vegetable or tomato juice.
~ Add grated zucchini to square or muffin mixes.
~ Puree vegetables and add to chili or spaghetti sauce.
~ Add grated carrots to tuna or chicken salad.
~ Hide veggies in casseroles and main dishes.
~ Mix fat-free sour cream into a favorite salad dressing.
~ Serve raw vegetables with a favorite dip.
~ Mix regular peanut butter with freshly ground peanuts.
~ Use whole grain bread for grilled cheese sandwiches ~ the toasting will hide the color of the bread.
~ Go from white bread to 60% whole wheat for one month, then introduce whole-grain bread. You can make a sandwich using one slice of the 60% bread and one slice of the whole-grain bread. Serve with the lighter bread slice facing up.
~ Most children will eat a meal that they helped to prepare.
~ Let them make cookies with you. Use whole wheat and carob chips and they won’t know the difference, especially if they are the ones making the cookies. There aren’t too many children who will not eat their own baking.
~ You can create a desire to eat healthier treats by designating a new healthy treat as, mommy’s treat. You can say something like, "these are mommy’s very special yummy cookies, and you can’t have any, okay?" You can even place the cookies in a fancy cookie jar to increase the appeal. Let a couple days go by before ‘reluctantly giving in’ to their requests.
~ Sneak some whole-grain cookies into a bag of favorite mixed cookies, and eventually replace unhealthy cookies with healthier cookies.
~ Use cookie cutters to make fun sandwiches with whole-grain bread.
~ Mix whole-grain noodles into regular spaghetti or macaroni and cheese dishes.
~ Mix soaked soy bits in the ground beef. Slowly increase the soy/ground beef ratio in meals over time and they won’t notice that they are eating soy bits instead of ground beef.
To be honest, alot of these leave me confused. And I have a toddler, so I might be overthinking it, because I'm thinking in toddler terms, but really.
One of the points says to add fresh carrot juice to fresh vegetable or tomato juice. I don't know a kid that would drink tomato juice on a DARE. I'm 30, and I'd be pretty hard pressed to drink straight tomato juice. Oddly though, I quite enjoy carrot juice.
And what is mixing fat-free sour cream into your salad dressing going to accomplish, other then adding calories to your salad dressing? And adding peanuts to your peanut butter won't accomplish anything either. You may as well buy chunky, and save yourself the money it'll cost to buy the peanuts.
If we're talking the idea of sneaking more nutrition into a kids diet, letting them bake cookies seems sort of counterintuitive. Although I can speak to that - my two year old LOVES to get to bake!
Noodles for carbohydrates, mushrooms for vegetables, throw in a little meat for protein, toss some cheese on top. Perfection!
I got a $5 roast chicken for dinner last night. To be honest, it was just OK. I know I seem like I love all food...that chicken, I could have done without. Part of the deliciousness of those roast chickens are that they are so moist and delicious and this one kind of wasn't.
But, I didn't want to waste, right? So I shredded up a bit, and tossed it in the spaghetti. Can of mushrooms, handful of cheese on top, some good sauce. Perfect!
And speaking of kid nutrition, I found this article about sneaking in nutrition for kids. To be honest, many of these points just left me more confused then I started out.
The tips:
~ Most children will eat vegetables if they are a part of homemade soup.
~ Pass cooked vegetables in a food processor and add to hamburger patties, meatballs or meatloaf.
~ Finely grate zucchini or carrots and add to pancake batter.
~ Add finely chopped cooked vegetables to canned or packaged soup.
~ Add freshly juiced carrot juice to canned vegetable or tomato juice.
~ Add grated zucchini to square or muffin mixes.
~ Puree vegetables and add to chili or spaghetti sauce.
~ Add grated carrots to tuna or chicken salad.
~ Hide veggies in casseroles and main dishes.
~ Mix fat-free sour cream into a favorite salad dressing.
~ Serve raw vegetables with a favorite dip.
~ Mix regular peanut butter with freshly ground peanuts.
~ Use whole grain bread for grilled cheese sandwiches ~ the toasting will hide the color of the bread.
~ Go from white bread to 60% whole wheat for one month, then introduce whole-grain bread. You can make a sandwich using one slice of the 60% bread and one slice of the whole-grain bread. Serve with the lighter bread slice facing up.
~ Most children will eat a meal that they helped to prepare.
~ Let them make cookies with you. Use whole wheat and carob chips and they won’t know the difference, especially if they are the ones making the cookies. There aren’t too many children who will not eat their own baking.
~ You can create a desire to eat healthier treats by designating a new healthy treat as, mommy’s treat. You can say something like, "these are mommy’s very special yummy cookies, and you can’t have any, okay?" You can even place the cookies in a fancy cookie jar to increase the appeal. Let a couple days go by before ‘reluctantly giving in’ to their requests.
~ Sneak some whole-grain cookies into a bag of favorite mixed cookies, and eventually replace unhealthy cookies with healthier cookies.
~ Use cookie cutters to make fun sandwiches with whole-grain bread.
~ Mix whole-grain noodles into regular spaghetti or macaroni and cheese dishes.
~ Mix soaked soy bits in the ground beef. Slowly increase the soy/ground beef ratio in meals over time and they won’t notice that they are eating soy bits instead of ground beef.
To be honest, alot of these leave me confused. And I have a toddler, so I might be overthinking it, because I'm thinking in toddler terms, but really.
One of the points says to add fresh carrot juice to fresh vegetable or tomato juice. I don't know a kid that would drink tomato juice on a DARE. I'm 30, and I'd be pretty hard pressed to drink straight tomato juice. Oddly though, I quite enjoy carrot juice.
And what is mixing fat-free sour cream into your salad dressing going to accomplish, other then adding calories to your salad dressing? And adding peanuts to your peanut butter won't accomplish anything either. You may as well buy chunky, and save yourself the money it'll cost to buy the peanuts.
If we're talking the idea of sneaking more nutrition into a kids diet, letting them bake cookies seems sort of counterintuitive. Although I can speak to that - my two year old LOVES to get to bake!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Koolickle Experiement. Or "No, Seriously. Don't Drink The Kool-Aid".
If you watched Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run, you probably remember the Koolickle. If you don't...imagine a bright pink pickle. Yeah.
To my delight, when I checked out Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run: The Book (I don't think that's the whole title, but it made me laugh to type it), they included the recipe for Koolickles, and you KNOW I had to try it out.
Alton and his crew stopped at Joe's White Front Cafe in Rosedale, Mississippi, and encountered the Koolickle for the first time. It looked scary, but according to ol' AB, is suprisingly delicious.
Now I know, your probably going "Koolickle?! What is that?!". It's what it sounds like it probably is - a pickle. Soaked in Koolaid.
The recipe:
1 gallon jar kosher dill pickles
2 packages unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid
1 pound sugar
Drain the liquid into a large container. Add the Kool-Aid mix and the sugar to the liquid and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pickles from the jar, slice them in half lengthwise, and return them to the jar. Return the liquid to the jar of pickles. Not all the liquid will fit, but make sure the pickles are completely covered. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for one week.
Now, I wasn't willing to commit to a full gallon of pickles, because I was probably going to be the only person in my house willing to give this a shot, so I bought just a regular size container of pickles.
The evidence:
The juice. I used a half a cup of sugar, and one packet of Kool-Aid. I'm not much with the math, so I'm not sure if I cut it down right. We'll have to see, I suppose. No one has ever died from a pickle, so I assume I'm safe. ;)
The pickles, rejuiced. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to wait a week. Maybe we'll just go in 24 hour incriments.
And there's another restaurant pictured in the book with a sign advertising that they have "Southern Style Sweet Pickles" in Cherry, Strawberry and Grape. So the Koolickle experiment will continue, I trust. There's lots of Kool-Aid flavors!
To my delight, when I checked out Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run: The Book (I don't think that's the whole title, but it made me laugh to type it), they included the recipe for Koolickles, and you KNOW I had to try it out.
Alton and his crew stopped at Joe's White Front Cafe in Rosedale, Mississippi, and encountered the Koolickle for the first time. It looked scary, but according to ol' AB, is suprisingly delicious.
Now I know, your probably going "Koolickle?! What is that?!". It's what it sounds like it probably is - a pickle. Soaked in Koolaid.
The recipe:
1 gallon jar kosher dill pickles
2 packages unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid
1 pound sugar
Drain the liquid into a large container. Add the Kool-Aid mix and the sugar to the liquid and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pickles from the jar, slice them in half lengthwise, and return them to the jar. Return the liquid to the jar of pickles. Not all the liquid will fit, but make sure the pickles are completely covered. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for one week.
Now, I wasn't willing to commit to a full gallon of pickles, because I was probably going to be the only person in my house willing to give this a shot, so I bought just a regular size container of pickles.
The evidence:
The juice. I used a half a cup of sugar, and one packet of Kool-Aid. I'm not much with the math, so I'm not sure if I cut it down right. We'll have to see, I suppose. No one has ever died from a pickle, so I assume I'm safe. ;)
The pickles, rejuiced. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to wait a week. Maybe we'll just go in 24 hour incriments.
And there's another restaurant pictured in the book with a sign advertising that they have "Southern Style Sweet Pickles" in Cherry, Strawberry and Grape. So the Koolickle experiment will continue, I trust. There's lots of Kool-Aid flavors!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Link Of The Minute!
I gotta give a shout out to my boy Ken in my Sociology class (What's UP?! lol!) for turning me on to this website. I said something about that I wanted to be a food writer (true story - I'm double majored in Culinary Arts and Journalism), and he said that his wife was totally into the same thing, and we got to talking about websites. He said one of her favorites was a site called Smitten Kitchen, which I'd never heard of.
Smitten Kitchen
Go ahead, I'll wait. ;)
That's an awesome blog. That's the blog that Chef hopes to be when it grows up! :O Actually, that's the blog Chef will be one day. Right now, it's pretty much just whatever I feel like talking about food, whenever I feel like talking about it (which is to say "Everything and all the time!"), but I'll get better with my camera, and all that jazz, and you'll totally see Chef grow up, right before your very eyes!
It'll be so exciting! lol!
So shout outs to Kens wife for finding the site, turning Ken on to it, and then Ken telling me about it! High fives all around! :D
Smitten Kitchen
Go ahead, I'll wait. ;)
That's an awesome blog. That's the blog that Chef hopes to be when it grows up! :O Actually, that's the blog Chef will be one day. Right now, it's pretty much just whatever I feel like talking about food, whenever I feel like talking about it (which is to say "Everything and all the time!"), but I'll get better with my camera, and all that jazz, and you'll totally see Chef grow up, right before your very eyes!
It'll be so exciting! lol!
So shout outs to Kens wife for finding the site, turning Ken on to it, and then Ken telling me about it! High fives all around! :D
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Coffee Cake...In A Jiffy!
So I've blogged a couple of times about this funny Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook that I got at the librarys booksale, and at end of the day, I just couldn't turn it down. I made the Banana Coffee Cake. The last few weeks, we've bought bananas at the store and not really eaten them, so I'm eyeing these rapidly browning bananas, and I went "Aah, what the heck?"
The recipe:
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Creamy Icing and chopped nuts for topping
Creamy Icing:
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Combine baking mix, sugar, butter, egg, milk, banana and 1/2 cup nuts; beat vigorously 1/2 minute.
Spread batter in greased round layer pan, 9x11 1/2 inches.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes. While warm, spread with Creamy Icing and sprinkle with nuts. Serves 8.
Can I tell you guys - this recipe was crazy good, and crazy easy. Moist and soft, you could taste the banana running through it, and taste the nice warmth from the nuts. I used walnuts because that was what I had in the house, but you could totally vary the taste and texture by changing the nuts you use.
I also liked this recipe because it was SO easy. I have a two and a half year old, and he gets so excited to get to come in the kitchen and cook with mama, and this is one we could totally do together. And a hearty thumbs up for that!
I had to make some slight adjustments to the recipe - I found out after the batter was completely mixed that I didn't have a cake pan, so I had to bake in the five small bread tins that I had. lol - it's really true! So that threw off my baking time as well. So if you adjust like I did, watch out for that. At 20 minutes, my bread pans were basically still batter.
The only beef I really had with the recipe was the frosting. I just didn't feel like it added to it at all. The recipe called for the frosting to be applied while the cake was still warm, and it completely melded into the recipe - you didn't get any added sweetness, and the banana provided enough moisture on its own, so you didn't need the frosting for that either. So when I make this again, and trust me, I will, I'll probably take a pass on the frosting.
The recipe:
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Creamy Icing and chopped nuts for topping
Creamy Icing:
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Combine baking mix, sugar, butter, egg, milk, banana and 1/2 cup nuts; beat vigorously 1/2 minute.
Spread batter in greased round layer pan, 9x11 1/2 inches.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes. While warm, spread with Creamy Icing and sprinkle with nuts. Serves 8.
Can I tell you guys - this recipe was crazy good, and crazy easy. Moist and soft, you could taste the banana running through it, and taste the nice warmth from the nuts. I used walnuts because that was what I had in the house, but you could totally vary the taste and texture by changing the nuts you use.
I also liked this recipe because it was SO easy. I have a two and a half year old, and he gets so excited to get to come in the kitchen and cook with mama, and this is one we could totally do together. And a hearty thumbs up for that!
I had to make some slight adjustments to the recipe - I found out after the batter was completely mixed that I didn't have a cake pan, so I had to bake in the five small bread tins that I had. lol - it's really true! So that threw off my baking time as well. So if you adjust like I did, watch out for that. At 20 minutes, my bread pans were basically still batter.
The only beef I really had with the recipe was the frosting. I just didn't feel like it added to it at all. The recipe called for the frosting to be applied while the cake was still warm, and it completely melded into the recipe - you didn't get any added sweetness, and the banana provided enough moisture on its own, so you didn't need the frosting for that either. So when I make this again, and trust me, I will, I'll probably take a pass on the frosting.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Cookbook Finds...
I went to the library book sale yesterday (and today!) and made some really interesting cookbook finds.
Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook? Oh yeah, baby! Copyrighted in 1971, it's actually something I've never really seen before - the recipes are seperated out by Holidays. It includes jems like the "Christmas Biscuit Tree", "Orange Crunchies", "Hot Cross Buns", and most interestingly, a recipe for Chocolate Pudding that INCLUDES Bisquick. Say what?! That might be too interesting to not make. I have clogging practice tomorrow morning, and they always love it when people bring food. I might bring some Bisquick Chocolate Pudding. lol - am I the only one that kind of goes "Ewww..." when I read that?!
I also got Minnie Pearl's Nashville Country Cookbook, which I only flipped through real fast, but I'm sure promises to be really entertaining. :)
I also checked out the "Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run" by Alton Brown. Anyone remember the famous cherry pickles? The recipe is TOTALLY in the book. Kid you not. Cherry pickles. In the book. Oh yeah, baby!
I also got a book called "Cooking For Women In A Hurry" put out by the Culinary Arts Institute, or some such. That just looked so bizarre. I couldn't say no to it.
High five for cherry pickles and Bisquick Chocolate Pudding! I'm totally making them both. I just decided. :)
Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook? Oh yeah, baby! Copyrighted in 1971, it's actually something I've never really seen before - the recipes are seperated out by Holidays. It includes jems like the "Christmas Biscuit Tree", "Orange Crunchies", "Hot Cross Buns", and most interestingly, a recipe for Chocolate Pudding that INCLUDES Bisquick. Say what?! That might be too interesting to not make. I have clogging practice tomorrow morning, and they always love it when people bring food. I might bring some Bisquick Chocolate Pudding. lol - am I the only one that kind of goes "Ewww..." when I read that?!
I also got Minnie Pearl's Nashville Country Cookbook, which I only flipped through real fast, but I'm sure promises to be really entertaining. :)
I also checked out the "Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run" by Alton Brown. Anyone remember the famous cherry pickles? The recipe is TOTALLY in the book. Kid you not. Cherry pickles. In the book. Oh yeah, baby!
I also got a book called "Cooking For Women In A Hurry" put out by the Culinary Arts Institute, or some such. That just looked so bizarre. I couldn't say no to it.
High five for cherry pickles and Bisquick Chocolate Pudding! I'm totally making them both. I just decided. :)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Flint, Michigan. Gourmet Cooking. Who Knew?
I was recently in Flint, Michigan, and there is a smoking awesome little store called Oliver T's. If you ever find yourself having a occasion to go there, by all means - do!
They have an aisle of desserts that I love to just wander around. They carry desserts (when I say desserts, I mean cookies, not cakes, or anything major) from most every major nation, and they have them seperated out on the shelf so you know what comes from where. The German desserts are all seperated out from the Italian ones, which are seperated from the Israli ones, and the French ones, and even the US and Canadian ones. Although in the Canadian section, they've actually got Oreo's, which leads me to think that the Canadians have most of the same stuff we do, if they were reaching that far in the bag. :)
They also have just about every drink you could think of. Every beer, every wine, even bottled drinks I've never even heard of before. Pinot Nior soda? Kid you not. It's a real thing.
I met a lady that made me laugh too. She was worth the trip alone! We decided that they had a special buffet style lunch that day, we may as well have a seat and eat something. The food was all Greek.
This older lady behind me in line looks at the Spinach Pie tray, scoffs, and goes "I guess that's the NEW version of spinach pie!" It took all I could do to not fall over laughing at her. Terrific, that lady!
At any rate, the reason I got the most excited for the trip to Oliver T's was the custom spice bar. They have a custom spice bar, where you can buy the amount of spice that you need - like, if you only need 1 teaspoon of chili powder, why have to buy three or four ounces, right? I got so stoked, because I found Chipotle Chili Powder on the bar. I've been wanting to make Bobby Flay's 16 Spice Rub for a long time, and I thought I'd finally chased down one of the elusive chili powders. Alas, apparently I didn't. Now my hunt for pasilla chili powder begins. Oy.
I do much, much recommend Oliver T's. They take orders online, so you can order from them, even if you don't have occasion to find yourself in Flint.
Oh, and FYI dads? They are doing strawberry dipping for kids. Chocolate covered strawberries? High five for a built in mothers day present!
Check it out online:
Oliver T's
Wine Country Soda
They have an aisle of desserts that I love to just wander around. They carry desserts (when I say desserts, I mean cookies, not cakes, or anything major) from most every major nation, and they have them seperated out on the shelf so you know what comes from where. The German desserts are all seperated out from the Italian ones, which are seperated from the Israli ones, and the French ones, and even the US and Canadian ones. Although in the Canadian section, they've actually got Oreo's, which leads me to think that the Canadians have most of the same stuff we do, if they were reaching that far in the bag. :)
They also have just about every drink you could think of. Every beer, every wine, even bottled drinks I've never even heard of before. Pinot Nior soda? Kid you not. It's a real thing.
I met a lady that made me laugh too. She was worth the trip alone! We decided that they had a special buffet style lunch that day, we may as well have a seat and eat something. The food was all Greek.
This older lady behind me in line looks at the Spinach Pie tray, scoffs, and goes "I guess that's the NEW version of spinach pie!" It took all I could do to not fall over laughing at her. Terrific, that lady!
At any rate, the reason I got the most excited for the trip to Oliver T's was the custom spice bar. They have a custom spice bar, where you can buy the amount of spice that you need - like, if you only need 1 teaspoon of chili powder, why have to buy three or four ounces, right? I got so stoked, because I found Chipotle Chili Powder on the bar. I've been wanting to make Bobby Flay's 16 Spice Rub for a long time, and I thought I'd finally chased down one of the elusive chili powders. Alas, apparently I didn't. Now my hunt for pasilla chili powder begins. Oy.
I do much, much recommend Oliver T's. They take orders online, so you can order from them, even if you don't have occasion to find yourself in Flint.
Oh, and FYI dads? They are doing strawberry dipping for kids. Chocolate covered strawberries? High five for a built in mothers day present!
Check it out online:
Oliver T's
Wine Country Soda
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's like buttah!
In honor of Battle Butter on Iron Chef America tonight, can I just say something - am I the only one who didn't realize that there was actually enough types of butter to have a whole Battle based on them?!
Apparently, there are. In addition to the fact that pretty much any type of milk can be made into butter (including the prominent placement of Goat Butter on the show - the buyers must be especially proud of that one!), there are types! Check the action:
Cultured, which is butter made from fermented cream. With the invention of pasturization, a bacteria has to now be introduced into the cream. The result is richer, and more buttery, and prefered in Europe, apparently.
Sweet Cream, which is butter made from pasturized cream. Butter made from fresh, unpasturized cream is called Raw Cream.
Cultured is the prefered butter in Europe, so much so that in the United States, it's often sold as European butter.
Several spreadable and whipped butters also are on the market. Whipped butters in particular, are not recommended for cooking.
In the United States, anything sold as butter must contain at least 80% butterfat. Most on the market butters in the States only do slightly better then required, averaging around 81%. In the United Kingdom, butters are traditionally richer, averaging around 85%.
Butter is also an excellent medium for herbs and spices, which are referred to as "compound" butters.
Huh. Butter. Who knew?
And I will soon be posting a full on recap of the battle, including profiling the fact that the Challenger Chef is from Avec, and I don't know why that sounds so familiar, but I'm going to find out!
Apparently, there are. In addition to the fact that pretty much any type of milk can be made into butter (including the prominent placement of Goat Butter on the show - the buyers must be especially proud of that one!), there are types! Check the action:
Cultured, which is butter made from fermented cream. With the invention of pasturization, a bacteria has to now be introduced into the cream. The result is richer, and more buttery, and prefered in Europe, apparently.
Sweet Cream, which is butter made from pasturized cream. Butter made from fresh, unpasturized cream is called Raw Cream.
Cultured is the prefered butter in Europe, so much so that in the United States, it's often sold as European butter.
Several spreadable and whipped butters also are on the market. Whipped butters in particular, are not recommended for cooking.
In the United States, anything sold as butter must contain at least 80% butterfat. Most on the market butters in the States only do slightly better then required, averaging around 81%. In the United Kingdom, butters are traditionally richer, averaging around 85%.
Butter is also an excellent medium for herbs and spices, which are referred to as "compound" butters.
Huh. Butter. Who knew?
And I will soon be posting a full on recap of the battle, including profiling the fact that the Challenger Chef is from Avec, and I don't know why that sounds so familiar, but I'm going to find out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
