Good and Good For You: Brussel Sprouts

Okay, I've got to be honest with you, I've never been a big fan of the brussel sprout. Despite it's adorable teeny weeny cabbage cuteness, there was just something so green and healthy and green about it that as a child I avoided them like little mini plagues.

Well a couple of weeks ago, I was at one of my favorite dining spots, a lovely wine bar with an ever-changing menu, and for one of their selections that evening they had a flatbread with shaved brussel sprouts, grilled spaghetti squash, phaeta, and toasted almonds with a balsamic drizzle. Un-for-get-able. Loved the flavor combo so much it made me want to try it at home so that will be coming at you in the next post.

But in the meantime, I wanted to reexamine these brussel sprouts (pronounced with a hint of condescension). And guess what, they turn out to be very good for you.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Brussel sprouts are a cruciferous veggie like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale.

They are chocked full of sulforaphane, a compound believed to have strong anticancer properties. The compound acts as a detoxifier and helps the body clear itself of potential carcinogens.

Sulforaphane in combination with the veggie's high fiber content contributes to reducing bad cholesterol as well as removing toxins that contribute to aging.  

Brussel sprouts are a good source of vitamin A, C and K. 

Though it is recommended that heart patients taking anticoagulants should not eat excessive amounts of brussel sprouts because vitamin K helps to clot blood.

Like other cruciferous veggies, brussel sprouts contain indoles (organic compounds) which are being studied for their affects on cell repair which makes them a great anti-aging veggie treat.

When you buy brussel sprouts, you want to choose those with tight, bright green heads, avoid any with yellow on the leaves.

It is best to cut the stem off up to the base of the leaves and to score them deeply once or twice to help ensure that they cook through.

They don't need long to cook, 5-7 minutes depending on your method. Brussel sprouts can be boiled, grilled, roasted, steamed, or stir-fried. Boiling tends to leach out the nutrients that make them so good for you while roasting them brings out their best flavor.

DO NOT overcook brussel sprouts! This cannot be emphasized enough. Because they basically turn into a zombiefied version of themselves -- they turn grey, get mooshy, smell bad, and take on a much less than pleasant taste.

Brussel sprouts DO taste best, though, when serve with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, Parmesan cheese, bacon, meaty nuts (like almonds, pine nuts, chestnuts or pistachios), brown sugar, and/or pepper.

So...yum, let's give these veggies a whirl.

All Hail Mighty Coffee!

 

Today's post was inspired by my lack of post on Wednesday.  I was four days deep into a five-day event stretch for work.  As an event planner, when working back-to-back 13+ hours days for a week, you come to depend on that magical combination of adrenaline and caffeine to see you through to the end.

I love coffee.  I make no claims to being a coffee snob, I'm more of an addict if I had to label it.  I don't need to frequent the monopolistic empires to get my fix, any cup of Joe or aromatic Java will do as long as it has that homey warm coffee smell, I'm happy.

Since I'd not done a write up on it before I sat down to do some research and let me tell you, there is a lot to talk about.  But since I'm more into history than process, I'll just share some of the things I found interesting and thought you might too.  Though who knows, maybe this will be the start of a TCC mini series.

COFFEE -- The Legend

According to legend, the story of coffee began with monastic goats.  Yeah, I said goats.

There was a monastery in Yemen, in Arabia, that kept goats that grazed on the hillsides nearby.  After grazing in a particular field, the goatherd complained to the head holy man that the goats were exceedingly keyed up and frolicky and did not settled down for the night.

Upon investigation, they found some unknown shiny-leafed bushes with bright red berries that the goats had been nibbling on.  So the head holy man thought to try them out himself.  While goat bellies can handle raw berries, he thought to boil them and see what happened.

The concoction was nothing to write home about, but he knew that the taste of some cereals improved after toasted so he thought to try the same with the red berries.  He crushed the toasted berries, added some water and a touch of honey to sweeten it and voila...the first cup of coffee!

The head holy man found that consumption of the beverage made him more lucid and alert.  He found he was able to stay at prayers longer than his brothers and felt more awake than they in the matins.  So he shared this magical elixir with them.  And they called it kawah meaning "that which excites and causes spirits to rise." And it was good.

COFFEE -- The History

In other non-legend findings, it was discovered that in the high central plains of Ethiopia, tribes would crush the coffee beans and mix then with fat to eat as a high energy treat.

Ancient Africans would ferment the ripe coffee fruit (the red berries) and turn it into wine.

As with many early versions of popular foods and beverages, coffee was used medicinally as a tonic as well as a religious ceremonial beverage.

Eventually it became a popular social drink and coffee houses cropped up in Constantinople, Mecca, Medina, Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, and all the capitals of the Islamic world.  Coffee houses became a place to gather and talk about your affairs as well as the affairs of state which became a politically dangerous pastime that led one sultan to ban the sale and consumption of coffee under penalty of death.  This would not be the last time coffee houses became a hotbed of political consternation.

Gradually people made their way back to coffee under the hand of the next ruler and the business of coffee houses began once more. 

For a long time coffee was a close-guarded commodity among Arab nations.  Only boiled coffee beans were allowed to be exported to prevent cultivation of the plant elsewhere and to maintain their monopoly on the product.  But as with all well-kept secrets, it eventually got out.

In the 17th century, it is said that a seedling was smuggled to India and then to the Dutch East Indian island of Java, where coffee plants thrived.  So successful was the cultivation there, that to this day "java" is synonymous with a good cup of Joe.

In 1714, the French were able to obtain a live cutting which they transported to the West Indian island of Martinique.  It is historically rumored that the seedling is the ancestor of all coffee plantations in the West Indies as well as Central and South America.

The 1800s saw the rise of the mass consumption of coffee. 

Throughout the Enlightenment, coffee houses sprang up throughout England and Germany.  Once again they became the intellectual centers, where people gathered to exchange thoughts and ideas.  In England they were known as "penny universities" where anyone could come to fill their craving for intellectual conversation for the penny cost of a cup of coffee.

As was wont to happen when people gather to share thoughts, politics made its way back into the coffee house.  In the New World, the Green Dragon Coffee House in Boston was deemed by Daniel Webster to be the headquarters of the revolution.

Throughout the Industrial Age, coffee became the beverage of choice for factory workers, for what other beverage would help them survive the long grueling work day (remember, this was when 16-hour days with only the Sabbath off was common practice). 

There really is so much more to say, but I'm tired of writing so will leave you with this, perhaps to be continued another time.  I have a couple of coffee recipes coming up that I think you are going to like.

So I am signing off here, but want to leave you with this, that when you enjoy that hot cup of brewed aromatic goodness in the morning (or whenever), you aren't just drinking coffee, you're drinking in history.

Thank you monastic goats.

NOTES

Cup of Joe -- origin (1) because coffee is the everyday Joe's beverage of choice; (2) Josephus Daniel, Secretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson, in 1913 abolished wine in the officer's mess leaving coffee as the strongest drink on board, earning it the nickname

Cup of Jamoke -- origin, referring to a blend of Java and Mocha coffees

Bean Belt -- the area on Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn where all coffee is grown; Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee

A Hot Commodity -- coffee is the second most common traded commodity, the first being fuel oil


 

Good and Good for You -- Kale

 

At lunch today, one of my co-workers was talking about how she keeps pre-packaged portions of smoothie ingredients in her freezer, you know for easy early morning smoothie production.  I did a double-take when she mentioned that one of them was kale.  What the kale is that about?

Though I was kind of eyeing a big curly-leafed bag of kale at the grocery store the other day and flashing back to a dish that one of my catering folks makes, a delectable concoction of kale, corn, cheese and rice which is to die for.

I've not worked with a lot of kale so thought I'd do a little investigating and try it out.  But first, let me tell you why this green veggie should be a part of your daily do too.

KALE

Kale comes from the same family (borecole) as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, collard greens and cabbage, though it most closely resembles wild cabbage.  It can have green or purple leaves, the more common being the curly green.  Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was THE green veggie, the most commonly used throughout Europe.  Couldn't find info on who or what usurped its hot spot, but probably that upstart cabbage.

Kale has a long growing season which extends well into the winter. It has a very intense, almost bitter taste but interestingly enough, when exposed to a bit of frost, it becomes sweeter and more flavorful. On the other hand, when kale is combined with lemon juice or oil, it becomes much more mild.

Kale freezes well and can be steamed, stir fried, boiled, or eaten raw.  It goes well with bacon, eggs, and cheese (mmm, kale, corn, cheese and rice).  When you bake or dehydrate kale it takes on the crispy consistency of a chip and is quite tasty.  Adds a nice little crunch to any dish.

FYI, kale is similar to spinach in that it shrinks a lot when cooked, so don't skimp on your initial toss-in.  And always make sure to carefully wash your kale because those curly leaves are notorious for capturing sand and soil in their twisty little grasp.

Besides its culinary versatility, kale is a very nutritious.  It contains the highest levels of antioxidants of any veggie and it also contains more calcium and iron than any other veggie.  It also has:

* Selenium, helpful in the fight against cancer
* Lots of vitamin C, making it a very efficient vegetable in that it provides enough vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron it also provides
*Magnesium and vitamin E, useful for maintaining a healthy heart
*Calcium, for keeping your bones healthy
*Carotenes, for keeping your eye healthy
*Indoles, which can assist in lowering bad cholesterol
*And a host of other nutrients that help your skin stay healthy and young looking

Anybody else up for a kale smoothie now?

Good and Good for Everyone: Hershey's

Before I start on tonight's topic, just a quick follow-up to last weekend's post.  According to several of my post-post taste testers, the fun thing about using shredded cooked parsnips is that in consistency and texture it's very similar to shredded coconut.  It's moist and chewy, but without the super sweetness of coconut, so if you know someone who has a tree nut allergy or just doesn't like coconut, cooked shredded parsnips is a viable alternative. 

HERSHEY'S

So, chocolate...who doesn't know the name Hershey's, or better yet, who hasn't enjoyed one of their myriad of delicious products?  Have always been a fan, but after Mom and Dad's last trip to Hershey, PA, they shared some info that made me an even bigger one.

Did you know that Milton S. Hershey actually had little to no schooling?  Did you know he started out by making carmel candies?  Did you know that he didn't find success until his 40s?  Did you know there's a Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania?

The history of Hershey's is a fascinating one (which you can find it in more detail at www.hersheys.com).  It's founder Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945) was from a Mennonite family in Pennsylanvia but moved around a great deal as a child as his father attempted (unsuccessfully) several different ventures to support his family.  His mother did not emphasize book learning, as it had proven to do his father no good, so Milton's success came without what he considered the benefit of a good education.

Like his father he attempted several ventures before finding some small success with making caramel candy which he learned as an apprentice to a candy and ice cream maker named Joe Royer in Lancaster.  His first exposure to the world of chocolate-making came during his trip to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago where he was enthralled with a set of German chocolate-making machinery.  He bought the equipment and had it installed in Lancaster where he started making his own chocolate.  In 1900, the first Hershey's chocolate bars hit the market and the rest is delicious history.

But chocolate was not Milton's only legacy.  In 1909, he and his wife, Catherine, founded the Hershey Industrial School.  Being childless themselves, they used a portion of their wealth to establish a school where young orphaned boys could come not only to live and be cared for, but to receive a sound education and training in several trades and occupations so that the children would be able to earn a livelihood when they left the school.

In 1918, three years after the early death of his wife, Milton made the school the principal recipient of the bulk of his fortune in order to provide for its perpetual continuation.  In 1951, six years after his own death, the name of the school was changed to the Milton Hershey School.  In 1968, the first non-white male student was enrolled and in 1976, the first female student was enrolled.  Today the school still exists, providing education and training for boys and girls, pre-kindergarten through grade 12, from families of low income and social need.  Students attend for free and receive housing, education, clothing, meals and as well as medical and religious services.

This is just a little didyaknow but do know there's more to the story of Milton Hershey's, a tale of good taste and great deeds.  I hope I have intrigued you enough to read more about it or at least realize that when you enjoy your Hershey product, behind every tasty bite there's a story of an enterprising man who left the world a little sweeter for everyone.

Hershey's In A Nutshell Product History

1900   Introduction of the Hershey's Chocolate Bar
1907   Introduction of Hershey's Kisses
1908   Introduction of Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds
1925   Introduction of Hershey's Mr. Goodbar
1926   Introduction of Hershey's Syrup
1938   Introduction of Hershey's Krackel
1939   Introduction of Hershey's Miniatures
1971   Introduction of Hershey's Special Dark  
1989   Introduction of Hershey's Symphony bars
1994   Introduction of Hershey's Cookies'n'Creme

Good and Good for You: Plums

 

So what happens when you mix an unexpected snow day with the first day of a free month of Netflix streaming? You end up with someone who plum forgot to do their post last night!  insert guilty sheepish grin here

In preparation for this weekend’s recipe, I did a little bit of research to learn more about plums.  I'd never really given them much attention before, but that was before I enjoyed the wonderfully delicious plum spice cake that Ximena and Ruth made for Christmas when I was in Guatemala. 

PLUMS

Turns out they are indeed good and good for you.  Plums come in a wide variety of colors – from deep reds and purples to pale yellow and white.  They range in taste from very sweet to very tart, though their smooth skin tends to the be tartest part of them.

The red and purples ones in particular are rich in anthocyanins which help with preventing heart disease and some cancers.

Plums are also full of healthy phenolic compounds that are effective in neutralizing free radicals as well as being good for good brain health.

Because plums are low on the glycerin index, they are very diet/dietary friendly.  They provide a good source of easily absorbed iron (good for the blood) and a source of carotenes (good for the eyes).

Plums in their dried state (aka prunes) are best known for their able to help regulate the digestive system and for their laxative properties (can you say prune juice?). 

Did you know that plums may have been one of the first domesticated fruits?  Along with grapes, figs and olives, plum remains have been tied to the Neolithic period thru archaeological sites.  Plums are native to Europe, Asia and North America, though they differ from region to region.  European plums are believed to be descended from wild plums that were developed and cultivated by the Ancient Romans while what are known as Japanese plums were actually native to China.

Plums are a drupe fruit, which besides being fun to say means that they have a hard stone pit that surrounds their seeds.  Plums are distant cousins of peach, nectarines, and almonds.

Plums can be consumed in many different ways – eaten fresh, baked, pickled, dried, preserved (as jam or jelly) or beveraged.  Plum juice is used to make plum wine or plum brandy, and from what I understand, in some parts of England they make a hard cider-like beverage using plums (note to self: check that out).

Interesting side note – plum pudding? Not really made of plums. In pre-Victorian England, “plum” was just another term for raisins.  Plum pudding is actually a mix of dried fruits, suet, spices, eggs and molasses and then “aged” for a month or so. 

When you buy plums, you want to look for those with smooth unblemished skin.  Don’t be put off by the waxy white bloom on their surface, that doesn’t mean they’re moldy, it actually means they are fresh.

And speaking of fresh, I’m hoping to track some down for the recipe on Sunday, but we’ll see what we can manage if I don’t.

Good and Good For You: Avocados

 

As I get older, I find that each year I develop a taste for a new food...new in that I never liked it before and then one day, it becomes a must-have.  Looks like 2014 will be the year of guacamole for me.  Never had a taste for it, but I find that the more I try it, the more I really like it.

Photo is from an avocado tree in the garden at a house I visited in Guatemala. Was still getting to know my new camera so not the best photo, but thought the image of pre-grocery avocados was too good not to share.

AVOCADO

I'm kind of happy for this new addition to my food palette because as it turns out, avocados are a super food.  Something you might not know is that avocados are a fruit, though unlike other tree fruits, they are neither sweet, tart, nor sweet-tart, but rather creamy and buttery in taste.  And unlike other tree fruits, they are a great source of protein.

Sure, they get a bad rap for a high fat content, but some fats are actually not a bad thing.  Because they have a low water content, they are rich in monounsaturated fats and fat-soluble nutrients.  They contain vitamins A, C, B and E and minerals like iron, magnesium, folate, and potassium.  Since they contain all of these good things, it makes avocados good for your skin, eyes, heart, bone and liver.  The oils in avocado are actually great for the skin and often used in moisturizing products.

In many countries avocados are a food staple.  Never really gave them much thought beyond knowing they are eaten raw or mashed into guacamole, but there are a lot of different ways you can serve them up.

Because of their texture, avocados make a good substitute for bananas in smoothies.  And added bonus, because of it's high fat content, it helps slow down the release of sugar from any fruits that are added to the mix making your smoothie a much more substantial beverage.

And speaking of sweet treats, avocados can be used for pies, puddings, cakes and ice creams too.  In fact, there may be something of that nature coming your way on Sunday.  I've got some baking to do and am curious to use avocados in a new and different way.

When you buy avocados you want to pick one with unblemished skins and no soft spots.  They are ready for eating when you press them and the flesh yields.  If your avocado is not quite ripe yet, toss it in a bag with a banana or an apple for a couple of days (the other fruits contain a plant hormone called ethylene which is key in the ripening process).  Once you remove the flesh, you can use vinegar or lemon juice to keep it from discoloring like you do with an apple.

So avocados, YAY! And welcome to my food world.

NOTES

Just a fun/weird little didyaknow...the word avocado comes from the Spanish conquistadors version of the Aztec word ahuacotl, which means "testicle" that refers to the shape of the fruit which grows in pairs on the tree.

Avocados have also been called "alligator pears" due to their shape, color and the texture of their skin.

English sailors in the tropics used to refer to them as "poor man's butter" since it was used as such.

Holiday Tamales

 

So this is not a recipe post, but a show-and-tell piece from my recent culinary adventures.  I may tackle this beast someday, but haven't had enough time since I've been back in town to take on the challenge of making tamales from scratch.

During my vacation, I spent both Christmas and New Year’s with my old friend Sofia and my new adopted family in San Lucas.  As it turns out, Christmas is one of the two most widely celebrated holidays in Guatemala (Easter being the other) and there are many traditions to go along with its celebrations – fireworks at midnight, decorating the house with small yellow fruits called manzanillas, drinking a special hot holiday beverage called Ponche Navideño made with fresh fruit and fruit juices, and enjoying delicious tamales.

string of manzanillas -- like little tiny apples

On Christmas morning we sat down to enjoy fresh-made tamales for breakfast.  I had never had a tamal before so never really understood – or appreciated – the amount of time and effort that goes into making them.  It’s not just a food, it’s a whole process.  Sofia’s mother Ruth and sister Ximena spend numerous hours carefully making these wonderful treats, only to have at least one consumed within minutes by the hungry extranjera (foreign chick) sitting at the end of their table.

In Guatemala, a tamal consists of masa (starchy dough usually made from corn, potatoes or rice) topped (or filled) with various pieces of cooked meat, fresh fruit, nuts, and/or veggie bits and sauce which is then wrapped in a leaf (usually plantain or banana leaves which you don’t eat) and steamed or boiled.  As with many foods that I share with you, components and prep are done according to taste, so what I enjoyed was the traditional tamal made by Sofia’s family.  Ours had pieces of pork, raisins, prunes, almonds, peppers and a nice rich salsa (sauce) in it.
 

 

The masa alone takes several hours to make because it must cook down and thicken before it is used in the tamal.  Once the tamal is assembled, the leaves are folded over and it is tied up like a little green parcel.

sorry about the fuzzy shot, thought I'd taken more than one, but no

The tamales are then placed in a deep pot and boiled for up to 2 hours.  Once they are done, they are allowed to sit so that the masa can set.  When it’s ready, each is unwrapped like a little present and presented for consumption with frijoles (beans), queso (cheese), and more salsa on the side.  Nummers!

Tamales are a long-standing staple, originating in Mesoamerica as early as 8000-5000 BC.  Because they can be made ahead of time and do not have to be eaten right away, it seems that both the Aztecs and Mayans used tamales as travel food – for armies, hunters and travelers – anyone who needed portable food.

There are many different varieties of tamales, many named according to the type of masa (e.g., yellow v. white corn), filling, flavor (savory v. sweet) and every country has its own varieties. 

If you have never tried one before, I recommend you expand your eating palette by giving one a spin.  It was like nothing I had had before, but like everything I ate in Guatemala, it was fresh and delicious, and in this case, made with much love and care.

Check It Out: Almond (Sparkling Wine)

 

Anybody else wondering what the heck happened to November?  Can't believe we are already at the start of the December, let the festivities truly begin!

For the rest of the month, I plan to bring you some party treats and finger foods for all your festive occasions, but wanted to start us off on a "cheery" note.

I was perusing the shelves at Total Wine for something to take to the 'Rents for Thanksgiving dinner and came across this little gem (for under $12!).  Weibel Family Almond Sparkling Grape Wine -- SOOOOO good!

As you can tell by its name, if you're not a fan of almond flavor, you probably won't like this, but for those of you who do and for the taste adventurers out there, I think you will really appreciate the sweet (but not cloyingly sweet) and creamy taste of this beverage.  It's light and bubbly and makes the perfect dessert complement or flavorful toasting vehicle.  So if you're looking for something new and different for this holiday season, you should definitely check it out!

DIDYAKNOW

While people use the term "champagne" generically when referring to sparkling wines, in all but a few cases it's actually a misnomer.  True champagne is produced using only grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. 

Let's Talk Turkey -- Part 2

Two more days til turkey time!!!  So I decided to do an unprecedented Tuesday post (gasp!) since I know you will all be very busy on Wednesday with all your pre-preps for the big day.

MORE TURKEY TALK

Didyaknow – Benjamin Franklin once wrote that he believed the turkey should have been our national bird because, among several reasons, it was an honorable bird as well as being native to America. I'm not sure it would be as easy to enjoy if you were sitting down to the dinner table with a roast representation of our country, even with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side.

In the South, preparing turkey seems to come down to two basic schools – roasting and deep-frying.  What don’t we deep-fry in the South? Well, apparently nothing.

FRY ME A RIVER

I like to think of deep-frying turkey as an X-game in the sport of cooking.  If you're willing to take on some challenges and a risk or two, then it's worth the effort.  Some things to know about deep-frying a turkey:

* They DO make special equipment for this procedure which usually includes a large stock pot, a poultry prod and/or lifter, a thermometer, a propane tank, and a whole lotta oil.

* Do NOT fry your turkey in the house...or even close to a house...unless you have a good fire plan or have purchased a specifically marked indoor turkey fryer. Which they do have on the market now, they're like hyperbaric bird chambers.

* Do NOT stuff your turkey before frying unless you want to deal with oozing gooey stuffing bits floating (and burning) in your oil.  If you want flavor, you can inject your turkey with a marinade before frying.

* You DO want your turkey to be completely thawed, or fresh, and patted dry.  You know how oil and water don't mix? Now imagine that with 20-30 gallons of angry hot oil...you see where I'm going with this.

Why then, despite the risks and more than slight danger of cooking a bird this way, do people do it? Because the end product is crazy good and very moist and it takes less time than cooking turkey in a conventional oven.
 
ROASTY GOODNESS

 

The most traditional way to prepare turkey is to roast it.  Roasting is a dry heat cooking method where hot air surrounds your produce and cooks it outside in.  The best way to get a nice even roast is to make sure air has room to circulate around the turkey and that’s why most people roast their bird on a rack or a bed of mirepoix.

Mirepoix is a mix of chopped onions, carrots and celery (traditional ratio is 2:1:1) which will add flavor to your drippings resulting in a nice rich-tasting gravy.  One thing to keep in mind if you go that route, the bigger your bird, the bigger you need to make your veggie pieces (it’s all about proportion).

You also want to make sure you have the right size pan for roasting.  It needs to be big enough to allow air to circulate, but close enough to prevent your juices from spreading out to far and scorching on the pan.

You’ll want to cook your bird uncovered.  If you cover it with foil, you create a steam bath which will compromise the roasting.  So keep that in mind when you get your pan, if the pan is too deep for your bird, it creates a similar situation.

Don’t forget to baste!  Basting is key in keeping the turkey moistened since hot air around it is dry, so make sure to do that on a regular basis throughout your cooking process.

There is much back and forth on whether or not it’s safe/healthy to cook a stuffed turkey.  The important thing to remember is that if you do stuff your bird, you want to make sure that the turkey and stuffing are the SAME temperature.  Introducing a hot item into a cold bird is where bacteria get happy and you get into trouble.

BROWN BAGGING IT

Now some people swear by the brown bag roasting method.  My sister-in-law does a mean brown bag bourbon turkey which is super tasty.  I always wondered how people could cook something in a brown bag without it bursting into flames in the process and now I know – brown bags burn at 450° so as long as you are baking/roasting your dish at temperatures under that, it’s all good (and flame-free!).

Now when I say “brown bag” I mean a brown PAPER bag, not a plastic grocery bag that happens to be brown.  You can use any ole paper grocery bag, but probably best to find one with little to no printing so that you’re not adding extraneous chemicals to the mix.

What you will want to do is make sure to grease down the upper part of the bag (on the inside) so that it doesn’t stick to the turkey whiles it’s cooking.  Butter or olive oil works fine.

I conferred with my SIL and she said that she uses two bags, puts one on either end so they overlap in the middle, but you can use one (if you’re bird isn’t too big) and staple it closed.  Do not use tape…please.

I know, I know, after telling you to cook your turkey UNCOVERED, why would I tell you about shoving it in a bag.  Unlike foil, paper “breathes” which allows some of the moisture to escape while still keeping enough in to turn your turkey into a moist marvel.

IS IT SOUP YET?

Once your turkey has done it’s time in the oven (or fryer), the best way to test it is to poke it in the thickest part of the thigh.  You want the juices that flow out to be clear, not pink or red.  Either of the latter means it “ain’t dun cookin’ yet.”

After it is done, let your turkey sit for about 15 minutes so that the meat can settle and absorb the moisture you’ve worked so hard to maintain. If you cut it too soon, all those nice juices will flow out and you’ll end up with dry turkey.  But if you have a little patience, glory sweet glory!

So here ends my treatise on turkey. I hope you all have a super wonderful food, friend and family-filled holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appetit!

Let's Talk Turkey -- Part 1

 

In prep for the biggest eating holiday of the year, I thought we could talk a little bit about the bird biz behind the buzz of Thanksgiving.

TURKEY TALK

I'll be honest, I'm not sure which I like better, swapping Thanksgiving turkey recipes or swapping stories about wrestling with Thanksgiving turkeys (and I mean that literally in one case). 

MEAT TO EAT

Didyaknow, you'll get the best meat-to-bone ratio on turkeys weighing over 12 lbs.

The one thing people seem to forget when buying turkey for a gathering is that you need to factor in the bone weight when planning how many lbs. to purchase.

Fr'instance, in college, my roommates and I decided to host a turkey dinner with all the fixin's for our friends who had not yet left for the holidays.  So we bought a 15-lb. turkey for 15 people... :/  Being the gracious hosts we were, we gave our guests the bounty from the bird and made do with the bone scrapings for ourselves. We were like hyenas picking the bones cleaned. Not pretty, but lesson learned.

I usually count 2-3 lbs. for bones and then plan accordingly after that.  In looking around online, I found a useful site at USA Today to help with that and any other T-day math needs you might have.

GIBBLES and Other Fun Parts
okay, I know they're called giblets, but seriously, isn't "gibbles" more fun to say?

You want to make sure the first thing you do is locate the packet of extraneous parts and remove it from the bird before cooking.  You laugh, but it's amazing how many people forget about that and consequently how many birds are inedible as a result of that (because they are usually encased in plastic).

Just a heads up, the body cavity isn't the only place they get tucked away.  For the above mentioned turkey dinner, I came home to find one of my roommates and a friend of ours conducting a cavity search...with a flashlight...on our turkey.  It was under the neck flap, on the other end of the bird.  It was not a good year for that bird.

Some people I know roast the extras when they cook their turkey and then add them to the gravy for bonus flavor, or you can boil them up separately, drain it and use it in making your gravy.

IS IT CHILLY IN THERE?

So for those of you who fly fresh when it comes to turkeys, kudos on saving yourself a lot of headache and super bravo for planning so well in advance.  I'm not familiar with many places that you can procure a fresh turkey without having to pre-order it several weeks before the week before Thanksgiving. Heads up though, if you haven't purchased fresh turkey before, it does cost more than frozen.

For the rest of us, who despite our better intentions, do not plan that far ahead, the challenge of the best way to defrost a bird lies ahead.  It's still going to take some pre-planning, so don't expect a day of miracle.

The two most recommended ways to properly defrost a turkey are in the refrigerator or using a cold water bath.  The foodsafety.gov has a handy chart that breaks down time/days to bird weight, so definitely check that out.

De-frigeration (don't know if that's a real word, but please feel free to use it) takes longer, but doesn't require as much attention. Pop it in the fridge (breast side up) still in its wrapper and let sit for the per weight allotted amount of time.

Cold water bathing doesn't require as much time and does require a bit more attention because you'll need to change out of the water every so often so that it doesn't get too cold which becomes counter-productive to the whole defrosting process.

In my family, we usually go the bath route, quite literally one year.  Was at my brother's house and my sis-in-law and I decided to toss the bird in the kid's bathtub. Turned the water on and let it fill...only we kind of forgot that we left the water running until one of my young nieces came by and made a comment about how much fun the turkey was having in the tub.  We got there before things go too messy (and the turkey enjoyed a nice cold bath).

NO DRY GUY

Universally, I think the biggest challenge to preparing a turkey is keeping it moist.  All the gravy in the word can't disguise a dry bird.

One method is using fat.  Fat = flavor.  Fat = moisture.  A bird's natural fat is one way to maintain moisture, but oftentimes because fat has become a less than pleasant word when associated with food, your bird may have already been cleaned of excess fat.  A couple of ways to introduce this back is by using butter or bacon or fatback.

Barding is adding a thin sheet of fatback or a layer of bacon across the top of your bird.  The drippings will soak into the bird, keeping it moist and add a nice flavor to the pan drippings which can be turned into gravy. The thing to remember about using bacon, though, is that you are going to have to fight off family to claim the crispy goodness from the top of the bird. Trust me, it's worth a few bruises.

Larding is inserting fat into the food, I've done this before by putting butter under the skin of the turkey and it melts into the bird.  Again, gives some nice flavor to your drippings.

Another way to keep the turkey moist before cooking is to add moisture to it.

Brining seems like the trendy thing to do this year as I've seen lots of brining packets available at various shops.  It's similar to marinating, but takes much longer (up to 10 hours) so does require some serious planning ahead. At it's most basic, a brine is a mixture of salt, sugar and water, but usually folks will add herbs and spices to help infuse the bird with more flavor.  Brining hydrates the uncooked bird in such a way that it not only adds flavor, but helps to tenderize it and can shorten the cooking time.

There are several sites online, including one by Butterball which provides instructions on how properly brine a bird.

Okay, this seems like as good a place as any to stop right now.  As I was researching this I discovered that there's a lot of be said about turkey prep, so I am going to continue this discussion on Wednesday...or possibly Tuesday because I know most of you will be busy getting ready for the big day on Wednesday...but in either case, there will be more to come. Plan to talk to you about cooking methods and hopefully provide some helpful hints along the way.

Good and Good For You: Cilantro

 

Okay, so I haven't had a chance to get in the kitchen and play with new recipes...saving that for this weekend.  In the meantime, I thought I would do a little research into one of the ingredients that crops up in The New Southwest and many other cookbooks -- cilantro.

Now there are two predominant camps when it comes to cilantro, people seem to either love it or hate it, and I used to be in the latter camp.  But I'm slowing making my way into some middle ground with this herb.  Though it started to became very trendy in the 1990s, its been around forever.

Cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant, Coriandrum sativum, and is sometimes known as Chinese parsley. Cilantro is common to both Mexico and China and though Mexico sits on the border, it was actually the Chinese railroad workers in the 1860s who introduced the herb to North America.  They planted seeds by their camps to use the herb for cooking and left a trail of the herb behind them.

These days cilantro is used in wide array of ethnic cuisines in the U.S.  While some people use cilantro and parsley interchangeably (they are both members of the same family), there is a distinct difference in taste.  Cilantro has a very herby, pungent, almost astringent taste with slightly sweet undertones.

Cilantro is best used fresh and raw because it loses its aroma once dried.  In order to retain its potency, the best practice is to add cilantro at the end of your cooking process or as a garnish.  Cilantro makes a great salad green and is also good used as the main herb for pesto or chimichurri, a green sauce served with grilled meats (hmmm, may be seeing a post with that soon).

One of the interesting things about cilantro is that it's actually considered a healing herb.  The leaves have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.  They have a positive impact on blood cholesterol levels (lowers bad/increases good) and is believed to help in regulating blood sugar levels.

Cilantro is a good source of potassium, calcium and contains high levels of lutein which is good for good eye health.  Cilantro also contains vitamins A and C, which are amplified when cilantro is consumed with carotenoids (orange and yellow fruits and veggies).

One of the properties that cilantro promotes is detoxification in the body, especially with skin, bone, and brain.  Through environmental effects and consumption of other foods, metals build up in the body and cilantro is a good way to help detox and process those metals.

So if you're like me and like the idea of eeking out your youth a little bit longer, then jump on board the kinda-like-it Cilantro train with me and let's test that puppy out.

Comment APPLEez-vous?



Is it me or are there a lot more apple choices in the produce section these days?  It's a little mind-boggling to think that this is just a miniscule representation of the 2500 some varieties of apples grown in just North America alone!

 

I thought it might be nice though to present a little Who’s Who guide based on the ones you find available most often in your grocery store. 

Braeburn
Background:  originated in New Zealand in 1952, named after Braeburn Orchard where it was first grown commercially
Parentage:  believed to have been developed from a chance crossing between a Lady Hamilton and a Granny Smith apple
Color:  yellow undertone with a streaky red overtone
Taste:  uniquely sweet and tart flavor (a definite reflection of its parentage)
Culinary use:  a good multipurpose apple that’s great for cooking, tend to hold their shape and don’t release a lot of liquid (so especially good for tarting)

Cripps Pink
my personal favorite
Background:  originally bred in Western Australia by John Cripps from whom they get their name, also known as the Pink Lady
Parentage:  cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams
Color:  blushed pink with hints of red
Taste:   very fragrantly sweet and crispy
Culinary use:  best for enjoying raw, great for salads

Crispin
Background:  hails originally from Japan, known as a Mutsu, but renamed to Crispin in the 1960s
Parentage:  cross between a Golden Delicious and a Japanese Indo apple
Color:  bright yellow green
Taste:  sweet, refreshing, super crispy
Culinary use:  good for eating, baking, freezing, roasting or cooking, also great for salad and pies, but most importantly, makes a darned tasty hard cider

Fuji
Background:  developed in Japan in the 1930s, began to be grown stateside in the 1980s
Parentage:  cross between Red Delicious and a Virginia Ralls Janet
Color:  bi-colored red and yellow
Taste:  sweet and firm, rounded
Culinary use:  great for plain eating and in salads, but also makes a great applesauce

Gala
Background:  originated in New Zealand, brought to the US in the 1970s and now one of the most popular apples in America
Parentage:  cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd’s Orange Red
Color:  vary in color from creamy orange to red and/or yellow striped
Taste:  crisp, juicy, very sweet but mild
Culinary use:  best raw for snacking and as a salad topping

Golden Delicious
Background:  shares only its name with Red Delicious (not just a lighter version), used as a cultivar (i.e., the parent apple of many varietals)
Parentage:  was a chance seedling cross between a Grimes Golden and a Golden Reinette
Color:  light yellow with an occasional green blush
Taste:  sweet and mild with a juicy crispness
Culinary use:  good for baking, freezing, saucing or eating raw, makes good applesauce or apple butter

Granny Smith
Background:  got its name when it was chance discovered in 1868 by “Granny” Anne Smith of Rude, New South Wales
Parentage:   believed to be a possible descent of a French crabapple
Color:  probably the most widely recognized apple with green skin and occasionally a red blush
Taste:  tart tart tart and super crispy
Culinary use:  all-purpose apple great for cooking, baking, stewing or eating raw slathered with creamy peanut butter (mmmmm)

Honeycrisp
Background:  developed at the University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center
Parentage:  cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold
Color:  similar in appearance to a Braeburn only with more green undertones
Taste:  light honey sweet flavor, but with a crunchy crispy tartness
Culinary use:  good for snacks and salads, also makes a good applesauce

Jonagold
Background:  developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva
Parentage:  cross between a Golden Delicious and a Jonathan apple
Color:  can be either golden green or greenish gold and brindled red
Taste:  tart and sweet, very juicy
Culinary use:  good for raw snacking and salads, makes a good sauce, good for baking and freezing too, make a great fried apple (just add butter and cinnamon)

McIntosh
Background:  named after John McIntosh who discovered the sapling in 1811, started selling the fruit in 1835, it was introduced into commercial production in the 1870s and was a widely common used apple in the Northeast
Parentage:  it’s a cultivar (so a parent itself)
Color:  bi-colored red and green
Taste:  juicy, tangy, and tart with tender white flesh
Culinary use:  best for snacking, makes naturally pink tinted applesauce, delicious as a cider, great in pies and tarts but FYI, it cooks down really easy so make sure to cut slices thick or add a thickener otherwise it becomes mush
FYI:  apparently Jef Raskin of Apple, Inc. named the Macintosh line of PCs after this apple

Northern Spy
Background:  discovered around 1800 in East Bloomfield, NY
Parentage:  believed to be descended from a Wagener apple
Color:  green base color with “stripings” of red
Taste:  juicy and crunchy, mildly sweet but with a slightly acid edge, is high vitamin C
Culinary use:  reputed to be one of the best apples for desserts and pie as well as juices and ciders, but kind of lives up to its name in that they are very hard to find

Red Delicious
Background:  originated in Peru, Iowa where it was discovered in 1870s as a chance seedling, one of best knows types recognizable by its elongated in shape with a “footed” bottom (like a plastic soda bottle)
Parentage:  just kind of found on its own
Taste:  sweet, crisp, and juicy but with a slightly bitter thick skin
Color:  various shades of red
Culinary use:  best eaten fresh and raw, especially good for salads

 

How About Them Apples

 

So come to find out, October is recognized by many as National Apple Month.  Though I did find one source which stated National Apple Month starts in September and ends in November…I think they might be a little unclear about the definition of “month.”  In any case, YAY!  I love apples!

 

They are my go-to snack food and favorite fruit to bake with so come with me on a journey as we celebrate this month by glorifying this wonderful treat, this familiar face, this infamous snack.

 

After some initial research all I can say is that there’s almost too much to tell, so as not to overwhelm you (and because this is a crazy month for me at my real job) I’m going to be breaking it down a little and intersperse some Apple Didyaknows between recipe features this month.

 

For tonight, I’m going to leave you with some Fun Food Facts about Apples and then start working on some tasty apple goodies for this weekend.

 

DIDYAKNOW?

 

There are 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the U.S., and 7,500 varieties grown throughout the world.

 

Apples have been cultivated for thousands of years in Asia and Europe.

 

The first cultivated apples grown in North America were planted by pilgrims in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

 

Crabapples are the only apples native to North America.

 

Apples are actually members of the Rose family.

 

If you studied apples, you would be called a pomologist.

 

Most apples are still picked by hand during harvesting season.

 

It takes around 36 apples to make one gallon of cider.

 

Apples float because 25% of their volume is air.

Conventional Oven vs. Convection Oven

My friend David and I were talking over lunch yesterday about food prep and he asked me if I had ever used a convection oven and what my thoughts were about using that versus a conventional oven.  Since I think the last time I used a convection oven was when I was working on my culinary degree, I didn't know what to tell him. I may have some problems remembering back that far back these days.  But I did know one thing -- RESEARCH PROJECT!!!

CONVENTIONAL OVEN vs. CONVECTION OVEN

Let's start with some basics...oven cooking is all about heat transfer and that's where the main difference between the two lies.

* A conventional oven uses conduction.
* A convection oven uses convection.

Conduction-duction, what's your function?

In so-simple-even-K2-can-understand terms:

Conduction => something hot touches something cool and that something cool gets hot

Example, put a pot of water on the stove, heat from the burner touches the pot, the pot gets hot, the hot pot heats the water. 

The Convection Connection

Convection => something hot touches something cool and that something cool gets hot faster because the heat is being blown around...usually by a big fan...so it covers more surface of the thing being hotted.  Yeah, that's not really a word, but you get my drift.

Example, put an egg in the pot of water which is boiling all around the egg and the heat transfers through and it quickly cooks the egg.

By having the heat surround an item (versus transferring from one direction) the advantages are a reduction in cooking time (by all accounts about 25%) and more even cooking.  Additionally, convection cooking will brown foods quicker.  So if you are cooking meats, the browning helps seal the surface, trapping in the moisture and resulting in a juicer product.  

Most people use a low-sided baking dish when cooking with convection because it exposes more surface area and allows the heat to circulate around the item more freely.

You find convection ovens in most commercial kitchens, because if you think about it, time is of the essence in getting food prepped for service.  Convection ovens show up in home kitchens too, or more often you'll find conventional ovens that have a convection option.

So there is a quick-n-dirty.  If you have a convection option and want to learn more there are many discussions online that have more detail or you can find convection cookbooks that specialize in that.  I myself only have a conventional oven right now, but maybe in my next kitchen iteration, I'll try something new.