Food for Thought

St. Patrick's Day is Coming

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:48:09 -0800

In preparation for St. Patty's day, we just seasoned 3 beef briskets. Two of them we submerged in a brine, and the third we did a dry rub. This is probably the easiest thing there is to do. The brine is just 1 1/2 cups salt, 1 cup sugar, a couple tablespoons pickling spice, two tablespoons dry mustard, and three crushed garlic cloves all brought to a boil in 6 quarts of water then cooled. Find a plastic or glass container big enough to submerge the briskets and store is a cool place for 3 weeks or so. My Grandfather, who was a butcher in the old days, used to take dark meat from the sales case and toss it is a big barrel of brine in the cooler. When the meat floated, it was corned beef. No kidding! The dry rub is similar ingredients, no water of course , rubbed all over the brisket and stuck in a ziplock. The only thing different here is you need to find something really heavy like a brick and weight it down. This causes the meat to purge and forces the rub in through the meat helping the curing process. Every couple of days massage the meat and that is it. Do this now and you will have homemade corned beef for the holiday. With both methods you must rinse the meat prior to cooking. Some carrots, potatoes, and cabbage in the cooking pot round out this traditional meal, and of course, a pint of Guiness is a must.

Food without fat

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:16:57 -0800

It’s been a while since I have written anything; I have gotten involved with the exciting political events that have been happening and have spent my leisure time glued to the television listening to all the pundits, pollsters and primary returns. Additionally, I have been trying to lose some weight, so my ventures into the kitchen are not as robust as usual. Nevertheless, I still cook good food, so I thought I might just pass along some things I have prepared, being mindful of keeping down the fats and the carbs.

One of my favorite things, regardless of whether I am on a diet or not, is mashed cauliflower. It has much fewer calories and carbs and fat than mashed potatoes and is just as good.

Separate a cauliflower into flowerettes, remove the woodiest parts of the stems, and put in a large saucepan with enough chicken broth to provide steam and prevent burning. Cook over medium high heat until the cauliflower is soft. Put the cooked cauliflower in a food processor, add salt and pepper to taste and a tiny bit of nutmeg (you can also add chopped garlic). Process until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Another good way to fix cauliflower is to separate it into the flowerettes, put on a baking sheet, spray with vegetable spray and bake in a 400 degree oven until it just begins to turn brown. Season with salt and pepper and a some curry powder.

Another dish that I have prepared is prawns and lettuce.

Buy large prawns (there are some great ones in the frozen seafood section at Winco). Do not peel. Heat a skillet and spray with vegetable spray. Add the prawns, douse with a little hot sauce of your choice, and cook until they have just turned pink. DO NOT OVERCOOK SO THAT THEY HAVE THE TEXTURE OF RUBBERBANDS! Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce that has been tossed with some low calorie dressing. Since you have to work a little to eat this dish (peeling the prawns, so don’t forget plenty of napkins) it seems as though you are having more food.

Cooking while you are trying to watch your weight does not have to be dull and boring—try your ingenuity and let me know if you have any ideas.

Binge Recovery

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:36:24 -0800

If you have read my last few entries, you know I have been on a bit of a diet. I lost the winter weight I accumulated by wathching my carbs, portions, and fat in-take. But did I keep that "Diet Glow" gowing? NO! Superbowl Sunday was my demise. I had a few friends over to watch the game and they all brought fantastic, fat full, beautiful snacks. Between the eight of us, we consumed a family size all meat pizza, two sausage rolls, ten pounds of Buffalo wings, 40 meatballs, two abalone, a homemade apple pie, chips, pork rinds, a veggie tray (with dip of course), and ample beer and wine. I HURT all over monday! The ten ponds I lost have been found unfortunately. Again it is time to manage my intake until the next excuse to binge.
If you are in a similar situation, I have a suggestion that we have all heard before, but rarely heed. DRINK WATER. That's it. Water fills you up, gives you energy, helps with concentration, cleanses the system, and helps with digestion. I know reports say eight glasses of water a day are optimal, but that is hard if you are not used to it.Start with one more than usual and work your way up. Coming soon...Homemade Corned Beef.

Vegetable Soups

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:05:43 -0800

I have been trying to shed a few pounds that I put on during the holidays and have found that one of the best ways to have lots of food and few calories is to eat a lot of vegetables. However, just plain old veggies can be really boring after a while and make you want to run out and eat a lasagna loaded with cheese and pasta. So, I have been making vegetable soup which I find more satisfying with the same results as eating the vegetablesalone. Here is the idea:
Take about one quarter of an onion and cut it into very small pieces (dice). Put it in a saucepan (not a real small one, but something that will hold about 8 cups) with some cooking spray. Cook briefly until the onion turns translucent. Add enough broccoli (that has been cut into flowerettes) to fill the pot about three quarters full. Add some chicken broth (about one and one half cans), cover, and cook until the broccoli is soft but not mushy. Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and whir until it is smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and just a small dash of nutmeg. If the mixture is too thick, thin with some more chicken broth. You would be surprised how good this is!

You can vary the theme by using cauliflower, butternut squash, cabbage, or carrols instead of the broccoli, and use different seasonings such as fresh ginger with the butternut squash. The technique remains the same. If you use cabbage, use can cook the cabbage and add a can of white beans for a more hearty soup.

Let me know if you try this method of eating vegetables (I bet your kids might even like it) and if you have any ideas of your own.

Grilling vs. Bar-B-Que

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:00:45 -0800

Grilling and Bar-B-Qing are two separate cooking methods that utilize the same aparatus. Bar-B-Que is LOW, indirect heat for a long time designed for the tougher cuts of meat, where as Grilling is HIGH, direct heat, for a short period of time, more for steaks, burgers, etc.. Both have unique and desireable characteristics, but DO NOT invite people over for a Bar-B-Que and serve them grilled hamburgers! Bar-Bar-B-Que hails from Natives who used to hang their kill on sticks around a fire so the smoke would keep the bugs away and subsequently cooked the meat. The pit Bar-B-Que probably came from a wild night around the fire and some of the meat fell in and got buried. The next morning when they realized what happened, they discovered a new cooking method! I don't know for sure, but some of our best creations have come about by accident.

Now is the time to start thinking about the outdoor cooking season, and the first thing on your mind should be cleaning last years gunk out of your grill/BBQ. Pull the grates out and knock off loose gunk then bomb them with oven cleaner. You can even use it on the iside of you BBQ if it is practical. Rinse completely. A can of high heat paint puts new life into any BBQ, if it is worth it, but NEVER paint the inside unless you want your food to taste like chemicals. The best thing to do is to oil the inside after it is cleaned out. I use Pam for ease of application, but any food grade oil will work. If you have a heavy metal BBQ, like my Brinkman, after oiling, a big hot fire sesons the inside for the summer. Now you have the outdoor cooking bug agin so what are we going to cook? Here is a simple favorite;
BBQ Tri-Tip

Light the fire and get a good set of coals going, or heat your gas BBQ to high. Stab Tri-Tip with a fork. Go nuts. Pretend you are in Psycho. Really perforate it! Lightly dust with you favorite rub, (I'm into rubs right now), and set aside until the BBQ is ready. You can also season the meat ahead of time and refrigerate which is a really good idea. Move all the coals to one side of the BBQ, or turn off all but one burner and put the meat on the grill as far away from the heat as possible. Put the lid on and try to regulate the heat down low by closing vents. Beef should reach 160 degrees internally, but you really should take the meat off before it reaches that temp because the meat will continue to cook even after you remove it. This should take AT LEAST an hour. Any shorter, you are cooking to fast. Remember, the slower the better. Slice thinly and serve with a sourdough baguette and a green salad or green beans.

Wings

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:32:18 -0800

Well, I was going to talk about wings, too, but Daniel beat me to the punch. Just "wings" as they are now called were called Buffalo wings, not because they had any relationship to those shaggy creatures that roam our plains, but because they were first produced in Buffalo, NY at the Anchor Bar. The story goes that the unannounced late-night arrival of the owner's son prompted him to come up with a fast and easy snack to give to him and his friends. The recipe (much diluted with beer) that Daniel gave you is pretty close to the original.

My version of wings goes like this:
Cover wings with teriyaki sauce and put in an oiled pan in a 400 degree oven; bake for 45 minutes or so until they look like they are done. Remove from the pan and serve with a spicy peanut sauce:
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp chopped, fresh garlic
Hot sauce to taste
Whir up together in a food processor or a blender; if too thick, dilute with chicken broth.

Serve with rice that has been flavored with grated lemon peel and parsley. Add a green salad of your choice and you have a complete meal. Something with coconut would make a great dessert.

Superbowl: The Un-Official Holiday

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:42:38 -0800

I love Superbowl Sunday! This is a day that has turned into a holiday for many of us and I am no exception. Now wait a minute you football haters. I rarely know what teams are going to be playing, let alone how many of them have been investigated, incarcerated, or what have you, but it is a really great excuse to gather people together to have a good time, and eat good food. My all time favorite must have finger food is Buffalo Wings. Here is the best basic recipe for making wings;

Start with opening a beer. In a deep heavy pan, heat at least 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to at least med high, (all stoves vary so play with it), and fry the hell out of the fresh wings. You will probably need to do it in batches. Have a beer. The wings must have enough room to swim around in the oil while they cook. Or, if you have a deep fryer, go for it. At the same time, melt a cube of butter and mix in a bottle of Crystal hot sauce. Have a beer. After the sauce is all mixed in, blend in a heaping spoonful of chili pepper paste. Toss the fried wings in the sauce and serve with Blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Have a beer.

I'm also going to make Sausage rolls;

Buy frozen PUFF PASTRY and you favorite fresh ground Italian sausage. Have a beer. Lay out one of the pastry sheets and put about a 1/2 pound of sausage in log form down the center of the pastry. Have a beer. Roll over onto itself and seal all seams with lightly wet fingers. Be sure to pinch the ends well. Place on an oiled baking sheet, brush with a little egg, and bake according to the pastry package instructions. Have a beer. Cut into one inch bits and put out yelow mustard to dip in. Have a beer.

Oh, DON'T FORGET THE BEER!!!

Julia

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:33:42 -0800

Recently I picked up a slim biography of Julia Child. Her life makes for fascinating reading, for she was not just a famous cook, but also a member of the OSS (now the CIA) during WWII who served in China. I have always regarded her as a mentor although I never had the pleasure of meeting her personally; she truly taught me to cook. Her book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" was a revelation to me, because she doesn't just give recipes, but really tells you ABOUT food--it's properties and why it does what it does under different circumstances. She was fond of saying that good cooking isn't inspiration but knowing the proper technique and being familiar with your ingredients. Before her book came out in the 1960s, together with her cooking show on PBS, a great deal of American cooking was quite dismal. She opened up the possibilities of really knowing about food and how to prepare it. Because of Julia we have the Food Network, Martha Stewart, numerous cooking magazines and the wide variety of foodstuffs in our grocery stores and restaurants. We owe her a toast to broadening our cooking horizons.

Clean Out Your Fridge

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:28:45 -0800

The last few days trapped us all in the house with a million channels to watch on T.V. and nothing to watch. This is when it is time to go through the fridge. After a little digging I found some leeks, chicken breasts, and other tid bits. I was able to make a tasty meal without stepping one foot outside! Left over bits of sausage, canned tomato, half bags of frozen vegetables, whatever you can find, you can make a meal. One of my stormy day favorites is cottage pie:

First, make some mashed potatoes, (at least 4 potatoes worth). Brown some ground beef and set aside. In the same pan saute some chopped onion and a little garlic. Put the beef back in the pan and season to your liking. I usually throw in fresh herbs from the garden or Italian seasoning blend, salt and pepper. This is when a little wine goes in. A few glugs usually works. Let it simmer down a bit and mix in some brown gravy. Add fluid or simmer it down until it is just a bit wet. Now you can mix in a bag of mixed vegetables if you want. Spread the mix into a 13 x 9 greased pan and cover with at least half an inch of mashed potatoes. Detail the top with a fork and put pads of butter every few inches. Bake at 350 degrees until the top browns up.

That bilious feeling

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:35:16 -0800

Do you remember in those old historical novels the references to bilious attacks? (Well maybe I'm just older than most of you). That is how I felt after all of the rich (but good) food and wines that I had for Christmas. The perfect antidote is...some chicken soup. But, Italian style. It is called stracciatella and this is how you fix it.

Heat a quantity of chicken stock (you can just pour it right from the can) to the boiling point. For every two cups of stock, in a separate bowl, beat up 1 egg, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and a small dash of nutmeg. Pour this mixture slowly into the boiling chicken stock (but watch carefully, and turn down the heat right away as it will boil over and make your stove a mess). If you want to add some cooked noodles, go ahead. Very comforting and easy to make.

I find it so interesting how some foods are universal--chicken soup for what ails you is featured in so many different cuisines: won ton soup, chicken soup with matzo balls and the Brits have their beef tea (well, okay, it's a different animal). Goes down easy and has lots of good protein.

The Quest for Food

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:40:16 -0800

I have always loved food—not just eating it, but cooking it, reading about it, and talking about it. Having been a history major in college, it became clear that the quest for food has driven civilization—think of the Tigris and the Eurphrates, the flooding Nile, the Spice Route, the voyages to the World, and the pioneers in those covered wagons going across the Plains to California (gold was only a small part of that migration). I hope to encourage some of the rest of you to have the same interest, or hear from those of you that do. I am saddened that many people no longer cook at home; perhaps I can persuade you to try. I will be helped by my son Daniel who will give his perspective in growing up in a household where food was a centerpiece (we were in the grocery business, too) and will offer a guy’s take on working (and having fun) in the kitchen. Once in a while I will get on my soap box about people eating too much fast food, but I’ll try not to get carried away too often.

To start, I would like to give you a quick menu for a week night that requires a minimum of fuss and is something that the kids love—at least mine did when they were growing up. I will try to make the recipes simple and not use “cooking talk”. If you have any questions, please ask.