Cooking in the New Year

     All around the globe people prepare a special meal to welcome in the New Year with the hopes of well being and prosperity.  In Asian countries long noodles are eaten as a sign of good luck, as long as the strand is unbroken until all of it is in the diner's mouth.  In Italy lentils are cooked for the first meal with the thought that they resemble coins and will bring fortune to all at the table.  In Turkey and other countries that ring the Mediterranean pomegranates are prepared as they are associated with abundance and fertility.  In Germany, Ireland and parts of the United States the meal includes cabbage, and since it is green and the leaves are folded over each other, is a hopeful portent of luck and wealth.  And in different parts of the globe the meal consists of an entree made with fish, since fish swim forward it is a positive way to move forward into the New Year. In Spain revelers at midnight consume 12 grapes, one for each stroke of the clock

     There is an old adage in the southern United States that says: "Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold."  Black eyed peas are always served in a dish like Hoppin' John as it is considered to represent prosperity, especially when served with collard greens.

     In our region it is customary to serve pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, and much to my wife's dismay that will be served at our small table, along with some smashed red  skinned potatoes and  some roasted root vegetables.  Pork symbolizes progress since the pig always roots forward.  It is said that pork is also rich in fat content which denotes wealth and prosperity.  That meal is part of the rich Pennsylvania German heritage brought to the New World by the immigrants who settled in our area.  Pork is also eaten in places like Cuba, Portugal, Hungary and Austria.

     There are also some foods to avoid on New Year's Day as they are considered bad luck.  Never serve lobster for instance.  They move backward, symbolizing setbacks for the year ahead.  That goes for chicken as well since they scratch the ground in a backward motion which is said to bring regret and is also a sign of dwelling in the past.  In fact, it is bad luck to serve any winged foul on January 1st because good fortune could easily fly away.

     Here's wishing you a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.  And may your calories be just enough to delight both your taste buds and your stomach!

Vinny

A Christmas Feast

     Once again our family is hosting the annual family Christmas feast.  I have set forth a menu with something (I hope) for all in attendance.  Here it is:

A FAMILY CHRISTMAS DINNER
2012

Appetizer

Potato & Beef Canape

Assorted Cheese Plate

Vegetable Crudite

 

Salad

Arugula & Spinach

with

Dried Cranberries & Toasted Pine Nuts

 

Sides

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Lancaster County Pepper Cabbage

Mashed and Baked Potatoes

Creamed Spinach & Parsnips

Steamed Green Beans Almondine

Freshly Baked Bread with Herbed Butter

 

Entree

Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin with

Mustard Horseradish Sauce

 

Dessert

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

with

Raspberry Enlightenment

Flavored Coffees

Tea

Tums

Alka-Seltzer

 

To all my readers around the globe:

 

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year!

                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                    Vinny

 

 

 



Stellar Stollen

     There are some interesting food traditions surrounding Christmas.  I'm sure your family has a special item or meal that is served each year around your table.  Among the Pennsylvania German families in our area the stollen is something that young and old alike eagerly await to consume during the Advent season.

     Stollen has been described as "a buttery, fruit-filled, sugar coated loaf" that originated in Germany.  But it wasn't always such a delicious  treat.  First baked in Saxony in the 14th Century it was a rather dry loaf of bread baked with oats and wheat without any milk or butter.  That was due to the restriction of those items by the Catholic Church which forbade them in bakeries during Advent, a time of fasting.  But in a "butterbrief" letter to the Pope the nobility petitioned His Holiness for their inclusion.  They had to wait for 40 years and 5 Popes for a response which came in the "butter letter of 1490" and granted the use of butter in the stollen, but only for the royal household.  All other subjects had to pay a butter tax to Rome if they wanted to include it in any baked items.  It was only when Saxony became a Protestant province that the ban on butter was permanently removed.

     Today stollen, sometimes referred to as "Christstollen" during the Christmas season is a sweet bread filled with dried fruit, sometimes containing a core of marzipan in the center, and covered with a sugary icing or coating of powdered sugar.  First baked in Dresden, where it is still popular, it is supposed to symbolize the Infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths.

     If you choose not to follow the long and involved process to bake one yourself, be sure to seek out a local bakery that has one with your name on it!



Snow What?

     I've been having a lot of fun reading excerpts from Ken Jennings' book Because I Said So.  One final warning that I'll comment on today is the one we have all heard as we were growing up:

"Don't eat snow -- It'll make you sick!"

 

     Findings published in Science in 2008 revealed that some snowflakes form around a "seed" of bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae -- which led to "Why snow might be killing your kid" teasers in newscasts.  But Pseudomonas syringae causes a fatal disease in beans and tomatoes, not people.  And the human stomach is acidic enough to kill bacteria in snow.

 

     However, there are worse things in the air -- such as sulfates, nitrates, even lead --and snow might contain any of them.  Catching flakes on your tongue is no big deal, but any kid putting away buckets of the white stuff may want to ease up.

 

     Whew!  I was worried there for a minute that catching those snowflakes on my tongue as a kid was going to do me in half a century later.

 







Under Water

     Another issue that Ken Jennings addresses in his book Because I Said So is the 8x8 rule.  This came primarily from those well meaning junior high teachers in health class.  It went something like this:

"Drink 8 Eight ounce glasses of water a day."

 

And that carried with it another rule:  not milk, not juice, it had to be water.  In 2002, a kidney specialist named Heinz Valtin, M.D., concluded that this rule was an accident.  Back in the 1940s, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommended "one milliliter of water for each calorie of food."  Thus, a 1,900 calorie diet would indeed work out to about 64 ounces of water daily.  But everyone seems to have forgotten the next sentence:  "Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods."

 

     That's right.  Most of our water gets to us in non-water form.  In fact, a National Institutes of Health doctor tole the Los Angeles Times that a healthy adult in a temperate climate could replace his or her body's daily water loss with food alone.

 

     So now what do I do with all those nalgene water containers I have at home?

Motherly Mandates

     Ken Jennings (remember him from Jeopardy?) has written a book entitled, "Because I Said So."  In it he lists many of the things our mother (and father, too) warned us as we were growing up.  They are a sort of parental proclamations akin to urban legends.  Some are true, others are not.  In his listing of these mandates are some that are food related and I found them interesting.  Here is one we have all heard, especially at this time of the year:

     "Stay away from the poinsettia!  The leaves are poisonous." 

 

The truth is, says Jennings, it's probably safer to eat an entire potted poinsettia then Grandma's fruitcake.  Unlike other plants in its genus, the poinsettia isn't dangerously toxic.  Poison control centers say you'll have to gorge on 600 leaves to get a meaningful dose of irritating compounds, and even then the symptoms would be no worse than a bellyache. (Probably not much different from the bellyache you'd get by eating 600 leaves of anything.)

 

 



Orzo What?

     Recently I found a recipe for a chicken soup that called for orzo to be toasted and included in the broth.  Having none on hand, I went to the local grocery store to purchase some.  But I wasn't sure what I was looking for, or even worse, where to find it.  What exactly is orzo?  Is it a grain, like rice or quinoa?  Would it be in the health food section, or over with the other shapes of pasta.  When I asked the young employee, she was very kind but also had no idea what we were looking for.  Eventually I did locate a small bag of DaVinci brand imported Italian orzo and happily brought it home so I could make the soup on a chilly December day.

     Once back in the kitchen I took some time to read the package and discovered that orzo is comprised of durum wheat semolina.  So it's pasta!  Turns out it's a pasta made in the shape of a grain of rice, thus the source of my confusion.  Even more confusing is that the Italian word orzo translates in English as barley.  And if that weren't confusing enough, this versatile little pasta is also known by a variety of different names: kritharaka, manestra, rosa marina, reiskornpasta, pasta gallo pion and risoni, depending on the country where it is cooked.  It is very popular in Greece and is also a chef's favorite in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern nations.  As I soon discovered it is a welcome addition in soups but is not limited to just that.  It can be served alone as are other pastas and it readily takes on supportive flavors combined with it.  It can also be an integral part of a salad or pilaf and can be baked into a casserole.  Orzo's only limitation is the creativity of the person preparing it.



Dancing Sugarplums

    

     Remember the line about "sugarplums dancing in their heads" from The Night Before Christmas?  What exactly is a sugarplum?  Well, Kitchen Kapers has provided us the answer to that question.

     Popular in the Victorian era, sugarplums were a sweet delicacy of dried fruits, nuts, and spices.  Sort of a mini version of the ever present fruit cake that gets sent to unwitting recipients.  Finely chopped, the ingredients form a stiff paste, perfect for rolling and molding into tiny plum-like shapes.  A coating in sanding sugar adds a touch of holiday glitter and a whole clove "stem" completes the charming little morsels.  They are low in fat and contain no wheat products, much to the delight of those who are gluten intolerant.

     To read the recipe, click on this link:  http://www.acornadvisors.com/2012_KNews/11-29-12_Gifts/Recipes_Gifts/KK_Plums.html

Taking Stock

     Under the catagory of "Right Stuff" the Nutrition Action Healthletter wrote recently of a commercially produced cooking stock that did not contain all the usual additives, like sodium and MSG. 

     "Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock relies on the same ingredients you'd use to make homemade stock, and it has no added salt, and it's the best tasting unsalted cooking stock out there"  so they claim.  The same company also makes vegetable and beef versions, too.  The label reveals an interesting amalgam of ingredients, from chicken stock and flavor, to vegetable stock from carrot, onion, mushroom and celery.  Also on the list are honey, bay, thyme and pepper.  But the star of the show is, as it should be, the chicken.  So much so that each cup of stock contains 5 grams of protein.

     It's not sodium free, however, due to the fact that celery and chicken both contain naturally occurring sodium.  But at 150 milligrams per cup it has a fraction of the competition.  Progresso Chicken Broth, for example, has a whopping 850 mg of sodium per cup, not to mention chicken powder, chicken fat, autolyzed yeast extract and other extraneous ingredients to pump up the flavor.

     I've always been an advocate of low sodium brands and was pleased to read about this.  But there are also others on the store shelf that can make the same claim and with less added salt.  One of my favorites is Pacific Natural Foods Low Sodium.  It claims on the label to be "All Natural" and "organic" (whatever that really means.  But that's a story for another VinnyPost.)  The nutrition facts chart states only 80 mg of sodium per cup.  And recently I purchased a case lot of the Whole Food 365 Low Sodium Chicken Broth at an attractive discounted price.  It listed some ingredients unfamiliar to me, like gum arabic, but with a caveat that it was less than 2% of the total.  The sodium level per cup is 140 mg.

     There are healthy food products available.  But it still remains "buyer beware!"  Read the labels, including the fine print, carefully.

Broth or Stock?

      I've never been quite sure about the difference between broth and stock.  I often use the terms interchangeably.  But the two are not the same.  After some investigation I discovered that you can use stock to make broth, but not the other way around.  They differ both culturally  and in colloquial terminology.

     Stock is the thin liquid that is produced by simmering raw ingredients, then removing the solids.  This leaves a thin, highly flavored and concentrated liquid.  There are several classic stocks made from beef, veal, chicken, fish and vegetables, like mirepoix, a combination of onions, carrots and celery.

     Broth, on the other hand, is more of a soup where solid pieces of the flavoring meat, or fish, or vegetables remain in the simmering liquid.

     According to Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking:  The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, the word stock as it's applied in the kitchen reflects the professional cook's approach to sauce making.  It derives from an old Germanic root meaning "tree trunk," and has more than 60 related meanings revolving around the idea of basic materials, sources, and supplies.  It's thus the culinary application of a very general term, and was first used in the 18th Century.  Much more specific and ancient is broth, which goes back to 1000 CE and a Germanic root bru meaning "to prepare by boiling" and the material so prepared, both it and the boiling liquid.

     Still confused?  So am I.

A Sweet Solution

     Most people toss cut apples and other fruits prone to browning in lemon juice.  But here's another way:  Toss them in honey water.  According to the folks at Cook's Illustrated, you can dilute 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 cup of water.  An apple slice soaked in the solution kept bright for more than 24 hours as compared to an untreated slice which began to brown within a few minutes.

     This is because browning is caused by the action of an enzyme known as polyphenol oxidase, and a peptide compound found in honey deactivates it just as the acid in lemon juice does.  Even better: they found that the fruit needed only a 30 second dunk in the solution to inhibit browning for a solid 8 hours.  Incidently, honey seems to work just as well at stopping browning in vegetables, such as potatoes.

     Now you know.

Soda Wars

     Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, writes in a recent editorial in the Nutrition Action newsletter that his organization has declared war on sugary drinks.  They have done so in the form of a music video entitled "The Real Bears", a parody of the cute polar bears featured in soda commercials.

     The story line is conveyed by a song written by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz and describes the fate of a polar bear family that consumes too much soda and ends up with obesity, diabetes, tooth decay and erectile dysfunction. 

     As you might imagine the message was not well received by the soft drink industry.  But the truth is that sugary beverages are nutritionally worthless and a major source of obesity, which in turn contributes to higher rates of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and other related illnesses.

     But the word is getting out.  Since a CSPI report on "Liquid Candy" was first published in 1998 the per capita consumption of sugary drinks has declined by 25% and obesity rates are beginning to level off.

     Watch the video and judge for yourself its message:  www.therealbears.org

Meat & Potatoes

     It's common knowledge that men at the dinner table do not like to be distracted by superfluous side courses.  For them it's a meat and potato world, just the basics. 

     So I was pleased to come across a recipe for appetizers in the most recent Food Network Magazine that would be appealing for such a gathering.  Now admittedly it does contain a few other items but the foundation is composed of a slice of new potato and some roast beef.  Can't get anymore fundamental that that.

     Recently I made up about 3 dozen of these "manly" appetizers and took them along to a get together to see how they would be received.  I should have also taken along a stop watch to time how quickly they were consumed.  They were enjoyed not only by the men in the group, but also by the ladies as well.  They were so popular that I plan to make them up again for another end of the year celebration this weekend.

     Here is the recipe:

POTATO-BEEF CANAPES

 

1 1/2 lbs beef tenderloin (I substituted sliced deli roast beef, freshly cut.)

 

2 Tbsp EVOO                                               1 small shallot, minced

5 small red potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick         1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers,             1 tsp capers, chopped

      drained, rinsed and diced                        1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic

kosher salt & freshly ground pepper            1/4 tsp finely chopped rosemary

                                             large pinch of sugar

 

   Preheat the oven to 350.  Season the meat with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.  Transfer the skillet to the oven; roast until a thermometer inserted into the meat registers 125F, about 30 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 15 minutes.

 

   Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until just tender, up to 5 minutes. Drain and let cool.

 

   Mix the roasted peppers, shallot, vinegar, the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, the capers, garlic, rosemary, sugar and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Thinly slice the beef and arrange on the potato rounds; top with the pepper salsa.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Moroccan Delight

     About a month ago I mentioned in the Post "A Bygone Era" that I had prepared Chamoula Lamb Chops.  Since that reference to the Moroccan style meal I have received requests for the recipe.  Here it is:

CHAMOULA LAMB CHOPS

 

1/2 cup EVOO                                             3 Tbsp sweet smoked paprika

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice                         1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika

1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro                  1 Tbsp ground coriander

1/4 cup packed fresh mint                       1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley                  1 tsp ground fennel

3 medium garlic cloves                             1/2 tsp cayenne

Kosher salt                                                   12  4 oz lamb rib chops

 

Put the oil, lemon juice, cilantro, mint, parsley, garlic, both paprikas, coriander, cumin, fennel, cayenne and 2 tsp salt in a blender with 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth.

 

Pat the lamb dry.  Wrap aluminum foil around the exposed bones, leaving the meat uncovered.  Arrange the chops on a large rimmed baking sheet and brush on all sides with the marinade.  Let the chops marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

 

Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.  Season the chops on all sides with sale.  Broil, flipping once, until an instant read thermometer registers 130 F for medium rare, about 7 minutes total.  Remove the foil.  Let the chops rest loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes, then serve.

 

 

 

Serves 6

 

Fine Cooking,  December2012/January 2013, p. 55

What to Eat Now

     Recently TIME magazine featured a story by Dr. Mehmet Oz.  It was sub-titled "The Anti Food-Snob Diet" and was controversial in that it contradicted the popular belief advocated by foodies and gourmands. Dr. Oz claims that some of the tastiest and healthiest food to be had is also the least expensive and most ordinary.  The frozen block of spinach that is sold in the franchise grocery store under a generic label is just as nutritious as the fresh leafy organic variety sold at a much higher price at a boutique farmers' market.  With the advent of flash freezing all the vitamins and freshness is preserved and there is little difference between the two, other than the fact that the frozen spinach is quicker and easier to prepare.

     And the same holds true for canning, too.  As with frozen vegetables, fiber and nutrient content usually stay high in canned foods.  And the cost per serving numbers of some canned foods show them to be much more of a bargain than their fresh counterparts.  This holds true for meats as well.  The protein content of canned meats are not diminished making such foods as tuna, salmon and chicken excellent sources of nutrition.  Dr. Oz cites the tuna sandwich as a prime example.  He says that the tuna salad sandwich is to lunch what the '57 Chevy is to cars--basic and brilliant.  Tuna is loaded with niacin, selenium, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, all things that are good for us.

     But there is a caveat.  He advises us to read the labels first.  Plenty of products include flavor enhancers such as sugar, salt and MSG.  And there are foods on the store shelves that are loaded with nitrites and sodium that are culinary land mines.  A good example of a bad example is found in brand name, mainstream, non-gourmet peanut butter.  It can be both quality nutrition and/or indulgent junk.  While peanut butter does contain saturated fat, 80% of its total fat is unsaturated, just as healthy as the finest olive oil.  It's also high in fiber and potassium.  But it can also be loaded with salt and sweeteners, so read carefully the fine print on the nutrition label.

     Dr. Oz goes on to cite other "primitive" foods that are good for us, like pickles.  While salty, they are also high in vitamin K and low in calories, and the vinegar in them can improve insulin sensitivity.  And baked beans not prepared with bacon or excessive sweeteners are great sources of fiber and protein.  Other healthy commonplace foods include mustard, extremely low in calories and high in selenium, and popcorn, as long as it is air popped and not covered in oils and artificial butter flavoring.  Even dark chocolate has a redeeming quality, delivering the antioxidant benefits of the flavonols in it.

     The final word, however, is portion control.  A little bit of chocolate is good, but that doesn't mean that a lot is better.  As Americans we tend to over eat because we put too much food on our plates.  It is best to follow the admonition of our grandmothers, "Everything in moderation."

Chiming Inn

     As I have been writing about my most recent stay in The Crescent City for the annual Po'boy Festival I have made numerous references to my lodging at The Chimes.  It is an amazing B & B located in a quiet residential neighborhood Uptown and not far from the Garden District.  The location is perfect for quick transit to Downtown and the French Quarter by either the fabled St. Charles Avenue streetcar line or the modern bus system that runs along Magazine Street.  It is only 15 minutes from all the action but is a world away from the raucous din of Bourbon Street.

     Jill, with the support of her husband, Charles, have about a half dozen rooms set around a enclosed courtyard that creates a small community setting for guests to congregate and share stories of the day's events.  Another meeting place is around the long breakfast table where beginning at 8am each day a morning meal is served and plans are made to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of New Orleans.  It is also there that Jill enthusiastically listens and offers advice on what to see and do and also what to avoid. 

     Though not a native, she has learned from her time in The Big Easy what works and  conversely what does not.  And she can let the listener in on the idiosyncrasies of life and politics there, like for instance, the rule that her Bed & Breakfast establishment cannot serve a cooked breakfast since she does not have a commercially licensed kitchen.  No matter.  Each morning she drives to a neighborhood French bakery (sometimes going the wrong way up a one way street!) and selects an assortment of fresh breads and pastries to serve along with sliced fresh fruits, cheeses and granola with yogurt.  Add to that a cup of coffee or freshly brewed tea and the meal is perfect to provide a jump start on the day without being too heavy or filling.

     Each room has its own personality and charm with unique items that Jill has found along the way.  My corner room had twelve foot tall ceilings and in the bathroom hung an imported Italian chandelier that was carefully reconstructed after suffering "water issues" from Katrina.  Everything about both my stays there was thoughtfully prepared, from the choice of bath soaps and shampoo to the spring water in glass containers to the personally created and annotated restaurant guide.

     Want a pleasant home away from home when in New Orleans?  Give Jill a call.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

     Having lunch at 3 pm is a dangerous thing.  But that's what I did the Monday I was in New Orleans.  The meal at Mother's restaurant was nothing short of wonderful but I knew it would not hold me over till breakfast the next day.  So I devised a plan to assuage what I knew would be my late night hunger pangs.  I boarded the #11 bus that would take me back to The Chimes along Magazine Street.  But before my usual stop at Constantinople Street I departed at Third and paid the folks at Tracey's a visit.

     The Irish pub/restaurant has a storied past dating back to 1949 and has been a neighborhood hangout uptown for over six decades.  They also have an amazing menu of regional fare, including over a dozen types of po'boys.  Also among their offerings is the muffaletta, a monstrous sandwich made famous by the Central Grocery. 
 (see VinnyPost  June 21 )

     One muffaletta could alone feed a small family, being the size of a hubcap.  It is a huge roll stuffed full of lunch meats, cheese and topped by the signature chopped olive salad.  So I ordered a half sandwich to go and asked that the kitchen cut it in half.  While I waited for it to be prepared and wrapped I also enjoyed another regional delicacy, boudin balls.

     Happily on my way, after an interesting adventure in the dark to the cavernous second floor under renovation to view the plans for a banquet hall, I once again boarded the #11 bus for the few blocks back to my stop and walked back to my oasis at The Chimes.  Sure enough by 9 pm I was hungry and I devoured half of the half of that Sicilian sandwich.  By that time the olive oil had begun to seep into the roll making the sandwich even more flavorful.

     One advantage to the muffaletta is that it does not need refrigeration.  That is why it was the lunch meal of choice for the day laborers at the port of New Orleans during the beastly summer months.  So I kept the other half of my evening repast and after passing through the TSA security check at the airport, enjoyed it for my own lunch before boarding my flight home the next day.  It was all I needed and was a wonderful last meal in the Big Easy.