The Weather in Mexico

     I'm sure you recall that old joke which asks what is the Mexican weather forecast.  The answer is a groaner, "Chili today, hot tamale."  But when it comes to spices, spelling is critical.  Chili powder with an "i" is not the same as chile powder with an "e."  The difference is highlighted in a recent issue of fine Cooking magazine.

     Chili powder is usually a blend of ground mild dried chiles and spices like cumin, peppercorn, and salt.  Hot chili powder also contains cayenne.  Pure chile powders are ground solely from a specific kind of chile with no additional ingredients.  Chili powder is often used to flavor many varieties of chili, while pure chile powder provides a special and unique flavor, depending on the chile pepper that is dried and ground.

     You can find pure chile powders at most supermarkets, ranging from the moderately hot pasilla, ancho, and New Mexico, to the much hotter chipotle and cayenne.  And aside from the heat, you will find different degrees of smoky and fruity flavors.  The best way to get to know their flavor profiles is to cook with them.   

     Hace muy calor, si?

Seasonal Fruit

     We are all familiar with the summer fruits that we longingly wait for each year.  Strawberries, blueberries, peaches and apples are best when freshly picked.  But there is one seasonal fruit that is best right now in the dead of Winter.

     Meyer lemons grow throughout the year but are at their peak from January to May.  Native to China they were introduced into the United States in 1908 by agricultural explorer Frank Meyer, an employee of the USDA.  The Meyer lemon tree is short and compact, growing only 6-10 feet tall with shiny green leaves.  The tree matures in 4 years and begins to produce thousands of the plump, smooth-skinned, dark yellow fruits.  They can also be raised for ornamental and decorative purposes and grow well in warm climates as a potted plant.

     Those fruits are more round than a traditional lemon and sweeter and less acidic, with a thinner skin and a more floral scent, with an aroma that has a hint of honey and thyme.

     So what are some of the uses for this winter seasonal fruit?  They can be used to make a sweet, not tart, lemonade and can flavor a roast chicken or baked shrimp.  Or you can be really creative with Meyer lemons and thinly slice them and arrange them on a pizza crust topped with goat cheese, rosemary and olives!

To Mash or not to Mash?

     I will be the first to admit that mashed potatoes are perhaps my favorite side dish.  And there is a member of my family who will remain unnamed but lives in St. Paul who can make an entire meal of them.  But recently I have discovered a worthy substitute.

     The mega-grocery chain Wegman sent out a magazine style cookbook that I receive in the mail.  It focused primarily on Asian cuisine and had some very interesting recipes, all highlighting their products, I might add.  But one of them caught my eye.  It was for a Cauliflower Vanilla Puree.  It seemed simple enough to prepare and had only a handful of ingredients.  So since I already had a small head of cauliflower in the 'frig, I thought I'd give it a try.

     Once again I was willing to make a minor substitution, relying on my pantry rather than going out to purchase something I might never use again, choosing to incorporate some of my own vanilla extract in place of vanilla bean paste.  But I kept the rest of the ingredient list intact.  The result was a very pleasing side dish that could easily replace the work horse spuds that often accompany an entrée around our house.  I recommend it to you for your approval.  Here is the recipe:

Cauliflower Vanilla Puree

2 cups milk                     1 head cauliflower, cut into florets           1 tsp vanilla

8 cups water                   1 6 oz container vanilla Greek yogurt      1 Tbsp scallions,

                                         salt & pepper to taste                                      thinly sliced

Add milk, water (and salt) to stock pot.  Using high heat, bring to a boil.  As soon as the liquid boils, add cauliflower.  Return to simmer; stir.  Simmer 10-15 minutes on med-low until fork tender.  Let cauliflower drain 10 minutes.

Puree cauliflower and yogurt in a blender or food processor, in two batches if necessary.  Add puree to a saucepan; season with (salt) and pepper.  Heat on low 5-10 minutes; stir in vanilla.  Fold in scallions and serve.



Naming the Waters

     When brewing tea it is essential to use the best water available.  This means using filtered or bottled water.  But what is the proper temperature of the water to impart the maximum flavor from the tea leaves?  Different teas require different water temperatures.  For example Japanese Green Tea is infused best for 1 to 2 minutes at 160-175F, while Oolong should be steeped anywhere from 2 to 7 minutes at 185-200F.  And Black Tea requires a temp between 200-212F for up to 5 minutes.

     As the water's temperature increases, it goes through several major stages.  In China a well established visual recognition is used to determine the water's heat.  It can be especially helpful if your kettle is not temperature controlled.

Shrimp eyes:  158-174F - This stage is marked by the appearance of tiny bubbles on the edges and bottom of the pot.  These bubbles are from the escape of dissolved gases in the water, not chemical breakdown.

Crab Eyes:  175-184F - The transition from shrimp eyes to crab eyes occurs when the tiny bubbles begin to rise.  It will have a gentle steam rising from it and it makes rapid, high-pitched sizzling sounds with the rise of the bubbles, which are around 3mm in size.

Fish Eyes:  185-194F - Just like the name says, the bubbles are larger than crab eyes (around 8mm).  There is much more steam, and the steam will rise faster than it did in the crab eyes stage.  The sound of the hiss will lower in pitch.

Rope of Pearls:  195-205F - Constant stream of bubbles that form a string as they float to the top.

Dragon Eyes:  212F - This stage is commonly referred to as a "full boil" or "rolling boil," and less commonly as "Old Man Water".  It is marked by the absence of any small bubbles.


This information graciously provided by The Tubby Olive, Doylestown.

Colorful

     On Saturday I attended a tea party, of sorts.  The Tubby Olive, a varietal olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop in Doylestown, was hosting an event highlighting one of their retail items, a line of teas.  The folks from the other side of the river in New Jersey who are the proprietors of "Tea For All" were there to answer questions and to offer samples.

     It was a colorful experience for me.  And again I was humbled by what little I really knew about the world's most consumed beverage.  For me, tea was something my mother brewed for me and served with unbuttered toast when I was sick.  And it was always orange pekoe.  Little did I know that it had nothing to do with the color or flavor of oranges.  In reality it was named after the Dutch House of Orange who where the primary exporters of black tea from China, where all tea leaves were originally grown and harvested.

     What we commonly term black tea in western cultures is not the same as Chinese black tea, however.  The Chinese call our black tea red tea due to the color of the leaf which is oxidized and naturally aged for several years.  Chinese black tea, or pu'erh from Yunnan Province, is referred to as fermented darkened tea and starts out as green tea.

     Green tea which has been gaining in popularity due to its purported health benefits in reducing the risk of heart disease and certain cancers undergoes minimal oxidation.  It is also thought to provide thermogenesis.  It stimulates fat oxidation and boosts the metabolic rate, encouraging weight loss.

     White tea is also lightly oxidized. The leaves and buds are allowed to wither in natural sun light before being lightly processed to prevent further oxidation.  The word "white" doesn't refer to the color of the tea but to the fine silver-white hairs on unopened buds of the tea plant which gives the plant a whitish appearance.  The tea is actually pale yellow in color.

     So next time you sip a cup of tea, ask yourself, "what is my favorite color?"

A Cheesy Profession

     I don't recall any of my childhood friends saying that when they grew up they wanted to become an affineur.  And even now I can't say that I know anyone personally who has followed that career track.  In fact, until just recently I didn't even know what an affineur was.

     Affinage is the process of aging cheese.  It is both an art and a skill.  And it takes years of apprenticeship and training to become a successful affineur.  While some cheese makers choose to age and purvey their own cheeses, many would rather have the critical work conducted and supervised by someone more skilled before the cheese is marketed and sold by a cheese monger.  So an affineur is a midwife of sorts, caring for something that is not his/her own and then delivering it to another.

     Consider all that is involved.  An affineur must be knowledgeable of the characteristics of different styles and types of cheese, know how they are made and their ideal flavor profiles, aromas and textures.  And with that knowledge then creating the proper environment for aging different types of cheese, blending humidity and temperature, and caring for the cheese by brushing, turning and bathing it to coax it to the peak of ripeness.  Then there are also the verbal and social skills involved in being able to express and communicate the flavors and textures with precision and accuracy.  And last but not least being able to work well in the "food chain" between the cheesemaker and the cheesemonger.

     Maybe in retirement I will take on a new career and watch cheese age as I do the same.



C.C.R.W.

     Once again in the Big Scrapple it's Center City Restaurant Week, that time of the year when restaurateurs attempt to boost sagging sales by offering an incentive to the public to come in and sample their menu.  The predetermined meal can be either a $20 lunch or a $35 dinner.



     Not even a blizzard and single digit temps could keep me away from a deal like that!  Actually, my culinary partner and I had already made our reservation at the Oyster House on Sansom Street and so working feverishly to clear our driveways soon after the storm, we made our way into town on the regional rail system to enjoy an evening of good food and conviviality.



     Most Restaurant Week menus list 3 courses be we were pleasantly surprised to find on our menu, that we had 4, each with several options.

     Everything was delicious in the cavernous room that had an oyster bar as the centerpiece.  The walls were decorated with antique oyster plates, a throwback to an earlier and more elegant time. 

 

     Both appetizers, the New England clam chowder and the oysters on the half shell promptly appeared and were delicious.  They were soon followed by a winter salad and fried calamari which were also top shelf.  The main event, though, was an amazing lobster roll, a top split toasted bun crammed with large chunks of lobster meat lighted coated with mayonnaise and a light dusting of parsley.  If ordered from the regular dinner menu that entrée alone would fetch a $25 price.  And to finish off the meal we both enjoyed a bittersweet chocolate crumpet dolloped with a scoop of peanut brittle ice cream.

 

 

     It was a feast of the seas that we savored as we shivered on the train platform under Suburban Station for 3 hours waiting for a train headed anywhere near our destination.

Creme de la Creme

     I've posted previously about the many varied theme restaurants within the Walt Disney World complex.  But there is one that most people are not aware of, or choose to avoid due to the expense.  High atop the Boardwalk Resort is a rather small austere dining room.  It is understated in its elegance and has a small sign over the doorway which reads "Victoria & Albert's."

     Wanting to experience the full range of dining options, I reserved a place at dinner there for my last evening.  The menu was personally chosen for me from a prix fixe selection providing me with several choices for each of the 7 courses.  My dining partner and I were greeted by name upon our arrival and given a table for two with our very own wait staff.

     With some of the items listed I wished I had a food dictionary in my pocket so I could make informed decisions.  So the first course was chosen by the process of elimination.  I didn't think I would enjoy Octopus "A La Plancha" with Black Garlic Aioli and so ordered the Pintade Fermiere Verrine instead.  Turns out pintade fermiere is a French Guinea Hen.

     Following that for starters I selected Wild Turbot with Toasted Capers and Preserved Lemon knowing that turbot was a variety of fish.  

 

     Then it was back to terre firma with Palmetto Farms Quail with Serrano Ham and Figs.  And in keeping with winged fowl the next course was Roasted Duck with Fennel and Leeks, "A l'Orange.  And just for a diversion I ordered two tiny slices of Australian Kobe-Style Beef Tenderloin with Oxtail Ravioli to keep the duck company on the plate.

     

     The intermezzo before the grand finale was a sampling of cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano, Fiscalini Cheddar, Colston Bassett Stilton and Gouda Reypenaer. 

    

 

     But perhaps the most difficult decision to make was choosing the dessert.  There were 6 on my menu.  I could have delighted in any one of them from a milk chocolate gelato, an apple panna cotta, a banana gateau, a vanilla bean creme brulee, or a Grand Marnier Souffle.  But I deferred from being tempted by any of those, tantalizing as they all seemed and chose a Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle which was absolutely decadent, a vesuvian delight.

     It was an evening of culinary excellence and artistry!  The 3 hour meal passed quickly by as I sampled one course after another, each delivered to our table with impeccable timing and pleasant conversation.  It was well worth the money spent for this once in a lifetime experience.

Do you know Jack?

     Last Saturday I needed to restock the house with a supply of fresh fruit.  So I traveled down to the farmers' market in New Castle to pick up some bananas, strawberries and blueberries.  As I walked through the rows of produce I spied something unfamiliar.  It was some sort of sliced fruit about the size of a hubcap with a thick skin and what looked to be seed pods.

     A Hispanic couple next to me was eagerly purchasing several slices so I inquired what it was.  They told me it was jackfruit.  "Jack, like the person's name?" I asked.  "Yes," was the reply, "it's a rare treat when you can find them."

     When I got back home I did some research and discovered that the jackfruit is native to south and southeast Asia, having originated in the lowlands of India.  It is common throughout the East Indies and the Philippines, growing wild as well as in cultivation.  It also grows in parts of Brazil and in Jamaica in the Western Hemisphere.  Jackfruit is the largest of all the tree borne fruits and can weigh up to 80 pounds and be 3 feet long.  A typical jackfruit tree can yield 150 fruits and a mature tree can produce as many as 500.

jackfruit

     A ripe jackfruit has a distinct aroma, sweet and fruity.  It is said to taste like a combination of apple, pineapple, mango and banana.  And its very versatile.  It can be eaten fresh once the skin and pods are removed, or before it ripens it can be cooked into a custard or a curry, even ice cream!  Fried it can then be fast frozen and consumed as a chip.  It is often prepared as a side dish or as a meat substitute since it has the flavor and consistency of  poultry or lamb.  In fact, in some regions it is referred to as gacch-patha, that is, "tree mutton."  And the seed pods are edible, too.  They can be boiled, baked or roasted and have a flavor similar to chestnuts.

     Jackfruits are very healthful.  They are full of anti-oxidants and have significant cancer fighting properties.  They are also said to help cure ulcers and indigestion.

     Gee, guess I should have brought some home with me and tried it.

The Essential Reference

     One of the gifts I received for Christmas was a hefty tome (777 pages) authored by Elizabeth Schneider entitled The Essential Reference:  VEGETABLES from Amaranth to Zucchini.  It is an amazing collection of facts and knowledge on virtually every vegetable known to mankind.  And not only does it detail the names (including proper, botanical, and common) but also outlines the ways to include each entry in meal preparation and provides a color photograph of a specimen, along with several recipes.

     So, last night I began my culinary literary journey with the first of the alphabetical listings, Amaranth, known colloquially as Joseph's Coat or Chinese spinach.  I learned that its primary usage has been more decorative than culinary.  The multicolored leaves and magenta chenille tassels are the highlight of decorative plantings   But for centuries they have found their way into the stew pots of African and Asian cultures, even though they are native to the American tropics.

     Smaller leaves add color and flavor to salads, but it is best when cooked and can be used much like spinach.  Amaranth can be steamed, braised, sauteed,  or cooked in soups and stews. It adds a rich earthiness to any dish.

     Can't wait to try the recipe included with the text:  Garlicky Saute of Amaranth and Tomatoes, Cuban Style!

Following the Recipe

     I recall back in my college days the words of wisdom imparted to me by my speech professor.  "The map is not the territory," he would say about verbal descriptions of events and places.  And years later I would find those same words to be true concerning recipes.  What's on the page isn't necessary what actually ends up in the finished product.

     Take for example a recent recipe that I was following for a hot Italian sausage and white bean soup.  In addition to the usual ingredients there was one I had not thought to include, that being a 16 oz package of coleslaw.  I had browned the meat, added the diced onion and garlic, poured in the crushed tomatoes and the beans and put in some chicken broth for flavor when it came time to include the slaw.  But by the time I had emptied only half the package I could easily see that the soup was about to become too thick, literally a log jam of roughage.  So I decided not to add any more and put a twist tie around the remaining portion in the bag and put it away in the chill chest for another day.  The soup continued to simmer and then cool on the porch.  The flavors melded nicely and the soup was a potential hall of famer, redolent with warm spices and healthy anti-oxidants. 

     But what to do with the remaining coleslaw?  That continued to weigh on my mind until in the middle of the night I had an epiphany, based on the comment from a friend.  Isn't coleslaw basically just shredded cabbage?  Eureka! That's it!  I came downstairs and went to my compendium of soup recipes and thumbed through the section on cabbage soups.  And there it was, just the recipe I needed to incorporate the remaining slaw.

     What an insight!  From now on when making a cabbage soup I will avoid all the mess and fuss of cutting and coring a head of cabbage and shredding it with my mandolin.  Instead I will just purchase a bag of coleslaw and have all the work done for me.  And, here, by the way, is the recipe for a great cabbage soup, coleslaw and all:

Slovenian Cabbage and Bacon Soup

 

2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)     6 cups finely chopped cabbage (coleslaw!)

3 garlic cloves, minced                             1 cup + 2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil                                           1-19 oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed       8 cups R. S. chicken broth *                          

10 oz bacon, cut into 1/4" strips             salt & pepper to taste

 

Brown the bacon in a large pot.  Add onions and cook until they are softened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add cubed potatoes and kidney beans, stirring to incorporate.  Pour in the chicken broth and sprinkle with 1 cup of parsley.  Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender, 25 minutes.

 

Just before serving, stir in remaining 2 Tbsp of parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

And feel free to adapt this recipe to your liking!  Just like I did.


* denotes Reduced Sodium

 

   

A Meal with a Place in History

     Placerville, CA is the county seat of El Dorado County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco.  But back in the Gold Rush days it had a more ominous moniker.  The confluence of gambling and gold mining brought a cacophony of sinister elements into the town and the local constabulary was unable to maintain law and order.  So the residents resorted to vigilante justice.  And by taking matters into their own hands it didn't take long for alleged  perpetrators to find themselves on the short end of a rope.  Hence the name "Hangtown" was given to the community.  The hanging tree, a large oak, was located in Elstner's  Hay Yard at the edge of town.

     Although the name of the town was subsequently changed, Hangtown still lives on in the name of a famous dish created there back in 1849.  It seems that a gold prospector finally struck it rich.  And after eating canned beans for months while he chipped away at his claim, he came into town to the Cary House Hotel and demanded the most expensive meal that the kitchen could provide.  So the cook combined the following:

     Eggs-because they were delicate and took great care to transport.
     Bacon-that had to be shipped from the East Coast.
     Oysters-delivered on ice from the San Francisco bay.

These three ingredients were fried up together to make an omelette that became known as the Hangtown Fry.  Today a modified version of this meal is served at the Tadish Grill in San Francisco.  It has also been named the official dish of Placerville.

Almost

      If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Disney World flatters the resort town of Cape May, NJ very well.  At the Beach Club Resort there is a seafood all-you-can-eat buffet that can satisfy almost any palate.  Almost.

     Yes, there are clams and mussels and crab legs galore.  There are shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon,  even crab cakes and fried fish.  And clam chowder as well.  There is fresh bread, red bliss potatoes and corn on the cob, green beans and even a carving station with roast beef.  Desserts, too.

     And you can go back as many times as you'd like.  (I went only 3).

     But one thing is painfully absent.  There are no steamed crabs.  None!  Nary a Maryland Blue Claw to be found anywhere on the entire buffet table.  That's quite a disappointment for someone like me who could eat half a bushel at one sitting.

     Disney got it almost right.  Almost.

1 Stop Shopping in the 1st State

 

     Suppose you want to get a haircut, have new soles put on your favorite pair of shoes, buy a cemetery wreath for grandma's grave,

 

pick up a kickstand for your motorcycle, look for some bed linens, have your Stetson steamed and sized:

 

 pick up a bushel of crabs for a cook out along with some ribs and wings, and have a slice of pizza for lunch.   It could take all day  running around to accomplish all that.  Or you could just go to the New Castle Farmers' Market, provided it was Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

 

     You could also enjoy a meal in almost any cuisine you prefer: Italian, Asian, Hispanic, Amish, Country, and seafood, too. 

 

In addition to dry good and hardware vendors, fresh fish, meat, fruit and produce, groceries and bakery items are available as well.  That includes soft pretzels, too.

 

     The market is a cornucopia of salesmanship.  Baptismal gowns and party dresses for infants and toddlers are there, so are belts, buckles and cowboy (and cowgirl) boots in almost every imaginable color.  Underwear and socks are available at rock bottom prices.  You can also get your bath tub refitted and have your vacuum repaired.  Video games, CDs and DVDs are bought and sold. 
 

 

And if you don't like the way the stylist cut your hair you can get a wig to cover it up.

 

     But if you're like me, you go there just to walk around to look at the people!



A Rivel without Rival

     In my never ending quest in search of the arcane and unusual, I stopped at a small diner on State Street in Hamburg (yes, Hamburg!), PA yesterday and looked over the list of daily specials.  Having an affection for soup I noticed there were two on the board:  Rivel and Doggie (hot dog).

      I quizzed the waitress working the counter about the rivel soup, never having heard of it before.  She said, "Let me bring you out a sample for you to taste."  As she set a small cup in front of me she mentioned that it was something the locals there enjoy, a Pennsylvania Dutch concoction made from a sort of noodle dough dropped into steaming broth.  It's about as frugal of a soup as you can make.  Little bits of a dough composed of flour, egg and milk are dropped into scalding milk and form a sort of tiny dumpling, not even as big as a spaetzle noodle.  Apparently it is a simple recipe that has been passed down for generations, beginning in Mennonite communities of a by-gone era when nothing was wasted or thrown out.  While the derivation of the name is uncertain, some historians make the conjecture that rivel is a transliteration of the German reibele meaning something that is rubbed, as the dough is rubbed into little pieces by the cook's hands.

     The broth can be flavored with various items and some rivel soups contain chicken, corn, potatoes, carrots, celery, even bacon, or any combination thereof.  And some recipes include sugar, white or brown to sweeten it a bit.

     But as I looked down into the sample in front of me I could see in the pale white soup only the small rivels; no spuds, chicken, corn or bits of bacon for flavor.  It looked like lumpy wall paper paste and tasted about the same.  Disappointed, I mentioned my assessment to the waitress.  She agreed.

     I ordered the other soup.

Chinese Cabbage

     Chinese cabbage has been under cultivation since the 1400s.  And of the many varieties, bok choy is but one, growing as a clustered stalk,  This variety, chinensis, is unlike pekinensis, which forms a head.  Its Chinese name translates to "white vegetable."  One particular variation that is appearing in US markets with more frequency is baby bok choy.  The stalks are white but can have a tinge of light green to them as well.

     Your best bet for finding this vegetable is in an Asian market, however.  Chopped, it is delicious in salads and slaws.  But there are also many ways to cook baby bok choy, too.  Smaller plants can be cooked whole and larger ones can be halved or quartered lengthwise.  They can be stir fried, roasted or seared.  Dressed with soy sauce and garlic, it makes a great side dish for chicken, seafood and pork.  It can also be tossed into Asian noodle or rice dishes.

     Baby bok choy has a sweetness that is complimented by ginger, miso, and sesame, so reports Fine Cooking in their Feb/Mar 2014 edition.  They go on to state that it also pairs well with fruits, sweet potatoes, and carrots.  A hint of something salty and umami-rich like prosciutto, bacon, or sharp cheese adds depth to dishes made with baby bok choy.

Market Share

     Philadelphia's Italian Market on 9th Street has been around for a long time.  In South Philadelphia it was only one of a half dozen such ethnic markets that provided meat, fruit and produce to immigrant families in the 1880's.  The iconic rows of wooden stands still line the street and many of the vendors are of Italian descent.  But listen carefully and you can also hear shoppers speaking Spanish and Vietnamese.  So along with prosciutto and provolone you can purchase tamales and chorizo, bok choy and chicken tempura.

     But there is one glaring difference beside the ethnic diversity.  Nearly 40% of the stands are vacant, others run down.  Others have a decided dilapidated look about them.  Of the 140 stands, 87 are active and 53 are vacant.  And that doesn't help business when residents and tourists stop by.  So a significant change is in the works to improve things.

     As of the first of the new year management has changed hands from the city government to the South Ninth Street Business Association.  And that's a good thing.  In the past, if a stand operator became delinquent on fees, or moved away, or died, the responsibility for follow-up was then in the hands of some city bureaucrat.  Sometimes it was impossible to determine who had licensed the stands, or how to find them.  So the stands sat vacant, sad and forlorn.  Vendors will now pay their fees directly to the association and the association will pay a lump sum to the city.  Delinquent stands will revert to the association and be promptly leased to other vendors and occupied.

     Now there is hope for the only outdoor market in the city.  Local control and ethnic diversity will help the market not only survive but thrive.

Flashback to the Fifties

     There are any number of themed restaurants at the Walt Disney World complex.  But perhaps one of my favorites is the Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios.  It took me back to the halcyon days of my childhood.  The restaurant is composed of 11 rooms of varying sizes but all with a common decor, that of a typical 1950s kitchen.  The tables are those classic chrome and formica ones that everyone used fifty years ago.  And on the black and white TVs scattered throughout were clips of such favorites as "I Love Lucy" and "Rin-Tin-Tin" running non-stop.  Even the wall hangings were period pieces.  Remember those copper fish molds and plastic roosters we used to hang up?  They were there.  How about the cat clock whose eyes moved in rythmn with the pendulum tail?   Yup, that was there, too.  And while the dining area was reminiscent of a kitchen, the waiting room looked just like a living room from yester-year.  It was almost like going home

     The menu was classic comfort food from that era, as well.  Meatloaf, pot roast, fried chicken, and pork chops complete with mashed potatoes, and greens.  And the waitstaff felt free to chide diners for putting their elbows on the table or not eating their vegetables, and weren't quiet about it either.

     Who says you can't go home again?

Fact or Fiction?

     Some food brands utilize fictitious characters to sell products.  Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben really do not exist, or never did.  But what about Chef Boyardee?  We are all familiar with the iconic Italian-American meals in a can (formerly in a box).  They have been providing inexpensive, wholesome and quick meals to children and adults for nearly a century.  So what about the pitchman in the apron and tall chef's hat?  Was there really a Chef Boyardee?

     Turns out the answer is "yes."  Ettore "Hector" Boiardi was born in Piacenza, Italy in 1897.  He immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island at age 16 in 1914 and with the help of an older brother came to work at the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City, eventually becoming the head chef.  He went on to supervise the kitchen operations at the Greenbriar in West Virginia before opening his own restaurant, Il Giardin0 d'Italia, (The Garden of Italy) in Cleveland in 1926.   This was at a time when Italian food was not featured prominently in restaurants so he was taking quite a risk.  But his cuisine was such a success that patrons frequently asked for samples and recipes using his flavorful spaghetti sauce.  He filled cleaned old glass milk bottles with his signature sauce to provide take out service for customers. 


     Eventually Hector Boiardi opened a small canning operation in 1928 to keep up with the demand and soon after introduced his product publicly as a low cost healthy way to feed a family.  In 1938 production moved to Milton, PA to be closer to the tomato farms they owned.  The product was sold under the name "Chef Boy-Ar-Dee so American customers could pronounce his name correctly.  During the Second World War the company supplied canned rations to both the American and Russian armies, earning the chef both a Gold Star and the Order of Lenin.  In 1985, the year of Hector's death, the Chef Boyardee product line was producing 250,000 cans a day, grossing $500 million a year.

     So, yes Virginia, there is a Chef Boyardee.

    

Soda Licious

 

     Among the many attractions, rides and entertainment venues at Walt Disney World is a small, almost obscure room sponsored by Coca Cola.  It's called Club Cool and highlights favored soda flavors around the world.  At a series of taps visitors can sample carbonated beverages from 8 different nations.

     What a novel idea!  So I grabbed a complimentary little 2 ounce cup and made a tasteful journey around the globe.  Waiting my turn at the dispensers I visited Brazil, Peru, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Japan, Thailand, Greece and Italy.  Some of the brand names were familiar, like Fanta and Fanta Melon, even though they were thousands of miles apart (Greece and Thailand).  Others recognizable like Inca Kola from Peru.  And one even sounded good, Sparletta from Zimbabwe.  But perhaps the most memorable was the Italian soft drink, Beverly.  In my estimation it should have been titled Bitterly.  It was terrible!

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2014

     A new year is upon us.  I'd like to thank all my readers as I commence with the third year of "Home, Home on the Range."  I'm looking forward to exploring the rich culinary diversity of our planet and reporting my research to all of you.  Hopefully 2014 will continue to provide both enjoyment and enlightenment for us all.
                                                                                                                                        Vinny

     It's a well established tradition around here to begin the new year with a meal of pork and sauerkraut.  That's what the Pennsylvania Dutch do.  Folklore says that it will bring good luck for the coming months, perhaps because the pig, when rooting for food, moves forward.  Conversely, it is considered bad luck to begin with year with a meal of poultry since the chicken moves backward when scratching the ground.

     Other cultures have differing traditions, however.  In Italy, Brazil and Germany the first meal of the year contains lentils, in the belief that consuming them will bring prosperity.  The circular shape of the lentil is thought to resemble coins.  In China there are also certain foods eaten on New Year's Day to promote good fortune and longevity.  A meal of long noodles is thought to lengthen one's life and preparing and eating a whole fish will ensure abundance, since the two words are very similar.

     In the Southern US a popular dish for New Year's is hoppin john, a combination of black eyed peas and rice, often served with golden hued cornbread.  The tradition in Spain is to begin the new year by eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.

     Whatever tradition you follow, good nutrition and good fortune seem to go hand in hand.  the better you eat, the better your life will be.  Here's to a healthy and happy New Year!