Tres Bon, Intermarche!

     On Tuesday Karolyn Coorsh of CTV News reported that a French supermarket was receiving international attention from an anti-waste campaign that they had recently launched.  Grocery franchise Intermarche was marketing and selling "ugly" fruits and vegetables that were destined for the trash dumpster rather than the dinner table.





     The clever "Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables" campaign set as its goal to "celebrate the beauty" of malformed or misshapen produce which included things like the "Grotesque Apple," the "Disfigured Eggplant," and the "Unfortunate Clementine."  The clever initiative has a serious message:  To reduce food waste.  It is estimated that 300 million tons of produce a year are thrown out.  Too often the visually unappealing produce is tossed out by the growers, despite being just as edible and healthy as their smooth and shiny counterparts.

     To combat food waste, Intermarche bought from their growers the products that are typically disposed of, cleared entire aisles in stores to make room for them, and marketed the "ugly" produce with special signage and labels.  And as a further incentive, they are selling  the imperfect fruits and veggies at a 30% discount.  Their You Tube video explaining their program even went viral.

     Intermarche noted that during the first two days of the campaign, each of their stores sold on average 1.2 tons of the malformed produce and stores saw a 24% overall traffic increase.  

     French foodies appear to be receptive.  Let's hope it catches on in the good old U.S. of A!

Gross or Gourmet?

     Last night for dinner I cooked up some catfish.  It tasted pretty good, I thought.  But still there was that lingering notion that it is a "bottom feeder" and somehow their diet affects the taste of the fillet.  For some, that thought keeps them from even attempting to try the fish with prominent barbels that resemble a cat's whiskers.

     The name Catfish describes a diverse form of ray-finned fish that are found in inland or coastal waters on every continent except Antarctica.  Numerous species of this negatively buoyant fish without any scales range in size from a few inches to over 8 feet long, and can weigh over 200 pounds.

     While catfish are considered a delicacy in some central European countries, in America they have long been associated with the poor subsistence food of "Catfish Country" in the gumbo land stretching from the Carolinas to East Texas where the water-tight clay soil made for ideal ponds where catfish proliferated.  Catfish were eaten primarily by low-income families of the South.

                                    



     But Roger Barlow, President of the Catfish Institute in Jackson, Mississippi is attempting to change all that.  The institute has come up with a new market tested name for the North American Channel Catfish.  The farm raised fish is undergoing a transformation as the Delacata, a Grade A fillet.  Here's what the Catfish Institute has to say:

     The Delacata is..."a new, premium seafood offering, far from the traditional catfish fillet...mild flavor and thick meaty flake...similar to snapper or grouper, but the price point is significantly less...a prime cut of fish...perfect for grilling, sauteing or broiling.  A Delacata Style Catfish Fillet makes for the perfect catch of the day, every day."

     Raised in freshwater ponds in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi they are fed a special diet of grain.  But all that being said, they are still catfish.



Vive la France!

                                    

     Yesterday I waxed elegant (no pun intended) about the varied culinary uses of beeswax. One reference was to what has been described as a magical bakery confection, caneles de Bordeaux.  It is a cake with a rich custardy interior enclosed by a thin caramelized shell, the recipe developed by an anonymous chef from the Bordeaux region of France long ago and refined over the next 300 years.  Today it is the official cake of that city.

 



     And what's not to like about something made from egg yolks, sugar, milk, flour and flavored with rum and vanilla? It is eaten throughout France and around the world for breakfast, as a snack, and for dessert.  The cold batter is poured into ice-cold fluted tin-lined copper molds, then placed in a very hot oven and baked for a very long time.  After baking, the caneles are firmly tapped out onto a grill while still hot, then left to cool while the exterior hardens.  They are at their peak of excellence 1 hour out of the oven.  6 hours later they become spongy.  The crunchy burnt sugar shell compliments the smooth, sweet filling that is flavored with vanilla and rum.  It has been said that "The perfect canele is what creme brulee wants to be when it grows up."

     The recipe for caneles de Bordeaux is deceptively simple, but they are famously tricky to make.  Paula Wolfert, described by many as the Queen of Caneles, outlines her take on the confection with a 6 page recipe in her book, "The Cooking of Southwest France."  Included in her instructions are these words:

     Many patissiers line their molds with a film of 'white oil' containing beeswax, a messy and highly flammable substance that may deter home cooks."

     The French are passionate about their food, as we all know.  And among them a passionate debate rages on regarding the spelling of their baked treat.  It is commonly spelled canneles.  But to preserve the integrity of the time honored original recipe, a consortium of 88 patissiers in Bordeaux have dropped the double "n" to indicate their allegiance to a uniform high standard of excellence.  Thus the name Caneles de Bordeaux.

     No matter how you spell it, it is beeswax that gives a special mahogany shine and crispness and also adds a special flavor.

A Bee's Byproduct

     For the past year I have been searching for beeswax along with another friend.  He and I have long known of its application for carpenters and woodworkers.  Our fathers both used the honey by-product in their craft.  It has long been used by those in the trade to ease nails and screws into place, as well as an ingredient in wood finishes and furniture polish.

     A few weeks ago I finally hit paydirt after many unsuccessful searches through hardware stores and lumber yards.  It was for sale in an unlikely place for wood craftsmen, a food distributor!  The Golden Barrel outlet store in Honeybrook, PA had bricks of beeswax for sale right beside their other products: olive and coconut oil, molasses and wheat germ.  What a surprise!

     

     I never realized that there was a culinary application for the same product used to drive nails into wood.  I quickly learned that is but one of the many uses for the naturally anti-viral, antimicrobial sealant for honey.  Beeswax is commonly used in place of butter or oil to grease cookie sheets and muffin tins.  And mixed with clarified butter it is favored by bakers to lubricate molds for caneles de Bordeaux.  In the mold it also adds a honey flavor to the pastry with a distinct aroma and flavor.  And grated with a microplane and heated then cooled, the delicate lacework provides a crunchy garnish with floral notes to a salad.  But perhaps the most intriguing use of beeswax I came across was in the preparation of fish.  Molten beeswax is heated to 84 degrees C (183.2 F) and poured over the fish.  15 minutes later the wax is scraped off and the kissed-by-heat fish is served.

     Beeswax has a wide variety of uses in addition to its welcome presence in the kitchen.  It is the prime ingredient in candles, soaps, chewing gum, pill coatings, lip balm, hand creams, shoe polish, surfboard wax, soft gelatin capsules, and most importantly, moustache wax!

An Infernal Delight

     It's an acquired taste, no doubt about it.  Hot chicken is a local favorite in Music City, Nashville.  The chicken breast becomes a blank canvas to paint with hot sauce and spices.  And the degree of heat can vary, from Lil Spice and Lemon Pepper to XXX hot.  It can clear the sinuses and take your breath away.



     At Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish on the east side of town a well dressed woman in business pinstripes and high heels stepped up to the counter and said to the attendant, "Make it hurt."  And before long she was walking back to a table carrying a wax paper package.  Peeling back the wrapper she digs in to a massive hunk of fried chicken enveloped in a glistening veil of pepper-red crust accompanied by a pile of pickle chips.  There is a slice of white bread on each side of the chicken to soak up the spicy grease.  While it may look like a sandwich, the bones are still intact.  So the woman begins to pick apart the chicken with her fingers.

     With each bite, beads of perspiration build on the woman's brow.  She undoes the top button of her blouse, removes her earrings and begins to sniffle and breathe heavily and fans herself.  Finally when she wobbles to her feet to throw away the bones, she sighs, "I'll be okay," to no one in particular and steps out into the sunshine.

Here's the recipe for this infernal delight:

Nashville Hot Chicken

3 cups buttermilk                                             1  2 1/2-3 lb chicken cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup cayenne                                                Canola oil, for frying

9 Tbsp granulated garlic                                  2 cups self-rising flour

9 Tbsp paprika                                                 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

6 Tbsp onion powder                                       sliced white sandwich bread

3 Tbsp sugar                                                     dill pickle chips, for serving

1. Combine buttermilk, 1/4 cup cayenne, 3 Tbsp each granulated garlic and paprika, 2 Tbsp onion powder, and 1 Tbsp sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add chicken and toss to coat; cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

2. The next day, drain the chicken, rinse and pat dry; season with salt and pepper.  Heat 2" oil in a 6 qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 300F.  Stir remaining cayenne, granulated garlic, paprika, onion powder, and sugar in a bowl; transfer half to another bowl and whisk in flour.  Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour mixture; fry, flipping once, until golden and almost cooked through, 6-7minutes,or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 150F.  Transfer chicken to paper towels.

3. Increase oil temperature to 350F.  Stir remaining cayenne mixture and melted butter in a bowl; set paste aside.  Dredge chicken once more in flour mixture and fry until cooked through, 2-3 minutes more; drain briefly on paper towels and brush with reserved paste.  Serve with bread and pickles.

Thanks to contributing editors Jane & Michael Stern  who wrote about Nashville Hot Chicken in the June/July issue of Saveur magazine.

Something in Common

     What do Bacon Wrapped Turkey Legs, Deep Fried Buckeyes, Pizza Tots and Iron Range Pierogies all have in common?  Well of course, they are all new food items available this year at the Minnesota State Fair!  All of them plus Beer Gelato, Chilaquiles, Chocolate Dessert Salami, and Shrimp Dogs will make their debut at the Great Minnesota Get Together.



     This food is not for the faint of heart, mind you.  Consider this start to the morning: a Breakfast Juicy LuLu, an English muffin with 2 slices of American cheese stuffed with sausage patties.  Want something a little more substantial for the first meal of the day?  How about a Chilaquiles for a south of the border flair.  It is made with corn tortilla chips covered in chili verde sauce with chicken, topped with eggs and garnished with lettuce, tomato and sour cream.  But get there early because it's only served at the El Sol Mexican Food booth until 10:30 am.  I think I would prefer the Deep Fried Breakfast which covers just about all the food groups with 2 kinds of cheese, sausage, egg, Canadian bacon in between two pancakes, then dipped in a sweet light batter and deep fried.



     But by noontime you are sure to be hungry again after strolling the 7 miles of paved roads within the fairgrounds.   A Shrimp Dog would taste pretty good.  It's baby shrimp & cream cheese combined and then batter dipped and deep fried, served on a stick!!! And with an option of raspberry chipotle or standard cocktail sauce on the side.



     Food-on-a-stick is one of the Fair's standard methods of serving food.  And a new addition to that genre this year are Deep Fried Buckeyes.  They are made from sweet, creamy peanut butter coated in chocolate, dipped in funnel cake batter, deep fried, dusted with confectioner's sugar and served with strawberry sauce at Spaghetti Eddie's.  Or you could settle for something basic and un-sticked, like a Bacon Wrapped Turkey Leg.  But if you are a food-on-a-stick purist you would naturally want to try the new Deep Fried Lobster.

But I think the most exciting new entry into the world of fair food are SnoRibbons.  They are described as "feathery light cotton candy, flaky shaved ice and creamy layered snow" all mixed together.  And what makes it even more provocative is that the flavors will be rotated throughout the 10 days of the fair this year.  Gee, do I want the Strawberry Pretzel Cream Cheese, Coffee & Donuts, Red Hot Velvet, Mango Tangside, Salted Caramel Corn Crunch, Horchata Vanilla or one of the other exotic flavors?

     For an illustrated list with descriptions of new food at this year's Minnesota State Fair just click on the following:  http://www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/  

     Hope to see you there!  If you can't make it be sure to real Vinny's report after Labor Day. 

What's the Difference?

     Ice cream is getting a lot of attention in July.  After all, by Presidential decree the entire month is dedicated to this creamy summertime treat.  But what about its Italian cousin, Gelato?  Shouldn't there be equal billing on the calendar?  And what's the difference anyway?

     Both ice cream and gelato begin with the same ingredients that create a custard base.  Milk, cream, sugar and egg yolks are all used in the  creation of both frozen desserts.  But the proportions vary, creating a difference.  Ice cream contains more cream, at least 10% by US government standards.  And more cream means more fat content.  Gelato has more whole milk than cream in the mixture making gelato more dense and less creamy.  Gelato tastes more intense due to the increased fat in ice cream inhibiting the ability of the taste buds to detect flavor.  Gelato also has fewer, if any egg yolks.

     And then there's a difference in air content.  Ice cream is churned at a faster speed to incorporate more air into the custard.  That's called overrun. (Remember the Ice Cream IQ Quiz last Friday?) Gelato, on the other hand, is churned more slowly thus incorporating less air, again increasing the intensity of the flavors.

     Finally, the difference in serving temperature.  Ice cream is best served at a temperature of 10F while Gelato is best served 15 degrees warmer.  If gelato were served at the same temperature as ice cream it would  be as hard as a brick!

     So whether you are enjoying Moose Tracks in a cone or spooning out a cup of stracciatella this Summer, remember that Gelato is Italian for "frozen!"



Get the Scoop

      In honor of National Ice Cream month Saveur magazine has listed 5 new flavors of ice cream to try in 2014.  Here they are:

1. Buttermilk Berry Crumble-Tangy buttermilk ice cream is the backdrop for a swirl of berries and crunchy honey-and-oat crumble from Loblolly Creamery in Little Rock, Arkansas.

2. Pineapple Honey Doreac-Inspired by a popular cocktail from the nearby Expatriate Bar, Salt and Straw Creamery in Portland, Oregon turns out this icy riff: a bittersweet honey-and-Aperol base with gooey ribbons of pineapple caramel.

3. Blueberry Kale-The earthy sweetness of kale comes out when paired with tart blueberries in this unlikely combo from The Hop Ice Cream Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina.

4. Golden Summer Fig-Creole Creamery in New Orleans laces orange blossom honey-saffron ice cream with a local product, Louisiana fig preserves.

5. Chocolate Cardamom Orange-The Bent Spoon in Princeton, New Jersey, enhances rich chocolate with cardamom and orange.

Time to take a road trip and try them all!!!

Ice Cream IQ Answers

     To those of you who took the Ice Cream IQ Quiz on Friday, here are the answers to the questions:

1. Which one contains more air:  Ice Cream or Gelato?

          Gelato is churned at a much slower speed than ice cream, so less air is introduced.


2. Which one contains egg yolks: Soft Serve or Frozen Custard?

          Frozen custard

3. Which one contains milk: Sherbet or Sorbet?

          Sherbet


Multiple Choice

4. Ice Cream Sundaes got their name because:
          A. A man named Tom Sundae invented them.
          B. They were served on Sundays to take the place of ice cream sodas which were                banned on that day.
          C. They were meant to be a celebratory dessert after church on Sundays.
          D. The first sundae shop misspelled Sunday on a specials menu and the name 
               stuck.

          B. The sundae is said to have originated in the late 19th Century because carbonated soda (including ice cream sodas) could not be sold on Sundays.

5. Malted-milk powder used to make malted milkshakes is made of ground:
          A. Nuts                                      C. Barley
          B. Seeds                                     D. Cocoa Beans

          C.
6. What's the term that refers to the amount of air that ice cream contains?
          A. Fluff                                      C. Overrun
          B. Inflation                                D. Whip

          C. An overrun of 100 % would mean that for every gallon of ice cream mix, you get two gallons of finished ice cream.

7. Which dessert doesn't contain ice cream?
          A. Bombe                                  C. Spumoni
          B. Baked Alaska                        D. Icebox Cake

          D. Ice box cakes are refrigerated and typically contain cookies and whipped cream.
8. Brain freeze happens when ice cream comes in contact with:
          A. Your teeth                            C. The roof of your mouth
          B. Your tongue                         D. Your tonsils

          C. Some experts say that brain freeze occurs when cold foods like ice cream cause blood vessels to rapidly constrict and expand, triggering a sensor in the brain to cause a headache.

True or False

9. Neapolitan ice cream includes strawberry, vanilla & chocolate ice cream-in that order.

          False.  There is no official order, and some brands of Neapolitan include pistachio.


10. French vanilla ice cream is made with vanilla beans from France.

          False.  The name refers to the classic French way of making ice cream which uses an egg-custard base.

11. You can correct freezer burn by softening and refreezing the ice cream.

          False.  It's hard to correct freezer burn, but you can prevent it.  Press a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream before putting the lid on.

12. Melted ice cream tastes sweeter than frozen ice cream.

          True.  Cold numbs your taste buds, so ice cream tastes sweeter at room temperature than it does when it's frozen.

How did you do?  Are you a Slow Churner, a Scooper Star, or Sundae Best?

Thanks to Food Network Magazine for the Ice Cream IQ Q & A

Ice Cream IQ

   



 July is National Ice Cream Month.  President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation that created an entire month in which everyone in the United States can celebrate with a scoop of their favorite flavor.  And in the July/August edition of Food network Magazine there is a quiz on various aspects of our favorite dessert.  Here are a few of the questions.  See how well you do.  

1. Which one contains more air:  Ice Cream or Gelato?

2. Which one contains egg yolks: Soft Serve or Frozen Custard?

3. Which one contains milk: Sherbet or Sorbet?

Multiple Choice

4. Ice Cream Sundaes got their name because:
          A. A man named Tom Sundae invented them.
          B. They were served on Sundays to take the place of ice cream sodas which were                banned on that day.
          C. They were meant to be a celebratory dessert after church on Sundays.
          D. The first sundae shop misspelled Sunday on a specials menu and the name 
               stuck.

5. Malted-milk powder used to make malted milkshakes is made of ground:
          A. Nuts                                      C. Barley
          B. Seeds                                     D. Cocoa Beans

6. What's the term that refers to the amount of air that ice cream contains?
          A. Fluff                                      C. Overrun
          B. Inflation                                D. Whip

7. Which dessert doesn't contain ice cream?
          A. Bombe                                  C. Spumoni
          B. Baked Alaska                        D. Icebox Cake

8. Brain freeze happens when ice cream comes in contact with:
          A. Your teeth                            C. The roof of your mouth
          B. Your tongue                         D. Your tonsils

True or False

9. Neapolitan ice cream includes strawberry, vanilla & chocolate ice cream-in that order.

10. French vanilla ice cream is made with vanilla beans from France.

11. You can correct freezer burn by softening and refreezing the ice cream.

12. Melted ice cream tastes sweeter than frozen ice cream.


Answers will appear on Monday.  Until then, enjoy some Yuengling Black & Tan (ice cream, that is).

Q & A

     Question: What do Breyer's, Ben & Jerry's, Edy's, and Yuengling all have in common?

     Answer:   They are all major name brands of ice cream.

Wait a minute!  Isn't Yuengling a brewery?  Well yes, in fact, the oldest brewery in America, established in Pottsville, PA way back in 1829.  But it is a little known fact that the Yuengling family also began to make ice cream in 1920 to offset the lack of beer sales revenue due to the onset of Prohibition.



     The dairy branch of the family-run business spun off from the brewery in 1935 and continued quite successfully until 1985 when it appeared that the next generation of Yuenglings were reluctant to continue the operation.  But this year David Yuengling (cousin of brewery head Dick Yuengling) has taken over the helm and in February the name once again appeared on 10 flavors of quart containers of ice cream in stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.



     And having sampled some of their product, I must say that it rivals any high-end ice cream on the market.  Made with no artificial ingredients, it has a higher percentage of butterfat and less infused air than most.  My favorite flavor hands down is their take on a popular beer, Black and Tan.  It isn't made with the family suds, however.  The black and tan in this case (no pun intended) is Belgian chocolate and salted caramel.  Other flavors include chocolate marshmallow, root beer float, mint chocolate chip, and of course, vanilla.  It's not cheap, but in my estimation very worth the price for a name brand that is making a celebrated come back.

The Fifth Taste

     Umami, frequently described as the fifth taste in addition to the traditional sweet, salty, bitter and sour,  has a long culinary history.  It was acknowledged by the ancient Romans in things like fermented fish sauces.  Mild, but with a lasting aftertaste, it is difficult to describe.  Some say that it is the intensely savory quality in foods like fish, shellfish, cured meats, mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, certain cheeses, soy sauce and green tea.  

     It was "discovered" in 1908 by Japanese professor Kikunae Ikeda.  He noted that certain foods have high levels of glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid.  He was the one who termed this trait umami which can be generally translated to mean "deliciousness."  The Umami Information Center describes it this way:  "The taste is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors..."

     Capitalizing on this flavor sensation the Los Angeles franchise Umami Burger has designed their menu around the fifth taste with a hamburger containing the following umami laden elements: a 6 oz. steak patty sprinkled with Umami Dust of seaweed and mushroom powder, umami ketchup, caramelized onions, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes, a parmesan crisp, and if that weren't enough, a "U" on the bun created from edible seaweed based ink!

     I'm not sure, but that might be bordering on umami overload...

Moving on Up

     Recently I've noticed that the term "upscale" is being used a lot to describe anything associated with the food industry.  There are upscale food emporiums, upscale restaurants, even upscale farmers' markets.  And now there are even upscale fast food establishments!

     In Huntington Beach, CA Taco Bell has opened U.S. Taco Co.  Their menu?  Themed regional tacos like a Philly Cheesesteak Taco and a southern Chicken & Gravy Taco.

     KFC is premiering Super Chix in Arlington, TX and is putting a home-spun twist on chicken and potatoes.  The chicken is marinated on-site and the fries are cut by hand.

     

     Sbarro in Columbus, OH (and soon to be in Cincinnati) has opened the doors of Pizza Cucinova where you can build your own custom 12" pizza.

     
     Gee, can Burger King and McDonald's be far behind?

Abundant Harvest

    

      I'm still redeeming some of the gift cards I received last Christmas.  So before they expire I decided to cash in on a recently opened eatery, Harvest Seasonal Restaurant.  All the advertising says it's in North Wales.  But the locals know better.  It's really in Horsham Township at the Shops of English Village.

     It's a combined effort of two veterans of the dining scene: Dave Magrogan of Kildare's Irish Pub & Doc Magrogan's Oyster House, and Dana Farrell of The Classic Diner on Route 30 in Frazer.  Together they have embraced the trendy "farm to table" concept and taken it to a new level with a seasonally changing menu sourced from local farmers and producers.  And to underscore that point they list a dozen of them right on the menu.  Their organic, local and healthy ingredients come from places like Richland, Lancaster, Chadds Ford, Hershey and Honey Brook.

     The upscale casual atmosphere of each of the 3 locations is rich with earthy tones, from the reclaimed wood flooring, to the recycled glass table tops to the paperstone dividers.  But the most amazing fact is that 90% of the items listed on the menu are under 500 calories!  The prices are pleasingly modest as well.  Most items are in the teens, not the twenties or thirties.

     Dining with my fellow gourmand we began by sharing two appetizers.  The Harvest flatbread was delicately herbed and lightly dusted with asiago cheese.  And the edamame 3 ways gave us an option to experience salty, spicy, and sweet.  My entrée was a large plate of summer salad with a delicious crab cake nestled on the side.  Everything was delicious!  And our server had impeccable timing, not to mention honest and sincere advice that was well taken.

     And just when you thought things could not have been improved upon, dessert was offered: shot glasses filled with an assortment of refreshing delights that ranged from key lime pie, to strawberry cheesecake, to chocolate chip cookie dough mousse.  And all for $3 each!

International Controversy?

     Back in May as I was strolling along the shops on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC I came across a fishmonger aptly named The Lobster Man.  Walking through his market I gazed upon tanks of all manner of fresh seafood: lobsters, mussels, crabs, clams and oysters.  All had been harvested from local waters that day.  But I was shocked when I came across a tank filled with oysters from Washington State.  It seemed to me that our Canadian neighbors had given them a derisive name, Fat Bastards, and I was concerned that this might spark a feud among fellow North Americans.

     But it turns out that my fears were for naught.  Seems that this new oyster is one of the hottest bivales in the Northwest and also goes by the moniker of Shigoku which is Japanese for "Ultimate."


The Lobster Man describes them this way: 
     Naturally tumbled twice a day by the tide, they develop a deep cup and plump meat.  The smooth shaped shell is easy to open.  Fat Bastards have a clean, firm and briny bite, salty with a hint of cucumber and asparagus.  Their texture is firm and smooth with a light metallic finish and a rich rounded aftertaste.



     If I didn't know better I'd say that was a description of a fine wine.

Fruit with Appeal

     Yesterday I mentioned using avocados in summer recipes.  They are a welcome addition to so many hot weather meals, from salads to soups and sides.  What's a picnic without guacamole dip?

 



     But before you can include them in to a dish they need first to be peeled.  And the rusty trusty vegetable peeler in the kitchen drawer is not the tool for the job.  After you have determined that the avocado is ripe, take your chef's knife and circumscribe the fruit longitudinally through the skin and all the way down to the pit.  After removing the large pit in the center you have two options for removing the flesh carefully.  And I say carefully because the most nutritious part of the avocado lies just beneath the skin in a darkened layer.  You don't want to inadvertently throw that out.

     The first option is to take a paring knife and make a grid of the flesh and then with a spoon scoop it out with attention to getting as close to the skin as possible.  The cubed avocado can then be incorporated into your recipe.

     If you want slices or wedges, however, then carefully peel away the skin using your fingers to preserve the shape of the avocado half.  With the skin removed the half can then be cut as your recipe recommends.

  So enjoy this fruit of the Aztecs!  Here is a recipe for guacamole you might consider for your next outdoor summer party.  It's from 101 Cookbooks-a recipe journal.

Alligator Pear

     As I've been paging through summer recipes I have noticed that a great number of them include one common ingredient, avocado.  While it is a popular fruit it is one that I am not really that familiar with and am reluctant to use.  How do you know when they are ripe, and how to you peel one?  These questions have kept me from enjoying them.



     Avocados have been cultivated since 8,000 BC and originated in Mexico and Central America.  They are related to some familiar spice plants: cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel.  They can be egg shaped, pear shaped or spherical and are green skinned with a fleshy body.  One interesting note about them is that they will not ripen on the tree, only after being picked.  So how do you know when they are ripe?  Ripening is achieved when the skin darkens and the fruit has a little give to it, softening slightly.  Never put them in the refrigerator to ripen, because the cool temperature will prevent the process. But they can be stored in the chill chest once you have determined that they are indeed ripe and they will keep there for up to a week.

     And talk about healthy! Avocados are full of good things like lycopene, beta-carotene, and Omega 3 fatty acids.  It is that high fat content (71-88% of total calories) that makes them heart healthy, just like salmon.  They contribute to cardiovascular health, regulate blood sugar, and are strong anti-inflammatory agents.

     Now a principle crop in the U.S. 95% of the avocados, also known as Alligator Pear, is of the Hass variety.

     Here's an interesting summer salad to try:  Combine sliced avocados, orange sections, fennel and fresh mint.  Enjoy!

Souper Soup

     A few weeks ago I mentioned receiving a new cook book.  It's all about eating healthy with realistic recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.  So I paged through and found one that looked good.  And as a added plus when going down the list of ingredients I realized that I had all of them on hand.  It was titled, Happy as a Clam Chowder.  Now I did make one substitution with the author's permission.  Debbie Walker indicated that in place of canned clams canned salmon was satisfactory.  And since my mail order of canned smoked salmon from Edible Canada had arrived I used it.  The result was exquisite!  Here's the recipe for you to try:

                                           Happy As a Clam Chowder

Chop:

     1 large onion                              2 carrots

     1 cup of celery                           6 medium potatoes

Brown onion.  Add all other vegetables and 1 cup of water.  Steam with lid on for 20 minutes, stirring 3-4 times.

When vegetables are tender add:

     8 cups 1% milk                          4 Tbsp parsley

     2 tsp sea salt                              2 tsp paprika

     1-2 cans clams and/or salmon

Simmer 10 minutes or until hot clear through.

Mix 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup water.  Add to chowder mix.  Stir until thickened -- 5 minutes.

Serve with cornbread.



  

Salt City

         You may have noticed that the 4th of July menu I posted last week included something called "Syracuse Salt Potatoes."  Not familiar with the cuisine of upstate New York I didn't realize that they are a regional delicacy.           
       Another thing I was not aware of is that Syracuse is known as Salt City.  The area surrounding the city has a long history of salt production emanating from salt springs and free flowing brine.  It was the Irish salt miners who saw an opportunity to use that brine to boil the small, unpeeled substandard potatoes that they would bring to work for lunch each day.  



     The young potatoes (Size B US Grade #2) would cook in the salty water which would then form a crust on the skin and seal the spuds so they didn't become waterlogged like ordinary boiled potatoes. 



      Salt potatoes have a unique texture, like fluffy baked potatoes only creamier.  That is due to the higher boiling temperature of the boiling water cooking the starch in the potatoes more thoroughly.


     Interested in trying it at home?  Here is the ratio of salt and water to use:  1 pound of salt for every 4 pounds of potatoes, or roughly 1 cup of salt in 5 cups of water.

State Fair Chicken

     Tomorrow along with all the parades and fireworks celebrating our Independence Day there will be lots of cook-outs.  Grills will be burgeoning with things like steaks, hot dogs, hamburgers and Cornell chicken.  Wait!  What's that?  You mean you've never heard of Cornell Chicken, sometimes referred to as "State Fair Chicken"?

     Back in the 1940's there was a move afoot to entice the public to eat more chicken, thus improving the economic fortune of poultry producers.  A young professor of poultry and food science, Dr. Robert Baker, was given the task of creating a delicious way to grill smaller birds and developed a vinegar based marinate method for cooking chicken over a charcoal flame.  In 1946 Cornell Chicken (named after the upstate university where Dr. Baker served on the faculty) was first served at a dinner at the University of Pennsylvania in honor of the then governor of Pennsylvania.  It was an instant sensation and went on to become legendary at the New York State Fair.  Often referred to as "State Fair Chicken" it is still served by Dr. Baker's family at Baker's Chicken Shack at the annual event held in Syracuse.  Dr. Baker went on to patent other poultry favorites, too.  He is renown for developing turkey ham, chicken and turkey hot dogs, and the favorite of millions of children, the chicken nugget.

     Here is his simple recipe:

Cornell Chicken

1 egg                                                       3 Tbsp salt

1 cup vegetable oil                               1 Tbsp poultry seasoning

2 cups cider vinegar                            1 tsp ground black pepper

                      4 broiler chickens, halved

Crack the egg into a medium bowl and whisk until beaten.  Slowly whisk in the oil until fully blended.  Then whisk in the vinegar, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper.  Set some aside to use for basting while grilling.  Place chicken halves in a shallow baking dish and coat with the sauce.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  Pour off excess marinade and grill over open flame.  Serve with Syracuse salt potatoes and Waldorf slaw.

Shopping Upmarket

     One of my favorite ball caps is the one I purchased some years ago at the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in South Carolina.  It was one store in a chain of southern stores.  It seems that every region of our land has a familiar place to purchase groceries and household needs.  In Minnesota there are Cub stores.  Other places have names like Trader Joe's, Harris Teeter, Aldi, Whole Foods, Wegman's and Red Lion.  Each one seems to fill a niche, be it discount, boutique, or imported.



     I came to discover that in Vancouver, BC it is Urban Fare, a self described "fresh, healthful, supermarket-style, fine-food lover's haven dedicated to specialty foods."  Begun in 1999 the 5 market chain has 4 locations throughout Vancouver.  Their niche is apologetically "upmarket" providing high-end, gourmet, organic, and imported foods, including a florist, pharmacy, in-store restaurant, coffee bar, and a section dedicated to "grab 'n go" meals.



     As I wandered the labyrinthine aisles (to keep me in the store longer, perhaps?) I was attracted to the use of chrome and glass to display their products under soothing lighting to enhance their wares.  Our tour included a small sample of gourmet chocolate that is also for sale.  



     But I couldn't help but wonder if secretly they are attempting to compete with the "fair food" offered at the Minnesota State Fair.  Where else can you combine sugar, chocolate, salt and bacon?



City by the Bay, Northern Edition

     Vancouver, BC is a coastal seaport city, the most densely populated municipality in all of Canada with nearly 14 thousand people per square mile.  And those residents are among the most ethnically and linguistically diverse on the planet.  52% of the population has a first language other than English.

     With those facts in mind I decided it was a perfect place to find a incomparable meal.  And the cuisine of choice would obviously be seafood.  And it didn't take long for my dining companion and fellow gourmand to discover the Blue Water Cafe in the Yaletown section of the city.  The restaurant is housed in a converted brick and beam heritage warehouse, understated yet at the same time elegant.  They are recognized for sourcing wild, sustainable seafood and have consistently been named the best seafood restaurant in Vancouver and considered one of North America's finest for their selection and preparation of the "fruit of the sea."

     Those are pretty tall claims.  So we went in to take a look at the menu.  I must admit it was pretty impressive, and overwhelming.  If I chose one entree that meant that I could not enjoy one of the others.  Once I had made up my mind it was filled with indecision.  What to do?  Knowing that I would probably not return anytime soon, I opted for a sampler, a little of a lot.  The Shellfish Plateau was an amazing assortment of all things aquatic.  On one plate before me I could enjoy prawns, oysters, mussels, clams, scallops and yes, even jellyfish!

     The Blue Water Cafe not only lived up to my expectations, it surpassed them!  Even the jellyfish.