Morning Maiz

     Cornmeal is a great option for those days when you can't even think of eating yet another bowl of oatmeal.  It's a staple of breakfast spreads, usually in the form of a muffin or bread laden with sugar.  But cornmeal can be a part of a healthy diet.  It has a high fiber content and is also gluten free.

     Hot cornmeal cereal, also known as harina de maiz, is perhaps known best to the western world as polenta.  Try this quick and easy breakfast polenta to keep you energized all morning.  It takes only 10 minutes to prepare.  And if you're really in a rush in the morning you can make it the night before and simply reheat it.

Breakfast Polenta with Honeyed-Yogurt

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 cups skim milk

1/3 tsp salt

1 cup instant polenta

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1/4 cup honey

1 cup fresh berries

Directions

1. Bring the water, milk, and salt to a gentle boil over medium heat in a large saucepan.

2. Pour in the polenta in a thin stream, continuously whisking.

3. Decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and whisk polenta until it thickens,

     2-5 minutes.  Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

4. Mix together the honey and yogurt.

5. Spoon the hot polenta into a bowl and top with a portion of the honeyed yogurt and a handful of berries.  Drizzle with a little extra honey.

Serves 4

Berry Good for You

     Though they're being touted as the newest superfruit to hit the market, aronia berries, originally called black chokeberries, have actually been around for a long time.  They're native to North America, but have been grown in Russia and Eastern Europe to make juices and wines since the early 20th Century.  They've recently gained popularity in the U.S., largely thanks to the efforts of Midwestern farmers, especially in Iowa.



          These heavy, dark purple berries, which taste tart and astringent, grow on shrubs that thrive in the climate of the Midwest.  They contain anthocyanins, which give them their deep hue.  They're also antioxidants, which means they protect the body from damage-causing free radicals.  A diet high in antioxidants may also help prevent some cancers and heart disease.

     
    
    
Aronia berries can be purchased frozen, in juices and juice concentrates
--even baby food.


You may also be able to find them fresh in the fall.



This article appeared in the June 2015 issue of Cuisine at home

Fruit PIckles

     Bobby Melvin writes in the most recent issue of Southern Living, " Summertime means plenty of fresh fruit picked at its peak.  Alas, perfection is fleeting.  But you can preserve the harvest--quickly, easily, and a jar at a time..."

     Yesterday I tried his simple method to make fruit pickles.  And it worked!!!  And now for the rest of the week I will be enjoying some pickled strawberries.  Here's his recipe:

FRUIT PICKLE BRINE

This all-purpose brine is ideal for pickling peaches, strawberries, and melons.  The fruit is ready to serve after 1 hour in the brine, but tastes best after 8 to 12 hours.

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp Kosher salt

Bring all ingredients and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Remove from heat.  Cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Pickled Strawberries

Place 1 lb. fresh strawberries and 2 fresh rosemary springs in a 24 oz. jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Pour fruit pickle brine over strawberries; seal and chill 1 to 12 hours.  Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

 



 



It's a Pittsburgh Thing

     My travels over the Memorial Day weekend took me to the other side of the Keystone State.  I mixed business with pleasure and took in a local landmark eatery.  I had been hearing that out where the Pirates and the Steelers compete there was a sandwich that had coleslaw and fries included in with the meat and cheese.  So on Saturday afternoon I decided I would see and taste for myself.



     I found my way to the Primanti Brothers restaurant on the top of a hill just outside Greensburg and was greeted by the friendly staff as I was shown to a booth.  The menu was overwhelming, and also a bit intimidating with over 2 dozen options to choose from, but all including their "almost famous" fries and slaw.  As a novice to this gastronomic epic I thought it best to stick with the basics and ordered up a "Pittsburger" for my first time around.



     The history of this creation is very interesting.  Back in the 1930s Joe Primanti pushed a food cart selling sandwiches in the area of Pittsburgh where hungry truckers were making deliveries throughout the night.  With the success of his enterprise he opened a small storefront restaurant with the assistance of his brothers Dick and Stanley and a nephew.  Their hours were from 3am to 3pm daily, serving hard working delivery men and shift workers "good food for a fair price" during the height of the depression.

     Joe tells the story that, "One winter a fella drove in with a load of potatoes.  He brought a few of 'em over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen.  I fried the potatoes on our grill and they looked pretty good.  A few of our customers asked for them, so I put the potatoes on their sandwiches."  And the rest, as they say, is history.

     Upon the retirement of the family Jim Patrinos purchased the business in 1974.  He continued the tradition and made a few changes along the way, like staying open 24 hours and adding new locations.  Today Primanti Brothers can be found in locations throughout metro Pittsburgh, in Erie, and also in York, State College and Morgantown & Wheeling, WV.  They also have 3 locations in Florida.



     When my sandwich arrived I was amazed and also a bit concerned at its girth.  Somewhere amid the slaw and fries there was a burger, although I couldn't seem to find it until I cut down through the slices of Italian bread to halve the behemoth.  Sure enough, it was indeed there, hidden by all the other ingredients.  I did manage to finish the entire sandwich, but it took awhile.  And my take on it all?  Let me say that I like slaw, I like fries, and I like burgers.  But I'm not sure I like them all in the same bite.  I guess it's a Pittsburgh thing.

Counting Calories

     Here are the answers to yesterday's hellawella quiz on calories.  See how well you did:

1. A pint of beer has more calories than a small kit kat bar.

2. A large 250 ml glass of 14% wine is more caloric than
     a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut.

3. A shot of tequila has more calories than a small slice of   
     bread.

4. A banana has more calories than a single gin & diet tonic.

5. A hard boiled egg has more calories than a Barcardi
     Breezer.

So go ahead and enjoy your Memorial Day holiday, but be sure to count your calories as you sip your favorite adult beverage!  And Vinny will be getting a jump on the long weekend and will not appear on Friday.

Another Quiz

     Recently hellawella posted a quiz for the calorie conscious.  In each of these 5 choices which one contains the most calories?  See how well you count your calories!

Which has more calories?

1. A small kit kat bar or a pint of beer?

2. A Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut

     or a large 250 ml glass of 14% wine?

3. A shot of tequila or a small slice of bread?

4. A banana or a single gin and diet tonic?

5. A Barcardi Breezer or 1 hard boiled egg?

answers will appear tomorrow.

Fava Bean Recipe

     Salty, crunchy bits of pancetta and earthy cremini mushrooms add richness without overwhelming the beans.  Serve this dish with chicken or toss with pasta.

Fava Beans with Mushrooms

and Crispy Pancetta

Ingredients

2 lbs. fava beans pods, shelled (about 2 1/2 cups after shelling)

2 oz. thinly sliced pancetta

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 oz. cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

      Bring a medium pot of well salted water to a boil.  Fill a medium bowl with ice water.

     Boil the fava beans until bright green, about 1 minute.  Drain and transfer to the ice bath to cool.  Drain again.

     Peel each fava bean by pinching one end between your thumb and forefinger to pop the bean from the skin.

     In a 12" skillet cook the pancetta in the oil over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a paper-lined plate.

     Add the fava beans and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until the mushrooms are tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Crumble the pancetta over and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Ronne Day and found on page 14 of Fine Cooking, April/May 2015 edition.

An Old World Fava

     Fava beans (Vicia faba) originated in North Africa and have been grown around the Mediterranean for thousands of years.  They've been farmed for so long, in fact, that there is no known wild variety, according to a recent article in Fine Cooking magazine.  Also known as horse beans, broad beans and faba beans, they are easily cultivated all around the world and are an excellent source of protein and fiber.  The plants withstand the cold well and make a great cover crop.

     The green pods contain smooth, pale green beans that are firm yet creamy and have a nutty, buttery flavor.  When buying favas, choose pods with an even, grassy green color and few or no brown spots.  The pods should look and feel plump.  Avoid those that have beans bursting out of them--this means they're old.  Leave the beans in the pods until just before cooking.  They can be stored in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to a week.  Shelled, blanched and peeled favas can be frozen for up to a year.

     Once you've gone through the trouble of shelling, you don't want to cover up their flavor, so stick with simple preparations.  Add them to a salad, saute in butter for a side dish, or toss with pasta. Mashed or pureed they make a suitable spread for crostini.  They can also be grilled shell and all, after which the tough skin will slide off.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt for a peel-and-eat snack just like edamame.  Sweet grassy fava beans pair well with bright flavors like lemon, mint, basil and sheep's and goat's milk cheese.  They also partner well with salty cured meats and wild spring mushrooms like morels.

     They do require shelling and peeling to get to the good part, but they're well worth the effort!

Speaking of fries...

     

     This month in Smithsonian magazine Jeff MacGregor wrote a piece entitled "History, with Fries, with the sub-title "75 years of life in the fast-food lane."  In the article he documented the efforts of two brothers, Mac & Dick McDonald.  Back in 1940 they opened a drive-in restaurant in San Bernadino, California.  With the success of their fledgling operation two years later they took a very big risk.  They got rid of carhops, table service and silverware and cut the menu to the items folks ordered most: burgers, shakes, a slice of pie.  And with that fast food came into being.  A meal that you could get in under a minute and eat one-handed while your drove.  It was a natural extension of other new innovations like suburbs and automatic transmissions.

     MacGregor writes that what came next was the genius and limitless ambition of multimixer salesman Ray Kroc.  In 1954 he got the rights to franchise McDonald's from coast to coast.  He also oversaw the creation of Hamburger University where standardization was taught, the perfection of repetition, speedy systems management.  Every cheeseburger would be exactly the same from Bangor to La Jolla.

    Who doesn't know the acclaimed best commercial jingle of the 20th Century?  You deserve a break today!  or the now famous Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun.  By the late 1990's McDonald's claimed to be opening a new store somewhere on the planet every 3 hours: a ski-thru window in Sweden or turquoise arches in Sedona.  Today nearly 2 million McDonald's are in operation in 119 countries.

    And now 75 years later the fries are still unrivaled, the service mostly efficient and mostly polite.  The cheeseburger is still the centerpiece of a global empire.  But for me, it's still about the fries...even though they aren't cooked in luscious animal fat.



Fried in Fat

     I can't seem to get enough of them.  If I wasn't concerned about my doctor's diatribe against it I would eat fries every day.  There is something about their crunchy crust and creamy interior that attracts me to them.  



     While I thoroughly enjoyed and savored the immense crab cake at The Olde Bar last week, the stand alone star of the meal was the beef fat fries.  And again last night at Pennsylvania 6 as a companion to the buck-a-shuck oysters at Happy Hour I put in an additional order for duck fat fries with lemon truffle aioli.

     There's just something about spuds cooked in animal fat that makes them taste so good!  Prepared that way they have a much richer flavor than ones cooked in a neutral substance like olive oil.  But why do they taste so much better?  According to Cook's Illustrated it has to do with the fatty acids that give any fat its particular profile.  Here's what they have to say:

     "In refined oils such as pure olive oil, many of the volatile fatty acids and aroma compounds have been stripped away to make a neutral tasting oil that will work in a variety of applications.  Meanwhile, unrefined oils like extra-virgin olive oil have plenty of flavor, but because some of their volatile fatty acids and aroma compounds evaporate when exposed to heat, they lose most of it after a few minutes of cooking.  But when the fatty acids in an unrefined animal fat are exposed to heat, they oxidize to form new flavor compounds that actually improve flavor and make it taste more complex."

     And that phenomenon works for more than just fries.  Bacon fat is a worthy substitute for butter when spread on the bread used in a grilled cheese sandwich, for example.  It can also be used to saute greens like kale or collards, or even Brussels sprouts.  Chicken fat can be substituted for the butter you add to rice pilaf to enhance the flavor of that dish, too.

     I wonder if the crab fries I will order at the ballgame this afternoon are cooked that way.  But don't tell that to my doctor...

When New is Old Again

     It was back in 1893 that Samuel Bookbinder, a Dutch immigrant, opened his oyster house at 5th & South Streets in Philadelphia.  Five years later he moved his business to 2nd & Walnut to be closer to the docks that delivered seafood to his kitchen.  The concept was simple: unpretentious and fresh at affordable prices.  It resonated well with the public who came by the droves for things like snapper soup, oysters on the half shell, lobsters, crab cakes, and their famous cheesecake.

     The Taxin family became the eventual owners, managing the operation since 1945.  But sadly Old Original Bookbinder's closed its doors on New Year's Day 2002 and after filing for bankruptcy was shuttered for good in 2009.  The heyday of the 50,000 square foot restaurant had come and gone.



     It was just in January of this year that Jose Garces and The Garces Group reopened the shuttered landmark with its historical woodwork and decor.  And so with gift card in hand I decided to have a look-see for myself.  With my trusted culinary companion together we made our way in to enjoy dinner at The Olde Bar.



     The bar area was virtually the same with its vintage look and raw bar at the near end.  Through the massive ship's wheel there was a large open space that appeared to be a work in progress for future banquets.  We were escorted to a smaller room on the left and given a seat "near the window" as the saying goes, and handed the dinner menu for the evening.  It was different from what I expected.  Everything was a la carte.  If you ordered a crab cake (which I did) that was all you got.  Vegetables and starches were extra.  And while there were only about 5 items on the entree menu, there was an abundance of happy hour bar snacks available for $5 each, plus a "buck-a-shuck" special 7 days a week from 4-6 pm of oysters on the half shell.  That alone made my trip worthwhile.  I enjoyed them with such delight that I only remembered to take a photo of the artistic display after I had consumed a dozen of the bivalves.



     We ordered up some of the happy hour specials and downed roll mops and beef fat fries before turning our attention to the main event, broiled salmon and the afore mentioned crab cake.  Both were done to perfection.  An order of asparagus shared between us filled our plate and our stomachs.





     So what is new is old again.  Old Original Bookbinder's has made a resurgence onto the restaurant scene in Philadelphia.  Now it's up to the dining public to decide if it can return to "those glorious days of yester-year."  Hopefully the experience will be as good as the memory.

Quiz Answers

     Yesterday I published some nutrition questions. Let's see how you did.  Here are the answers:

1.  Of the items listed, ground turkey is the one considered least heart healthy.  So enjoy your oatmeal topped with dark chocolate and down it with a bottle of beer.

2. It is true that cinnamon helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady.

3. The healthiest way to eat spinach is to lightly steam or saute it.

4. Fresh basil is full of anti-oxidants and is very healthy.

5. While yogurt is very nutritious, it does not contain much in the way of fiber.

6. You may be surprised to discover that almonds actually do have more calcium in a single serving than does Parmesan cheese.

7. Sweet potatoes are low in calories, high in anti-oxidants and a good source of fiber.  The correct answer to this question is D.  All answers are correct.

8.  And as you might have guessed, red wine in moderation is indeed a heart healthy beverage.

Pop Quiz

     Recently the website hellawella published a quiz on nutrition facts.  See how well you do answering these questions.  Answers will appear tomorrow.


1. Which one of these foods is NOT heart healthy?

     A. Ground Turkey
     B. Beer
     C. Oatmeal
     D. Dark Chocolate


2.  True or False:  Cinnamon keeps your blood sugar levels steady.


3.  What is the healthiest way to eat spinach?

     A. Lightly steamed or sauteed
     B. Leafy and raw


4. Why is fresh basil just so good for you?

     A. It's full of good fatty acids
     B. It's full of iron
     C. It's packed with anti-oxidants

5. Which one of these foods is NOT rich in fiber?

     A. Berries
     B. Squash
     C. Broccoli
     D. Yogurt


6. Which has more calcium in a single serving?

     A. Almonds
     B. Parmesan Cheese


7. What makes sweet potatoes so amazing?

     A. Low in calories
     B. High in antioxidants
     C. Good source of fiber
     D. All answers are correct


8. True or False:  In moderation, red wine is a heart healthy beverage.

Photo Montage of Montreal

Here are some of the many photos I took that didn't make it into VinnyPosts telling the story of culinary Montreal:





The Last Supper

     All the while I was in Montreal I kept hearing about an amazing high-end restaurant called  Garde Manger,  co-owned by Chuck Hughes, a chef, TV personality and restaurateur.  He is widely known by Canadians for his Food Network show "Chuck's Day Off" and also for being an Iron Chef America contestant and winner.


     It was rumored to me that it is virtually impossible to get a seat in his restaurant without a reservation made weeks in advance.  I also heard that the place is so exclusive that there isn't even a sign out front to identify it.  But since it was my last night in the city first explored by Jacques Cartier I decided to give it a try.  Encouraged by Anne-Marie, the concierge at my hotel, I followed her instructions and arrived just as the restaurant was opening for the evening.  And it really wasn't difficult to find.  It was only the next block down the street from Auberge Bonaparte where I was staying.



     I walked in and looked briefly at the enclosed fireplace in the exposed brick wall in the foyer and was greeted by a dutiful woman at the desk.  Her first question, as you might expect, was "Do you have a reservation?"  Admitting that I did not I said that I was dining alone and could I just sit at the bar so as not to soil any table linens for other patrons.  She reluctantly agreed but sternly warned me to be finished my meal by 7pm when the entire restaurant will be filled by those reserving tables.



     As I sat meekly at the end of the bar I looked out over the 65 seat location with its laissez-faire decor, complete with distressed mirrors, chandeliers and an open kitchen.  I was also taken that the bartender was as warm and gracious as the front desk staff was stand-offish.  We enjoyed a friendly conversation as I reviewed the menu.  I could have ordered house smoked salmon as an appetizer or entrees like Gaspor pork chops topped with diced bell pepper or braised beef short ribs.  But I had only one thing on my mind:  poutine homard.  Yes, poutine topped with lobster!  With my order placed I waited with eager anticipation and it wasn't long until my entree made its way to my perch.  The French have a saying that "You eat first with your eyes" so I spent a moment visually savoring my meal.  I could see that this homage to the homard was exceptional.  Mixed in with the fries and cheese curds were bits of lobster meat, topped with an entire claw and a split tail.  And in keeping with the shellfish theme the brown gravy had been substituted by a lobster bisque reduction.  If it tasted any better it would have been declared illegal.  Each morsel tantalized my taste buds with the best of land and sea.  I had finally struck the holy grail of poutine!  It was as decadent as my lunchtime poutine was basic.  And for $28 Canadian it should have been!



     It took nearly an hour to claim victory but I finished my meal with just enough time to have dessert, a maple syrup panna cotta, and be on my way out the door before the stroke of 7pm.



A Tale of Two Poutines

    

     I had only one day remaining in Montreal to complete my culinary research on poutine, the unofficial food of Quebec.  After a moderately successful exploration of the city's famed Underground I found myself near Mache!  It had been recommended to me as a place that served poutine, along with other comfort food like burgers, shepherd's pie and mac and cheese.  To get into the clean, little restaurant I had to go down about 4 steps and as I entered I read the menu written on the large blackboard on the far wall.  And there it was!  Poutine Classique...just what I was looking for.

     The waitress looked a little incredulous when I told her I had traveled from Pennsylvania just to try poutine but she gladly took my order and soon returned with a silver bowl filled to the brim with fries covered with a deep and flavorful brown gravy sprinkled with squeaky fresh cheese curds.  C'est manifique!  I took my time and savored every bite.  This was the real deal, unadorned and unadulterated, just what poutine was supposed to be, and all for $6.95 Canadian.  I would have licked the bowl clean but thought better of it due to the image I might cast of the other North Americans.  After all, I was a guest in a foreign country.

 



Tomorrow:  Poutine Homard at Garde Manger

Where's the Beef?

     Charles McKiernan was a Quartermaster in the British Army during the Crimean War.  He earned the sobriquet "Joe Beef" due to his uncanny knack of procuring meat and provisions just when supplies for the soldiers were running low.


     In 1864 he arrived in Montreal with an artillery regiment and was put in charge of the main military canteen.  Four years later he was honorably discharged and opened Joe Beef's Tavern in Vieux Montreal.  His clientele was composed primarily of blue collar workers from the neighborhood and every day at noon hundreds of longshoremen, beggars, odd-job men and outcasts came to be fed.  The tavern became more than merely a place to get a meal, it also was the center of social activity and support.  Joe Beef provided food, employment and housing for the down trodden and poor and became a champion of the rights of the common man and an advocate for the working class.

     During the Lachine Canal workers strike of 1877 McKiernan provided strikers with 3,000 loaves of bread and over 500 gallons of stew.  He even paid the travel expenses for the leadership of the union to Ottawa to present their cause to the parliament.

     In honor of the legendary folk hero of Montreal a partnership opened a restaurant on Notre Dame Street in the Little Burgundy section of town in 2005 and appropriately named it, what else?  Joe Beef!  And while I didn't have a meal there I did walk past and took a look at the menu.  One of the featured items was Horse Steak.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Canada does permit the consumption of horse meat.  Still not sure if I will return to give it a try.  But I'm sure Joe Beef would approve.

 



Rich Man, Poor Man

     Last week I mentioned having Pouding Chomeur for dessert while in Montreal.  Sometimes called "Poor Man's Pudding"  I looked up the recipe.  Scanning the ingredients I thought that it is certainly rich, containing butter, cream, brown sugar and maple syrup.  Here's the recipe if you'd like to make it yourself:

Pouding Chomeur

Ingredients

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/3 cups milk

1 1/2 cups pure maple sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (35%)

1/3 cup butter

Directions

CAKE

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar until the mix is light.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.

In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder.  Alternate flour mix and milk to the butter mix.  Pour into a 13"x 9" greased pan.

MAPLE SAUCE

In a large casserole, bring to boil the syrup, brown sugar, cream and butter and constantly stir.  Reduce heat and gently cook 2 minutes or till sauce has reduced a bit.

Pour sauce gently over cake.

Bake at 325F (160C) about 35 minutes or till cake is light brown and when toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pouding Chomeur

     While the tourtiere at La Binerie was profoundly mediocre, the dessert was just the opposite.  Pouding chomeur is another regional Quebecois creation that came out of the time of the Great Depression.  The translation means literally, "unemployment pudding" and was developed as an inexpensive treat.

     While it is served year round, it was originally prepared during saison des sucres in the Spring when sap from the maple trees was tapped and boiled down to make maple syrup.  Basic cake batter and maple syrup are the only two ingredients.  Hot syrup is poured into the batter before baking and then in the oven the cake rises through the liquid that settles in the bottom of the pan creating a distinct and sweet lower layer.



     What's not to like about that?