Super Spice

     As I was doing my annual inventory of spices a few days ago I noticed there was one that I rarely use.  It was turmeric.  It seems there are very few recipes that call for it, outside of the ones that are for Indian dishes.  Perhaps that's why the nickname for turmeric is Indian Saffron.  After all, it is what gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color.  It's also used to provide mustard its characteristic hue, as well as being used as a coloring agent for butter and cheese. 

     Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a relative of ginger, a perennial plant that grows 5 to 6 feet tall in the tropical regions of southern Asia.  The plant produces a trumpet shaped dull yellow flower but it is the root, the rhizome, that is used to create the powder that we are familiar with when it is boiled and then dried. 

     But according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, turmeric has been used for over 4,000 years as a powerful and effective medicine to treat all manner of ailments and diseases.  It has been used for centuries by Ayurvedic and Chinese herbalists for everything from liver problems to skin diseases and wounds.  Now modern scientists are beginning to understand that it is also a powerful anti-oxidant that fights free radicals in the body and helps to reduce and prevent the damage they can cause.  It also lowers the levels of 2 enzymes in the body that cause inflammation and stops platelets from clumping together to form blood clots.

     The medicinal properties of turmeric are impressive as it is known to treat the following conditions:

Dyspepsia & indigestion                                          Rheumatoid Arthritis
Ulcerative colitis                                                      Cystic Fibrosis
Stomach ulcers                                                        Childhood leukemia
Osteoarthritis                                                           High cholesterol
Heart disease                                                           Alzheimer's disease
various cancers                                                        Uveitis (inflammation of the iris)
Bacterial & viral Infections

Wow!  Think I'll go and sprinkle some on my cereal this morning for breakfast and feel healthy!

Xtreme Eating 2013

     I enjoy eating someone else's cooking on occasion.  It's nice to have a good meal at a place where no prep work or clean up is required on my part.  But eating healthy can be quite a challenge, especially in January when the extra holiday poundage needs to be shed.  Unfortunately most franchise (read: chain restaurant) establishments don't care if customers are trying to shape up.  The goal of places like IHOP, Cheesecake Factory, Chili's, Johnny Rockets, and Uno Chicago Grill is to boost the bottom line.  And to do so they offer up meals that include things like a 2,000 calorie order of mac 'n cheese, a 1 pound slice of chocolate cake and a milkshake that contains a slice of apple pie.

     The January/February issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter cites IHOP as a good example of a bad example.  Their mantra is, "It's all about flavor.  Not about limits."  Their Country Fried Steak & Eggs breakfast is Exhibit A.  In the IHOP website they proclaim, "When it comes to breakfast, why choose just one thing?  Our breakfast combos put your favorites together on one plate, so you can dig into everything you love - from eggs to steaks to pancakes!"  

     Let's consider what goes into that meal: 8 oz. fried beef steak smothered with country gravy, served with two eggs, hash browns and two buttermilk pancakes.  Yep, a mix of fried red meat, fried eggs, fried potatoes (picking up a trend?), and a load of refined carbs all in one meal.  The meal really does have it all -- all the calories (1,760-almost a day's worth), all the saturated fat (23 grams-a full daily quota), all the sodium (3,720 mg-2 1/2 days worth), and all the sugar (11 tsp-almost enough for two days), considering that you pour on a typical quarter cup of syrup.  All that is equivalent to eating 5 McDonald's Egg McMuffins sprinkled with 10 packets of sugar.

     Perhaps the Cheesecake Factory's Crispy Chicken Costoletta would be a better choice.  The lightly breaded chicken breast comes with mashed potatoes (not fries) and fresh asparagus.  Well, surprise!  That seemingly healthy meal packs 2,610 calories, 89 grams of saturated fat (enough for a full work week), and 2,720 mg of sodium.  In fact, the dish has more calories than any steak, chop, or burger on the menu.  It's like downing an entire KFC 12 piece Original Recipe bucket, except with less than half the saturated fat.

     Gee, on second thought, maybe I'll stay at home and wash my own dishes...

In a Stew

    

      Invariably almost every recipe for a hearty soup or stew includes the addition of a bay leaf or two.  The leaves of the evergreen bay laurel tree, Laurus nobilis, native to the Mediterranean, is frequently used to flavor soups, stews and braises and enhances meat, seafood and vegetable dishes.  It is an important component in numerous cuisines across the Mediterranean, as well as in French, Thai, Indian, Pakistani and Arabian kitchens.  There are two major varieties: Turkish and Californian and although the Turkish is considered more flavorful, the Californian is stronger and thus halved as an ingredient in recipes.

     Ironically the fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying.  Subsequently they then become stiff and rigid even during cooking and if ingested can be abrasive to the digestive tract.

     Historically the bay leaf has been used in a number of interesting ways.  It has a long standing reputation with herbalists and has been employed to improve digestion and reduce flatulence.  And a bay leaf rinse is also considered as a treatment for dandruff.  Bay leaves were used to recognize achievement in battle, in sport and in academics as a crown of garlands of bay leaves were given to those being honored.  Another more practical use of bay leaves is to scatter them in the pantry to repeal insects and vermin.  It is thought to be useful in discouraging meal moths, flies, roaches, mice and silverfish.  It also inhibits the growth of certain molds.

     Sounds like good stuff to have around the house!  And when you've cooked up a good meal with it you can wear some in your hair to recognize your achievement...

Righting Leftovers

     By the end of the week the chill chest begins to fill up with left overs.  The challenge then becomes what to do with them before they become science projects growing strange green furry stuff.  I looked into the refrigerator Saturday and saw some things that had potential for dinner, with a creative mind and the right recipe.

     I had a slice of ham, some Dijon mashed potatoes and a wedge of Gruyere cheese that were all approaching the end of their normal life.  So consulting my 3 ring binder of recipes, sorted by categories like entree, sides, seafood, and dessert, I looked up the main meal file under "ham."  Much to my delight I came across a Ham and Cheese Croquette recipe that specifically called for leftover mashed potatoes, cooked ham and grated Gruyere cheese.  What a find!  All I needed to add was a little flour and the meal practically made itself.

     Adding a bit of seasoning I blended all the ingredients together and then heated some oil in a large pan to shallow fry the disks that I pressed together with my hands.  (See VinnyPost  January 23 "The Unplugged Kitchen")

 

     The result was so good that the recipe will be headed into my culinary hall of fame!  Here it is, just in case you find those same leftovers in your refrigerator some day.

HAM & CHEESE CROQUETTES

 

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes                      1/2 cup finely diced cooked ham

1/4 cup all purpose flour                                  kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese                  1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying

 

In a bowl, mix the potatoes, flour, cheese and ham until combined.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions.  Rub your hands with a small amount of flour and form the portions into small flat disks about 1/2" thick.  Use just enough flour to keep the potatoes from sticking to your hands, but do not coat them completely.

 

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Shallow fry the croquettes, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Let the croquettes cook for about 5 minutes before serving.

 

Recipe courtesy of Claire Robinson, 2009, Food Network.

Never to be foiled again

    

      Have you ever attempted to tear off a piece of aluminum foil from the dispenser only to have the entire roll leap out of the box and land on the floor unraveling as it goes?  That is a frustrating and unfortunately not uncommon occurrence in the kitchen.  It has happened to me more times than I care to admit.  But there is a way to prevent that.  If you look carefully on each end of the box of Reynolds aluminum foil (and freezer paper, and also Saran wrap) there is a small triangle with perforations on the sides.  Punch that little tab in on each end and those "horns" will hold the roll in the box and keep it from escaping.  That's something I only learned a few years ago and since that time I have never had the problem again.

     And here's another tip, this time using Saran wrap.  Instead of attempting to use an entire pound of bacon before it goes bad, or alternately try to chip away one or two slices from the block solid pound that you froze to preserve it, take a 3 inch wide strip of Saran wrap and into the center of it lay 2 strips of bacon.  Fold the Saran wrap over it from each side and then roll it up like a sleeping bag.  Continue to do this for the entire pound of bacon until all 14 strips are rolled up in pairs.  Find a suitable container and put them in your freezer.  Next time you need a few strips of bacon to season a meal you can simply pull out as many rolls as you need and thaw them without affecting the rest of the slab.  Pretty neat, huh?



A Shopper's Manifesto

     Lynne Kasper and Sally Swift in their Splendid Table cookbook, How to Eat Weekends, begin with these words:

     "It's no longer about just us.  Buy food today and you might as well have dropped a pebble in a pond -- that purchase reverberates in the world.

     "Some of us believe we're healthier for eating from local, organic, and sustainable farmers and producers.  Hopefully that's true, but eating today touches the environment, the ethical treatment of people and animals, the vitality of communities and their lands, and the value of the small and unique.  And yes, how we eat directly touches the people we care about.

     "These days we're all doing the best with what we have, but if at all possible, please try to prepare these dishes with organic ingredients.  That USDA "Certified Organic" sticker isn't the perfect solution.  But for now, though, it is a better option than most.

     "In the best of all possible worlds, shop as close to the source as possible.  When we can, we get a lift from handing our money over to the farmer who actually grew the lettuce."

     I would agree with much of what they have written and am a staunch advocate of local and sustainable.  If you can't grow it yourself, find someone near to where you live who does.  So that makes me a locavore, I guess.  And I also find concurrence with their statement on governmental regulation of organic certification.  It is still an imperfect science.  Unfortunately it is still difficult, at times, to determine the qualitative difference between organic and non-organic foods items, except for the price.  More work needs to be done to raise both awareness and acceptance of the organic process America.

     Perhaps 2013 will be the year.

The Unplugged Kitchen

     When asked about his favorite kitchen tool, award-winning San Francisco chef and writer Daniel Patterson said that two things found in every kitchen can give you more information, more accurately and more consistently, than anything else:  your hands.

     In the simplest of all illustrations, he says to think about the difference between tossing a salad with tongs versus using your hands, and innocently asks, "How can the tongs tell you when the leaves are evenly coated?  Only your fingers can do that."  And to that I would add the wisdom only your hands can provide to know when dough has come together to just the right consistency.

The Unplugged Kitchen written by Viana La Place takes up that theme, as does the book, Cooking by Hand, by author Paul Bertolli.  And when you think about it, nearly every high tech gadget in today's kitchen replaces a tool that existed long before the electric outlet was even dreamed of.  Before the food processor there was the food mill, before the blender it was the manual ice crusher.

     Over a decade ago we were all caught up in a frenzy about the potential effects of Y2K when all our digital electronic devices were supposed to stop functioning.  I went out and purchased a hand operated can opener to keep my kitchen up and running.  Using our hands and manual tools hones our instincts and our common sense.