The Jewel of Autumn

     Long cherished for its exquisite beauty, flavor, color and health benefits, the pomegranate has been termed "royalty among fruit."  Over 8,000 years ago it was one of the first cultivated fruits, originating in Persia.  There is even speculation that it was the forbidden fruit that Eve offered to Adam in the Garden of Eden.  Its name is derived from Middle French pomme garnete, meaning seeded apple and it is sometimes referred to as a Chinese apple that grows on a deciduous shrub or small tree.


The pomegranate is a symbol of prosperity, hope and abundance in many cultures.  A Turkish tradition states that following the marriage ceremony the bride throws a pomegranate on the ground and the number of arils (seeds) that fall out indicates how many children she and her husband will have.

     


     While pomegranate juice is available year round, the Jewel of Autumn is available as a whole fruit only from September until January.  They are high in Vitamin C and potassium, a great source of fiber and low in calories.  The compound punicalagin is found only in pomegranates and is proven to benefit the heart and blood vessels.  It also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and reduces harmful atheroscherotic plaque.  The juice is high in beneficial antioxidants which have been shown to protect against heart disease and various cancers.  It stimulates serotonin and estrogen receptors, improving symptoms of depression and increasing bone mass.

     Perhaps we should amend that old saying to "A Chinese apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Twice Baked

     Antonio Mattei is not a household name.   But his twice baked cookies are.  Antonio was a pastry chef in the small Tuscan town of Prato and in 1858 began selling his nut-studded Biscotti cookies to an enthusiastic public.

     His ingredients were simple...flour, sugar, eggs, and almonds or pine nuts that he purchased from nearby groves.  And according to Domenica Marchetti, he defined the biscotti baking method for future generations by shaping the soft dough into wide, flat loaves, then baked, sliced, and baked them again.  That's what "biscotti" means in Italian..."twice baked."  The double baking yielded dry, hard cookies that could be stored for long period of time and also traveled well.



     And today at the Biscottificio Antonio Mattei, you can still purchase his crisp, lightly sweet cookies.

     Grazie, Antonio!    

Slightly off the beaten track

     The tidewater town of Urbanna, Virginia has been described as being "slightly off the beaten track."  The 2010 census recorded only 476 residents within the half mile town limits.  That means there are more boats than folks there.  

     But for two days each year between 50-75,000 people congregate in "The City of Anne" to enjoy live music, arts & crafts, parades and of course to slurp up oysters and various other kinds of seafood at Virginia's official oyster festival.  For 57 years during the first weekend in November the town's main street is closed to vehicular traffic and local businesses and civic organizations host the Urbanna Oyster Festival.

 

     It's all about the bivalve: raw on the half shell, roasted, fried, in chowder and stew, in sandwiches and in fritters.  When I arrived Friday morning just before 10am there was already a crowd.  So I did my best to sample a little of everything and downed 22 oysters by mid-afternoon, not counting the ones swimming in the chowder.  But perhaps the most interesting representation of Virginia's culinary display was in something they call the H.O.B.  That's an acronym for 3 of their finest ingredients: Ham, Oysters, & Biscuits.  Salty, sweet and savory all at the same time.  It's something only a town slightly off the beaten track could create!

 



     

Curing Jet Lag

     Once again I will be on the road in search of culinary information to report to my vast worldwide readership.  This time my travels will be in a longitudinal direction rather than crossing time zones.  I will be heading to The Old Dominion to sample some of the world's finest bivalves at the Urbanna Oyster Festival in the tidewater of Virginia along the Rappahannock River.



     This trip will fortunately not cause any jet lag for me as I will remain in the Eastern Time Zone.  But for those travelers who do fly cross country or internationally, here's a tip I learned to prevent the feeling of being tired at the wrong time.  Eat carbohydrates.  They prompt the release of insulin which helps to reset the body's Circadian cycle.  Scientists suggest eating a carb heavy meal, like pasta, for dinner when flying eastbound.  When flying west load up on carbs at breakfast.





As Turkey Day Approaches...

     The highlight of November for those of us in the culinary arts is the Thanksgiving feast. Recently the folks at Food Network magazine did some research and reported that, according to the National Turkey Federation, the average American eats 16 pounds of turkey every year.  That makes the United States the top turkey consuming country in the world!

     They also conducted a survey regarding the way Americans finish that epic meal.  Here are the facts:

The favorite Thanksgiving pie is pumpkin, leading the pack with 41% of the respondents favoring it.  Pecan came in second with 35% and apple with 17%.  Other pies totaled only 7%. 

And 61% of the folks around the table prefer a little slice of each as opposed to only 37% asking for just one slice of their favorite.  2% said no thank you to any pie for dessert.

Most home cooks prefer butter to make their pie crusts, 45%, as compared to 37% for shortening and 18% for lard.

An overwhelming 88% of people prefer to eat their pie with a fork, leaving only 12% who use a spoon.

And topping the pie, a clear 41% ask for ice cream as opposed to 21% who enjoy whipped cream.  22% have neither, and 16% have both!

61% of home chefs make their pie crust from scratch and 17% serve 4 or more pies after dinner.

                                  

It's not too early to begin composing your Turkey Day dinner menu!

Watercress is Best?

     Last week I reported on a study that declared watercress to be the most nutrient dense food known to humankind.  So immediately I went out and purchased a bunch of it to try some for myself.  I must admit that I only used it in salads, but with that introduction to the best of the best I have to say that I was underwhelmed.  Perhaps I got a bad bunch, or maybe it isn't a good year for watercress, I'm not sure.  But it did leave me wondering how such a lackluster cruciferous green could rate such acclaim.

     So I picked up my iPad and went to the Epicurious app to see what other ways watercress can be prepared for consumption.  Not surprisingly it is most often the primary partner in salads and sandwiches.  But one recipe caught my eye, that being Watercress Soup, not chilled as some other soups were described, but rather heated and served warm.  Could watercress be hearty and bold?  Here's the recipe, you decide.

WATERCRESS SOUP

2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) unsalted butter          4 bunches watercress, tough stems trimmed,

1 medium yellow onion, chopped                          chopped (about 20 cups)

2 qts low-salt chicken broth                     1 1/2 tsp (or more) fresh lemon juice

1 lb russet potatoes, peeled,                     Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

          cut into 1/2" cubes                          1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

                                    3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh chives, divided

     Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add broth and potatoes; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

     Add watercress to pot; stir until leaves wilt. Let soup cool briefly.  Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth.  Return soup to same pot. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

     Whisk cream with a pinch of salt in a large bowl until soft peaks form.  Fold in 1 1/2 Tbsp chives.

     Rewarm soup gently over low heat.  Divide soup among demitasse or small teacups and garnish each cup with a dollop of whipped cream.  Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp chives over.

Makes 10 servings

Recipe by Melissa Hamilton & Christopher Hirsheimer 

as it appeared in Bon Appetit  April 2012

A Berry Healthy Fruit

     Cranberries are now in season.  I picked up my first bag this week for use in my culinary creations.  The glossy, scarlet red very tart relative of the blueberry is now at it's peak.  It's just now hitting the store shelves after being harvested during their short season that runs from Labor Day to Halloween.  Typically they are grown in bogs and floated in water as a convenient method for farmers to harvest them.  But studies have shown that the water method also increases their potency in acting as both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

     It has long been believed that the cranberry, sometimes called the bounceberry (yes, ripe ones do bounce!) prevents urinary tract infections and scientific evidence has proven that to be true.  But they are also credited with inhibiting stomach ulcers and colon cancer.  They also support a healthy cardiovascular system and liver, lower harmful LDL, raise healthy HDL and aid in stroke recovery.  But a word of caution for those prone to kidney stones...consuming cranberries either whole on as juice can cause calcium formations to occur.

     Native Americans first harvested wild cranberries and cooked them, sweetening them with honey and maple syrup.  The First Americans also used them as a red dye and medicinally as a poultice for wounds.  No doubt cranberries were present on the table for that first Thanksgiving meal shared with their European guests.  By the 18th Century cranberries were being shipped to Europe.  And when a ship loaded with crates of the exports was destined for Holland wrecked and sank in the waters off the Dutch coast        some of the cranberries floated to shore along the island of Terschelling, took root and continue to produce fruit to this day.

     So now is the time to enjoy this seasonal berry in homemade relishes, sauces, as a welcome ingredient in granola and as a tart replacement for vinegar in salad dressing.

And here's a factoid for you...Wisconsin grows more cranberries than any other state with 60% of the annual national harvest.