Memorable Answers

     Yesterday I listed 10 slogans used to catch your attention about some familiar name brand cereals.  Here are the answers:



1. The cereal shot from guns                                             i. Quaker Puffed Rice

2. Stays crunchy, even in milk                                          a. Captain Crunch

3. It's a honey of an O                                                        h. Honey Nut Cheerios

4. Kid tested, mother approved                                        b. Kix

5. Two scoops of raisins...                                                 g. Raisin Bran

6. Snap!  Crackle!  Pop!                                                    c. Rice Krispies

7. The Breakfast of Champions                                       f. Wheaties

8. He likes it!  Hey Mikey!                                                d. Life

9. They're great!                                                               j. Frosted Flakes

10. They're A-B-C Delicious                                           e.  Alpha Bits

Memorable

     Manufacturers spend millions annually to promote their products.  That is especially true for companies in the food industry.  They pay a premium to advertisers to come up with a perfect catchphrase or slogan to make their product a household term.

     That is especially true with the cereal we pour into our bowls each morning.  According to the website Mr. Breakfast some taglines are more memorable than others.

     See if you can match up the cereal brand with the slogans listed below:


1. "The cereal shot from guns"                                        a. Captain Crunch
2. "Stays crunchy, even in milk"                                     b.  Kix
3. "It's a honey of an O"                                                   c. Rice Krispies
4. "Kid tested, mother approved"                                    d. Life
5. "Two scoops of raisins..."                                             e. Alpha Bits
6. "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"                                                   f. Wheaties
7. "The Breakfast of Champions"                                    g. Raisin Bran
8. "He likes it!  Hey Mikey!"                                            h. Honey Nut Cheerios
9. "They're Great!"                                                            i. Quaker Puffed Rice  
10. "They're A-B-C Delicious!"                                        j. Frosted Flakes            

     

BTW:  Got Milk?

answers will appear tomorrow...

A Sweet Summer Classic



     Back in June when I attended the State BBQ Championship in North Carolina I was introduced to more than just chicken and ribs.  For the first time in my life I tasted the iconic Southern beverage, sweet tea.  It's a favorite for a lot of folks who live south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Sweet tea is a great way to beat the heat and humidity of Summer in the South.


     Southern Living magazine in their August issue says that "making perfect sweet tea isn't difficult, but isn't random either.  It's the little things that make all the difference.  In the article Sheri Castle offers these tips:

Tea Tip #1:  Begin with fresh water each time.  Using water left in a kettle can give the tea a flat taste.

Tea Tip #2: A bit of baking soda keeps the tea clean and guards against excess bitterness sometimes found in tea's natural tannins.

Tea Tip #3: Tea bags should be fresh and aromatic.  Stale bags have no flavor. Store tea in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tea Tip #4: Cover brewed tea with plastic wrap before refrigerating to prevent it from absorbing food odors.

Here is their recipe:

Classic Sweet Tea

We love this recipe because it's got strong tea flavor without being bitter, and it's sweet but not cloying.

12 regular-size tea bags

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 qt. distilled or bottled water

1 qt. ice cubes

1 1/4 cups Simple Syrup

1. Place tea bags and baking soda in a large heatproof glass pitcher.

2. Bring water just to a rolling boil in a saucepan or kettle, and immediately our over tea bags, making sure bags are submerged.  Cover and steep 7 minutes.  Remove tea bags without squeezing: discard tea bags.

3. Add ice, and stir until ice melts.  Stir in Simple Syrup, and serve over ice.

Simple Syrup

This versatile syrup is the best way to sweeten tea because the sugar is already dissolved.

Bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes.  Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

A Taste of Summer

     No day trip down to the Jersey shore was complete without stopping at one of those roadside produce stands along the White Horse Pike.  There were cantaloupes, watermelons and cucumbers galore, but what everyone really wanted was a basket of Jersey tomatoes.  After all, they define a Jersey summer as definitively as the cheesesteak defines Philly.  Those heavy, orange-red, slightly flattened spheres were thin skinned & meaty with rich flesh, almost jelly-like seed pockets and an intense sweet-tart flavor.  Sliced thick and slathered with Helmann's mayonnaise between two slices of Wonder Bread they were a meal all by themselves.

     But is there really such a thing as the Jersey Tomato?  Search through the Seed Savers Exchange among the 43,261 varieties listed and no, you won't find one with that name.  But we all recall that distinctive taste of summer so it must be real!!!

     More than likely the Jersey Tomato that we enjoyed back in the 1960s was officially known at the Rutgers Tomato, introduced in 1934.  It was prized on both sides of the Delaware River. The Heinz Company in Pittsburgh used them to make ketchup and Campbell Soup in Camden purchased them for their iconic condensed tomato soup.  But unfortunately since the Rutgers seed was never patented it was cross bred with other varieties by seed companies and lost it's distinctive flavor and texture.  Other tomatoes like the Beefsteak and the Ramapo have come along to fill the void but with less fanfare.

     So is it the variety, the climate or the geography that makes a tomato worthy of the moniker "Jersey Tomato?"  The state is blessed with light, sandy clay soil, ample water supply and months of warm days and cool nights.  And tomatoes grown in the Garden State, while not traveling well, are left to ripen on the vine, not gassed with ethylene while still green and shipped hundreds of miles to a produce bin in a far away market franchise.  That gives them better taste, the one we all remember fondly.

     But there is hope!  For the past 6 years Tom Orton & Jack Rabin, Rutgers University researchers have been collaborating with Dot Hall and Bill Bangs, 2 Campbell Soup retirees to breed a better, updated version of the tomato of our youth.





     I'm heading out this morning to get some Wonder Bread & Helmann's!

Shirazi Salad

     If you're like me about now you are stockpiling numerous varieties of tomatoes.  Every day I'm picking more than my share of cherry, marzano (plum), big boy and sweet treats.  I've been able to find recipes that will use one or the other for a meal.

     But the website hellawella highlighted a salad recipe by Mindy Kobrin that utilizes 3 different tomato varieties.  It is a refreshingly delicious salad that is perfect on a hot summer's day and originates from the Persian city of Shiraz.  With herbs as companions to the tomatoes it is a meal in itself.  Here it is for you to try:



Garden Shirazi Salad

Ingredients

1 red onion, thinly sliced                                            1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar                                          1/3 tsp ground pepper

1 lb seedless cucumbers, cut into discs                   1/2 bunch of chives, cut into match-stick

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced                                            size pieces

3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced                             1/4 cup tarragon leaves, chopped

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges                          1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved                              1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, divided            1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided                        1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

Preparation

1. Combine sliced onion with red wine vinegar in a small bowl.  Set aside for 15-20 minutes.                                     Drain

2. Gently toss with your hands the marinated onions, cucumbers, garlic, tomatoes, fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Transfer to a serving platter.  Add fresh herbs and remaining half of lime juice and olive oil to the large bowl. Season to taste.  Toss. Pile herb mixture atop salad.  Serve immediately.

Humble Beginnings

     As I learn more about the culinary arts I am intrigued with the similarities in different cultural cooking techniques around the world.  One prime example is the way fried dough is prepared and enjoyed in almost every culture.  From funnel cakes at country fairs to Egyptian aish balladi, a whole wheat flat bread.

  Another is the topic for today the vegetable base that is the foundation for hundreds of dishes around the world, from soups to curries to roasts.  Aromatics lend flavor then virtually disappear.  Michael Pollen in his book Cooked refers to them as "unprepossessing herbs and vegetables."  They can include onions, carrots, garlic, tomato, celery, bell peppers, bay leaves, peppercorns, mushrooms, shallots, leeks, and celeriac that are all finely diced and are then sauteed lightly in either butter or olive oil.

Here's just a partial list of these Humble Beginnings:

Italy-Soffritto (or Battuto)
France-Mirepoix (or Duxelles)
Portugal-Refogado
Germany-Suppegrun
 Cajun-Holy Trinity
Spain-sofrito
Poland-Wloszczyzna
Puerto Rico-Recaito

All Clad Metalcrafters in Canonsburg, PA offers this recipe for their version of Spanish sofrito:



Sofrito

The sofrito can be used as a base for sauces, stews, soups, pastas, and grains.  

Yields about 3 cups.

Ingredients

2 lbs, (about 10) Roma tomatoes

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4 1/2 cups onions, finely diced

1 clove garlic, very finely minced

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

Fill an All-Clad 4 quart sauce pot with water and bring to a rapid boil.  While the water is heating, use a paring knife to cut out the stem from each of the tomatoes and score an "X" through the skin on the opposite end.  Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Plunge the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 5 seconds or until the skin begins to slip off the tomatoes.

1. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of ice water.  When the tomatoes have chilled, remove them from the water.  Discard the boiling water and ice bath.

     Cut the tomatoes in half.  Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and squeeze all of the seeds out of the tomatoes and into the strainer.  Press all of the liquid from the seeds, then discard the pulp.  Chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes very finely, combine with the juice, then set aside.

     Wipe the 4 quart sauce pot dry, then place the pan over medium-low heat.

2. Add the olive oil, followed by the onions and 1 tsp salt.  Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they reduce in volume and become golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, the bay leaf, and 1 tsp salt.

3. Cook the tomatoes down until all of the excess liquid has reduced and the tomatoes just begin to fry in the oil.  Season to taste with salt, Discard the bay leaf.

     Store the sofrito refrigerated for up to a week.  To use the sofrito, pour off and reserve the olive oil covering the surface.  Spoon out the desired quantity of sofrito, then cover with the reserved oil.

Chilling Out

     This time of year tomatoes are everywhere you look.  Gardeners are secretly leaving them on the doorsteps of neighbors.  And it seems that recipes for using them are everywhere as well.  And for good reason.  Fresh garden tomatoes taste so much better than their mega-mart counterparts.  

     In the September issue of Food Network Magazine there are no less than 15 recipes that highlight the end of Summer fruit.  Under the caption of So Cool is this recipe for a chilled tomato soup they claim is the world's easiest to make:

Ingredients:

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 shallot
1/2 cup olive oil
champagne vinegar
salt 
chives

Directions:

Thinly slice the shallot and cook it in the olive oil over medium-low heat until soft, about 20 minutes.  Puree the tomatoes in a blender with the shallot and oil; add champagne and salt to taste.

Refrigerate 1 hour to serve chilled (with a drizzle of olive oil and chives).