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Be Nice--Nice Is Good __________________________________________________ Joe Barkson's WORLDWIDE RECIPES WEEKEND EDITION The Official Recipezine of the Internet __________________________________________________ This Weekend's Theme: Cooking on the Run __________________________________________________ THIS WEEKEND'S SPONSORS __________________________________________________ Amazon.com - Please support your favorite recipezine by using this link for all your purchases from Amazon.com: http://www.wwrecipes.com/amazon.htm __________________________________________________ Please do not forward any part of this publication to other people. See the copyright notice below for all the legal stuff. __________________________________________________ FOOD FUNNY __________________________________________________ Thanks to Russ Hogue for this one: At the diner, my breakfast arrived with only three sausages instead of the usual four. The waitress explained that the cook had dropped one and was making another. Soon the cook dashed out of the kitchen. "Here you are," he announced. "It's the missing link!" __________________________________________________ A WORD FROM THE CHEF __________________________________________________ All About... Fruits Preserving Fruits Preserved fruits have been an important part of our diet for thousands of years, especially in colder northern climates where preserving and storing foods of all kinds was necessary to survive the harsh winters. Over the ages many methods of preserving fruit have been developed by people from all climates eager to extend the availability of fruits beyond their short natural season. The high sugar content of most fruits makes them excellent candidates for many types of preservation, but their high water content also makes them excellent candidates for spoilage, as we have already discussed. Most methods for preserving fruits, therefore, aim to eliminate as much of their water content as possible. A thorough discussion of these various techniques is beyond the scope of this little essay, and I suggest that you consult a good cookbook devoted to the subject for complete instructions on preserving fruits. That said, here is a quick look at the many methods of preserving fruits: Dried Fruits Many fruits, including apples, pears. peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs, grapes, berries, and bananas can be dried and stored almost indefinitely. Apples should be peeled, cored, and thinly sliced before drying. Pears and stone fruits such as peaches need only be halved and cored or pitted, and bananas should be peeled and thinly sliced prior to dehydration. Grapes, figs, and berries can be dried whole. Commercial dehydrators are available to the home cook, but you don't need a special appliance to dry fruits at home. You can place the prepared fruits on a wire rack and dry them in an oven set on the lowest setting. Fruit Leathers A variation on drying, any fruit can be peeled, seeded, and pureed in an electric blender or food processor. The resulting puree is then spread in a thin layer on parchment or wax paper and air dried or dried as described above. Candied Fruits Also known as crystallized or glace fruits, this process involves cooking fruits in a sugar syrup before drying. Suitable fruits included citrus (both the flesh and rinds), stone fruits, and pineapples. Fruit Jams, Jellies, and Preserves Most fruits can be cooked with sugar (and sometimes some pectin to aid thickening) to make jams, jellies, and preserves. If done properly and stored in sterilized containers, these will last almost indefinitely. They can be eaten as spoon sweets or used as toppings for toast or bread and as fillings for pastries. Jellies are made only with the juice of the fruits, while jams and preserves are made from the entire fruit. The difference between jams and preserves varies depending on whom you ask, but the general consensus is that preserves have larger pieces of fruit than jams, which are more like a fruit puree. Fruits in Alcohol Eighteenth century seafarers discovered that the fruits they were transporting could be preserved in barrels of rum during their long voyages. Any fruit can be preserved if stored in an airtight container and covered with rum, brandy, vodka, or other distilled spirit. These will last for many months, and new fruits can be added to the container as its contents are consumed. Pickled Fruits Pickling fruit is largely a forgotten art, but in the past many fruits were preserved in a sweet vinegar solution, often with spices such as cloves and cinnamon added. Suitable fruits include stone fruits, figs, berries, and of course, watermelon rind. To be continued. __________________________________________________ THIS WEEKEND'S RECIPES __________________________________________________ Even the most enthusiastic cooks have days when there just isn't enough time to cook a tasty, nutritious meal. Here is a small collection of recipes for those times. One of the secrets to preparing healthy meals on the run is to maintain a well stocked pantry. Having a few canned items on hand, such as the artichoke bottoms in this dish, will fuel your creativity even when time is short. Parmesan Artichoke Bottoms 2 14-ounce (390 g) cans artichoke bottoms, rinsed, drained, and patted dry 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lemon juice 1 tsp (5 ml) grated lemon peel Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup (60 ml) pine nuts (pignoli) Place the artichoke bottoms round side down in a lightly greased baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients except the pine nuts in a small bowl and stir to combine. Mound the Parmesan mixture on the artichoke bottoms and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serves 4 to 6. Keep several cans of good quality chicken and beef broth on hand and you can whip up healthy soups like this in a jiffy. Quick Carrot and Caraway Soup 1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 lb (450 g) carrots, shredded 2 tsp (10 ml) caraway seeds, crushed in a mortar with a pestle 4-6 cups (1-1.5 L) chicken broth Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Chopped fresh parsley, chives, or basil for garnish Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat and saute the onion until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and caraway seeds and saute 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer covered until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Puree the soup in an electric blender or food processor and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled, garnished with chopped herbs. Serves 4 to 6. Here is a quick and easy dish that appeals to the eye as much as to the taste buds. Cherry Tomatoes with Pecans 3 Tbs (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, stemmed 1/4 cup (60 ml) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts 2 Tbs (30 ml) red wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Chopped fresh basil for garnish Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and tomatoes and saute just until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add the pecans, vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir for 1 minute. Garnish with chopped basil. Serves 4 to 6. Seafood is always a good thing to cook when you're pressed for time because it cooks so quickly. You can even pop the salmon fillets into the oven frozen - just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Mustard-Crusted Salmon 2 Tbs (30 ml) red wine vinegar 2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar 2 Tbs (30 ml) Dijon-style mustard 2 tsp (10 ml) dry mustard 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil 4-6 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces (170g) each Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 cup (250 ml) bread crumbs Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustards, and thyme in an electric blender. With the motor running, pour the oil in a thin stream to make a semi-thick sauce. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and arrange them skin side down in a lightly greased baking dish. Spread about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the sauce over each fillet to cover completely. Press the bread crumbs onto the fillets and bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until the topping is crisp and golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve with the remaining mustard sauce on the side. Serves 4 to 6. If you're always looking for new ways to get healthy fresh fruit into your family's diet, here is one answer. You can make it even healthier by using frozen yogurt, ice milk, or fat-free ice cream. Tropical Fruit Sundaes 3 oranges 1/2 cup (125 ml) packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cinnamon 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and diced 3 bananas, peeled and sliced Vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or ice milk Peel the oranges and, working over a bowl to collect the juices, cut between the membranes to remove the sections. Squeeze the membranes to extract the remaining juice. Combine the orange juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the juice has thickened slightly. Let the syrup cool and add the orange sections, pineapple, mango, and bananas. Spoon the fruit and syrup over scoops of ice cream. Serves 4 to 6. __________________________________________________ KITCHEN TIP __________________________________________________ Thanks to reader Shirley Allen in California for today's helpful hint: Now that barbecue and grilling season is upon us, here is a do-ahead time saver. I buy whole chicken, then cut them in quarters; or, skinless, boneless breasts and thighs. I put enough chicken in plastic freezer bags and cover contents with bottled (or your own) marinade. Seal the bags tightly. I freeze the prepared chicken until later. Then, all you do is take what you need from the freezer the night before to defrost and to continue the marinade. When ready, remove and pat dry. Then grill away. Discard the marinade; or boil same for about 5 minutes to use as a sauce. You can have as many prepared bags of chicken as your freezer will hold. They will keep for about 4 months. Last Week's Kitchen Tips - Thanks to reader Joyce Revlett for Monday's helpful hint: Reading a question recently about using expensive cardamom seeds reminded me of something I discovered quite a while back (and have since read about in WWR too but it probably bears repeating). I no longer buy expensive herbs and spices at the supermarket because I've discovered how much cheaper they are at my local Asian or Indian market. I started with whole nutmegs, which I discovered were about 1/10 of the price at my neighborhood Asian market as at the supermarket. And I recently purchased a lifetime supply of Chinese 5 Spice at less than the price of a tiny can at the supermarket. And it?s true for all herbs and spices. Check it out. Thanks to reader Laurel Hennessy for Tuesday's helpful hint: Before measuring sticky ingredients like peanut butter, honey and molasses, spray the measuring cup with a bit of cooking spray. This will allow your ingredients to slip right out. Thanks to reader Warren McManus for Wednesday's helpful hint: A few tips for pasta lovers: 1) Prepare your sauce in a large skillet instead of the usual saucepan. Boil your pasta as usual, but stop boiling and drain a half-minute before your preferred doneness. Dump the drained pasta into the skillet and cook over a low flame, blending continuously with the sauce, until done. Optional: if the recipe calls for grated Parmesan, add it at this point and mix. 2) Don't skimp on salt in the pasta water, around three tablespoons for a medium-large pot of water. No sauce can cover the taste of underlying insipid pasta. 3) Don't over-sauce. Even if it means leaving some sauce behind in the skillet, don't serve "gorpy" pasta swimming in sauce. Buon appetito! Thanks to reader Rosemary Sadler of Lexington, KY for Thursday's helpful hint: Camilla gave us her mother's method for cooking rice and asked what method others use. Way back in the olden days when I first got married and was learning to cook, I saw an ad from the American Rice Council or some such organization in a magazine, giving the rice growers' recommended method for cooking rice. I followed the directions and my rice was perfect every time, not to mention ridiculously quick and easy to cook. It made me look like a pro when I could barely boil an egg. This was in 1971, and I have been cooking my rice by this method ever since. Foolproof Rice 1 cup rice 2 cups water pinch salt (I no longer add the salt) Put rice, water and salt in a saucepan, preferably a heavy pan, with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, stir with a fork, cover the pan and turn the heat as low as it will go. Cook for 20 minutes (I always use a kitchen timer), remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. That's it--perfect rice. No oil, no rice cooker necessary, no sauteing, just perfect fluffy rice. And we don't notice that I never add the salt anymore. Thanks to reader Janice Marana for Friday's helpful hint: When I have left over cilantro, I rinse it, lay it on a paper towel to get the excess water off, then lay it on a piece of plastic wrap and roll it up and place it in the freezer. When I need more, I unroll it and cut off what I need. It cuts up really easy when still frozen and the taste is pretty much fresh. If you have a handy solution to a common kitchen problem, please send it to [email address deleted] __________________________________________________ ASK THE CHEF __________________________________________________ Chris Moore of St. Louis, MO asks: I have an espresso machine and I have always used it with coffee beans marked as "espresso." Is this the kind of bean that should solely be used for making espresso, or can any of the types of bean sold at the store, like Kona, French roast, etc. be made into espresso by brewing it with an espresso machine? The Chef answers: The only difference between espresso beans and other coffee beans is the degree to which they have been roasted. Espresso beans are roasted more than the other coffees you mention, resulting in a stronger, richer coffee flavor. The additional roasting also destroys much of the caffeine, so ironically, espresso is weaker than other coffees in terms of its effect as a stimulant. You can make coffee using your espresso machine and any coffee beans you like, but it won't be espresso. Last Week's Ask the Chef - Jean B. asks: I've seen three written versions of the Italian antipasto, antipasti, and antipasta. So which one is correct? The Chef answers: The Italian word is "antipasto" and literally means "before the food" ("pasto" comes from the Latin "pastus," the past participle of the verb "pascere," to feed). "Antipasti" is the plural of antipasto, and "antipasta" is just plain wrong. Heidi from Pennsylvania asks: I just bought a citrus fruit at my local grocery store called a minneola. I think it's a cross-bred citrus fruit. They're very juicy, kind of tart, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Can you help? The Chef answers: Minneolas are a type of tangelo, a citrus fruit resulting from the crossing of a tangerine (or Mandarin orange to the rest of the world) and a pomelo, a large fruit closely related to the grapefruit. Beryl in Canada asks: I am wondering what type of cutting board you would recommend for everyday use. The Chef answers: There is some controversy as to whether plastic cutting boards are safer than wooden boards because some studies have found that wooden cutting boards actually retain fewer bacteria than plastic in spite of their porous nature. My opinion is that either wooden or plastic boards are perfectly safe if properly washed with hot soapy water after each use, so choose whichever you prefer. Some things to consider when choosing a cutting board are size (there's really no need to have large and small boards when a single large board will do for small items as well) and weight (someone is going to have to lift it to wash it, ya know?). Whatever you do, stay away from glass and ceramic cutting boards that will dull your knives and shatter into small, sharp pieces at the first opportunity. Amy Griffis asks: This milk soured fast... sell by date was 6-1, and I have had milk much longer and never had problems. At this time I have a 1/2 gal of sour milk. I left it out to flush ,but when I came back it had separated. My mom made cottage cheese but I believe you needed rennet. Can I drain this product and have an edible 1% yogurt? The Chef answers: Chances are the "cheese" you have made is perfectly edible, but since it wasn't made under controlled condition, there is no way of knowing exactly which bacteria are at work. I hope you'll err on the safe side and discard the curds and whey. Susheela Nadarajah asks: I'm writing from sunny Malaysia and find your ezine most informative and entertaining. Here's a little question for you: what's the difference between shortening and butter? I've noticed American-style cake recipes require shortening, whilst British ones stick to butter or even margarine. I'd be grateful for your opinion, and also whether you can use butter and shortening interchangeably. The Chef answers: Shortening is a liquid fat that has undergone a process known as hydrogenation in which additional hydrogen atoms are added to unsaturated fats in order to saturate them - in other words, they have taken "good" fats and turned them into "bad" fats, and have also created trans-fatty acids ("very bad" fatty acids) in the process. Most experts believe that these hydrogenated oils (including margarine) do more harm than good to people who must restrict their cholesterol intake. As a general rule, any fat may be substituted for any other fat in cooking and baking, so choose wisely. Send your questions on any topic, no matter how serious or silly, to [email address deleted] - I can't answer them all, but I'll publish one every day whether I know the answer or not. __________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION __________________________________________________ Since this is a paid subscription, I need to manage cancellations and changes of address manually. Please email me at [email address deleted] for all matters concerning your subscription. __________________________________________________ COPYRIGHT NOTICE __________________________________________________ (c) Copyright 2011 by Worldwide Recipes. All rights reserved. You are permitted to print and/or save this publication to disk for your personal use. Forwarding any portion of this ezine to other people or otherwise duplicating it in any manner is expressly prohibited. Failure to comply constitutes a copyright violation and may result in cancellation of your subscription. __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ |
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Joe
Barkson has been writing and publishing under the pen name "The
Chef at Worldwide Recipes" since 1998. He came to food writing
late in life following checkered careers in computer marketing,
graphic design, and teaching high school Spanish. A lifelong
interest in food and cooking ("I've been eating since I was a
baby," he is fond of saying) was nurtured by extensive
international travel during his formative years, and this
accounts for the emphasis on world cuisine in his choice of
recipes and themes. Twice married and currently happily single,
he lives in rural Georgia with a hyperkinetic schipperke that
answers to Cooky when the mood strikes him.
