Back with a Kick

I have a recommendation that will add kick to your food. Several years ago, I had a layover in Dallas. Always on the lookout for specialty food items and local favorites, I discovered Jardine's salsas and hot sauce in an airport gift shop! There were no free samples, so I had to wait until I got home to sample my purchases. I was not disappointed.

If you like hot sauces, you will enjoy Jardine's Texas Champagne. Just look at this bottle:

Texas Champagne and Tabasco are very similar. Both are made from aged cayenne peppers, vinegar and salt. Texas Champagne lists "timely aged cayenne peppers" first and vinegar second, while Tabasco has more vinegar than peppers. This is my go-to hot sauce.

Use this fiery concoction to spice up eggs, add extra kick to a mild salsa, or add heat to your favorite dip. I like to dip artichokes in a mixture of mayonnaise, Worchester Sauce and Texas
Champagne. This dip has a moderate kick.

You can order Jardine's products online and many specialty stores and some local grocery stores sell their projects. These products make excellent gifts. Check out the website for more information & ideas.  Until next time, spice it up!

Tea Lover

Anyone who knows me knows I love tea.  What is better than a good cup of tea in the morning?  Coffee, you say?  I like coffee, but I LOVE tea.  I’m enjoying a cup right now.  For the longest time, I called myself 'an aspiring tea snob'.  But, let’s face it: I am a tea snob (in the best sense).  However, all of this snobbery may be reduced to a few select choices that I want to share with you .

Black Tea
In the category of black teas, my hands-down favorite is Twinings' Ceylon, part of their 'Origins' series.  My tea journey began as a consummate Lipton drinker.  I'm still a fan, and you can find Lipton just about anywhere.  But Twinings’ Ceylon is heaven.  It is smooth and rich and everything I want in a cup of tea.  If you want the best cup of black tea that money can buy, this is it.  I have converted several friends and relatives to this brand and they blame (yes, that is the word they use), they blame me for getting them hooked on it.  If you like black tea, give it a try: I promise you won’t be disappointed.  I generally drink my tea black, with a little sugar or honey.  Sometimes I add milk or lemon.  This tea may be found at many grocery stores or ordered online.

Jasmine Green Tea

Having grown up drinking black tea, green tea always seemed odd and bitter to me.  That has all changed, in my pursuit of tea nirvana.  I have come to appreciate many fine green teas.  The jasmine tea served at Chinese restaurants has always been a favorite, and that is probably why I love Twinings' Jasmine Green Tea so much.  They recently added a 100% Organic, Fair-Trade Certified version, which I have yet to try.

There are some loose green teas that I also love.  One is called Dragon Pearl Jasmine.  It is somewhat of a novelty, as the tea is rolled in beautiful, pearl-sized balls of tea mixed with jasmine petals.  Mighty Leaf Tea Company offers an excellent choice called Jasmine Downy Pearls.

I once visited a tea house in Zurich, where I was introduced to another favorite, Sencha with Lemon, a Japanese green tea.  I have not been able to find a comparable tea, but I’ve made up for it by adding my own lemon zest to Sencha leaves.  Mighty Leaf offers excellent Sencha .

Whether you're already a fan of green tea or not, give these suggestions a try.  You might discover a new favorite.

Herbal Teas – Mint Medley

My wife and I have both tried many mint teas, and we both agree that Bigelow Mint Medley is the best.  It is a blend of peppermint leaves, spearmint leaves, rose hips, lemon peel, and hibiscus.  I had no idea about the last three ingredients until writing this blog.  This is a comforting, caffeine-free, herbal tea.

Herbal Teas – I Love Lemon

I think it is good to find a truly tasty herbal, caffeine-free tea. Besides mint, my other favorite is Bigelow I Love Lemon.  There are many herbal citrus blends out there, and this one has a bright, lemony flavor, without other distractions.  It offers the best overall, lemony taste.  Drink it sweetened or unsweetened.

So there you have it, some of my favorites.  Give them a try.  Enjoy a good cup of tea!  It’s time for me to put the pot on again.

The Best Corn Chips in the World

Recently, I hosted a party at my home for friends who married this year.  A featured appetizer was chips and salsa.  I roasted tomatillos for salsa and served them with some new corn chips.  The chips just happened to be the best I've ever had in my life -- and my guests were in full agreement!  (The salsa was a hit too.)

They are called XOCHiTL - Totopos de Maiz (corn chips).  The company name is pronounced so' cheel.

The bag describes them as thin and crispy and they lived up to this claim.  These chips are the thinnest, crispiest, tastiest, corn chips I've ever tasted.  Try them!  I think you will agree they are the best.  They even won a "Best in the Nation" award.

The website includes a map showing where you can buy XOCHiTL products.  In our area, they are available at Whole Foods and Wild Oats markets.  Our local specialty food store, Idylwilde Farms, also sells them.

If you love chips and salsa, chips and guacamole, or corn chips in general, you have to try these.  You will love them!

Fresh Corn Fritters

 












For a recent anniversary celebration, we decided to have “breakfast” for dinner, including bacon and eggs cooked on a griddle on my new Weber grill.  For something extra special, I prepared fresh corn fritters, which provided a perfect complement to cherry smoked bacon and farm fresh eggs cooked over medium.

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons masa or all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1/2 cup shredded onion

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

corn oil

Preparation

Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and egg in small bowl to blend. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, then stir in corn kernels, onion, bell pepper, zucchini and cheese (do not over-mix). Texture should be a thick batter when complete.  Add more buttermilk if needed.

Preparation Notes

Masa is a fine corn flour.  Use if available, otherwise substitute all-purpose flour.

Use a fine grater to prepare the onion and zucchini.  Grating the onion will create “onion water.”  Use both the grated onion and the onion water for this recipe.

Cooking

Spoon the batter onto an oiled griddle on medium heat.  Drop batter onto hot griddle so fritters are 3 to 4 inches round.  Cook 3-5 minutes per side, depending on griddle heat.  Each side should be golden brown when done.

I prepared these after cooking several bacon strips, so the bacon grease was put to good use as the oil.  For a healthier alternative, use corn or olive oil.  These were delicious.

Eating Fresh: Local Harvest

localharvest.org

Want to know what’s in season near you? Want to visit a farmer’s market or a local farm? Not sure where to go?

The Local Harvest website is your answer. This site makes it easy to find local farmer’s markets and farms in your area. Just enter your zip code, hit enter, and you’ll be on your way to discovering farm fresh produce.

I discovered this site last year and found three new farms and several farmer’s markets that I didn’t know existed. One of the farms offered a CSA (community supported agriculture) for vegetables and meat. Local Harvest can help you locate CSAs in your area.

CSAs are a way to support participating farms by providing money early in the season for seeds and supplies. In return, I will get a share of the harvest every week from June, until the end of the growing season. I joined in early spring and will pickup the first harvest this Friday. I am eagerly waiting to pickup the first harvest of the season.

By participating, I am buying local, in-season produce. The produce is “just picked,” in-season, and “vine ripened.” The farm I chose is organic and uses sustainable farming practices. So, I’m supporting a local, family-run farm. The food is free of pesticides and organic fertilizers. It is as fresh as if I’d grown it myself. And, it has not been shipped across the country or half-way around the world (like the New Zealand apples or Chilean cherries).

I am also participating in a meat CSA from the same farm. Every week I get 10 pounds of meat that is either: beef, pork, lamb or chicken. The beef is grass-fed. The animals are treated humanely and are raised without growth hormones.

The CSA has some risk, particularly the vegetable CSA. The customer accepts the risk of a “bad” year. I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Please give the website a try. Eat locally produced meat and vegetables. Enjoy the bounty of the season and support a local farm.

Dry Roasting Garlic

Garlic is one of those kitchen essentials.  While cooking with raw garlic is wonderful, roasting will mellow and sweeten the flavor.  There are many ways to roast garlic in the oven; however, I prefer to roast it on the stove top in a cast iron pan.  I learned this technique by watching Rick Bayless on his PBS show, Mexico, One Plate at a Time.

If you are cooking another dish that calls for garlic, like soup or a sauce, make this one of your first steps.  That way the garlic can roast while finishing preparation for the rest of the meal.

Remove the individual cloves from the head of garlic.  Leave them in their papery skin.  I prefer to roast garlic in a dry, cast iron skillet.  A stainless steel pan will work.  Avoid any pans that should not be heated dry.  Turn the heat on medium.  Once the pan is hot, turn it down to low, then add the cloves of garlic.  It will take about 20-30 minutes to cook them.  As the garlic begins to roast, the papery skin will brown and blacken.  If the cloves are large, try to make sure that each side is slightly blackened.  The cloves will soften as they cook (another way to tell if they are ready).  The key here is low, slow heat.  This will ensure that the whole clove is roasted.  Remove the individual cloves once they have been slightly blackened on each side.

Allow the garlic to cool, then remove the roasted garlic from the papery skin.  You may need to trim the root end of the clove.  Use roasted garlic to flavor your favorite pasta sauce, soup, or in any dish that calls for raw garlic.  Enjoy!

Cranberry-Tangerine Sauce

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and one of my favorite things to make is cranberry sauce. In the past, I have added lemon, orange and tangerine flavors. Citrus zest is one of my favorite ingredients, but there are also excellent citrus oils on the market, and you can also used flavored liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. For this recipe, I used tangerine zest. This is really easy to make, and you will be happy with the results.

Cranberry-Tangerine Sauce

12 oz Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 c water
1/4 cup of tangerine juice
1-1/2 c brown sugar (see note on sugar)
2 tsp tangerine zest
pinch salt

Note on sugar: Try using a dark sugar. You can use turbinado (sugar in the raw), dark or light brown sugar. Use white sugar if that is all you have.

I used fresh berries. Rinse them in a colander. Inspect them and remove any soft or discolored berries.

Bring water, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. tangerine zest, and pinch of salt to a boil. Add cranberries and lower heat to medium. The berries will plump and the skin will break and crack. I love the sound as they pop! Occasionally stir until most of the skins have broken. Total cooking time with the berries is around 10 minutes. Add the last 1/2 cup of sugar. Remove pan from heat. Use a potato masher to mash the berries. If the mixture has too much liquid, return to the heat and reduce until it has a thick consistency.

Taste the mixture. Add more sugar or tangerine zest as desired. Let cool to room temperature, then place in a container to keep in the refrigerator. I make my sauce ahead of time. It freezes well.

If tangerines are not available, use an orange. I used the zest from two tangerines and the juice from one in the batch I made today. This recipe makes about 2 cups. I usually make twice this amount. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Patties

Always looking for inspiration, I had two cold sweet potatoes left-over from dinner earlier this week. Potato patties are wonderful breakfast fare. I thought I'd try my hand at sweet potato patties. They turned out wonderfully. Here is my recipe.

SWEET POTATO PATTIES

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 3-4 cups)
2 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Begin with two medium-sized, baked sweet potatoes. Remove from the skin, and mash in a large bowl. Gradually add remaining ingredients & mix well. The final mixture will be loose and wet, but not runny.

Heat a skillet to medium-high. Add olive oil (may use non-stick spray instead). Use a tablespoon to drop sweet potato mixture into the pan. Flip patties after 3-4 minutes. They should be golden brown. Use spatula to slightly flatten all patties to 1/2-inch thickness after flipping. Remove from pan & place on plate with paper towel to drain excess oil. Makes 8-10 small patties.

The base mixture is the sweet potato, egg, and cheese. Experiment with your own favorite seasonings, such as scallions. Enjoy!

Fresh Corn Chowder

In the spirit of cooking seasonally, I was inspired to make fresh corn chowder on Sunday afternoon. One of my favorite restaurants in Boston, Todd English's Kingfish Hall, had a wonderful corn chowder on their menu. Sadly, it is no longer offered. Their version used pancetta for a wonderful combination of rich flavors.

My recent corn chowder was inspired by a sign at Gary’s Farm Stand, in Littleton, MA: “Last chance for fresh corn.” I bought eight ears, then visited another favorite stand, Verrill Farm, in Concord, MA. There I found excellent late-season, farm-fresh carrots, onions, and leeks. Both are just 15 minutes from our home in Boston's rural northwestern suburbs.

I want to share my general methodology, starting with the ham. I used a locally- produced ham, without any nitrates (as a healthier, delicious alternative). I cubed the ham, and browned it in a large stockpot.

Diced onions followed as soon as the ham was suitably browned. I added enough olive oil to sauté the onions with the ham. Once the onions were translucent, I opened a bottle of beer. Beer and wine are some of my favorite liquids for deglazing pans. So, half the bottle went into the pan. The other half refreshed the chef as he cooked.

Once the pan was deglazed, I added two small cans of chicken broth, and enough water to fill the pan halfway.

The remaining vegetables were chopped and cubed in order of “density” and length of time needed to cook. (I did very little prep work ahead of time; ingredients were chopped and added as they were prepared.) Since the carrots and potatoes were fresh and clean, I opted to leave the peel on. This also gave the chowder that rustic, country touch. Leeks and celery were also added.

Let’s not forget the corn! Fresh corn was cut directly from the cob. Use the back of a knife to scrape the cobs to get as much of the “corn milk” as possible.

Three bay leaves, savory and oregano were added for herbs, along with coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper. After simmering for about 30 minutes, the “tasting” began. I added a few dashes of Worcester sauce, and more salt. Worcester adds a nice backnote of complexity.

After an hour of simmering and tasting, the chowder was done. I removed it from the heat and added milk. Never add milk while liquid is still boiling; the soup curdles and separates. I prefer lighter chowder, with milk instead of the traditional heavy cream. The taste is wonderful, and it’s healthier too! The chowder came together very well, and my wife gave it her enthusiastic seal of approval.

Feel free to create your own soup. Use the best, freshest ingredients you can get. If you use meat, caramelizing brings out great flavor. Make sure to deglaze the pan! Consider beer or wine as a deglazing agent. Add vegetables in good proportions to balance flavors. Sautéed onions and carrots add sweetness. You can use water or stock as the base liquid. Add seasonings and add salt gradually. Take care when using ham, since it also is a source of salt. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn the heat down to let it simmer. An hour of simmering should be fine. Don’t over-cook and create mushy vegetables.

Fresh Corn Chowder Recipe

* Use a large stock pot, 6 to 8 quart capacity.
* Brown cubed ham.
* Add drizzle of olive oil, and add onions. Cook until translucent.
* Add 1/2 bottle of beer (pilsner) or white wine to deglaze pan.
* Add carrots, potatoes, leeks and fresh corn.
* Season with bay leaves, savory, oregano, salt, pepper and Worcester sauce.
* Bring to a boil, then simmer for one hour.
* Add milk.
* Test vegetables for doneness. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients

1-2 pounds Cubed Ham
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Diced Onions
1/2 bottle or can of beer
2 small cans chicken broth
6-8 cups water
1 pound Diced Carrots
1 pound Diced Potatoes
1 Leek Chopped
2 cups Freshly cut corn (off the cob, 6-8 ears)
3 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Savoury
1/2 tsp Oregano
3 Tbsp Worcester Sauce (optional)
4 cups milk (or to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste

ENJOY!

More Flavor, Fewer Calories

I am sure I will write more on this subject, but I've spent some time reflecting on many ways to add flavor without calories. This was an excellent topic for dinner conversation with friends who are also trying to lose weight.

Here are my basic suggestions:

Fresh Herbs:

Fresh herbs are a great way to enhance flavor and dazzle your taste buds. My favorite herbs are chives, parsley, dill, basil, mint and cilantro. I am just starting my garden and it will include many fresh herbs this year.

Some suggestions include:

Potatoes: add dill, chives, parsley or any combination of the three

Pasta: try dressing fresh pasta with copped Italian Parsley and olive oil with a little cracked pepper, salt and freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mac & Cheese: add dill or chives or chili powder for heat

Tomato Salad: Dice ripe tomatoes, add basil, fresh mozzarella, basil, then drizzle with olive oil and salt

Peas: add fresh peas and mint to a salad

Vinaigrette: I plan on writing more about vinaigrettes, but you can combine your favorite vinegar and oil with lemon grass, chives and lemon or lime zest and a pinch of sugar

I'm sure you can come up with your own favorite combinations.

Citrus Juice & Vinegar

Citrus juices and vinegar are great ways to add flavor without calories. Both are acid and can be strong. Consider balancing acid juices with something sweet.

I love vinegar on fish, spinach and potatoes. I gained the love of vinegar from my mother.

Salad with straight lemon or lime juice is wonderful.
Squeeze some lemon over watermelon. It is amazingly refreshing.

Mustard

Mustards have zero to 5 calories per serving and are packed with flavor. Try something besides yellow mustard or Dijon. I love some of the brown or "deli" mustards, including coarse ground mustard.

That should be enough to get you started. I will return to some of these topics in greater detail. Until then, enjoy these low calorie flavor enhancers!