Those food peddlers are sneaky

I’m not generally a paranoid individual, but I had two food related experiences this morning that had me scratching my head and wondering if they’re all out to get me.  Well, maybe it’s not that dramatic.

First, I swung by the grocery store to pick up some fixings for enchiladas for the family.  I usually buy the Mission corn tortillas in the 12 pack.  Low and behold, all of the Mission tortilla packages are now in packages of 10, not 12.  The package that used to have 36 now only has 30.  I wonder though if the price was lowered to accomodate the change.  I think not.  I’ve sent an e-mail to Mission Foods to find out what’s up. 

Then I’m driving back and I hear a radio commercial.  It’s a man introducing a doctor to talk about “the truth” about nutrition and weight loss.  She dispels popular myths – eating late at night won’t make you fat, fasts can be harmful, yada yada yada.  Then the kicker – high fructose corn syrup is not bad for you!  It’s the same as all other sweeteners!  It’s awesome and “natural”!  Go get some right NOW!!!!  I almost wrecked my car when I heard this.  Then the announcer comes on – the commercial is sponsored by www.sweetsurprise.com.  It’s a website funded by the corn producers to convince us that high fructose corn syrup is great and we should eat it without worry.  Sugar is sugar is sugar, right?  They’re sneaky.  They use advertising using doctors and moms and puppies and rainbows.  Well, maybe not those last two.

I am a vehement opposer of high fructose corn syrup.  The body processes it differently than regular sugar and it impacts the ability to regulate hunger.  It’s been used in processed foods as a preservative and is a chemically created sweetener that wrecks your taste buds.  In my opinion.  There is a lot of conflicting research on it.  I personally don’t eat it.  I don’t buy products that have it.  I encourage you to do your own research on it.  Watch out for those Sweet Surprise commercials.

So, the moral of the story is you have to be present and plugged in to all that food input coming at us.  There’s a lot of people out there trying to trick us with their own version of food Three-Card Monte.  So pay attention.  Yes, add that to your to do list along with stopping global warming by remembering to actually take those reusable bags into the store (guilty!), flossing twice daily (um, sometimes) and doing squats while watching TV (yeah, right).  Yes We Can!  Hee-hee.

Meridith

A great excuse for a date night

Need an excuse for a date night?  How about this? It’s an event called “Dining Out for Life” and is happening this Thursday, April 30th.  Local restaurants join together and donate a portion of their proceeds from the day’s sales to organizations that support people with AIDS/HIV.  It happens in cities all over the country and is a great way to support local restaurants and do something good at the same time.  The link to the San Diego participating restaurants is here.  Bon Appetit!

Meridith

The happiest day of Shawn’s Year

Friday, April 24th is National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day.  That sound you here is the simultaneous shudder coming from my computer and squeals of delight coming from Shawn’s (that’s the husband by the way).  And he really doesn’t squeal….he’s a pretty manly dude, but he does love him some sausage wrapped in carbohydrates. 

While this is perceived as a staple of white trash cuisine, you can actually make a decent pigs-in-a-blanket that tastes good and while not exactly health food, can still meet the exacting Food Geek standards.  Find quality sausage (Iowa Meats or Whole Foods is a good source) that is all meat with no filler or odds and ends.  Buy frozen puff pastry (Whole Foods and Henry’s sell some that is hydrogenated oil free).  Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge.  Cut the sheet into 9 squares.  Brush the inside of the puff pastry square with a little dijon mustard.  Wrap it around the sausage (I would recommend par-cooking the sausage.  Put it in boiling water for about 8 minutes.  Remove it and make sure it’s dry before proceeding).  Place the wrapped sausage on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet into a 375 degree oven and bake until sausage is cooked and pastry is golden brown.

Wash it down with a Pabst’s Blue Ribbon and wipe your face on your sleeve.  Enjoy your day honey.  XXOO

Meridith

Quick Dinner Idea

We got home from baseball at 7:30 last night (see my rant about the ridiculousness of this here) and I wanted to cook something up that was edible and fast.  I searched around and came up with something that tasted good and wasn’t just heat and serve.  I ended up making a shrimp sauté served with orzo pasta and peas.  It’s a good spring dish and is versatile for what you have on hand.  It was even a hit with the kids.  Here’s what I used:

1 bell pepper (red or yellow is best), cut into medium dice (think small squares)
Frozen cooked shrimp, thawed (51/60s – see note below)
Box of Orzo
Frozen Peas, 1/2 bag
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Olive Oil
Unsalted Butter
Kosher salt and Pepper
Fresh Dill
Fresh Chives
Grated Parmesan Cheese

A couple notes on the ingredients…..orzo is a rice shaped pasta.  You find it in the store with the other dried pasta and it comes in a relatively small box.   My favorite use of orzo is in a cold pasta salad.  It holds vinaigrettes and thicker sauces well.  One of my favorite salads is orzo, peas, shrimp, and dill which was the inspiration for last night’s dinner.

As far as the shrimp goes, you can find it all different variations; cooked, uncooked, tail on, peeled, and codes that may make your head spin – 16/20, 21/25, U10, U12.   Those codes indicate the size.  For example, 16/20s mean that there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound.  21/25s mean that there are 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.  U10 means that there are under 10 shrimp in a pound (these are the big ones!).  So, the higher the numbers are, the smaller the shrimp are.   For this dish, I used the 51/60s so that they were bite sized for the kids.  It’s great to keep these in the freezer – you can just thaw what you need and they are extremely versatile.  Use them for pizza, quiche, paninis, etc.

Okay, here we go…..

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  Cook the orzo according to the package directions.  When there is about 4 minutes left on the pasta, add the frozen peas.  When pasta is al dente and peas are cooked, drain in a fine mesh strainer.  The pasta is small, so use a strainer or colander that will not allow the pasta to escape through the “slots”.  Return the pasta to the pot.  Toss the pasta with olive oil, salt (don’t be skimpy), and pepper to coat. 
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter.  Add the bell peppers and garlic to the pan.  When the peppers are softened, add the shrimp to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until heated through.
3. Add the orzo and peas mixture to the pan – add as much as you like.  Don’t get the pan too crazy full.   Toss with the shrimp and peppers and cook until warmed throughout.  Season with salt and pepper and add parmesan cheese.  Add fresh herbs and serve immediately.

I use a combo of olive oil and butter to sauté in this dish for a couple reasons – I like the flavor of the butter but using the olive oil makes it more heat tolerant.  I can cook at a higher temperature for longer but still get the flavor of the butter.  If you’d rather, just use all olive oil.  It’s a personal preference.

This dish is ready to go as is with protein, starch, and vegetables all included.  If you want to add something else, I would suggest a fruit based salad featuring mangoes, pineapple, and/or oranges which pair well with shrimp.  Drizzle with a bit of honey and some chopped fresh mint.  As far as drinks, a citrus based drink or light, sweet wine work well.  Think sparkling lemonade or a Sauvignon Blanc.  Light beers also pair well here.

Some suggested substitutions/additions:

• For the orzo – use capellini or thin spaghetti
• For the peas – use asparagus tips, broccoli, or julienne carrots
• For the herbs – fresh mint, fresh tarragon, fresh rosemary
• Additions – bacon or grape tomatoes.  Cook the bacon in the sauté pan, drain off most of the fat, and then cook the bell peppers and garlic in the fat.   If you use tomatoes, add them to the sauté pan with the bell peppers.

Enjoy!  Meridith

It needs more salt, the angry sequel

So, remember this entry?  Here’s the Cliff Notes: if you’re concerned about your sodium intake, then stop eating processed foods.  Processed foods account for 77% of all of the sodium we consume.  If we could just stop eating all that processed garbage, we would make a huge dent in our sodium issue as a nation.

Imagine my pleasure when I saw today’s Wall Street Journal article entitled “A Salty Tale: Why We Need a Diet Less Rich in Sodium.”  Another opportunity, this time in a national publication, to push the “real, unprocessed food” message.  Well, then I read the article and was just flat out annoyed.  The writer focused most of the article on the CDC guidelines, medical information, and other snooze inducers.  Important yes, interesting not so much.  There were two sentences about the impact of processed foods on our sodium intake, which the author credits 80% of our sodium intake to, and nowhere in the article was a recommendation to stop eating this junk, only to “read labels”.   Frankly, it felt a bit like Nutrition 101 with the advice focusing on things like “a bag of chips that looks individual may be listed as multiple servings”.  C’mon, aren’t we past this?  Isn’t the average Wall Street Journal reader ready for something a little more cutting edge?

Here’s the paragraph that really killed me: “When you cook at home, experts (unspecified of course) counsel to use only half the salt the recipe calls for; experiment with herbs and spices, or go with the natural flavor. Kids who grow up with less salt may never develop a “salt tooth”.

Seriously?  We’re going to take 20% of the problem and make it so unpalatable for people that they’ll find themselves eating more of the processed stuff that got us here in the first place?  Use salt.  Season your food.  Season it often and well.   Don’t cut the salt called for in the recipe – most people’s home cooking is lackluster because it is underseasoned.

I’ve written the author of the article to express my passionate, yet kind, disagreement of the article and all it stands for.  Feel free to do the same.  healthjournal@wsj.com.  Here's a link to the entire article in case you want to read it in its entirety.

Good grief.  Meridith

The right tools for the right job

Every so often, I get a catalogue (particularly the one that rhymes with Billiams Phonoma) that has “kid” versions of cooking tools.  While I applaud the desire to get kids in the kitchen (hooray!), there’s no need to buy them tools specifically designed for them.  Unfortunately, most of these tools are all style and no substance.  I also think it’s a mistake to think that because something is a bright, primary color it will appeal to kids.  Kids would rather have something that feels good in their hands, gives them some tactical satisfaction (cut, pound, and spread away), and gets the job done. 

So, here’s my list of tools that kids who are serious about cooking should have at their disposal.  Go for substance (weight, well constructed) and don’t worry about style.  I generally shop at restaurant supply stores instead of retail cooking stores.  You get good prices and commercial grade sturdiness in your goodies.  Find something that you would use because you’ll probably end up using them too!

Lettuce Knife: Kids can cut just about anything with this with the exception of giant, raw carrots.  Kids can cut most raw vegetables, herbs, and bread with it without the worry factor.  Great option until your child is old enough for a “real” knife.  Get the one that is all one piece of plastic (like the picture) instead of a clear “blade” in a colored handle.  These tend to break and separate.

 

2 1/2 inch offset spatula: The only way to frost cupcakes that doesn’t make a total and utter mess.  Also great for dips, spreads, and filling puff pastry.

 

Spatula:  Everyone has these in their kitchen already, but the difference here is that you have to get the heat-resistant one.  You only need one, but make sure it can tolerate high heat (like 500 degrees plus).

 

Microplane or “rasp grater”:  This is critical for citrus zest, grating whole nutmeg or cinnamon, and for hard cheeses.  There is also one that has a shorter, more rectangular face.  Both work great – I have both and either will get the job done.  Super sharp, so make sure to supervise your younger kids when they use this.

 

Silicone Basting Brush:  All purpose, easy to clean brushes for savory and sweet application.  Use to brush egg wash on pastry or glaze on meats.  The best part is cleanup is a snap.  I have just one size – no need to get big and small.

 

Pastry tips:  You can buy these in a set of all different shapes and sizes.  If you don’t want to buy the set, get yourself medium sized tips, one star shape and one plain.  Don’t worry about the pastry bag unless it comes with the set.  A ziploc bag with the end cut off gets the job done and is a lot easier to clean up.

 

Meat Pounder: Makes quick work of garlic (leave the paper on, give it a smash, and then peel) and gets chicken breast ready to be cooked properly.  Make sure you get the one with the smooth pounding surface, not the one with the “teeth” for tenderizing meat.

 

Silpat or silicone baking sheet:  I never put a baking sheet in the oven “naked”.  I use this for cookies, roasting vegetables, and anything sticky or gooey. 

 

Serrated peeler:  This is like a mini-knife with a swiveled head.  It makes peeling anything super easy and can handle something as delicate as a tomato.   It’s the only vegetable peeler I have.

 

Instant Read thermometer: Either digital or analog is fine.  A thermometer is really the only way to know for sure that meat is cooked to proper temperature to make it not only safe, but palatable.  There’s a whole bunch of info on keeping your thermometer calibrated and accurate.  More on that later.

These are my “Top Ten” that everyone should have.  There are some others, but these are the ones that will get you through 95% of the things that you and the kids want to cook.

Here in SD, my two “go-to” places for kitchen equipment are Chef City on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard between the 15 and 163 and San Diego Restaurant Supply on Market in the East Village.

Meridith

The Banana Confessions

Ha-ha….that sounds kind of naughty.  Okay, here’s my banana confession.  I buy bananas – sometimes we eat ‘em, sometimes not.  You’re not always in the mood for a banana, you know?  I’m a banana snob and I don’t like them unless they are just ripe or even a bit green.  Once they start to go past that, I can’t do it.  My kids will eat them a couple days past my cutoff, but then I start to feel guilty about making them eat them when I won’t.  Weird yes, but I own that.  So, I hold on to them and tell myself that I will make banana bread….eventually.  Now that they are all spotted and black and starting to collect a family of gnats circling around them, they will be perfect for bread, right?

Confession time: (in a whisper)  I never, never, ever make banana bread.  Those darn skanky bananas go right in the trash.  Please tell me that I’m not alone in this?  Or maybe everyone else makes their kids eat those bananas and my kids are a couple of wimpy food snobs.  Hmm.  My mom puts them in the freezer for future banana bread.  Yup, those pretty much go in the trash eventually too, they’re just really cold when they make their appearance amongst the other discards.

In my defense, I haven’t had a lot of great banana bread in my life and didn’t have a go-to recipe for it.  It seems like it either has an oil slick around the outside of it (most commercially produced stuff) or it’s dry and dense and can be used as a doorstop.   I found myself in my usual predicament – half dead bananas ready for the trash and then decided to suck it up, find a recipe, and actually made some bread.  And the resulting bread was pretty darn good, so now I have no excuse going forward.  I wonder if this will cause me to just stop buying bananas altogether to avoid this vicious cycle of produce that I’ve created.

Banana Bread (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (I only had 1 egg in the house, so I used 1 egg and 2 oz applesauce – worked great.  Thanks Shari!)
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe (read: the more gnats the better) bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 by 5 by 3 (give or take) loaf pan; set aside.  In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and/or applesauce and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined.  Add bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine.  Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then out onto a rack to cool.

One note, this bread gets pretty dark.  So, don’t be alarmed when you open the oven to check it 40 minutes in and it looks done by color.  It will still be squishy in the middle.  Use that tester for doneness, don’t go by sight.  Also, I subbed chocolate chips instead of nuts in mine.  Don’t make my mistake.  Didn’t care for it and it could have used the textural differences of the nuts.   Use nuts unless there’s an allergy issue.

No more excuses and no more trashed bananas.  If you see me wandering the neighborhood passing out my stash of banana bread, you’ll know I’m keeping my word.  I mean realistically, how much banana bread can the family eat?  Sorry guys.

Meridith

100 calorie snack packs

These things are so tricky…..they make you think that you are doing something good.  “I’m only eating 100 calories, how bad can it be?  Now I can wash this down with an ice cold margarita!”  Okay, maybe that’s just my inner dialogue.  Oops.

The people at Eat This, Not That (brilliant!) have done a great job of reminding us why these 100 calorie packs can be bad news for us nutritionally.  They also have some suggestions for substitutions.  Sure, it’s easy to just grab one of these and go, but not only are they nutritionally “expensive” but the hard cost per ounce on these products is astronomical.  Read here for more details.

Snacks = good.  These, not so much.

Meridith

You want controversy? Pick me, pick me!

As a neighborhood, we say we are concerned about childhood obesity and creating more family time.  We’ve read the studies that talk about how important a family dinner is – eating together as a family.  Then why the heck do the community based sports organizations schedule baseball games during the week from 5:15pm to 7:15pm?  I get that it’s just one night a week (well, at least it is for us, but I’ve heard that some leagues are doing more), but I personally think it’s ridiculous.

I’m a decent cook and I’m a planner, but here’s what happens:  I feed my boys a hearty snack ahead of the game so they’ve got some energy beforehand.  At 7:30pm (30 minutes before their school night bedtime I might add), we get back to the car and they are both starving.  We hit the take out place or drive through.  They’ve just destroyed whatever exercise benefit they received with the (generally) high calorie, high fat, high sodium meal they’ve consumed to compensate for the weeknight game.  They eat a junky meal and then go to bed.  Hmm.  I get that we could do take out that’s not junky, but it’s the principle I’m trying to get across here.  What do we value as parents?

Is the Saturday game not enough?  Are we really gaining anything with the weeknight game?  It’s the wheel of competition that our little hamsters are living in, but are we really getting anywhere?

That’s my controversial topic for the week.  Discuss. 

Meridith (I’m no “soccer mom”, or baseball for that matter – I don’t always play well with others)

I think it needs more salt

Before I started seriously cooking in my life, I never gave salt much thought.   It was one of those things that recipes included (salt and pepper to taste – what the heck is to taste?) but I never paid it much attention.  Then I started culinary school and realized that salt is crucial.  At least if you want flavorful food.  Salt gives blah tasting food depth, complexity, and just plain old flavor.

When I finished culinary school, my externship was at a cooking school here in San Diego.  I was always tickled by the people in the audience who would titter and gasp when the instructor would be liberally seasoning a dish with salt.  I would hear the crowd talking amongst themselves and imagine with part irritation and part amusement what their comments must be: “I guess she doesn’t care about her blood pressure” or “that dish is going to be way too salty” or “why is she using so much salt” or “what’s wrong with her? I want my $49 back!”.  Regardless, there’d be a lot more bitching if we sent that food out without the salt added.  In the kitchen, salt is your friend.  I find that if I taste a sauce and it’s just not where I want it to be flavor wise, salt is usually the remedy to what ails it.

So, you’re reading this and having the same cyber response as those people in class.  The good news is that you didn’t pay $49 for this information, so you can disagree at no cost to either of us.  However, here’s a fact that may blow your mind.  It certainly blew mine.  But, I’m going to keep you in suspense…..some background first.

For many years now, there’s been a message that too much salt causes high blood pressure.  And scientific research says it does.  However interestingly, there are more effective ways to reduce high blood pressure than reducing salt intake.  Studies show that eating a diet consisting mostly of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low fat dairy, and minimally processed foods (this is not a surprise, right?) have the greatest impact on reducing high blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.  In fact, high sodium intake alone does not increase a person’s risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

So, the fact that blew my mind?  According to the Mayo Clinic, 77% of all of the sodium that we consume is from processed foods.  Can you believe that?  I had to reread it when I saw it.  5% of the total sodium is added during cooking and 12% occurs naturally in foods.  The other 6% is added at the table.

If you needed another reason to cut out the processed stuff, there you go.  I use kosher salt at home and will continue to do so guilt free.  Aren’t we inclined to eat more healthfully when the food actually tastes good?  Eat well, and season well too.  Morton’s Kosher salt is the good stuff.  Go forth and sprinkle.

Meridith

Step away from the chicken

It seems like chicken is the go to protein for dinner – while the boneless, skinless stuff isn’t cheap, it’s relatively easy to prepare and it’s a good nutritional choice as far as animal products go.  But who isn’t ready for something different?  How about pork tenderloin?  It’s the other white meat you know.

You can find pork tenderloins at your local grocery store and Costco carries them as well.  One important note – they come looking like a long tube wrapped in plastic, just like a beef tenderloin would.  There are actually two tenderloin pieces in each package.  So, the Costco pack has two tubes which is actually four tenderloins, two in each tube.  So, keep that in mind when you are shopping.  When you break into the package you will have to seperate pieces of meat to do with as you will.  They freeze well, so chuck the extras in the freezer if you don’t want to use them both.

One other note – read the package carefully.  There are some companies that will package pork loin to make it look like a tenderloin.  They are different cuts that need to be prepared differently.  Make sure you have one that says tenderloin on the package, not just loin.

Pork tenderloin measures up about the same as boneless, skinless chicken when it comes to calories and fat.  Like chicken, it’s pretty versatile as well.  With warmer temperatures approaching (I hope!), my favorite way to cook up a pork tenderloin is on the grill.   The other popular way is to oven roast them.  Pork tenderloins don’t have a lot of fat on them, so be careful that you don’t cook the heck out of them whatever you do.  You’ll end up with something resembling shoe leather.

So, here’s my plan:  Bring a tenderloin to room temperature and then season liberally with salt and pepper (I also use herbs de provence – you can use another dried herb that you like or just skip it altogether) and set aside.  In a small saucepan, make a glaze.  My favorite combination is apricot fruit spread (watch out for the high fructose corn syrup – it’s EVERYWHERE), soy sauce, dijon mustard, prepared horseradish, and salt and pepper.  Quantities are up to you.  Start with a good dollop of each, cook it over low heat until it’s thick and well combined and then taste it.  Adjust accordingly.

Heat the grill medium high – you don’t want it too screaming hot.  The sugar in the glaze of your pork will render a big, ol’ sticky mess otherwise.  Using a silicone basting brush (or whatever you’ve got that will do the trick), brush one side of the tenderloin with the glaze.  Put the tenderloin, glaze side down on the grill.  Glaze the rest of the tenderloin while it’s on the heat.  Turn the tenderloin periodically for even cooking and brush down with the glaze each time you turn.  You will get a great crust on the outside yet still have moist meat.  Cook until an instant read thermometer measures the pork at 150 degrees (don’t go much more than 155 or you will have the aforementioned shoe leather).  This will probably take 20 to 25 minutes.  Take it off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it.

I put the remaining glaze back on the stove, bring it to a boil, and then take it off the heat.  I serve it alongside the tenderloin as a sauce.  You need to bring it to a boil before consuming it – you’ve been brushing it all over the undercooked pork.  If you don’t want to go through this, reserve some of the glaze ahead of time for serving.

If you don’t want to mess with the grill, do the same process in the oven.  Glaze the entire tenderloin and roast it (on a roasting rack if you have one) at 350 degrees until you get a 150 reading.  Glaze it every 10 minutes or so while it roasts.  Another great way to prepare a pork tenderloin is a stuffed, butterflied loin.  More on this to come.

We had this as the centerpiece to our Easter meal yesterday.  We served it with some pan roasted fingerling potatoes (served with a horseradish and chive sour cream) and some sauteed leeks and asparagus.  Washed that down with some lemon bars and life was good.

Nate is 8…..yippee!!!  XXOO Mom

I heart Anthony Bourdain

In case you needed any further evidence than just my stating it, check out this article.  He gives you his opinions of the popular cooking shows of today (and a few oldies too).  Don’t forget to click on the “more” option at the end of the paragraph on each page to get to Bourdain’s commentary.  I laughed out loud on almost every page.  His commentary is biting, critical, and right on every time.  Love this man.  If you haven’t had a chance to check him out on “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel, you are missing out.  Brilliant!!!

Here’s his take on Sandra Lee – Ms. Semi-Homemade, or “there’s no food they sell powdered in a little packet that I don’t just love!”.

Anthony Bourdain: She makes her audience feel good about themselves. You watch her on that show and you think, "I can do that. That's not intimidating." All you have to do is waddle into the kitchen, open a can of crap and spread it on some other crap that you bought at the supermarket. And then you've done something really special. The most terrifying thing I've seen is her making a Kwanzaa cake. Watch that clip and tell me your eyeballs don't burst into flames. It's a war crime on television. You'll scream.

Can I get an Amen? 

Meridith

Top Chef Masters…it’s bigger, it’s better….they’re masters!

I love Top Chef – mostly because of all of the food shows on TV, it’s the one that features chefs who work in the industry and know what they are doing.  Most of that nonsense on food network is more about the personality than some real food chops (my apologies to Iron Chef, Alton Brown, and Tyler Florence).  Imagine my delight when I heard about a new show coming in June on Bravo called Top Chef Masters.  Read more about it here.  The chefs competing, some of them anyway, are household names (think Roy Yamaguchi, Michael Chiarello, Rick Bayless, Wylie Dufresne) and are serious chefs with serious pedigrees.

Can’t wait!!!!

A scoop of carb heaven

A group of friends and I were having an animated discussion last night about the joys of family dinners (Easter and Passover, here we come!) and there was talk about do ahead potato dishes that will feed a crowd.  While my suggestion to show up with some foil wrapped bakers was summarily dismissed (why, I have no idea), here’s a recipe that I can recommend without reservation.  You can assemble this ahead and then bake when you’re ready to go.  It also holds temperature well, so you can bake it and then transport it as well.

Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses

3/4 cup (packed) extra sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled Danish bleu cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1.25 ounces)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly butter 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish.  Mix cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and Parmesan in a small bowl.
2. Arrange half the potatoes in a prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle with one teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Sprinkle onion over and then flour.  Dot with two tablespoons butter.  Sprinkle half the cheese mixture over.  Top with remaining potatoes, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons butter.  Reserve remaining cheese.
3. Bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Pour milk over potatoes (milk will not cover potatoes completely).  Cover baking dish tightly with foil.  Bake 45 minutes.  Uncover dish (liquids in dish may look curdled); sprinkle potatoes with reserved cheese mixture.  Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and cheese is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer.  Remove from the oven; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Can be prepared 2 hours ahead – let stand at room temperature and then rewarm, covered, at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

A couple notes – the flour serves as a thickening agent.  If you need to omit it, feel free – just know that your sauce will be thin.   You may want to use a slotted spoon to serve so you don’t end up with soup all over your plate.  The flavor will still be a winner.

The other thing is do not, do not, do not (!) skimp on the cheeses.  You need sharp, flavorful cheeses for this dish to work.  If you have a strong aversion to bleu cheese, then use additional extra sharp cheddar.  Use good quality parmesan – something stinky is best.  The dish relies on the strong cheeses for it’s flavor.  If you cover the potatoes with something on the mild side, you will have a bland, flavorless dish.

Oh and one more – make sure your potatoes are sliced at even thickness.  If you have a discrepancy in thickness, you will have some mushy and overdone and some firm in the middle.  Do your best to make sure that you get them the same size.  You can always use a mandoline that looks like this:

This is a splurge item, but one worth having in your kitchen – it makes this recipe effortless.  It cuts a large quantity of items perfectly.  OXO makes one that is about $40 and there are some high end ones as well.  This one pictured is a $170 jobbie from Williams Sonoma.

Now go forth and carb.

Meridith 

Tough times call for reinvention

Love food?  Here’s an article that shows that you’re never too old to reinvent yourself.  The food industry always has opportunities.  If a 30-something former corporate hack (ahem) can show up at San Diego Culinary Institute, what could you do with a love of food?  Or anything else you might be passionate about.

Just do it already.

Meridith

There’s nothing free about “non-fat”

This article illustrates exactly why I find myself so incensed by the marketing behind non-fat, low-fat, and those “100 calorie” products.  If you needed another reason as to why you should avoid these like the plague, just read the article.  Real food people.  That’s what it’s about.  How could they possible take something, remove the fat from it, and still make it taste semi-palatable?  Chemicals, pure and simple.

Yuck!!!

Quick dinner idea

I’ve got a great, hearty dinner idea for those busy weeknights.  We made it with the kids in an earlier class and I made it again just last night.  You can knock this one out in 15 minutes and it’s very straightforward.

Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and Pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, scallions, and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper.  Shape into 16 meatballs.  Wet your hands before forming the meatballs to prevent sticking.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook the meatballs, turning, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.  Make sure you get a good sear on the meatballs – you want a nice brown crust.  Transfer to a plate.
3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and sugar.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Add to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened.  Return the meatballs to the skillet and rewarm over low heat, coating with the sauce.

Serve this with some steamed rice and edamame.  My kids love this recipe.  They can help chop the scallions, grate the ginger and form the meatballs.  They can also mix together the soy and sugar for the sauce. 

Enjoy!

Meridith

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The men in my life (aside from the ones I live with)

There are two men in San Diego’s food scene who I really respect and admire.  And lucky for us, they are featured in an article in today’s San Diego Union Tribune.  I am a huge fan of Stan Glenn and Chris Brill. 

Stan is the master meatcutter at Iowa Meat Farms and Siesel’s Meats.  Iowa Meats is our “go-to” meat place.  Anytime we need something for a special occasion, we head to Iowa Meats on Mission Gorge Road.  They’ve got a great selection and the service can’t be beat.  One holiday, a few years back before my culinary school education, we bought a beef tenderloin from Iowa Meats and neglected to get it “trimmed” which takes some effort and skill to do.  We called Iowa Meats and Stan walked us through it on the phone.  Maga knocked that thing out with Stan’s great and patient instructions (and some skill on her part as well).

Chef Brill just happens to teach at San Diego Culinary Institute (my alma mater) in addition to his gig with Iowa Meats and was not only a great culinary instructor, but just a decent guy as well. 

They teach meat classes at Great News! in Pacific Beach and I highly recommend their classes.  Check out the article – there are some great recipes there as well.

Meridith