He'Brew Beer Tasting

"Perfect for bar mitzvahs, weddings, and circumcisions."

Dan thinks he's a Jew, but he loves He'Brew!

Last night we took part in a beer tasting at San Francisco's Jug Shop of choice brews from Schmaltz Brewing Company's West Coast beer guru Zak Davis.  From their invitation email:

"Known for their highly irreverent slogans, the Shmaltz Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs, New York, has established itself as one of the nation's premier craft brewers.  Founded in 1996 by Bay Area proprietor Jeremy Cowan as an "experiment" for Chanukah, the award-winning He'Brew line of beers was launched with just 100 cases...

In the past 5 years, what started an inside joke is now an all-American success story. Shmaltz Brewing has grown over 550% and includes 11 beers between two brands: He'Brew and the recently launched line of Coney Island Lagers. The He'Brew beers include Origin: Pomegranate Strong Ale, Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (a rye-based double IPA), and Jewbelation 12, American's only (12% abv) Extreme Chanukah Beer."

We were impressed across the board with everything they poured and some particular standouts included the Coney Island Albino Python; a white beer made with ginger in addition to traditional Wit Bier aromatics.  I love ginger and thought the lever of ginger was perfect, they said it goes very well with sushi and I could imagine they would pair well.

Another was the Coney Island Lager - strong, well malted, and with a considerable level of dry hops.  There was a great floral nose, so much that I swear I could pick out Cascade hops and name it.  Another big winner was Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.  A Rye-based double I.P.A. wieghing in at 10%, this had a body like karate and a smooth finish.

To finish off the tasting they poured their Jewbelation Twelve; they combine 12 malts with 12 different vatieties of hops and make sure it kicks 12% alcohol by volume.  A heafty brew that is well balanced, I found it to lack many of the clove and iso-amyl acetate [banana] flavors you find in Belgian beers with a similar heat... which was a wonderful change of pace.

Thanks to the crew at the Jug Shop and Zac Davis with Schmaltz Brewing company for hosting a great event!

Make Ahead Casserole Recipes

Mom's Brunch Sausage Casserole

Serves 4-6

1 16oz Jimmy Dean Sausage (cooked, crumbled, and drained on a paper towel)
4 cups cubed day old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 12oz cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard (the dry seasoning)
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder

• Place bread in the bottom of a greased cake pan.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the bread.
• Combine the next 5 ingredients in a bowl (eggs, milk, mustard, salt pepper,
  and onion powder) and pour over the cheese.
• Sprinkle optional ingredients if desired (1/2 cup sliced mushrooms and ½ cup
  peeled chopped tomatoes).
• Sprinkle sausage over the top.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Bake 55-60 minutes at 325 degrees.
• Cover with foil if it starts to brown the top.

Crème Brulee French Toast

Serves 4-6

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 8-9inch round loaf country-style bread (challah bread is best)
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1teaspoon Grand Marnier
¼ teaspoon salt

• In small saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate
  heat, stirring until smooth, and pour into a 13X9X2 inch glass baking dish.
• Cut 6 1inch thick slices from the center portion of the bread (don't use
  ends) trim crusts off.
• Arrange bread in one layer in baking dish squeezing them slightly to make
  them fit.
• In a bowl, whish together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and
  salt and pour evenly over bread.
• Chill bread, covered, at least 8 hours up to 1 day.
• Bring bread to room temperature and then bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-40
  minutes. It should be puffed and the edges are pale golden.
• Serve hot.

Fast Food Frenzies

It seems that more fast food joints are making news with their promotions.  

Burger King's Whopper Virgins campaign created controversy when they found people to taste-test a Whopper and a Big Mac who supposedly hadn't heard of either.  As Michael Olson puts it in his The Appetizer column, "There's something almost colonial about the idea of waltzing into Thailand, Transylvania or Greenland and rescuing the locals from their primitive foods with superior North American fare... Aid organizations in particular are incensed."

Wired Magazine reports in Online Burger Promotion Pulled After Going Too Viral that Carl's Jr. tried giving away their flagship "Famous Star" burger to attendees of a Los Angeles Lakers/New Orleans Hornets game.  Unfortunately, the URL got out and supposedly hundreds of bargain hunting websites posted the coupon online prompting Carl's to pull the promotion.

In an effort to win some of its morning business back from Starbucks, this week McDonald's put an espresso maker into its fifth Orange County location, according to this post in the OC Register.  Their McCafé specialty drinks seem to be a West Coast trial, offering up an espresso, a latte, a mocha, or a cappuccino for less money than Starbucks.  Why don't you grab a 510 calorie Sausage Biscuit with Egg while you're there?  

Burger King recently made the news again when they created their "Whopper Sacrifice," a Facebook application that gives you a coupon for a free Whopper if you delete 10 people from your Facebook friends list.  According to Cnet News, it was quickly pulled by Facebook itself because it, "ran counter to user privacy by notifying people when a user removes a friend."

According to the Press Democrat, Subway has agreed to pay $645,000 to, "settle allegations of overcharging and false advertising made by the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office and other agencies."  This is following an investigation by the Sonoma County Department of Weights and Measures found that "any sandwich for $5" didn't mean exactly that.

Maybe that's what Subway gets after I've suffered through hundreds of hours of singing, "Five, five dollar, five dollar foot long..." getting stuck in my head...

Starbucks at home...

I may spend $100 a month on coffee at coffee shops, Starbucks taking the lion's share.  I was thinking though...  If you buy their beans, and you buy their syrup - the only difference should be that you're either waiting for water to boil in your pajamas at your house, or you're waiting for the six people in line in front of you to order at your local shop.  

I'm looking at different ways to take my 'joe' with me on the road and I'll make updates as I come across them.  Not only to save money, but to save time.  Although I have not yet found my dream "2 Liter French Press/Thermos" that can make me 66 ounces of sweet ambrosia 'to go,' until then, I have been checking Starbuck's website for deals.

You can find it here:

 - Dave Koch

Alternative Grilled Cheese Techniques

Nobody Doesn't Like Grilled Cheese - photo by BrittneyBush

It's winter and nothing is more comforting than grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.  I've been running into quite a few grilled cheese recipes in different places lately so I decided to consolidate some of the more unique ideas I've found for bringing one to life.

On Yahoo Food, there is a list of their 10 tips for making a great grilled cheese.  To paraphrase them: 1. Grate the cheese, instead of slicing it. 2. Use a lot of cheese.  3. Don't worry about cheese oozing out the sides.  4. No white bread (but who uses that anymore?).  5. Slice your bread thick (but who slices bread anymore?).  6. Smush the bread with a spatula.  7. Butter the bread (obvious).  8. Use salted butter (if you even have some, but who keeps that?).  9. Use a non-stick.  10. Cover the pan with a lid.

I think we can take this one step further.  From Saveur's Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich they declare simply, "The secret to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is cooking it over low heat, which brings out the subtle flavors of a cheese, and slathering the bread with butter, which crisps it in the pan."  

They also bring us our first tip:

1. Use Comté instead of the usual Cheddar.

2.  Use artesian or specialty breads like walnut bread, olive bread, etc.  Or, use the ubiquitous Ezekiel Sprouted Grain.  When you've only got two ingredients, bread and cheese, you can't skimp on either.

3. Spread mayo on the side of bread to fry instead of butter, this makes it crispier.  "Really?"  "Yes, it's wonderful."  Although I love my Miracle Whip, I wouldn't substitute it here.

4.  Add sliced tomato and some fresh basil inside.

5.  Add thinly sliced apples.

6.  Don't forget your salt and pepper.

7. Use a really piquant mustard, like Philippe's, or try a A World of Mustard Collection.

8. Put a slice of roasted red bell pepper inside, mmm.

9.  Simultaniously use two really hot cast iron pans and use the bottom of one to squish and fry the top of the grilled cheese while it rests in the other.  This is a great technique for banging out a large quantity of sandwiches in half the time.

10. Make it with an iron.  "Set your iron to the highest setting, usually cotton."

- Dave Koch

Love at First Slice: Ode to my Michelle

Chefs often refer to kitchen tongs as an extension of their hands.  For me, my tool of choice is a $25 10-inch Victorinox Forschner Chef's Knife: my Michelle.  

Her large, non-skid grip is perfect for my oversize hands, and does not become slippery when wet or even oily.  My Michelle has no silly blade offset or goofy tang.  When I grip my Michelle properly my index finger fits perfectly over her handle, and my knuckle rests on the base of her blade.  This affords me amazing control whether I’m slicing, chopping, or simply pontificating with my hands (extreme caution urged).  My Michelle is balanced like a ballerina. 

 My Michelle’s blade is extremely sharp.  I only use it on a base of wood or plastic, and I hone it after every use.  My Michelle takes a break once a year to get professionally sharpened.  I like to think she’s getting a little much-needed rest. 

 How much do I love my Michelle?  During a dinner party two years ago, one of my guests was boasting how he could swiftly remove a Champagne cork with a large knife or sword.  “Would you like to demonstrate?” I inquired.  He politely declined due to my reputation for expensive, high-quality kitchenware.  “Here, use this Henckels chef’s knife, it’s collecting dust.”

 Don’t get me wrong: I do like my Henckels, and I like Wusthof.  I like Global, and I like Shun.  There is nothing wrong with any of these brands, all of whom make impressive knives.  But I wouldn’t trade the world’s most expensive chef’s knife – or any kitchen tool, for that matter – for my Michelle.

2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey

I drink a massive amount of coffee, often 3-4 cups per day.  I love it.  I love the morning ritual.  I love the afternoon "coffee break." I love the smell of it.  I love the flavor.  I love the diversity of coffees from around the world.  I have stopped drinking coffee at times and I don't get headaches, I would just miss it.

When I read that HealthSaver, an emerging health care discount service, recently commissioned its second annual Caffeinated Cities Survey, I was intrigued.  Conducted by PMR, a total of 2,005 telephone interviews were conducted during the period July 1 to August 21, 2008.

Using a randomized sample of households in the 20 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the U.S., a minimum of 100 consumers were interviewed in each of the 20 markets.  Each interview lasted 5-7 minutes, the sponsor of the research was not revealed and no incentive was offered.  

What follow are what I think to be some of the more interesting results.

The top 10 most caffeinated cities for 2008:

#1 Tampa
#2 Seattle
#3 Chicago
#4 New York
#5 Los Angeles
#6 Baltimore
#7 Miami
#8 Boston
#9 Houston
#10 Phoenix

The top 10 least caffeinated cities for 2008:

#1 Riverside
#2 Atlanta
#3 San Diego
#4 Minneapolis
#5 Dallas
#6 St. Louis
#7 Philadelphia
#8 Detroit
#9 Washington
#10 San Francisco

• 49% of 2008 respondents drink coffee everyday (the same percentage from 2007)
• Seattle consumes the most coffee with over one-half (59%) of Seattle respondents drinking it everyday.  
• Coffee continues to be the most consumed caffeinated product.
• About one-third (35%) say they never drink caffeinated coffee.  
• The next most frequently consumed caffeinated products were cola and tea both at 20%.  
• Tea had a 9% increase in consumption from 18% of respondents in 2007 to 20% in 2008.
• Do you think you are “addicted” to caffeine? 27% answered yes in 2008, down from 29% in 2007.

 - Dave Koch

Some of Our Favorite Things - Ambiguous Meat on a Stick

I bought this at Oakville Grocery in... Oakville, CA (Napa County).  This 'ambiguous meat on a stick' was only $2 but it tasted like I should have paid at least $6.50 for it.  Why are some of our favorite things so often the most basic..?

- Dave Koch

The Toastada

We ran out of tortillas last night but had bread and all the fixin's for fajitas.

So I made a Toastada...

- Dave Koch

The Maple Syrup, Lemon Juice, and Cayenne Pepper Fast

So the New Year brings resolutions; be it more exercise or a diet, many people make some sort of plan to be more healthy - and it is becoming more common of late to begin everything with a detox.  

I first heard of this water, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper fast more than ten years ago when I caught a friend of mine consuming huge amounts of the mixture.  

Stanley Burroughs is attributed to inventing the fast in as early as the 1950's, commonly called "The Lemonade Diet," which he published in his book The Master Cleanser.

Recently, a friend of mine, Flora Lels, completed what I can only imagine were five grueling days of a fast on the lemonade diet.  Way to go Flora, five days!  Lord only knows that I would have only lasted until dinner time.

Here is a short interview:

"It's cayenne, maple syrup, lemon juice, and water, right?

Yes, that is the recipe, although its very important that you buy grade B maple syrup, which has less sugar and more nutrients than your average pancake syrup. Also fresh squeezed lemon juice is key too. The mixture is mostly water, for a 1 liter batch, you put in 6 tablespoons of syrup, 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper, the rest is water. The syrup I used I got at www.neerasupercleanse.com. 

Where did you hear about this?

I'd been thinking about doing this a few years ago and then read about it again in a magazine and thought, no better time to kick off a cleanse than the beginning of the new year.

Any brands you recommend?

Yes, www.neerasupercleanse.com. 

How much of it do you end up drinking during a typical day?
I made a big 1 liter batch in the morning and usually drank that by the afternoon. I just sipped it over the course of the day. No schedule. Then I would make another batch and drank about 1/2 liter the rest of the afternoon and evening. So in total I drank about 50 ounces a day,+/-.

Do you mix it up the same way each time? Or, do you say, "I'm going to make this one spicy this time." Or, "I'm going to make this one really sour..."
Towards the end I found I liked it with more lemon juice, so I would add an extra lemon to the mix. Other than that I kept the recipe fairly consistent.

What's the hardest part? The hunger? The monotony?

The hunger the first two days was hard. By the fourth day I was not hungry at all and felt a huge spike in my energy level. I could have gone on the cleanse longer, but I was too bored! I didn't have the energy to work out. I couldn't meet friends or family for dinner or drinks, so the monotony of your schedule and only being able to drink the mixture gets really boring! 

Are you losing weight? Or, only the will to live?

I lost weight, but not sure how much as I didn't weigh myself before and after. I did this more for the cleansing/detox benefits , not necessarily to lose weight. But I wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds, which I did! 

Is your hair starting to fall out?

Hair didn't fall out, actually looks shinier and healthier than before I kicked off the cleanse. 

Any weird side effects? Hallucinations?

No weird side affects except the first 3 days I had a dull headache which drove me crazy. Especially since the cleanse prohibits any use of ibuprofen or anything. I'm not sure if this was a hunger headache or due to caffeine withdrawals but that went away by day 3 thank goodness! 

People said I would hallucinate and get dizzy, never really happened to me. One thing that is odd is a white/yellowish coating will appear on your tongue by about the 2nd day. Apparently that is a sign you're detoxing. Needless to say I did a lot of brushing my teeth and brushing my tongue!

(Bear with me, but I have to know) Do you stop having, you know, movements, after a while?

Yes, bowel movements slow down by day 2. Then its more diarrhea if you know what I mean. I forgot, the cleanse also prescribes a salt flush each morning, which is drinking a liter of warm water mixed with two teaspoons of sea salt. You drink it as soon as you wake up - the whole liter, and basically within 20 minutes, you're going number 2.

This is when they say the toxins are really coming out of you. I did the salt flush every morning and I (you asked!!!!) had diarrhea or loose stools each time like clock work. Oh the Neera Super Cleanse also comes with a laxative tea that you drink at night to also help clean out your system that I drank each evening.

Anything else?

I have to say, I definitely feel better, healthier and more energetic since I finished, so I recommend this to anyone who thinks they need to jump start a healthier pattern in their diet/lifestyle. My skin is clearer and my hair looks shinier too.  

I'm much more conscious about what I'm putting into my body, eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than before I started, which is a great benefit. I plan on doing a 5 day cleanse at least once a year."

I Love Bacon - and Bacon Toys

A few years ago when My lovely wife, Amy, went to Culinary School I bought her Bacon Bandages to mend her inevitable scrapes and slices.  I saw them first in Saveur's 'The 100' issue and bought them from Archie McPhee.  Recently, I checked out Archie's website and was amazed at the plethora of bacon-related wares.  I don't know what to buy first...

Bacon Flavored Floss

Bacon Flavored Mints

The Bacon Wallet

Uncle Oinker's Gummy Bacon

Lastly, the Original Bacon & Eggs Bandage Assortment

- Dave Koch

Cheap eats and Drinks

There has been a plethora of media coverage on saving money lately and of particular interest to us is going out on the cheap. Here are some websites we've found to help you get out more, without having to break the piggy bank:

• Goldstar.com - If you're not already a member of Goldstar, click on this link, and join (Papawow still be here when you get back).  It's free, they send you one email per week, with events in categories in which you are interested in.  The tickets they sell are usually half price - or free - if a venue just needs warm bodies.  We use Goldstar extensively.
• Restaraunt.com - They sell coupons for specific restaurants, you can search within your area and by cuisine.  You can buy a $25 coupon for $10 but if you sign up for their email list, they often send great promotions.  You can purchase $25 coupons for as little as $2 sometimes.  There are some regulations ('like $35 minimum tab,' or, 'not for use on Friday/Saturday'), but nevertheless, it's a great deal.
• Myopenbar.com - This shows listings for free and cheap drinks in 6 major US cities so far;  New York,  Los Angeles, Chicago, Honolulu , Miami, and San Francisco.  Right now there are $.80 Cosmo's at 'The Bar'  in SF's Castro District.
• Yelp.com/events - Depending on where you live, there may be few - or there may be a ton of events listed on Yelp.  What's nice though is that events here are not only promoted by owners, but by attendees too.  The range can be anything from Macy's Dine About Town 2009 Launch Party to a Weekly Small Dog Beach Walk.
• Mybart.org - Specific to the Bay Area, they list events that take place near BART stations.  They always have free events and today, for example, they're selling $48 Golden State Warriors tickets for only $15. 
• Funcheapsf.com - Also specific to the Bay Area, this is even more San Francisco central.  They pay special attention to the relative value of a ticket, most things are going to be less than $10.  Lots of music.
• Golfnow.com - Book your tee times online and save big bucks.  They are in a bunch of US metropolitan areas, check them out.  18 holes in San Francisco with a cart for less than $30?  Woo-hoo!
• Craigslist.org - There is always Craigslist.  Never a dull moment on Craigslist.  Everything makes it on to Craigslist: Star trek Role play game by e-mail, Super Heroes and Nudes in Hot Oils, sorry I'll try and keep the subject matter relevant.  Craigslist is; however, a great way to find others interested in doing Supper/Dinner Clubs.

Don't forget to check your local newspaper's website to see if they have a related newsletter on fun, cheap, and/or kid related activities.  Sometimes, that's the only place things will turn up.

- Dave Koch

Simple Isn't Boring

I hate raw food, in theory. It's so boring! There's so much you can do with a carrot, for example; just think of the myriad methods of heat application. Intersect that with fat, spices, herbs, and the oh-so-powerful edible rock!  Add some sauce! A carrot needn't be just a carrot.

But I never cease contradicting myself. I love fresh food, often raw, often alone. Have you ever driven through Gilroy during the garlic festival? How fantastic! And I almost called that boring! Still in the dirt and miles away, the powerful, alluring aroma wafts through the car windows.

What about sashimi?  What was only yesterday (or today!) thrashing vibrantly through the open ocean, fighting long and hard for its life, only to flop to the deck of a boat and ended up between chop sticks.  The deep red flesh of ahi is like no other; the fresh, clean scent and the firm, yet delicate texture tantalizes the senses.

And what about the oyster? I will leave that description to MFK Fisher who, as a young girl, experienced the oyster of a lifetime. Her lifetime has since expired, but her oyster remains fresh, crisp, immortal.  And solitary.

Wild strawberries. Grapes from the vine. Fresh-caught trout. Apples from the tree. Often best unaccompanied, these are not boring. And the carrot. Sweet, crisp, orange flesh. When picked at the right time it is a juicy root inspiring uncontrollable salivation. I love the carrot.

yummy Stews

Cannellini with Pork and Rosemary, from epicurious.com.
While the roasted tomatoes were good, you could live without them if you wanted to cut out a step.

Chipotle Chicken Rice Soup (I renamed it), also from epicurious.com.  I skipped the sweet potatoes because there was so much stuff in it, I didn't think it needed anything else. Also, I didn't use the tortillas, just corn chips to top it. You could also use premade stock/broth and poach then shred chicken parts if you didn't want to make the stock from scratch and/or use a whole bird. Basically, the secret is the blender chipotle mush - you could add that to any soup for some spicy flavor!

13 Ingredients in Dry Roasted Peanuts

I was eating some peanuts and looked at the list of ingredients; I was amazed to find 13 of them!

"Peanuts, salt, sugar, cornstarch, monosodium glutamate (flavor enhancer), gelatin, corn syrup solids, dried yeast, paprika, onion and garlic powders, spices, natural flavor."

After all of those that are listed, it makes me wonder what they be calling 'spices' or 'natural flavor' - my imagination runs amok.

The myriad ingredients; however entertaining they are, do not take the cake for the most amusing piece of information on the label, it's what is printed directly below them:

"CONTAINS: PEANUT."

Thanks for the heads-up.

- Dave Koch

Drinking Vinegars

I recently started listening to Evan Kleiman's podcast of her radio show Good Food on Los Angeles' KCRW and I'm loving it.  On the 1/7/2009 episode, she and her guest Toby Cecchini discuss drinking vinegars.  He mentions a Thai restaurant in Portland called Pok Pok that serves up a selection of them; and he calls his first one "the first adult-tasting, non-alcoholic beverage I had ever had."

Toby wrote an article about it in the NY Times last November that can be found here.  He details making "shrubs" using fruit and unpasteurized, unfiltered commercial vinegar to start it - like the commonly found brand Bragg. 

You begin making a shrub by (1) macerating fruit, (2) adding the vinegar, and (3) storing covered at room temperature for a week.  The top to your container must allow oxygen in, but keep bugs out.  People often use cheesecloth or muslin.  The dominant genus in these vinegars are acetobacters which need oxygen to work their magic.  Wait a week.

After a week is up, (4) add sugar.  Toby doesn't go into how much sugar to add, so we'll assume that the amount is just to your liking - then (5) boil.  The boil freezes the shrub's acidity where it is at; by boiling it, you are killing off anything that would continue to grow and change the shrub over time.  (6) Strain it and (7) bottle it.  He says you can keep the shrub in the fridge for months.

In the article, Toby also goes into the results of using different fruit, raspberry, blueberries, black currant, and sour-cherry.  I'm not sure what I'm going to try first, I'll go to the store and let the fruit recruit me.  

Keep you posted...

- Dave Koch

Want to Live Longer? Eat Bacon.

photo by shawnzam

Deep down inside I've always known that bacon was good for you, it's so delicious!  How could possibly it be bad?

Well last Friday, following the death of a 115 year old woman in Portugal, Gertrude Baines of Los Angeles became the oldest person alive at 114 years young.  What's her secret?  Noni juice?  Spirulina?  Red wine?  No.  According to CNN in this video - she says it's bacon.

If you like your bacon crispy, even better yet, because she does too.  The LA Times reports that on that day, "Baines awoke to her usual breakfast gripe: her bacon wasn't crispy enough." - God bless her.

Just think about this, if all of her children had children by the age of 22 (which is not unreasonable), she would be a great-great-great-grandma to the youngest.

- Dave Koch

Worst Rachael Ray Recipes, Ever

photo by architekt2

I think most people have a love/hate relationship with Rachael Ray.  We love her; but sometimes we wonder what is going on in her head.  Granted, she may be the hardest working celebrity chef there is - so she needs to be "cooking" up new ideas all the time.  Sometimes; however, we think things go awry... 

Here is a short list of some of her wackiest recipes ever.  

These are from foodnetwork.com:

• Chili Dog Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fiery Fries
• These are bacon burgers with pieces of hot dogs chopped up and mixed into the patties.  They look sort of like... burger patties with chopped up pieces of hot dog mixed inside..?  Yea.  She tops that with cheddar and bacon.  What else could top that with?

• Grilled Chicken Posole Salad
• This is a salad (of sorts) that starts with a bowl of hominy.  On top of that, add piquillo or roasted red bell peppers, chopped celery, and green olives.  Add grilled chicken and tomatillos.  Toss.  Let me get this straight... hominy, celery, and green olives?  I might pass on this one.

• Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole
• The casserole is basically a mournay sauce, but it's made with beer.  Then you chop up hot dogs, again, and mix them into the noodles.  This is a child's dream dinner, hot dogs and Mac-and-Cheese.  What's it doing on the Food Network? 

• Chicago Dog Salad
• Basically, a salad of Romaine and cabbage gets topped with hot dogs.  I think Rachael loves hot dogs.  I love the last line in the directions, "Mound up the salad on plates, top with seared dogs, and serve." - Gross right?

• Red Wine Rice with Grapes
• Who thought making rice with red wine instead of water or broth would be OK?  Rachael?  Cate, over at sweetnicks.com called it simply, "The First Rachael Ray Recipe I Ever Threw Away." She continues, "It was like pouring yourself a glass of wine and adding some bits of cooked rice to your glass."

• Nutrish™ for Pets
• I know, I know.  This is her new line of dog food, and I also know that a portion of the proceeds go to her charity, Rachael's Rescue - and that's all very cool.  I'm just afraid that someone at the factory might mistake her "Enchilasagna" for a new experimantal dog treat and dive into it.

Awesome Shrimp and Vegetable Lo Mein

Shrimp Lo Mein - photo by absentmindedprof

Chef Amy Koch adapted this from 1,000 Lowfat Recipes by Terry Blonder Golson (GREAT book), there are a ton of veggies which add color and crunch.  You can easily substitute your favorite veggies, like she did.  Use the recipe as a guide and make it your own.  

Awesome Shrimp and Vegetable Lo Mein

• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce

• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 red bell pepper, julienne
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienne
• 1 cup snow peas, ends and strings removed, julienne same width as bell peppers
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Juice from 1/2 lime

12 ounces Chinese noodles, cooked


Start by making sauce: Whisk together ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, cornstarch, and chili garlic sauce. Set aside

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in wok or large saute pan.  Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to heated oil.  Cook until shrimp turns pink, about 1 minute per side. Remove cooked shrimp to plate and squeeze on the lime juice. Keep warm.  

Add the other 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and add vegetables. Saute on medium-high heat until crisp tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Pour in sauce and let simmer with vegetables for 1 minutes.  Add cooked noodles and toss to combine.  Top with shrimp and serve.

Enjoy!

The CDC and the Ugli Fruit

Ugli Fruit - photo by GabeB 

So New Years Resolutions are in full swing and the easiest, and most delicious, way to a more salubrious lifestyle is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet.  Recently enough, the Center for Disease Control has set up a new website to promote the addition of fruits and veggies into the American populous,  FruitsAndVeggiesMatter.gov.  

They have their tips, but what's really cool is their recipe search function.  You can enter keywords and ingredients, then select any or all of: Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast, Desserts, Dips/Spreads/Salsas, Entrees, Finger Foods, Salads/Stews, Side Dishes, or Soups - and it will spit out recipes that match.  This was more or less an idea spawned by friends of mine years ago, I'm glad someone did it.

Instead of entering a keyword, you can also pull down and select a specific fruit or vegetable and it will do the same.  Cruising through their list I came upon a fruit I've never heard of... "Ugli Fruit?"  Mind you, I've read Adam Leith Gollner's The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession (GREAT book, by the way) so I've at least heard of a ton of exotic fruits, even though I may have not tried them.

This piqued my interest, so I did some digging.  I found the following information on ugli.com:

"UGLI® is the registered trade mark under which Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd. markets its brand of tangelos [a tangelo is a hybrid of a grapefruit (or pomelo) and a tangerine] from Jamaica.

This tangelo is a variety of citrus fruit grown exclusively in Jamaica and exported by Trout Hall Ltd. to markets all over the world. It was discovered growing wild in Jamaica over 80 years ago and has been developed by the family of the owners of Trout Hall Ltd. into the commercial variety now in production.

The original tree is believed to have been a hybrid formed from the Seville orange, the grapefruit and the tangerine families. Since 1924 when it was first discovered several improved scions have been used by Trout Hall Ltd. to produce the current variety which is so popular."

Unfortunately for us, FruitsAndVeggiesMatter.gov only has one recipe for the Ugli Fruit... yup you may have guessed it, Exotic Fruit Salad.