Some folk are simply fussy. Hard to please and lacking any sense of adventure where food is concerned. Too bad for them; if they don't like what's on the table, they can order out!
On the other hand, a lot of us, yours truly included, would dearly love to eat whatever is on the table, but can't because we're lactose intolerant. That means our bodies don't produce the digestive enzyme needed to digest the milk sugar, lactose. I really, really want to eat pizza, lasagna, cheese fries and ice cream, but my body says, "Absolutely not!"
Worldwide, a full 75% of adults have problems digesting dairy products and the number seems to be growing. Butter, cream sauces and soups, cheese and cheese products, ice cream and any desserts containing milk, cream or butter (virtually all pastries!) could make us suddenly and violently ill. Please do not press a guest to "just taste a bite." That one taste really is not worth hours of abdominal distress.
On one unfortunate occasion, in spite of explaining my limitations ahead of time, a hostess had prepared a cheesy one-dish meal with no other options. I sat nibbling dry bread, tantalized by the aroma of what everyone else was devouring. Whether I was more miserable than the hostess was hard to tell, but I know I was hungrier! Avoid such disaster by keeping a few emergency rations on hand; here are a few simple suggestions:
First we were told that eating fat would make us fatter. Fat to fat, and that's that. Then we were told to stay well away from all animal fats, including butter which was strictly forbidden. Use margarine and vegetable shortening instead the experts insisted.
Now all that has changed. It's the trans fats and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that are really bad for our health, so throw out all the shortening!
Yet our bodies need to consume fat for our metabolisms to function properly. We cannot absorb certain crucial nutrients without fat. Moreover, replacing the typical fat-filled ground chuck with extra lean ground meat, whether chicken, turkey, beef or bison often results in dry, tasteless lumps that we only pretend taste like the real thing. So what are we supposed to do?
Here's my personal solution: Eat fat joyfully and thoughtfully, in moderation.
Or to paraphrase Michael Pollan, "Eat real fats. Not too much. Mostly olive oil."
Today's recipe is a prime example of how using good fat can lead to very good things: creamy, mouth satisfying and tummy warming comfort food. By incorporating olive oil - the healthiest of fats - into very lean ground meat (I use buffalo,) we end up with rich juicy meatballs in succulent, guilt-free sauce.
Gramma just found out that she's lactose intolerant; now what do we fix for Sunday brunch?
Barb is attending the party and she can't eat shellfish.
Tom's kids are coming for the weekend; one's allergic to peanuts and the other can't have gluten.
Johnny's new wife is vegan; guess we won't serve meatloaf!
Every time you turn around, it seems as if SOMEONE has a new dietary restriction. That's not even considering all your friends who are trying to lose weight or cut down on carbs or get their cholesterol under control.
What's a gracious cook to do? (Other than pull her hair out.)
Tip #1: ask questions! It's a heck of a lot better to know Gramma can't eat dairy BEFORE you make Quiche Lorraine than after everyone is sitting down for Sunday brunch.
Tip #2: encourage pot-lucks. It's a good bet everyone will bring something they're able to eat.
Tip #3: don't be afraid of trying out substitutions. Here are a few that I rely on:
There's nothing health food-ish about the Moist Brownie recipe posted here yesterday. The few left after my husband found them are calling my name from the kitchen. I might succumb.
So what's thoughtful or responsible about knock-yer-socks-off sugar- and fat-loaded brownies?
First, there is the cost. Brownies thrown together from pantry staples -- sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs -- cost a fraction of what you'd pay for a box of brand-name brownie mix.
Second, there are those wholesome pantry staples mixed into the brownies and all the preservatives, enhancers, emulsifiers, gums, partially hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrups and bleached flours that are not mixed in.
Third, homemade brownies have a smaller carbon footprint due to less packaging, processing and shipping of ingredients and the packaged product.
Yet another consideration is time and convenience. When the pantry is well stocked and the chocolate craving hits, there's no need to run out to the Quickie Mart, because everything needed is already on hand. You can bake only the amount you want, altering the ingredients any way you want. Then the bowl, spoon and spatula go into the dishwasher, you swipe the counter with a dishrag, and walk away satisfied.
The American cook has been fooled into thinking that convenience comes wrapped in a box. We've been trained to discount the time, effort and energy spent in driving to stores, pushing carts through endless aisles and standing in frustrating lines. Compared with the ease and convenience of keeping a reliable stock of staples on hand (and eliminating stuff you don't need) boxed mixes and packaged heat-and-serve imitation foods are no bargain at all.Thoughtful cooking with plenty of enjoyment -- that's a really good deal.
Looking over the past few postings, I don't see anything gooey, sweet and indulgent. Time to correct that.
How about Brownies?
In my opinion, the American brownie is very underrated in the culinary world. I've spent great effort learning to bake flourless chocolate cakes and fudge tortes and other European marvels, only to conclude that few desserts match the ordinary American Brownie for pure moist, chewy chocolate pleasure.
A proper brownie has a tissue-thin top crust that shatters on the first bite. A dusting of powdered sugar accents that delicate crust quite nicely; frosting is unnecessary decadence (although any decadence is, by definition, unnecessary.)
Opinions differ, but I prefer brownies with an interior crumb that is so moist that it comes just short of being pudding. The contrasting crunch and faint earthiness of walnuts is also essential for my taste.
The following recipe is my adaptation of the standard formula for "fudgey" as opposed to "cake-like" brownies.
All-purpose Flour and White Granulated Sugar may be used, but I think the coarse texture of the raw sugar helps to lift the crumb without the dryness generally found in batters with two eggs. Spelt flour provides whole grain nutrients without the heaviness of whole wheat.
It's a simple recipe, perfect for involving kids in breaking up nutmeats, stirring in chocolate chips and making patterns with powdered sugar.
On Saturdays we share some of our favorite things – websites, kitchen gadgets & tools, cookbooks & books about food, and anything else that we think is cool.
Here are a few things that were unknown in my Mom's 1950s kitchen, and I sometimes wonder how she functioned without them.
> Digital Thermometer: Mom didn't have any cooking thermometer, much less digital. When making caramel apples she judged the boiling sugar by dropping spoonfuls into cold water, then deciding whether the glob was a soft ball, hard ball or crack thread. I have two digital thermometers; one that clips magnetically to the stove, used for everything from testing loaves of bread to making sure the frying oil isn't too hot. The other has a remote sensor that lets me know when the burgers are done without running outside to the grill.
> Rice Cooker: it's not just for rice; steamed veggies cook beautifully in it. In Mom's kitchen, vegetables came from cans and rice came from a red box, so I don't suppose she needed a steamer.
My particular rice cooker is only remarkable in being free of any non-stick coating. Odd as it may seem, that's because we own two parrots. Non-stick coatings give off fumes when heated, and birds are extraordinarily sensitive to those fumes.
Remember the canary in the coal mine? Supposedly miners would lower a caged canary into a mine shaft, knowing that the bird would quickly succumb to any poisonous gasses lurking underground. If the canary was still alive when hauled up from the shaft, the miners could go down safely and get to work.
Because nobody really knows what level of non-stick coating fumes is safe for birds (or humans for that matter) we choose to avoid the stuff altogether.
It's certainly happened to you. The photo in the cookbook (or on the web) looked fabulous. You collected all the ingredients, you followed the recipe, you waited expectantly and then . . . oh. That's it? The picture looked a whole lot better. Such disappointment!
Don't beat yourself up. Chances are the actual food prepared for that photo didn't look all that great, either. Photos can be doctored. Even before getting to the Photoshop stage where colors can be added and flaws removed, the food itself can be given an artificial shine or a plumping filler or a nip and tuck where needed. Artistic sprigs of parsley can hide inconvenient scorch marks and whipped cream covers anything.
And unlike your own kitchen, where what you cook is what you get, when the first pie, cake or souffle doesn't turn out perfectly at a photo shoot, there is always a back-up pie, cake or souffle ready to take its place on camera.
Have you guessed yet? The recipe planned for today's column, "Cornbread Dogs," did not come out of the oven looking as I'd planned. In fact, it looked just awful, overcooked and thoroughly scorched. It's doubly embarrassing because it's an old recipe I can make without thinking, one of those dependable kid-pleasers. And I really messed it up.
David must have heard my [expletive deleted] when I pulled the thing from the oven, because he came in to check on me. One look at my disaster and he said, "Oh, man, that looks delish!"
He wasn't being sarcastic or lying to comfort me. He was already digging in the fridge for the ketchup and mustard. The cornbread was just the way he likes it, crispy brown with a deep toasted crust and the hot dogs were blistered. He was in heaven.
I make no claims for ancestral or culinary authenticity where this hummus is concerned. I doubt my Italian grandmothers ever heard of hummus. But I found a simple recipe and kept messing with it until it's so good no one can stop sticking their fingers in it. It may be healthy because of all the olive oil and garlic, but it certainly isn't lo-cal.
Gentle warning to Gentle Readers: this recipe includes beans, of the musical sort. If your tushie tends to toot, indulge with appropriate moderation.
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Hummus
1 (15 oz.) can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, drained
.......... about 1 1/3 c.
4 cloves Roasted Garlic, more or less
1/2 Tbs. Lemon Juice 1/4 to 1/2 c. Olive Oil, as desired
1/2 c. combined fresh Basil, Cilantro, Oregano and/or Chives
Combine Garbanzo Beans, Roasted Garlic, 2 Tbs. Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Herbs in food processor. Pulse several times for a chunky blend. For a smoother, creamy Hummus, add additional Olive Oil a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is as you like it.
Serve warm or chilled with Pita, Chapatis, Crackers, Crudities, Steamed Artichokes, etc.
I'm roasting garlic today and my kitchen is smelling glorious.
My first exposure to the delights of sweetly fragrant, buttery soft roasted garlic was sometime in the late 90s, at a roadhouse somewhere north of Tahoe. At first I thought the menu was misprinted. Garlic cloves on toast? Wouldn't that kill a normal adult? Or worse, result in social banishment for weeks?
Of course I ordered the dish, then wheedled the recipe and method from the manager.
There wasn't much to wheedle. Choosing a large firm head of garlic is half the secret. Remove most of the dry outer skins, then slice off enough of the top (the pointy end) so cut surfaces of most of the cloves are exposed.
Don't get used to finding recipes here on Sundays. Generally I'm being lazy today. But the chocolate craving is hitting hard and all I can find in the cupboard is baking chocolate. What to do?
If you're expecting advice on resisting chocolate, you're reading the wrong blog. As far as I'm concerned, the only way to get over chocolate craving is to succumb as quickly and as completely as possible. Here is a seriously dark chocolate cookie that is barely sweet, more suited to mature tastes than the typical after-school snack.
The original recipe used butter, which you certainly should use if you're so inclined. When I ran out of butter one day and substituted canola oil, the results were excellent. I'm always looking for ways to eliminate steps (and expenses,) and using coarse raw sugar combines the properties of both white and brown sugars in one scoop. As for choosing unsweetened baking chocolate -- well, bittersweet chocolate is for woosies.
Recipe: Desperate for Chocolate Cookies
1 c. Chocolate Chips
6 oz. unsweetened baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. plus 1/4 c. Canola Oil (you'll use each separately)
1/3 c. Dutch-style Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. raw sugar (coarse preferred)
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Melt Chips and chopped Chocolate with 1/4 c. of the Canola Oil. Set aside to cool.
Combine Flour, Cocoa, Baking Powder and Salt.
Beat remaining 1/4 c. Oil with Sugar in large bowl. Add Eggs and Vanilla.
Mix in cooled Chocolate mixture, then stir in dry ingredients.
Chill 25 minutes. (This allows the mixture to thicken and blend.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment, grease or spray with oil.
Using small scoop, drop chilled dough onto prepped cookie sheets.
Bake about 9 - 11 minutes. Do not over-bake; cookies will firm up as they cool.
Options:
> To store dough, do yourself a favor and roll it into a log, then wrap in waxed paper before tucking it in a plastic bag or container in the refrigerator or freezer. After all, it's nearly pure chocolate, which gets pretty hard when chilled. To bake, slice the log about 1" thick, then halve or quarter the slices.
> Since the Chocolate Chips get melted anyway, it's possible to adapt this recipe, reducing costs still further, by substituting 1/4 c. Cocoa, 3 Tbs. Canola Oil and 1/3 c. Sugar for the Chips.
> When the ladies are coming to tea, you can dress these up with a light Vanilla Glaze.
> "Almost Oreos:" flatten cookies before baking. When completely cool, sandwich 2 cookies together with Buttercream Filling.
Vanilla Glaze: whisk a scant 1/4 c. Milk or Cream and 3/4 tsp. Vanilla into 2 3/4 c. powdered sugar.
Add additional milk or cream drop by drop until the glaze just coats the back of a spoon.
Buttercream Filling: beat 1/2 stick softened Butter into Vanilla Glaze before adding additional cream. Only add enough milk or cream to make a thick, spreadable frosting.
On Saturdays we share some of our favorite things – websites, kitchen gadgets & tools, cookbooks & books about food, and anything else that we think is cool.
Glass is good in the kitchen.
Wait, let me qualify that. Well-made, tempered glass is good in the kitchen.
Not all glass is equal. A few years ago during a candle-making phase, I tried using glass jars as candle molds that broke away from the finished candles. Fancy olive and pickle shattered easily, but a plain old spaghetti sauce jar resolutely refused to crack, even when dropped on concrete. Whatdya know? Tempered glass. That’s the stuff we want for the kitchen.
Tempered glass is not only strong but it goes from refrigerator to workspace to microwave and back to the frig without problem. You really don't want to pour hot bacon grease straight from the skillet into Tupperware; melted plastic on the stove isn't nice. But an old canning jar can take the heat.
Glass is “non-reactive,” meaning none of the kinky chemical transference into your food that you get from various plastic containers and aluminum. Sure, glass occasionally breaks, but the remains are completely recyclable. Good for you, good for the planet.
Must haves:
Measuring cups with spouts in two or three sizes. Whisk eggs, heat liquids, melt butter or chocolate in the microwave.
Bowls, especially small bowls for separating egg whites, letting yeast rise, refrigerating and warming leftovers, etc. Mine are blue because of the thermodynamic micro-molecular affect on polysaccharide molecular bonds, um, I mean, because it's pretty.
Ball jars, a.k.a. Mason jars, fruit jars, canning jars. They keep an airtight seal, you can see what's in them, and if for some reason you get an impulse to clean, dust rinses off without disturbing the contents. I like the 1908 aqua jars with bail lids, but an empty spaghetti sauce jar will do for refrigerator, freezer or pantry storage.
Use chilled jars for beer mugs and tell your friends they’re priceless antiques.
Leftovers for lunch or a quick supper? Sure, but it's better if you can manage to throw together a fresh dish made from those leftovers.
This one-dish meal is about as simple as they get, incorporating pantry (and freezer) staples with any cooked grain; couscous, quinoa, kasha or even a small pasta would work.
Recipe: A Nice Rice
2-3 cups cooked Brown Rice
............I like Sweet Brown Rice in this, but any variety will do.
1/2 cup or so slivered Almonds, lightly toasted
about 3/4 c. chopped Dried Pineapple
............ fresh or canned Pineapple would be good, but would produce a different dish entirely.
1 c. frozen Peas
1/2 to 1 c. slivered Ham
Stir together everything. Add Olive Oil or Broth if needed to moisten.
Microwave about 3 minutes on High, stirring several times.
That's all there is to it. Enjoy it hot or chilled with fresh fruit and a tall glass of iced tea. Lunch is ready.
After confessing my peanut butter addiction, it only seems right that I go on and share a few appropriately adult peanut butter recipes. This is one of my favorites both because of its ease and because it can be adapted to many different uses.
Recipe: Thai'd Up Peanut Sauce
1/4 c. smooth or crunchy Peanut Butter
1/4 c. (or less) packed brown sugar
............ or 2 Tbs. local Honey
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. grated ginger root
.............or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Hot Sauce to taste (optional, of course)
Combine everything until the Peanut Butter is well incorporated. That's all there is to it. I have to make small amounts since I can't keep my tasting spoon out of the stuff, but you can easily double or quadruple the recipe and keep it several days in the refrigerator.
If you prefer, start with half the Sugar or Honey, then add more to taste. Honey produces a thinner sauce, but it will thicken up if left an hour in the refrigerator.
Similarly, start with just a dash of Hot Sauce and add more to taste. My husband prefers green capped Si Racha (rooster) hot stuff in this sauce, swearing it tastes different than Tabasco. I couldn't say, because both brands taste like PAIN to me.
We first discovered this as a dipping sauce for steamed Artichokes, then moved on to enjoy it with curries as well as with African and Caribbean dishes. Try it as an alternative hot sauce for Buffalo Wings (Thai Water-Buffalo Wings?) Thin with coconut milk for a fruit salad dressing.
Today? I've marinaded a Chicken Breast in Lime and Garlic before grilling. Thai'd Up Peanut Sauce is brushed on during the last few minutes on the grill, then served with rice and fruit. This is also yummy with grilled Pork and Pineapple.
Baking bread from scratch? Making your own sausage or rendering lard? Why would anyone go to all that trouble? There is convenient food in nice little packages, ready to cook or reheat right in the store!
True, sometimes our own families think we're crazy for passing up convenience in favor of cooking from scratch. That is, until they taste the sausage or bite into the pie crust.
Health and safety are two big concerns here, along with adapting recipes for family members with food allergies. But beyond all that, we're determined that food should taste wonderful. Food is meant to be gathered and prepared and shared and eaten with great joy.
"You are what you eat." If that is true, what have we become? What do we want to be?
On the other hand, a lot of us, yours truly included, would dearly love to eat whatever is on the table, but can't because we're lactose intolerant. That means our bodies don't produce the digestive enzyme needed to digest the milk sugar, lactose. I really, really want to eat pizza, lasagna, cheese fries and ice cream, but my body says, "Absolutely not!"
Barb is attending the party and she can't eat shellfish.
Tip #1: ask questions! It's a heck of a lot better to know Gramma can't eat dairy BEFORE you make Quiche Lorraine than after everyone is sitting down for Sunday brunch.
> Digital Thermometer: Mom didn't have any cooking thermometer, much less digital. When making caramel apples she judged the boiling sugar by dropping spoonfuls into cold water, then deciding whether the glob was a soft ball, hard ball or crack thread. I have two digital thermometers; one that clips magnetically to the stove, used for everything from testing loaves of bread to making sure the frying oil isn't too hot. The other has a remote sensor that lets me know when the burgers are done without running outside to the grill.
Because nobody really knows what level of non-stick coating fumes is safe for birds (or humans for that matter) we choose to avoid the stuff altogether.
I make no claims for ancestral or culinary authenticity where this hummus is concerned. I doubt my Italian grandmothers ever heard of hummus. But I found a simple recipe and kept messing with it until it's so good no one can stop sticking their fingers in it. It may be healthy because of all the olive oil and garlic, but it certainly isn't lo-cal.
1/4 to 1/2 c. Olive Oil, as desired
There wasn't much to wheedle. Choosing a large firm head of garlic is half the secret. Remove most of the dry outer skins, then slice off enough of the top (the pointy end) so cut surfaces of most of the cloves are exposed.
Mix in cooled Chocolate mixture, then stir in dry ingredients.
Options:
Measuring cups with spouts in two or three sizes. Whisk eggs, heat liquids, melt butter or chocolate in the microwave.
Leftovers for lunch or a quick supper? Sure, but it's better if you can manage to throw together a fresh dish made from those leftovers.
Combine everything until the Peanut Butter is well incorporated. That's all there is to it. I have to make small amounts since I can't keep my tasting spoon out of the stuff, but you can easily double or quadruple the recipe and keep it several days in the refrigerator.
If you prefer, start with half the Sugar or Honey, then add more to taste. Honey produces a thinner sauce, but it will thicken up if left an hour in the refrigerator.
