| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: No Quotation
Marks on These Sardines
> Wine Appreciation:
Falernia Syrah Reserva 2007
> Food Funnies: Excerpts
From Bargain Bin Cookbooks
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Red
Lobster's Lobster Pizza
* Old
Fashioned Beef Stew
* Oven-Fried
Chicken
* Linguine
with Shrimp Scampi
* Hot
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
* Gorilla
Bread
* Scallop
and Mushroom Chowder
* Red
Velvet Cake
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Fruit-Stuffed
Pork Roast
Diabetic: Zucchini
Tomato Pizza
Low Fat: Aloha
Chicken
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
Low Carb Tips:
You can fake a pretty good plate
of pasta by ribbon-cutting zucchini
with a vegetable peeler or a sharp
knife (pare it down to the core
with the seeds). Same goes for eggplant,
and spaghetti squash is a
naturally ready-made substitute
for noodles when you steam or roast
it and fluff up the spaghetti-like
strands with a fork. Briefly saute
the veggie "noodles" with herbs
and garlic (you want to leave some
texture) and it's a delicious dish.
Cabbage may be shredded and cooked
like noodles, or the large leaves
boiled and left whole as a substitute
for wide lasagna noodles. If
you are making a lasagna type dish,
two good substitutes for high
carb wheat flour noodles are boiled
cabbage leaves or prepared slices
of chicken or turkey lunch meat.
Layer these low carb ingredients
between rich mounds of cooked and
drained ground beef, spices, tomato
sauce and cheese. More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
German residents
of Würchwitz produce their own cheese so
monumentally
disgusting that they have built a monument to it!
What imparts
the special tang to their Milbenkäse?
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Quote of the Week:
"Don't smoke too much, drink
too much, eat too much or work
too much. We're all
on the road to the grave -- but there's
no need to be in the
passing lane."
- Robert Orben (1927--)
American humorist
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
January is: National Egg Month
Bread Machine Baking Month
Oatmeal Month
Wheat Bread Month
National Hot Tea Month
Fat Free Living Month
National Soup Month
January 2 - National Cream Puff Day
January 3 - National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
January 4 - National Spaghetti Day
January 5 - National Whipped Cream Day
January 6 - National Shortbread Day
January 7 - National Tempura Day
January 8 - National English Toffee Day
January 9 - National Apricot Day
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No Quotation Marks on
These Sardines
By Mark Bittman
For years, the only kind of sardines
available to the average
American were packed in oil, water
or tomato sauce, sold in little
rectangular cans, first with keys
and later with pop-tops.
But because they’re plentiful and
not endangered as a species (and
full of healthful omega-3 fatty
acids), fresh sardines are enjoying
something of a renaissance. It helps
that they’re delicious and
inexpensive.
You’re likely to see them on the
menus of fancy restaurants, usually
as appetizers and usually "grilled".
I use quotation marks because
what restaurants advertise as grilled
sardines are usually broiled,
for two reasons. One is that few
restaurants are equipped to do real
grilling. The other is that it’s
extremely difficult to grill a
sardine. Their flesh is so fragile
they fall apart. (Wrapping them in
grape leaves or paper-thin prosciutto
slices is an option, but that
process is a pain and decidedly
unnecessary.)
Fortunately, broiling creates the
same crisp skin and smoky flavor
as grilling, with far less fuss.
And it makes sardines easy to do,
restaurant-style, in a home kitchen.
Most sardines are sold gutted, but
if yours aren’t, cut a slit along
the bottom of the sardine from the
throat to the rear vent, then pull
out the innards and rinse the inside
of the fish. You’re left with a
convenient pocket that can be stuffed
with just about anything. In
the interest of simplicity and flavor,
I’ve chosen lemon and thyme,
but seasoned bread crumbs are another
good choice.
Heat the broiler, nestle the sardines
in a roasting pan with enough
olive oil to keep them from sticking,
and fire them up for about five
minutes - no flipping needed. Restaurant-style
"grilled" sardines in
20 minutes, start to finish.
Broiled Sardines With Lemon and
Thyme
=====================================
1 lemon, thinly sliced,
plus lemon wedges for serving
12 or more fresh thyme
sprigs, plus chopped fresh thyme for garnish
1 1/2 pounds sardines
(8 to 12 large), gutted, with heads on
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil.
1. Heat the broiler until hot. Move
the oven rack as close to the
heat source as possible
(four to two inches away). Heat a sturdy
pan for about 5 minutes.
2. Wrap a lemon slice around each
thyme sprig and stuff inside the
sardines; sprinkle
with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot,
remove it from the
oven and pour in half of the olive oil, then
put the sardines in
the pan and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Broil for 4 to 5 minutes,
then check the sardines; they’re ready
when they’re opaque,
the tip of a knife flakes the thickest part
easily, and the outside
is nicely browned.
3. To serve, carefully remove the
sardines with a spatula, sprinkle
with more herbs if
you like, and pour the pan juices over all.
Serve with lemon wedges.
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THE
E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY
Find out why the
E-Cookbooks Library is one
of the greatest
values on the internet!
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
Falernia Syrah Reserva
2007 Price: $11
Very bright color; elegant nose
with black pepper and floral notes.
Medium-full bodied with very soft
tannins and good balance. Great
length and fruity after taste.
Serve With:
Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms
and Basil
============================================
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms,
stemmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons freshly
grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon
juice juice
1/4 teaspoon salt,
or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
to taste
8 ounces fettuccine
or spaghetti
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1/2 cup chopped fresh
basil, divided
Bring a large pot of lightly salted
water to a boil for cooking
pasta.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet
over low heat. Add garlic and
cook, stirring, until fragrant but
not browned, about 1 minute.
Add mushrooms and increase heat
to medium-high; cook, stirring
occasionally, until tender and lightly
browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice,
salt and pepper. Remove from the
heat.
Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring
occasionally, until just tender,
9 to 11 minutes or according to
package directions. Drain, reserving
1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Add the pasta, the reserved cooking
liquid, Parmesan and 1/4 cup
basil to the mushrooms in the skillet;
toss to coat well. Serve
immediately, garnished with remaining
basil.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Excerpts From Bargain
Bin Cookbooks
=================================================
9. "After aging unrefrigerated for
4 months, strain through a
mixture of charcoal
and sand to remove moldy scum on the
surface."
8. "For greasing the pan, 10w40
is preferable, though any weight
oil will do."
7. "Taste, adjust seasonings (and
cooking times, ingredients, and
quantities)."
6. "... so I thought, why waste
all these dissected frogs?"
5. "Holy Cow Ice Cream: Take 2 pounds
of fresh calf’s liver ..."
4. "Peel and mince the iguana finely
before salting."
3. "... then warm under your armpits
for approximately an hour
for authentic
Eurpoean aroma and seasoning."
2. "Don’t forget to remove your
shoes before mashing the
potatoes."
... and the # 1 Excerpt
From Bargain Bin Cookbooks ...
1. "Let cool 15 minutes, while deciding
whether to serve."
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Red Lobster's Lobster Pizza
===========================
1 flour tortilla (per
pizza)
Land O' Lakes Roasted
Garlic Butter Spread
2 tablespoon grated
Parmesan cheese
4 oz. well-drained
roma tomatoes (approx. 2-3 tomatoes) diced 3/8"
2 tablespoons fresh
basil cut in 1/8" julienne strips
2 oz. lobster meat
cut in 1/2" - 3/4" chunks
1/2 cup Italian six-cheese
blend
Heat oven to 450F. Lightly brush
entire topside of tortilla with
garlic butter (edge to edge). Sprinkle
two tablespoons Parmesan cheese
over the garlic butter. After draining
the diced tomatoes, sprinkle
evenly over Parmesan cheese.
To julienne the basil, wash it and
shake off excess water. Pick off
leaves and stack on top of one another.
Using a chef's knife, cut into
1/8" strips. Do not chop. Sprinkle
evenly over the diced tomatoes.
Make sure lobster meat is cut into
1/2" - 3/4" chunks. Portion
lobster meat, drain it and then
sprinkle it evenly over the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the Italian six-cheese
blend evenly over the diced tomatoes.
Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Brush a pizza pan lightly with vegetable
oil and sprinkle lightly
with ground black pepper and kosher
salt. When oven is ready, place
pizza on pan and cook approximately
four to five minutes. Remove from
pan and cut into eight wedges. Squeeze
fresh lemon over pizza for
extra flavor and serve.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Old Fashioned Beef Stew
=======================
2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable
oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice
or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Brown meat in hot oil. Add water,
Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay
leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper,
paprika, and allspice. Cover and
simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves
and garlic clove. Add carrots
and celery. Cover and cook 30 to
40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy,
remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using
a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water
and cornstarch until smooth. Mix
with a little hot liquid and return
mixture to pot. Stir and cook until
bubbly.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Oven-Fried Chicken
==================
2 chickens (3 pounds
each), cut in 8 serving pieces
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose
flour
1 tablespoon kosher
salt
1 tablespoon freshly
ground black pepper
Vegetable oil or vegetable
shortening
Place the chicken pieces in a large
bowl and pour the buttermilk
over them. Cover with plastic wrap
and refrigerate overnight. Preheat
the oven to 350F.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper
in a large bowl. Take the
chicken out of the buttermilk and
coat each piece thoroughly with the
flour mixture. Pour the oil into
a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a
depth of 1-inch and heat to 360F
on a thermometer.
Working in batches, carefully place
several pieces of chicken in the
oil and fry for about 3 minutes
on each side until the coating is a
light golden brown (it will continue
to brown in the oven). Don't
crowd the pieces. Remove the chicken
from the oil and place each
piece on a metal baking rack set
on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to
return to 360F before frying the
next batch. When all the chicken is
fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes,
until the chicken is no longer pink
inside. Serve hot.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
===========================
Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher
salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted
butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good
olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced
garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp
(about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh
parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed
lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red
pepper flakes
Drizzle some oil in a large pot
of boiling salted water, add 1
tablespoon of salt and the linguine,
and cook for 7 to 10 minutes,
or according to the directions on
the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch),
heavy-bottomed pan, melt the
butter and olive oil over medium-low
heat. Add the garlic. Saute for
1 minute. Be careful, the garlic
burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2
teaspoons of salt, and the pepper
and saute until the shrimp have just
turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring
often. Remove from the heat,
add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon
juice, lemon slices, and red pepper
flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the
cooked linguine and then put it
back in the pot. Immediately add
the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and
serve.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
=============================
1 cup thawed, chopped
frozen spinach
1 1/2 cups thawed,
chopped frozen artichoke hearts
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic
powder
Boil spinach and artichokes in 1
cup of water until tender and drain.
Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese
in microwave for 1 minute or until
hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients
and serve hot.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Gorilla Bread
=============
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown
sugar
1 (8-ounce) package
cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated
biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely
chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray
a bundt pan with nonstick cooking
spray. Mix the granulated sugar
and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the
butter and brown sugar over low
heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut
the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes.
Press the biscuits out with
your fingers and sprinkle each with
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar.
Place a cube of cream cheese in
the center of each biscuit, wrapping
and sealing the dough around the
cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of
the nuts into the bottom of the
bundt pan. Place half of the prepared
biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with
cinnamon sugar, pour half of the
melted butter mixture over the biscuits,
and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of
nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits
on top, sprinkle with the remaining
cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining
butter mixture over the biscuits,
and sprinkle with the remaining
1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for
5 minutes. Place a plate on top and
invert.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Scallop and Mushroom Chowder
============================
4 tablespoons butter,
divided use
1/2 pound bay scallops,
rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup all-purpose
flour
1 (8-ounce) package
sliced mushrooms
1 rib celery, finely
chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 (10-ounce) can condensed
cream of potato soup
1 (8-ounce) bottle
clam juice
1 teaspoon seafood
seasoning
In medium pot, over medium-high
heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
Dredge scallops in flour. Shake
off excess and saute in butter for
3 minutes, or until opaque and starting
to color. Use a slotted spoon
to remove scallops from pan and
set aside.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of
butter in pan. Saute mushrooms and
celery for 5 minutes. Stir in wine,
potato soup, clam juice and
seafood seasoning. Bring to boil,
reduce heat and simmer for 10
minutes. Stir in scallops with any
accumulated juice and simmer for
3 minutes.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Red Velvet Cake
===============
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks)
butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa
powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1/2 teaspoon baking
soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
Icing:
1 (8-ounce) package
cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup melted marshmallows
1 (1-pound) box confectioners'
sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing
bowl, cream the sugar and butter,
beat until light and fluffy. Add
the eggs one at a time and mix well
after each addition. Mix cocoa and
food coloring together and then
add to sugar mixture; mix well.
Sift together flour and salt. Add
flour mixture to the creamed mixture
alternately with buttermilk.
Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl,
combine baking soda and vinegar
and add to mixture. Pour batter
into 3 (8-inch) round greased and
floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted
into the center comes out clean.
Remove from heat and cool completely
before frosting.
For The Icing: Blend cream cheese
and butter together in a mixing
bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar
and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts.
Spread between layers and on top
and sides of cooled cake.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Cheese mite excrement
Milbenkäse is produced by placing
a mild white cheese seasoned
with salt and caraway into a container
filled with cheese mites,
which have been lovingly fattened
with rye flour. The happy mites
excrete prodigiously, and the cheese
is kept in confinement until
its rind has achieved a lovely shade
of brown or black. The monument
is a giant statue of a cheese mite.
I doubt it draws many tourists.
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