| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: A Venetian
Bath of Wine and Spice
> Wine Appreciation:
Angoves Red Belly Black Chardonnay 2006
> Food Funnies: Creative
Ways to Add More Fiber To Your Diet
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Olive
Garden Beef Filets in Balsamic Sauce
* Sweet
and Spicy London Broil
* Crock
Pot Pork Chops
* Lemon
Pasta with Chicken
* Spinach
and Bacon Quiche
* Indian
Baked Rice
* Red
Lentil Soup
* Jalapeno
Brownies
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Sirloin
Tip Roast with Bacon
Diabetic: Turkey
Burgers
Low Fat: Caramel
Apple Cobbler
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
Pesto Tips:
* Pesto and pine nuts. May the two
never be torn asunder. Forget
what you read about substituting
walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts.
Pignoli is the only ingredient
that provides the creamy texture
that binds this sauce.
* Never heat pesto sauce; the basil
will turn black and taste bitter.
* Never use dried basil or you're
in for a rude surprise.
* When cut basil is exposed to oxygen,
it eventually blackens. If
you must make pesto ahead
of time, cover the top of the batch with
a light layer of olive oil
and press a piece of plastic wrap evenly
over the surface. Refrigerate.
Leave the pesto out to reach room
temperature before adding
to a recipe.
* Does your pesto taste a tad flat?
Add 1/4 teaspoon of high quality
balsamic vinegar to round
it out. More Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
What ubiquitous
frozen treat dominated America's craving
for sweets in
the 1980's?
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Quote of the Week:
"Vegetables are
a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake,
zucchini
bread, and pumpkin pie."
- Jim Davis,
"Garfield"
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to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
February is: Berry Fresh in the Sunshine State Month
National Snack Food Month
Canned Food Month
North Carolina Sweet Potato Month
Great American Pies Month
National Grapefruit Month
National Cherry Month
National Potato Month
Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month
January 31 - National Brandy Alexander Day
February 1 - National Baked Alaska Day
February 2 - National Heavenly Hash Day
February 3 - National Carrot Cake Day
February 4 - National Stuffed Mushroom Day
February 5 - National Chocolate Fondue Day
February 6 - National Frozen Yogurt Day
February 7 - National Fettucine Alfredo Day
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A Venetian Bath of Wine and
Spice
by Mark Bittman
This is a column about luck, not
skill - or at least not mine.
Having become enamored of Peasant,
on Elizabeth Street, I discovered
that the chef, Frank DeCarlo, also
ran the newer Bacaro. (Bacaro is
the name given to a Venetian bar
serving what are called cicchetti
but are better known elsewhere as
tapas - or small plates, or snacks.)
The first time I ate at Bacaro I
was struck - even dumbstruck - by
one particular dish. It’s a marinated
rib-eye, and part of the luck
came in ordering it in the first
place, since I’m not big on
marinating meat that tastes fine
just by itself. This, however, was
clearly an ancient recipe - you
could taste the sweet spices and the
rich red wine immediately - and
an unusual one.
The next time I saw Frank I asked
him about it, and he agreed to
share the recipe. Turns out it is
indeed an ancient Northern Italian
preparation, originally created
for horsemeat. To improve the flavor
of the meat, this powerful marinade
relied on rich local wine
(typically, says Frank, Amarone,
but you can use something cheaper,
as long as it’s full-bodied), along
with aromatic spices.
It’s dead easy. Start with a relatively
thin rib-eye. Marinate for
one to three days. (We tried one
of these steaks after a 30-minute
marinade; it was good, but different.
Try longer first.)
The cooking should be quick and
hot, in a heavy pan, for just about
two minutes per side; you might
generate a bit of smoke but the
cooking time is short enough that
it will be tolerable.
Which makes us even luckier, given
that indoor steak-grilling season
is here for real.
Old-Fashioned Marinated Rib-Eye
===============================
1/2 bottle rich, full-bodied
red wine, preferably Amarone
2 tablespoons sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated
nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 (8 - 12 ounce) rib-eye
steaks, about 1/2-inch thick
Salt and pepper
1. Combine wine and sugar in a large
pot and bring to boil; lower
heat and simmer for
10 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon
and orange zest, and
remove pan from heat to cool.
2. Put steaks in a large baking dish
and pour marinade over them.
Marinate steaks in
refrigerator for at least several hours and up
to three days.
3. Take steaks out of the marinade,
season with salt and pepper, and
cook them in a very
hot skillet, about 2 minutes each side for
medium rare. (You can
grill or broil them if you prefer.) Slice
the meat about 1/4-inch
thick and serve.
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THE
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The #1 Cookbook Collection In The World!
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This Week's Wine Selection:
===========================
Angoves Red Belly Black Chardonnay
2006 Price: $11
This wine is bright pale straw in
color with green hints, and
shows abundant white peach and citrus
on the nose. The palate is
soft and luscious with nectarine
and lemon flavors being supported
by spicy vanillin oak.
Serve With:
Calypso Shrimp Pasta
====================
1/2 teaspoon salt and
pepper
12 oz. shrimp, medium
size, peeled and deveined
4 oz. butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup green onions,
sliced thin
1 cup Calypso Broth
(recipe below)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups linguine or
spaghetti, cooked
4 tablespoons tomatoes,
diced 1/4"
Season your shrimp with salt and
pepper while you heat a skillet
with the butter added. Add the shrimp
and scallions; cook until they
begin to turn opaque. Add the calypso
broth and cream. Bring this to
a boil and reduce until the sauce
starts to thicken slightly, add
the pasta. Cook for an additional
2 minutes to heat the pasta.
Garnish with diced tomatoes.
Calypso Broth
=============
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup clam juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons blackening
seasoning
cayenne pepper, to
taste
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
Place all ingredients in a bowl
and mix well with a wire whip then
cover and refrigerate until needed.
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http://www.littlefivers.com =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
FOOD FUNNIES: Creative Ways to Add
More Fiber To Your Diet
==========================================================
9. Make fruit smoothies in a high-speed
blender using a wooden spoon.
8. If they didn’t want you to eat
the bag, why do they call it a
Brown Bag Lunch?
7. Eat a lot of pineapple. Whole.
6. "It’s not spinach spaghetti -
it’s an old green sweater that
came unraveled, with
alfredo!"
5. Switch from Mojitos to "De-Spacklers":
1 part vodka, 1 part
vermouth and 9 parts
pulped oat bran.
4. When you have Cedar-Plank Salmon,
make sure you eat the plank too.
3. Knit your own tortillas.
2. When ordering seafood, always
request it served on a bed of
the line it was caught
with.
... and the #1 Creative Way To Add
More Fiber To Your Diet ...
1. Out: Banana split. In: Hot fudge
cauliflower sundae.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Olive Garden Beef Filets in Balsamic
Sauce
==========================================
4 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, medium
and sliced thin
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 fresh rosemary sprigs,
finely chopped
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
4 beef tenderloin filets
(6 oz each)
parsley, finely chopped
Rosemary sprig, for
garnish
Heat oil and butter in large saute
pan over medium heat. Add sliced
onions, salt, and pepper. Cook 10
minutes or until caramelized
(softened and golden brown), stirring
frequently. Add wine, broth,
vinegar and chopped rosemary. Bring
to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
for 10-15 minutes or until sauce
is reduced by half.
Rub beef filets with oil, then season
with salt and pepper. Grill to
preferred temperature. Place grilled
filets on a large platter; top
with sauce. Garnish with parsley
and rosemary.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Sweet and Spicy London Broil
============================
1 flank steak (about
1 3/4 pound)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
2 tablespoons sweet
paprika
2 tablespoon light
brown sugar
1 tablespoons kosher
salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 lime, zested
Preheat a broiler to high. Bring
the steaks to room temperature
about 20 minutes before cooking.
Mix the olive oil, paprika, sugar,
chili powder, salt, chili powder,
and zest in a bowl to make a paste.
Rub the spice mixture all over
the steak. Broil until just charred
and crispy on top, about 6 minutes
on 1 side. Flip the steak and cook
until beginning to char, about
6 minutes more or until rare and
temperature registers 115F on an
instant-read thermometer. Place
the steak on a cutting board and let
rest, tented with foil for about
10 minutes. Slice across the grain
and serve.
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Crock Pot Pork Chops
====================
8 boneless pork chops
(1/2 inch thick)
2 tablespoons olive
oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans
condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons worcestershire
sauce
In a large skillet, cook pork chops
in oil until lightly browned on
each side. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper and place in crockpot. In a
bowl, combine the soup, garlic,
onion, ketchup and Worcestershire
sauce and pour over chops. Cover
and cook on high for 4-5 hours or
until meat juices run clear.
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Lemon Pasta with Chicken
========================
1 pound dried penne
2 chicken cutlets,
cut into fingers
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
flakes
3 tablespoons olive
oil
3 tablespoons roughly
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Cook the pasta in a large pot of
boiling salted water, until al
dente. Drain well. Season chicken
with salt and pepper. Heat a
large grill pan over medium high
and add chicken. Grill until
golden and completely cooked. Remove
to a plate and slice.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes
to a saute pan with 3 tbls.
of olive oil and saute until fragrant.
Add the cooked pasta and
turn heat off. Mix all together.
Remove pasta to a large bowl. Add
chicken to the warm pasta and season
with salt and pepper. Sprinkle
in chopped parsley. Add the juice
of 2 lemons and mix. Before
serving top with Parmesan.
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Spinach and Bacon Quiche
========================
6 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped fresh
baby spinach, packed
1 pound bacon, cooked
and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded
Swiss cheese
1 (9-inch) pie crust,
fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate
Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine
the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper
in a food processor or blender.
Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese
in the bottom of the pie crust,
then pour the egg mixture on top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until
the egg mixture is set. Cut into
8 wedges to serve.
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Indian Baked Rice
=================
basmati rice (19 oz.)
5 tablespoons vegetable
oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large onion, halved
lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large garlic clove,
minced
1 small fresh jalapeno
chile, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon finely grated
peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken broth,
heated
Wash rice in 6 or 7 changes of cold
water in a large bowl until
water is almost clear. Drain in
a large sieve 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325F. Heat oil in
a 4-5 quart heavy ovenproof pot
over moderate heat until hot but
not smoking, then cook almonds,
stirring frequently, until golden,
3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a
slotted spoon to paper towels to
drain, then add onion to pot and
cook over moderately high heat,
stirring frequently, until pale
golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic,
jalapeno, garam masala, ginger,
and salt and cook, stirring frequently,
1 minute. Add rice and cook
over moderately low heat, stirring
frequently, 6 minutes. Add broth
and simmer briskly, uncovered, until
top of rice appears dry, about
8 minutes.
Cover pot and bake rice in middle
of oven until tender and liquid
is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove
from oven and let stand,
covered, 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled
with almonds.
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Red Lentil Soup
===============
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive
oil
4 garlic cloves, finely
chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup red lentils (7
ounces), picked over and rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped
flat-leaf parsley
lemon wedges
Cook onion in oil with 1/2 teaspoon
salt in a medium heavy
saucepan over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until softened,
about 8 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and
thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute
more. Add lentils, broth, water,
1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon
pepper and simmer, partially covered,
stirring occasionally, until
lentils are very soft and falling
apart, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig,
then puree 2 cups of mixture in
blender (use caution when blending
hot liquids) and return to pan.
Stir in parsley and season with
salt.
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Jalapeno Brownies
=================
4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened
baking chocolate
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped
fresh jalapenos
1 cups chopped toasted
walnuts
Melt chocolate with shortening in
a microwave or over a double
boiler. Mix flour with baking powder
and salt. Beat eggs well; then
gradually beat in the sugar. Blend
in the chocolate mixture and
vanilla. Add flour mixture and blend
well, stir in jalapenos and
nuts. Spread in a greased 9"x13"
pan. Bake in a preheated 350F oven
for 25-30 minutes.
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This Week's Culinary
Quiz Answer: Frozen Yogurt
Although frozen yogurt has
been made since at least the 1970s,
it's popularity exploded in the
1980s as a low fat alternative to
ice cream. It’s made like ice cream,
constantly churned at a very
low temperature, and, with the
exception of the yogurt cultures,
the ingredients are also similar.
Frozen yogurt chains, such
as TCBY, popped up in the eighties,
and added sugar to their yogurt,
making a previously sour food much
more marketable. TCBY offered a
variety of yogurt flavors, plus a
delightful array of tasty toppings,
such as fruit and crushed up
candy and cookies.
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