| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: I Say It's
Wabbit Season
> Wine Appreciation:
Milbrandt Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
> Food Funnies: Signs
You’ve Signed Up for the Wrong Cooking Class
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Red
Lobster Shrimp Pasta
* Oven
Fried Chicken
* Chipotle
Tamale Pie
* Herbed
Pork Roast
* Sweet
Potato Fries
* Greek
Salad
* Breakfast
Bread
* Berry
Tiramisu
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Bacon
Muffins
Diabetic: Chicken
Pasta Salad
Low Fat: Green
Goddess Dressing
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This Week's Cooking Tips
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tips:
* Always add the chocolate morsels
last to the mix. It's best
when they are very cold.
Just barely stir the morsels in --
don't over mix.
* Cream the shortening and sugar
well. All the rest of the
ingredients can be just mixed
in, but proper creaming of the
shortening and sugar is important.
* Make sure that your baking pans
are cool between cookie batches.
* Substitute cherry flavored morsels
for 1/2 of the chocolate
morsels for a new taste treat.
* Drop your cookies extra thick (use
an ice cream scoop), flatten
the top a little, then place
the cookie sheet in the refrigerator
for twenty minutes. Take
the sheet from the refrigerator and bake
at 375 degrees until the
cookie's edges are slightly brown and you
will have a soft centered
delight. More Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
Though technically considered
to be a fruit, this item is
traditionally served as an
accompaniment to savory dishes in
Jamaica. What is it?
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Quote of the Week:
"Every morning
one must start from scratch, with nothing
on the
stoves. That is cuisine."
- Fernand
Point (1897-1955)
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
April is: National Food Month
Fresh Florida Tomato Month
National Pecan Month
April 10 - National Cinnamon Crescent Day
April 11 - National Cheese Fondue Day
April 12 - National Licorice Day
April 13 - National Peach Cobbler Day
April 14 - National Pecan Day
April 15 - National Glazed Ham Day
April 16 - National Eggs Benedict Day
April 17 - National Cheeseball Day
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Personalized
Chef Coats
Kick it up a notch with
a touch of class! Create a
personalized and professional
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I Say It's Wabbit Season
By John Havel
Rarebit, Welsh rarebit, or Welsh
rabbit, is traditionally a sauce
made from a mixture of cheese and
butter, poured over toasted bread
which has been buttered. An English
dish, it is normally made with
Cheddar cheese, in contrast to the
Continental European fondue which
classically depends on Swiss cheeses
and of which Welsh rabbit was
a local variant.
The first recorded use of the term
Welsh rabbit was in 1725, but
the origin of the term is uncertain.
It may be an ironic name coined
in the days when the Welsh were
notoriously poor: only better-off
people could afford butcher's meat,
and while in England rabbit was
the poor man's meat, in Wales the
poor man's meat was cheese.
Creative application by various
chefs has led to the term rarebit
being used for a variety of other
dishes comprising cheese on
toasted bread, a notable example
being buck rarebit which has a
poached egg added, either on top
of or beneath the cheese sauce.
Because such variants depend only
on the creativity of chefs, the
list of names is endless.
Their ingredients here are very
simple, as the cheese itself is the
star. Traditionally a good rarebit
was enhanced by the addition of
wine, ale, or beer, mustard, salt
or pepper. In its later American
forms, eggs and milk replaced the
wine and ales, perhaps because of
the dish's place in family suppers.
Likewise blends of mild and
strong cheeses were suggested to
balance flavor and meltability, and
thereby approached the white and
bland character dictated by the
culinary ideals of the day.
Because of it's simplicity, you
want to use the finest ingredients;
primarily the sharpest cheese available.
As for the toast the
English were serious about their
toasts, one of the key culinary
forms of their early cookery. They
did various kinds of toasting
calculated to bring out appropriate
textures and flavors, according
to a recipe's requirements.
This also makes a very tasty cheese
sauce. It's fantastic with fresh
vegetables and grilled meats alike.
You can also use it in macaroni
and cheese or as a fondue.
Welsh Rarebit
===========
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1/2 cup dark beer
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups extra sharp
shredded Cheddar
dash of cayenne pepper
4 slices toasted rye
bread
In a medium saucepan over low heat,
melt the butter and whisk in
the flour to make a roux. Cook,
whisking constantly for 2 to 3
minutes. Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire
sauce, salt, and pepper
until smooth. Add beer and whisk
to combine. Pour in cream and whisk
until well combined and smooth.
Gradually add cheese, stirring
constantly, until cheese melts and
sauce is smooth; this will take
4 to 5 minutes. Add cayenne. Pour
over toast and serve immediately.
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==========================
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This Week's Wine Selection
Woop Woop Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Price: $13
Vivid ruby. Ripe but energetic aromas
of blackberry, cherry, licorice,
tobacco and herbs, complicated by
cracked pepper and exotic spices;
smells like a $50 Napa cabernet.
Lush, pliant and sweet, with a
layered, chewy texture to the flavors
of red and black fruits, bitter
chocolate and spices. This is really
packed with fruit but there's a
litheness to it as well. Finishes
with fine, palate-dusting tannins
and lingering sweetness. A fantastic
value.
Serve With:
Filet Mignon with Balsamic Glaze
=========================
2 (4 ounce) filet mignon
steaks
1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over
both sides of each steak, and
sprinkle with salt to taste. Heat
a nonstick skillet over medium-high
heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and
cook for 1 minute on each side,
or until browned. Reduce heat to
medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar
and red wine. Cover, and cook for
4 minutes on each side, basting
with sauce when you turn the meat
over.
Remove steaks to two warmed plates,
spoon one tablespoon of glaze
over each, and serve immediately.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Signs You’ve
Signed Up for the Wrong Cooking Class
7. It seems as though sewer water
is a main ingredient in many of
your "Third World"
cooking class recipes.
6. Every recipe, same thing: Fava
beans, Chianti ... and the student
who failed last week’s
"quiz".
5. You have to bring your own Easy-Bake
oven.
4. "The water is hot enough for blanching
when it scalds your hand."
3. The teacher is known only as "Jack",
and he seems a little
overenthusiastic in
teaching you how to cut through bone.
2. Meat Pies 101: Instructor S. Todd
... and the #1 Sign You’ve Signed
Up for the Wrong Cooking Class ...
1. Only meets after sundown; garlic
strictly prohibited.
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Red Lobster Shrimp Pasta
=====================
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shrimp, peeled,
deveined and remove tails
2/3 cup clam juice
or chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon
juice
2 tablespoons chopped
parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried
basil
1/4 teaspoonand dried
oregano
1 (8 oz.) package linguine,
cooked and drained
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add garlic; reduce
heat to low. Simmer until garlic
is tender. Add shrimp in same
skillet and cook over medium-low
heat until opaque. Remove; reserve
liquid in pan. Add clam juice; bring
to a boil. Add wine; cook over
medium-high heat 3 minutes, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat to low;
add cream, stirring constantly.
Add cheese; stir until smooth. Cook
until thickened. Add shrimp to sauce.
Heat through. Add remaining
ingredients except linguine. Pour
over linguine in large bowl; toss
gently to coat. Serve with additional
grated Parmesan cheese.
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Oven Fried Chicken
================
1 1/3 cups rice-corn
crispy cereal, (recommended: Crispex)
2 1/4 cups broken bagel
chips or melba toast
1 tablespoon canola
oil
2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 bone-in, skinless
chicken pieces (about 6 oz. each)
Preheat the oven to 400F. Set a
rack on a foil lined baking sheet.
Spray the rack generously with cooking
spray. Finely grind the cereal
and toasts together in a food processor.
Transfer crumbs to a large
gallon size plastic bag. Add the
oil, salt, cayenne, paprika, and
ground pepper and toss to mix thoroughly.
Whisk the mayonnaise and
Dijon mustard together in a medium
shallow bowl. Add chicken to
mayonnaise and turn to coat all
the pieces evenly. Drop the chicken
into the plastic bag, seal and shake
until each piece is evenly
coated. Place coated pieces on the
prepared rack. Spray the chicken
pieces evenly with cooking spray,
and bake until the coating crisps
and browns, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and serve
hot or at room temperature.
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Chipotle Tamale Pie
================
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1 pound, lean ground
turkey
1 medium yellow onion,
chopped
1 green bell pepper,
diced
2 garlic cloves, finely
minced
2 teaspoons ground
cumin
1 (15-ounce) can pinto
beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can diced
tomatoes
2 chipotle chiles,
plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from can
1 cup grated Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped fresh
cilantro leaves
1 (8.5-ounce) package
cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an
8-inch baking dish with the butter
and set it aside. Heat the olive
oil in a nonstick skillet over
medium heat. Add the ground turkey,
the onions, green peppers, and
garlic and cook until the turkey
is no longer pink and is cooked
through, about 8 minutes. Drain
off any excess fat and sprinkle the
meat mixture with the cumin.
Add the beans, tomatoes, chiles
and adobo sauce to the skillet and
bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer
until heated through and slightly
thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove
pan from the heat and stir in the
cheese and cilantro.
Spread the turkey mixture in the
prepared baking dish, pressing down
on it with the back of a spoon to
make an even, compact layer. Combine
the cornbread mix with milk and
egg. Spread the cornbread batter over
the turkey mixture and bake until
the cornbread is golden-brown, 20 to
25 minutes. Let the tamale pie stand
for 5 minutes before cutting into
squares and serving.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Herbed Pork Roast
===============
2 tablespoons finely
chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons fresh
rosemary leaves
10 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fennel
seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher
salt
1 tablespoon freshly
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dry white
wine
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1 (6-pound) boneless
pork Boston shoulder roast (not tied)
Preheat oven to 275F. Blend together
sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel
seeds, salt, and pepper in a food
processor until a thick paste forms.
With motor running, add wine and
oil and blend until combined well.
If necessary, trim fat from top
of pork, to leave a 1/8-inch thick
layer of fat. Make 3 small incisions,
each about 1-inch long and
1-inch deep, in each side of pork
with a small sharp knife, and fill
each with about 1 teaspoon herb
paste. Spread remaining herb paste
over pork, concentrating on boned
side, and tie roast with kitchen
string at 2-inch intervals.
Put pork, fat side up, in a roasting
pan and roast in middle of oven
6 hours. Transfer roast to cutting
board and let stand 15 minutes.
Discard string and cut pork roast
(with an electric knife if you have
one) into thick slices.
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Sweet Potato Fries
===============
Nonstick vegetable
oil spray
1 1/2 pounds red-skinned
sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut
into 1/2-inch-wide
slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons olive
oil
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 garlic clove, minced
Preheat oven to 500F. Spray large
baking sheet with vegetable oil
spray. Toss sweet potatoes with
oil in large bowl. Sprinkle
generously with salt and pepper.
Spread sweet potatoes in single
layer on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until sweet potatoes are tender
and golden brown, turning occasionally,
about 30 minutes. Transfer
sweet potatoes to platter.
Mix parsley, thyme and garlic in
small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet
potatoes and serve immediately.
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Greek Salad
==========
1 head iceburg lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce
1 lb. plum (roma) tomatoes
6 oz. greek or black
olives, sliced
4 oz. radishes, sliced
4 oz. feta cheese
2 oz. anchovies (optional)
Dressing:
3 oz. olive oil
3 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
Wash and cut lettuce into 1 1/2"
pieces. Slice tomatoes in
quarters. Combine lettuce, tomatoes,
olives, and radishes in
large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients
together and then toss with
vegetables. Pour out into a shallow
serving bowl. Crumble feta
cheese over all, and arrange anchovy
fillets on top (if desired).
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Breakfast Bread
=============
2 packages (.25 oz.
each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water,
divided
1/4 cup plum pastry
filling
l/4 cup vegetable oil
l/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
2 eggs
6 to 6 1/2 cups unbleached
all purpose flour, divided
8 teaspoons wheat gluten
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, coarsely
chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped dried
apricots
1/3 cup chopped dried
apple
In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in
l/2 cup warm water. Add l l/2 cups
warm water, plum filling, oil, sugar,
honey, salt, cinnamon, eggs and
3 cups flour and wheat gluten. Beat
until smooth. Stir in enough flour
to form a soft dough.
Turn onto floured surface; knead
until smooth and elastic, 8-l0
minutes. Place in greased bowl,
turning once to grease top. Cover and
let rise in a warm place until doubled,
about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, mix fruit and nuts in
bowl and set aside. Grease two
(9x5x3-inch) loaf pans;
Punch dough down. Turn onto lightly
floured surface; divide in half.
Sprinkle each with half of fruit
and nut mixture; knead well. Shape
into loaves. Place in prepared loaf
pans; oil top of loaves. Cover
and let rise until doubled, about
45 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375F oven for
35-40 minutes or until golden
brown. Cover loosely with foil if
top browns too quickly. Remove
from pans to wire racks to cool.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Berry Tiramisu
===========
3 pints blueberries
2/3 cup granulated
sugar
3 tablespoons fresh
lemon juice
3 (6-ounce) containers
raspberries
About 40 Italian-style
ladyfingers (savoiardi)
1 (16- to 17.5-ounce)
container mascarpone, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioner's
sugar
1 cup heavy cream
At least 8 hours before serving
the tiramisu, combine the
blueberries, granulated sugar, and
lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed,
nonreactive medium saucepan. Bring
to a boil over medium heat,
stirring occasionally to dissolve
the sugar. Reduce the heat to
medium and simmer, uncovered, until
the berries give off their
juices, about 5 minutes. Add the
raspberries and cook until they
are heated through but still hold
their shape, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Arrange half of the ladyfingers
in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish,
trimming them as necessary to fit.
Spoon half of the hot berry sauce
evenly over the ladyfingers. Top
with the remaining ladyfingers,
then the remaining sauce. Let stand
until cooled, about 30 minutes.
Combine the mascarpone and confectioner's
sugar in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer on low speed,
gradually beat in the heavy
cream. Spread the mascarpone mixture
over the ladyfingers. Cover
loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate
until chilled, at least
4 hours. Serve chilled.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Avocado Pear
In Jamaica when you
talk about pears you can only be referring
to one thing; the avocado
pear. This is traditionally served as
an accompanying vegetable
during cooked breakfast and dinner
courses. It is also sometimes
enjoyed with a flat, dense cake
known as a "Bulla".
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