The VJJE Recipe Weekly Vol. 14 No. 16

* Never place meat directly over an open flame. An open flame is an
   indication of incomplete combustion, the fire will discolor the
   meat by leaving a black carbon residue on the meat. Actually an
   open flame has a lower temperature than coals that are glowing red.

* Whenever barbecuing, use tongs to turn the meat. A fork should
never be used, for it will punch holes in the flesh and allow
the natural juices to escape and loose flavor and become chewy.

* Tomato and/or sugar based BBQ sauces should be added only at the
   end of the grilling process. These products will burn easily and
   are seldom considered an internal meat flavoring. Once added, the
   meat should be turned often to minimize the possibility of burning.
   More Cooking Tips

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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer at the bottom of page)

Which salad existed as early as the ancient Roman times and
whose modern translation appears to have been derived from the
Dutch term "koolsalade"?

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Quote of the Week:

"You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way
of eating jellybeans."

- Ronald Reagan

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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:

           April is: National Food Month
                     Fresh Florida Tomato Month
                     National Pecan Month

            April 17 - National Cheeseball Day
            April 18 - National Animal Crackers Day
            April 19 - National Amaretto Day
            April 20 - National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day
            April 21 - National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day
            April 22 - National Jelly Bean Day
            April 23 - National Cherry Cheesecake Day
            April 24 - National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day

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Hamming It Up For Easter
By John Havel

In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early
days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration,
and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months
before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a long time,
and the first hams were ready around the time Easter rolled around.
Thus, ham was a natural choice for the celebratory Easter dinner.

Hams come in many types. They're fully cooked or uncooked, wet-cured
or dry cured, bone-in, semi-boneless or boneless. Should you buy a
whole ham, a shank half, a butt half, or a canned ham? How do you
choose a ham?

The three most common types of ham in the United States are fresh
ham, city ham and country ham. Fresh ham is not cured and can be
cooked like any other cut of fresh pork. Wet curing is the most
popular method for curing ham. Traditionally, a fresh ham was soaked
in a liquid curing solution for a couple of weeks so that the cure
could penetrate the meat. Today, fresh hams are injected with a curing
solution and cure in just a day or two. After the ham is cured, it is
usually smoked. The result is a "city ham", a moist, juicy ham like
the ones you find in the supermarket.

Dry curing is the process used to make "country ham" like the famous
Smithfield ham from Virginia. A country ham starts out as a fresh ham
that is rubbed with a dry cure mixture, smoked in a smokehouse, then
aged at 75-80F or higher in rooms or barn-like structures for a period
of a few months to more than a year.

My favorite ham is one that is sold in the refrigerated case at your
grocery store and labelled "ready to cook" - preferably with the
bone in (more flavor). Yes, you will need to cook it for several hours,
but this is where the flavor will kick in. Simply warming up a
pre-cooked (or canned) ham and decorating it with pineapple and
cherries doesn't take much work, and the taste proves it. I wouldn't
serve pre-cooked turkey for Thanksgiving, and an Easter dinner deserves
the same respect.

Easter Baked Ham
===============
    1 city style (brined) ham, bone in
    1/4 cup brown mustard
    1 ounce bourbon
    2 cups dark brown sugar
    2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies

Heat oven to 250F. Remove ham from bag, rinse and drain thoroughly.
Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Using a small paring
knife, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you
cut being careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers
of fat. Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more
than 2-inches across. Once you've made it all the way around, move
the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counter clockwise.
The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham.

Tent the ham with heavy duty foil, insert a thermometer, and cook
for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest
part of the meat registers 130F. Remove and use tongs to pull away
the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them.

Heat oven to 350F. Dab the ham dry with paper towels. Combine mustard
and bourbon and then brush on a liberal coating using a basting brush.
Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is
coated. Then loosely pack on as much of the crushed cookies as you
can. Insert the thermometer and return to the oven (uncovered). Cook
until interior temperature reaches 140F, approximately 1 hour. Let the
roast rest for 1/2 hour before carving.

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This Week's Wine Selection

Razor's Edge Shiraz 2008 Price: $11

The Razor's Edge Shiraz is dark purple in color, yet bright and
appealing in its clarity of fruit flavors, persisting on the finish
against firm tannins. A terrific value if you like the style, this
is an impressively concentrated, slightly syrupy Shiraz imbued with
potent cassis fruit and framed with vanilla oak.

Serve With:

Grilled Maple-Brined Pork Chops
==========================
Brine:
    1 cup kosher salt
    3/4 cup sugar
    1 cup Grade B maple syrup
    3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
    2 tablespoons juniper berries
    1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
    1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
    12 garlic cloves, smashed
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

    8 cups water
    4 center-cut loin pork chops, 1 1/2 inches thick
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1/4 cup vegetable oil for grilling

Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and
bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that
the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool,
then put it in a large nonreactive container and add the pork chops.
Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.

Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).
Prepare a grill with hot and medium cooking areas. A grill is hot
when you can't hold your hand near the grill surface for longer than
2 seconds without pulling it away; it's medium when you can't hold
your hand there for longer than 4 seconds.

Season the chops with pepper (not salt - remember, the brining
solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly
over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on
each side. Then move the chops to the medium area of the grill, cover
the grill, and cook to the desired doneness. Use an instant-read
digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops.
A reading of 145F to 150F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160F is
well-done. Serve immediately.

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FOOD FUNNIES: Signs You’re Not at an Authentic Cajun Restaurant

9. The bread pudding is a chocolate scoop of goo on a
slice of Wonder bread.

8. Appetizers include blackened toast.

7. Crawmoms?

6. The Red Beans and Rice-a-Roni was a dead giveaway.

5. You consumed the whole meal without needing a drink of
water or a napkin.

4. The fried catfish still has the fur on it.

3. The spices are Paul Newman, not Paul Prudhomme.

2. You ask for Tabasco and they give you a blank stare.

... and the #1 Sign You’re Not at an Authentic Cajun Restaurant ...

1. Jambalaya contains "Aunt Dewey" sausage.

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KFC Honey Barbecued Wings
========================
    20 Chicken Wings, tips removed
    2 cups flour
    2 eggs
    2/3 cup milk
    1 Bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce
    1/4 cup honey
    oil for deep frying

Wash the chicken wings, then remove the wing tips; cut the other
two pieces in half. Shake off the excess water.

Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Mix
together the BBQ sauce and honey. Set aside.

Put the flour into a bag, then shake the wings in it, to lightly
coat. Roll the wings in the egg wash, then toss them back into the
bag. You want a fairly heavy coating of flour so the BBQ sauce has
something to hang onto. Repeat 2-3 times.

Heat a large skillet or use your deep fryer. Heat oil until it's
very hot (around 350F). Fry the wings until they're golden brown.
Remove and drain on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 325F. Dip each wing in the BBQ sauce and place on
a greased cookie sheet. Make sure the pieces don't touch each other.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they no longer look shiny.

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Brisket with Burgundy-Orange Sauce
============================
    1 envelope onion soup mix
    1 1/2 cups Burgundy wine
    1/4 cup water
    2 tablespoons flour
    1 tablespoon dried basil
    2 teaspoons dried thyme
    1/3 cup orange marmalade
    1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
    2 teaspoons sugar
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    4 lbs. beef brisket
    1 lb. mushrooms, cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 300F. In a roaster into which the brisket fits
comfortably, stir together the soup mix, wine, water and flour until
blended. Stir in the basil, thyme, marmalade, orange peel, sugar,
garlic and pepper. Add the brisket, spooning some of the sauce over
the top and distributing the mushrooms evenly around the brisket.
Cover and bake for 4 hours, basting every hour, until tender when
pierced with a fork. If the sauce bubbles too rapidly, reduce the
oven temperature to 275F.

Remove from the oven and place the brisket on a sheet of heavy foil.
Pour the sauce into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. When the brisket
is cool, wrap in foil and refrigerate. Remove solidified fat from
the sauce and discard. Slice the brisket thinly against the grain.
Overlap slices in a shallow, ovenproof dish that is just large enough
to hold them. Pour the sauce over the meat and heat in the oven until
hot and bubbly.

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Clams Oreganata
==============
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    4 canned whole plum tomatoes, drained, seeded, and coarsely chopped
    2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
    3 lbs. very small (1-inch) hard-shelled clams such as Manila clams
      or cockles, scrubbed well
    1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
    1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

Cook garlic in oil in a deep 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately
low heat, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in
tomatoes and 1 tablespoon oregano and cook, stirring occasionally,
until tomatoes break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with pepper. Add
clams, stirring well to coat, then cover pot tightly and increase
heat to moderately high. Cook, stirring once, until clams open,
5 to 7 minutes. (Discard any clams that have not opened after
7 minutes.)

While clams are cooking, toss together bread crumbs, zest, and
remaining tablespoon oregano. Divide clams and pan juices among
8 shallow bowls, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

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Chicken and Green Olive Enchiladas
============================
    1 (4 1/2-pound) chicken, quartered
    4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
    8 tablespoons olive oil
    2 cups finely chopped onions
    3 tablespoons chopped garlic
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    5 tablespoons hot Mexican-style chili powder
    3 tablespoons all purpose flour
    1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate
    16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
    1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 1/2 cups)
    1 cup drained pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced

Place chicken and broth in heavy large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce
heat to medium-low, partially cover pot and simmer until chicken is
cooked, about 30 minutes. Cool chicken in broth. Strain broth and
spoon off fat; reserve broth. Remove chicken skin and bones; discard.
Shred chicken coarsely; transfer to large bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add
1 cup onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon. Cover. Cook until
onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix
in chili powder and flour; stir 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in 4 1/2
cups broth. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil until reduced to
3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper. Cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add
1 tortilla and cook until just pliable, about 20 seconds per side.
Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining
tortillas, adding oil as needed.

Spread 1/3 cup sauce in each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking
dishes. Mix 1 cup sauce into chicken. Arrange 8 tortillas on work
surface. Spoon 3 tablespoons cheese, 1 tablespoon olives, 1 tablespoon
onion and 1/4 cup chicken over center of each. Roll up tortillas.
Arrange seam side down in 1 prepared dish. Repeat with remaining
tortillas, 1 1/2 cups cheese, olives, onion and chicken.

Preheat oven to 375F. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce, then
sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake until sauce bubbles, about 10 minutes. Let
stand 10 minutes.

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Spaghetti with Sicilian Meatballs
=========================
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 1/2 cups chopped onion
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    3 oz. cooking sherry
    2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes in juice
    4 oz. grated Romano cheese
    4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

    2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
    3 tablespoons milk
    1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    1/4 cup finely chopped onion
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
    1 large egg
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1/2 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
    1/2 lb. ground beef
    2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
    2 tablespoons dried currants

1 pound spaghetti

For Sauce: Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add
onion; saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1
minute. Add sherry and stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juices,
Romano cheese, and 2 tablespoons basil; bring to boil. Reduce heat;
simmer until sauce thickens, breaking up tomatoes with fork, about
1 hour. Mix in 2 tablespoons basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Set sauce aside.

For Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil baking sheet. Mix
crumbs and milk in medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Mix in Parmesan,
onion, basil, egg, garlic and pepper. Add sausage, ground beef, pine
nuts and currants; blend well. Using wet hands, form mixture into
1 1/4-inch balls. Place on baking sheet. Bake until meatballs are
light brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Add to sauce.

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just
tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Mound in dish. Bring sauce
and meatballs to simmer. Spoon over spaghetti.

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Corn Dogs
=========
    1 cup cornmeal
    1 3/4 cups flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 egg
    1/3 cup sugar
    milk
    24 hot dogs
    24 wooden skewers
    oil

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, egg and sugar. Add
milk until batter has a pancake type consistency (Too much milk,
and batter wont stay on hot dogs, too little and your batter when
fried will be cracked).

Dry off hot dogs with paper towels, coat with flour, and skewer
through the center of the corndog. Heat 2" deep oil to 370F or use
a deep fryer. Pour batter into a tall drinking glass. Dip skewered
hot dogs into batter mix and coat evenly. Fry until golden brown,
about 2 1/2 minutes. Let cool and drain on a paper towel. Serve with
ketchup, mustard, tarter sauce or a dressing of your choosing.

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Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
=====================
    8 or 9 asparagus spears, depending on size
    1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed
    1/4 cup butter, melted
    1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375F. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus.
Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve
1 stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep
it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with
some melted butter. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. Place 2 to 3
asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly-roll
style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush
with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat
until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in
oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

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Fruit Salad with Cannoli Cream
========================
    1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
    2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup whipping cream
    3 tablespoons powdered sugar
    Pinch ground cinnamon
    12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 2 1/2 cups)
    1/2 dry pint fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    2 kiwi, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Stir the ricotta and 2 tablespoons of cream in a medium bowl to
blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/3 cup of cream,
powdered sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl until semi-firm peaks
form. Fold the ricotta into the whipped cream. Place in the
refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to stiffen and yield a creamier
filling. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Toss the strawberries, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a
medium bowl to combine. Let stand until juices form, tossing
occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the kiwi.

Spoon the fruit mixture into 4 dessert bowls. Dollop the ricotta
cream atop the fruit. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

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This Week's Culinary Quiz Answer: Coleslaw

"Koolsalade" translates to cabbage salad, cabbage being the base
ingredient for coleslaw. This base can be complimented with grated
carrot, cheese, onion, pineapple and red cabbage. To complete the
coleslaw it can be dressed with a vinaigrette or mayonnaise, though
it's highly unlikely that the ancient Romans used the latter dressing
as mayonnaise did not appear until sometime in the eighteenth century.

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