| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: The Flavor
of Spring
> Wine Appreciation:
Hogue Genesis Syrah 2006
> Food Funnies: The
Worst Cookbook Titles In The World
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Red
Lobster Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
* Spareribs
with Cherry Cola Glaze
* Texas
Beef Brisket
* Stuffed
Turkey Burgers
* Grilled
Salmon with Merlot Sauce
* Minted
Green Beans with Red Onion
* Classic
Cobb Salad
* Pecan
Pie Muffins
> Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Pork
Medallions Dijon
Diabetic: Texas
Bean Dip
Low Fat: Sugar
& Spice Zucchini Bread
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
* If you've ever made soup or sauces
and stored the leftovers in the
refrigerator, you know they
thicken as they sit. But be careful
when you reheat it. On the
one hand, you don't want it to scorch
from being too thick. On
the other hand, you don't want to
overestimate how thick it
is. Let it begin to warm up before you
add liquid (water, cream,
milk, etc.) When it is just starting to
get warm, you will be better
able to judge its consistency.
* If you don't have time to make
a cream sauce for vegetables, just
combine equal parts mayonnaise
and water used to cook the
vegetables. Season to taste.
* Instead of salting gravy, enrich
both the gravy's color and flavor
by using a little soy sauce.
* When measuring shortening, first
line the measuring cup with
plastic wrap. Spoon shortening
into the cup, pack it tightly to the
rim and pull out by tugging
on the plastic wrap. The cup stays
clean and the shortening
can be used immediately or refrigerated.
More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary
Quiz (Answer at the bottom of page)
Which company
was the first to introduce "reduced sugar"
cereals to their sweet
cereal line-up?
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Quote of the Week:
"Salsa has now
passed ketchup as America's favorite condiment.
Isn't that
amazing? You know it's bad when even our vegetables
are starting
to lose their jobs to Mexico."
- Jay Leno,
on the Tonight Show
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
May is: National Strawberry Month
National Salad Month
National Barbecue Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Asparagus Month
National Salsa Month
May 9 - National Butterscotch Brownie Day
May 10 - National Shrimp Day
May 11 - National Mocha Torte Day
May 12 - National Nutty Fudge Day
May 13 - National Apple Pie Day
May 14 - National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
May 15 - National Chocolate Chip Day
May 16 - National Coquilles St. Jacques Day
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Personalized
Chef Coats
Kick it up a notch with
a touch of class! Create a
personalized and professional
look in your kitchen.
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The Flavor of Spring
By Mark Bittman
In an ideal world, here’s what a
spring dish might look like: you
take morels from your foraging trip,
cream and butter from your cow,
and asparagus, shallots and herbs
from your garden. You combine them
in any way that makes sense to you,
and then you thank the forest,
the cow and your backyard for providing
such amazing bounty.
Sound familiar? Not to me, either.
But there are ways to come close.
Start with a combination of dried
morels or porcini and fresh
shiitakes or button mushrooms. The
more morels you use, the more
intense the flavor. But I’ve made
this with as few as four and not
been disappointed.
Get the best asparagus, not too
thin; this is the right time of year
for it, after all. Ditto with the
butter and cream, and don’t skimp
on either. Use fresh chervil (preferred,
but difficult to find) or
tarragon - do not settle for dried
here.
The result will be a French classic,
a combination of strong,
uncommon flavors that could have
been designed to go together.
Combining dried and fresh mushrooms
is a reliable way to transfer
the exotic flavor of truly wild
mushrooms to tamer domesticated ones.
Using the soaking liquid for the
morels makes it certain that none
of their essence goes to waste.
The procedure itself is straightforward,
with one exception:
half-cook the asparagus first, so
that it finishes in the cream,
therefore absorbing a bit of it
and becoming tender yet not mushy.
What’s half-cooked asparagus? Just
a stage or so past raw. If the
cream mixture threatens to dry out
before the asparagus is done, add
more cream, more mushroom soaking
liquid or water.
It’s worth mentioning that this
mixture makes a terrific pasta
sauce. But speaking of spring, that
might be gilding the lily.
Asparagus With Morels and Tarragon
==================================
1/4 to 1/2 ounce dried
morels or porcinis, or a combination
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick)
butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 pound fresh shiitake
or white button mushrooms or a combination,
cleaned,
trimmed and sliced
1 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus,
trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon chopped
fresh chervil
Salt and pepper to
taste
Put morels, porcinis or both in
a bowl with very hot water to cover;
soak until soft, about 20 minutes.
Drain morels and reserve soaking
liquid. Cut morels in half; if porcinis
are large, chop them roughly.
Melt butter in a large skillet over
medium-high heat; when butter
is hot and foam has subsided, add
shallots and reconstituted and
fresh mushrooms to pan. Cook until
shallots soften and fresh mushrooms
have released their liquid and it
has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
Add asparagus and 1/2 cup reserved
liquid to pan. Bring liquid to a
boil, cover, reduce heat so mixture
simmers, and continue cooking for
another 2 to 4 minutes, or until
asparagus is crisp-tender. Add cream
and tarragon or chervil and continue
cooking, uncovered, until sauce
thickens slightly and asparagus
is tender, about 4 minutes more.
Season with salt and pepper and
serve.
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Over
100 Full Length Cookbooks
Discover The Largest Online Cookbook
Library In The World!
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
Hogue Genesis Syrah
2006 Price: $12
The Genesis Syrah is selected from
specific vineyards to emphasize
luscious fruit and depth of color.
The 2006 vintage was exceptional;
resulting in a wine with bright
red cherry and raspberry aromas
augmented by oak notes of cedar
and cinnamon toast. On the palate,
it is very fruity and is reminiscent
of currants with a strawberry
essence that lingers, along with
a bit of cinnamon spice, charred
mesquite, and cherry wood. The structure
is subtle yet firm.
Serve With:
Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
=======================
1 1/2 pound beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup chopped fresh
mushrooms
1/4 cup red wine
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Preheat oven to 350F. Butterfly
the beef tenderloin by cutting the
beef lengthwise down the center
to within 1/2-inch of other side.
Set aside.
In a medium skillet, melt butter
and cook shallots and mushrooms
until tender. Add wine and cook
over medium heat for about 5 minutes
or until liquid is reduced.
To stuff and roll the tenderloin,
open (or butterfly) the beef and
flatten with a meat mallet. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spoon mushroom mixture down the
center of tenderloin. Bring the two
sides of the tenderloin up around
filling to meet. Use butcher
string and tie around the roll at
1-inch intervals. Place roll in
roasting pan.
Bake for 45 minutes for medium-rare.
Let stand for 5 minutes before
slicing.
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FOOD FUNNIES: The Worst Cookbook
Titles In The World
====================================================
10. Emeril Lagasse and Jamie Oliver:
Cooking Naked Together
9. To Grill a Mockingbird
8. The Kate Moss Guide To High Calorie
Treats
7. The Gravy Book
6. Richard Simmons's Cooking With
the Sweating Oldies
5. The Afghan Prison Diet
4. More Extremely Complicated Recipes
You Will Never Be Able
to Fix
3. Blow On It!: 64 Recipies For
Food Dropped on the Floor
2. Lord of the Ringmold
... and the #1 Worst
Cookbook Title In The World ...
1. Yes! It Can Be Eaten!
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Red Lobster Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
=================================
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon chopped
garlic
1 medium onion, cut
into 1/2" wedges
2 medium tomatoes,
cut into wedges
2 medium zucchini,
cut into 1/2" pieces
36 shrimp, peeled and
deveined with tail on
Salt and pepper
Combine melted butter and garlic;
reserve.
Peel the onion and cut from top
to bottom. Place cut side down and
cut each half into six wedges (widest
part of the onion should be
1/2"). Break wedges apart so two
or three layers of onion stay
together. Steam the onions approximately
3 minutes to soften
slightly.
Remove the core from the tomato.
Slice the tomato in half from top
to bottom. Place cut side down and
cut each half into three wedges.
Remove the pulp and seeds from each
wedge.
Cut zucchini into 1/2 slices. Cut
small slices (1 1/2" diameter or
less) into two pieces; cut large
slices (over 1 1/2" diameter) into
three pieces lengthwise (do not
cut into wedges).
Thread items onto skewer in this
order, three shrimp (about 1/2 inch
from the thick end), onion wedge,
zucchini, tomato, three shrimp,
onion wedge, zucchini, tomato, three
shrimp.
Brush skewers with butter mixture.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Lightly brush charcoal grill rack
with oil, place skewer on grill
rack and cook over medium coals until
shrimp are done and vegetables cooked,
about 8 - 10 minutes. Turn
once or twice while cooking to prevent
burning. Or place on broiler
pan. Broil about 4 inches from source
of heat for 8 minutes, turning
once while cooking.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Spareribs with Cherry Cola Glaze
================================
4 (12 oz.) cans cherry
cola (flat)
2 cups cherry jam or
preserves
2/3 cup Dijon mustard
with horseradish
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons malt
vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon hot pepper
sauce
7 1/2 pounds well-trimmed
pork spareribs
Boil cherry cola in heavy large
saucepan over medium-high heat until
reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 45
minutes. Stir in next 5 ingredients.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer
until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2
cups, stirring occasionally, about
35 minutes. Transfer glaze to
large bowl.
Position racks in top and bottom
thirds of oven and preheat to 325F.
Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.
Wrap each rib rack tightly in
foil, enclosing completely. Divide
foil packets between 2 rimmed
baking sheets. Bake until ribs are
very tender, switching positions
of baking sheets halfway through
baking, about 2 hours total. Cool
ribs slightly in foil. Pour off
any fat from foil packets.
Prepare barbecue (medium-low heat).
Cut each rib rack between bones
into individual ribs. Set aside
1 cup glaze. Add ribs to bowl with
remaining glaze and toss to coat.
Grill ribs until brown and glazed,
turning to prevent burning, about
5 minutes total. Serve, passing
reserved glaze separately.
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Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Texas Beef Brisket
==================
Dry Rub:
1/2 cup paprika
3 tablespoons ground
black pepper
3 tablespoons coarse
salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chili
powder
1 (7 1/2 to 8-pound)
untrimmed whole beef brisket
Mop:
12 ounces beer
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce
2 tablespoons minced
jalapeno chilies
1 cup purchased barbecue
sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
1 tablespoon chili
powder
Mix first 5 dry rub ingredients
in small bowl to blend. Transfer
1 tablespoon dry rub to another
small bowl and reserve for mop.
Spread remaining dry rub all over
brisket. Cover with plastic;
chill overnight.
Mix first 6 mop ingredients plus
reserved dry rub in heavy medium
saucepan. Stir over low heat 5 minutes.
Pour 1/2 cup mop into bowl;
cover and chill for use in sauce.
Cover and chill remaining mop.
Preheat oven to 375F. Place brisket,
fat side up, in a Dutch oven
or other heavy baking pan large
enough to hold the brisket. Roast]
brisket in pan for 3 to 4 hours,
basting with mop every 20 minutes,
until tender. Transfer brisket to
platter; let stand 15 minutes.
Combine barbecue sauce and chili
powder in heavy small saucepan.
Add any accumulated juices from
brisket and bring to boil, thinning
sauce with some of reserved 1/2
cup mop, if desired. Thinly slice
brisket across grain. Serve, passing
sauce separately.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Stuffed Turkey Burgers
======================
1 1/4 pounds lean ground
turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted
red peppers, divided
1/2 cup shredded part-skim
mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
Divide turkey into 4 equal sized
rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties
out of each round so you have 8
patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the
patties with 2 tablespoons each
of roasted red peppers and cheese,
and top with remaining patties working
the turkey around the edges
to seal burgers closed. Season with
salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Grill or broil until cooked through,
about 5 minutes per side.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Grilled Salmon with Merlot Sauce
================================
4 (8-ounce) wild salmon
fillets
Salt and freshly ground
pepper
3 tablespoons olive
oil, divided
1 teaspoon chopped
shallots
2 teaspoons chopped
garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped
thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped
tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter
2 cups Merlot
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups grilled
chopped vegetables such as zucchini, red
pepper,
summer squash and red onion
Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive
oil and place onto grill, skin side
down. Cook four to five minutes
and turn. Continue to cook another
1 minute and remove from grill to
rest. In the meantime, to a medium
saute pan over medium heat, add
shallots, garlic, thyme, tarragon,
butter and remaining olive oil.
Add red wine and chicken stock and
increase heat to high. Reduce
sauce by 1/2 and then add the grilled
vegetables, tossing to coat.
Serve salmon over vegetables and
spoon sauce over salmon.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Minted Green Beans with Red Onion
=================================
2 pounds green beans,
trimmed
1 teaspoon Dijon-style
mustard
1 tablespoon white-wine
vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons minced
fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped
red onion
In a kettle of boiling water cook
the beans for 2 to 4 minutes, or
until they are crisp-tender, transfer
them with a slotted spoon to
a bowl of ice and cold water to
stop the cooking, and drain them
well. Pat the beans dry with paper
towels and chill them, covered,
for at least 3 hours or overnight.
In a large bowl whisk together the
mustard, the vinegar, and salt
and pepper to taste, add the oil
in a stream, whisking, and whisk
the dressing until it is emulsified.
Add the beans, the mint, and
the onion and toss the mixture until
it is combined well.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Classic Cobb Salad
==================
2 chicken breasts,
skinless and boneless
Drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 pound raw bacon,
diced
1/2 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
Juice from one fresh
lemon
1/2 pound Maytag Blue
cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
1 avocado, peeled and
pitted
1 Beefsteak tomato,
peeled, seeded and small diced
2 hard boiled eggs
2 heads of Bibb Lettuce,
washed, patted dry and thinly sliced
Preheat the grill. Season the chicken
breast with olive oil and
salt and pepper. Place the chicken
on the grill and cook for 4
minutes on each side. Remove from
the grill and small dice the
chicken. In a skillet, over medium
heat, render the bacon until
crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the olive
oil and lemon juice together.
Whisk in 1/4 pound of the blue cheese,
a handful at a time. Whisk
well. Season with salt and pepper.
Set aside. Using a knife, dice
the avocado. Season with salt and
pepper. Season the tomatoes with
salt and pepper. Thinly slice the
eggs and season with salt and
pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce
with the dressing. Season with
salt and pepper. Mound the lettuce
in the center of each plate. To
garnish each salad, make a row of
each; avocados, chicken, tomatoes,
remaining blue cheese, bacon and
eggs. Serve immediately.
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Free Cookbooks and Recipes =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Pecan Pie Muffins
=================
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar,
firmly packed
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
Combine first 3 ingredients in a
large bowl, make a well in center
of mixture. Beat eggs until foamy.
Stir together eggs and butter;
add to dry ingredients stirring
until moistened.
Place foil-baking cups in muffin
pans. Spoon batter into cups to
2/3 full. Bake at 350F for 20-25
minutes or until done. Remove from
pans immediately, cool on wire racks.
Best served warm.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: General Mills
General Mills introduced 75% less
sugar versions of Trix, Cinnamon
Toast Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs in
early 2004. Kellogg's responded to
Genneral Mills by introducing 1/3
less sugar versions of Frosted
Flakes and Fruit Loops. According
to the book "Cerealizing America",
the cereal industry uses 816 million
pounds of sugar per year! The
major cereal companies are trying
to respond to consumer demands to
live a healthier life style and
are recreating their popular
breakfasts cereals using a blend
of sugar and Splenda, or other
artificial non-caloric sweetners.
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