| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Barbecue
Of A Different Nature
> Food Funnies: How
To Drive Restaurant Workers Insane
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Olive
Garden Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese
* Filet
Mignon with Tarragon
* Lebanese
Chicken
* Blue
Cheese Burgers
* Heavenly
Hashbrown Casserole
* Jalapeno
Cornbread
* Tangy
Spinach Salad
* Grilled
Fruit with Yogurt Sauce
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Veal
Chops in Mustard Sauce
Diabetic: Summer
Fruit Trifle
Low Fat: Low
Fat Bread Pudding
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This Week's Cooking Tips
Salad Making Tips:
* The ratio for a vinaigrette is
typically 3 parts oil to 1 part
vinegar or lemon juice, etc..
* Chill the serving plates to keep
your salad crisp longer.
* Potatoes will absorb more dressing
if you dress them hot then
refrigerate.
* Cook pasta for salads very al dente.
This will allow the pasta to
absorb some of the dressing
and not become mushy.
* Fruit juices such as pineapple,
orange or mango can be used as
salad dressing by adding
a little vegetable oil, a dash of nutmeg
and honey if desired.
* To turn a vegetable or pasta salad
into a main dish, add seafood,
meat, chicken, or beans.
More Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
This delicious dessert
is made from a custard base with a
very brittle crunchy caramel
topping. What is it?
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Quote of the Week:
"You can't be a real
country unless you have a beer and an
airline - it
helps if you have some kind of a football team,
or some nuclear
weapons, but at the very least you need a beer."
- Frank Zappa
(1940-1993)
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
May is: National Asparagus Month
National Barbecue Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National Strawberry Month
May 22 - National Vanilla Pudding Day
May 23 - National Taffy Day
May 24 - National Escargot Day
May 25 - National Wine Day
May 26 - National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
May 27 - National Grape Popsicle Day
May 28 - National Hamburger Day
May 29 - National Coq Au Vin Day
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Barbecue Of A Different
Nature
by John Havel
The first time I tackled a pulled
pork barbecue I was, more or less,
just wingin' it. I knew the procedure
for a gas grill - remove one
half of the grate (that's the side
you'll be lighting), put some wood
chips on some aluminum foil over
the burners, and cook your pork on
the other side. I'm not picky about
my wood, as long as it's a hard
wood. I like using firewood bark
- make sure to soak it in water for
about an hour. So far so good, but
what's it going to taste like?
Barbecuing has three general opportunities
for flavor. First, you
want a dry rub which is usually
a mixture of sugars and spices. I've
seen hundreds of different rub recipes,
but when I was at the grocery
store, I picked up some McCormick
Grill Mates Barbecue Seasoning. The
taste reminds me of barbecued potato
chips with a sweet and smokey
flavor. It also has the same ingredients
as most rub recipes.
Next, you want a mop - no, not because
you spilled something, but
a liquid to baste the pork. Here
I went with a typical Eastern North
Carolina vinegar-based sauce. I
figured that would offset the sweet
rub. While the pork is cooking,
you want to liberally baste the meat
with the liquid throughout the cooking
process.
Finally, when the meat has slow
cooked for hours and is so tender it
pulls right apart easily, you'll
need a sauce to flavor it. Here's
where I break tradition. North Carolina
BBQer's (along with much of
the South) use a vinegar-based sauce
whereas you'll find sweet tomato
based sauces in the Midwest (another
BBQ hotspot). Here in Upstate
New York we have a restaurant called
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que which has a
very unique sauce - tomato based
but thin and not sweet. It goes with
the other flavors perfectly.
Realize one thing when you try this
recipe - it's going to take up
most of your day. The origins of
the barbecue are to take a cheap
piece of meat and cook it all day
so that it's tender. This is 100%
American peasant food and 1000%
delicious. While you have the time,
go all the way and serve it with
cole slaw, baked beans, collard
greens and corn bread. It's hardly
a budget breaker.
Pulled Pork
=========
2 boneless pork shoulder
halves, about 6 pounds total
3/4 cup McCormick Grill
Mates Barbecue Seasoning
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce
1 tablespoon black
pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable
oil
1 1/2 quarts Dinosaur
Bar-B-Que Mutha Sauce
Rub pork with the Barbecue Seasoning
covering the entire surface.
Let it sit at room temperature for
one hour. Soak about six cups of
wood chips in water. Prepare the
mop by mixing the vinegar, water,
Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and
oil.
Remove one half of the grill grate
on a gas grill. Light only that
side and adjust temperature so that,
when covered, the temperature is
a steady 250F. Place several layers
of 9 inch square aluminum foil
over the fire. Add a hand full of
wood chips on the foil. Place pork
on grill rack. Cover; cook
until meat thermometer inserted into
center of pork registers 165F, turning
pork and brushing with cold
mop every 45 minutes, about 6 hours
total. Maintain the temperature
at 250F and add more wood chips
as needed.
Transfer pork to clean rimmed baking
sheet. Let stand until cool
enough to handle. Shred into bite-size
pieces. Combine pork and Mutha
Sauce in a crock pot. Turn crock
pot on high and cook for about two
hours, stirring occasionally. Serve
on hamburger buns.
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FOOD FUNNIES: How To Drive
Restaurant Workers Insane
9. When the waitress finishes taking
your order, stop her before she
leaves your table and
ask if you're supposed to "drive around."
8. Ask the manager to play "Achy
Breaky Heart." Complain loudly
in a French accent
when they play it. Repeat.
7. Order the cherries jubilee. When
it's brought, flaming, to your
table, scream and try
to put it out by throwing dinner rolls
at it.
6. At a buffet, take one piece of
potato, one grape, etc. at a
time and give it a
loud scolding before eating it.
5. Each time the server leaves the
table, everybody change
positions.
4. Throw your fork at the guy at
the next table. Call the waiter
to say that you have
dropped your fork. Repeat.
3. When the waitress brings the sugar
packets for your tea, demand
she bring out the whole
box so you can choose your own.
2. Demand to know why they can call
your steak rare if just
*anybody* can order
one.
... and the #1 Way to Drive Restaurant
Workers Insane ...
1. Ask the waitress for a bottom
for your bottomless cup of coffee.
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Olive Garden Tomato and Mozzarella
Caprese
====================================
1 pound vine-ripened
tomatoes sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 fluid ounce balsamic
vinegar
1/4 cup packed fresh
basil leaves
12 ounces fresh whole
milk mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella
1 tablespoon oregano
leaves
Sea salt or kosher
salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper
to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
On a large platter, arrange sliced
tomatoes and drizzle with
balsamic vinegar. Place one basil
leaf on top of each tomato slice.
Slice mozzarella and place on top
of basil leaves. Sprinkle oregano,
salt and black pepper on cheese
and drizzle with the olive oil.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Filet Mignon with Tarragon
====================
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup shallots
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. baby spinach
2 tablespoons oil
4 beef tenderloin steaks,
1 inch
2 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon
Heat oil in saucepan; add shallots
and cook for 3 minutes. Add beef
broth, wine, and brandy; reduce
until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add
cream, reduce until 3/4 cup. Set
sauce aside.
Melt butter in skillet, add garlic,
saute 1 minute. Add spinach,
cook until wilted, tossing, about
2 minutes. Set aside.
In another skillet heat oil, add
tenderloins and cook until desired
doneness. Divide spinach between
4 plates, top each with a filet. Add
sauce back to steak pan, stir in
mustard and tarragon, add salt and
pepper to taste, pour over steaks.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Lebanese Chicken
===============
4 boneless skinless
chicken breasts
1/3 cup onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
or margarine
2 teaspoons orange
zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup couscous
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper
towels. Cook chicken, onion and
garlic in the butter in a large
skillet for about 6 minutes or until
chicken is browned, turning once.
Add orange zest, orange juice and
salt to skillet. Bring to boil;
reduce heat and simmer, covered, for
5 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and
allspice onto chicken. Drizzle with
honey. Simmer uncovered for 5 to
7 minutes more or until chicken is
tender and no longer pink.
Meanwhile, cook couscous according
to package directions. Top
couscous with chicken and sauce
before serving.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Blue Cheese Burgers
=================
1/4 pound blue cheese
3 pounds lean ground
beef
1/2 cup minced fresh
chives
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper
sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
1 teaspoon coarsely
ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
12 hamburger buns
Crumble the blue cheese into a large
mixing bowl, and then
thoroughly combine with ground beef,
chives, hot pepper sauce,
Worcestershire sauce, black pepper,
salt, and mustard. Cover and
refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high
heat, and lightly oil grate.
Lightly press the meat into about
12 patties. Cook on preheated
grill until browned on both sides
and to your desired doneness.
Serve on hamburger buns.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Heavenly Hashbrown Casserole
=========================
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pint sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can
condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar
cheese
salt and pepper to
taste
1 (2 pound) package
frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups crushed potato
chips
1/2 cup melted butter
In a large mixing bowl combine onion,
sour cream, soup, cheese, salt
and pepper. Press the excess water
out of the hash browns and then
add them to the soup mixture and
mix well. Transfer to a 9x12 inch
casserole dish. Sprinkle potato
chips on top, then drizzle with
butter. Bake in preheated 350F oven
for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until
golden brown.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Jalapeno Cornbread
================
3 tablespoons bacon
drippings
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons vegetable
oil
1 tablespoon jalapeno
juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking
powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose
flour
1/4 cup green bell
pepper, diced fine
1 large green pickled
jalapeno, diced fine
1/2 cup fresh or fresh
frozen yellow corn kernels
Preheat the oven to 425F. Put a
8" or 9" cast iron skillet into the
oven to also be heating up. When
hot, remove then add the bacon
drippings and place back into oven.
In a large bowl, add the milk, buttermilk,
egg, oil, sugar, baking
powder, salt and jalapeno juice.
Mix with a wire whisk until well
blended. Add the flour, cornmeal,
bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and
corn kernels. Mix just until the
dry ingredients are moistened. Do
not beat this any more than necessary.
Remove the skillet and swirl the
melted bacon dripping to coat most
of the inside pan surface. Pour
mixture into the skillet and return
to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
until light golden brown and
a toothpick comes out clean in the
center.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Tangy Spinach Salad
=================
1/2 lb. Spinach leaves
washed
3 cups sliced fresh
mushrooms
6 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons brown
sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon
style mustard
3 tablespoons lemon
juice
Remove and discard stems from spinach.
Tear into bite size pieces
and place in bowl. Add mushroom
slices. Cook bacon until crisp,
remove from pan. To the bacon drippings,
add brown sugar, mustard
and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute
and remove from heat. Crumble and
distribute bacon over salad, add
hot dressing, toss and serve.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Grilled Fruit with Yogurt Sauce
=======================
For sauce:
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups)
nonfat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh
lime juice
3 tablespoons finely
chopped fresh mint
For skewers:
4 firm-ripe plums,
each cut into 8 wedges
4 firm-ripe peaches,
peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 ripe pineapple
(1 1/2 lb), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch
pieces
Special equipment: 24 (8-inch) wooden
skewers soaked in water 1 hour
Prepare grill for cooking. Stir
together yogurt, honey, lime juice,
and mint in a small bowl and chill
until ready to serve.
Thread about 8 pieces of fruit onto
each skewer. When fire is
medium-hot (you can hold your hand
5 inches above rack 3 to 4
seconds), grill fruit in batches
on lightly oiled grill rack, turning
once, until browned and slightly
softened, about 5 minutes total.
Serve fruit on skewers with sauce
on the side.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Creme Brulee
What a great and quite simple dessert.
Make up a basic creme
anglaise custard base, bake, cover
with sugar and burn the sugar
until it forms a crispy, golden
caramel topping. This dessert may
have originated in Spain where it
was known as Crema Catalana or
England where it was commonly called
Burnt Cream, but in the 19th
Century it became widely known as
Creme Brulee and the French were
credited with having inventing this
fine dessert. Creme Caramel is
also a creamy custard dessert, but
the caramel is in the form of
a gooey and very delicious sauce.
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