| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: For the
Artichoke, Some New Helpers
> Wine Appreciation:
Pacific Rim Riesling 2009
> Food Funnies: Things
You Don't Want To Hear at Your Family BBQ
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Cracker
Barrel's Chicken Salad
* Southern
Grilled Barbecued Ribs
* Cordon
Bleu Casserole
* Cajun
Baked Shrimp
* Red
Potatoes and String Beans
* Summer
Squash Casserole
* Cheese
and Rosemary Breadsticks
* Walnut-Date
Torte
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Belgian
Waffles
Diabetic: Cream
Cheese and Jelly Cookies
Low Fat: Cheese
Ravioli
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This Week's Cooking Tips
Grilling Tips:
* Always preheat the gas grill for
a good 10 minutes or with charcoal
allow 20 to 30 minutes for
it to turn to a light gray ash.
* Keep the grill vents open. This
lets oxygen in which fuels the
flame.
* Keep your grill clean. Scrub grill
grates with a wire brush or
spatula before and after
cooking. Oil the grill grates so food
doesn't stick.
* Season the food with dry rubs before
cooking.
* Turn items only once (halfway through
cooking time) and test with
an instant-read thermometer.
* Keep grill cover closed for even
cooking. Resist the urge to peek.
More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
This Japanese dish is savoury
and has vegetable and meat toppings.
Sometimes it is garnished with
mayonnaise and fish flakes. It looks
like a pizza. Do you know what
it is?
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Quote of the Week:
"The secret of staying
young is to live honestly, eat slowly,
and lie about
your age."
- Lucille Ball
(1911-1989)
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to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
June is: National Papaya Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
National Iced Tea Month
National Dairy Month
National Seafood Month
May 29 - National Coq Au Vin Day
May 30 - National Mint Julep Day
May 31 - National Macaroon Day
June 1 - National Hazelnut Cake Day
June 2 - National Chocolate Macaroon Day
June 3 - National Rocky Road Day
June 4 - National Frozen Yogurt Day
June 5 - National Gingerbread 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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For the Artichoke, Some New
Helpers
by Mark Bittman
A lesson I learned this spring:
if you have artichokes in your
kitchen, you will find new ways
to cook them.
While traveling throughout Western
Europe intermittently since
February, I saw them eaten raw,
braised, sauteed and fried, served
solo or with lamb, shrimp, octopus
or pasta. And I internalized, as I
never had before, that artichokes
are not a precious ingredient but a
regular vegetable and can be treated
as such.
In a way they remind me of lobster:
they’re so great steamed, with
lemon or butter, that you forget
that it’s easy enough to take them
a step or two further.
On my extended periods at home,
I bought artichokes whenever I saw
decent ones. It didn’t hurt that
they don’t seem too expensive this
year.
I began not only duplicating beloved
recipes from past years, a
seasonal ritual with many of my
favorite ingredients, but also
improvising with them.
The best consequence of all that
was this quick saute, in which as I
was trimming my artichokes I began
piling them, cut side down, into a
pan filmed with hot oil.
(I’m not a big fan of soaking artichokes
in acidulated water to keep
them green, for three reasons: one,
it’s a hassle; two, it doesn’t
work that well unless you make the
water so acidic that it changes
the taste; and three, I don’t mind
olive-green artichokes.)
With them, I cooked garlic, tomatoes
and olives - I used oil-cured,
but any good olives will do. It’s
a simple and obvious enough
combination, but a fabulous one
as well.
The dish is a bit easier when made
with little artichokes (or baby
ones; they’re not exactly the same),
whose chokes are either
nonexistent or small enough to ignore,
and which can therefore be
prepped a little bit faster than
their larger cousins.
You can deal with them at the rate
of about one per minute, so a
dozen or so doesn’t take much more
than 10 minutes. (Details for
trimming are in the recipe below.)
But if you can’t find the little
ones, trimming the big ones (cut
them in half lengthwise to remove
the choke) doesn’t require much
more time.
Little Artichokes, Provencal Style
=========================
1/4 cup extra virgin
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed,
then peeled
Fresh thyme or rosemary,
optional
1/2 cup flavorful black
olives, pitted
Salt
12 little (or baby)
artichokes
1 pint grape tomatoes,
halved or left whole, or about
1 1/2 cups
any other tomatoes, chopped
Chopped fresh parsley
leaves for garnish
1. Combine oil and garlic in a large
skillet (cast iron is good),
over low heat. When
garlic sizzles, add herb, olives and a pinch
of salt.
2. Meanwhile, one at a time, prepare
artichokes: remove hard leaves,
then cut off spiky
end, about an inch down from top; trim bottoms,
cut artichokes in half,
and add them to pan as they are ready, cut
side down. When about
half of them are in pan, raise heat so they
brown a bit; move them
around as you add remaining artichokes so
that they brown evenly.
3. When artichokes brown, add tomatoes
and a splash of water. Cook
until chokes are tender,
10 to 20 minutes. Add water if needed.
Adjust seasoning, garnish
and serve hot or at room temperature.
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THE E-COOKBOOKS
LIBRARY -
ALL YOU NEED TO COOK IT RIGHT!
Discover our very
special collection of over
100 cookbooks
filled with world class recipes ...
E-Cookbooks
Library
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This Week's Wine Selection
Pacific Rim Riesling
2009 Price: $11
A classic Washington tasting-room
Riesling--only better. Opulent
and fruity, with apricots, star
anise, mint, a very nice spicy
streak that lifts it up, and adds
a lot of complexity. Smooth and
supple, it coats the palate, captures
some floral highlights, even
a bit of marshmallow.
Serve With:
Ham and Peach Kebabs
===================
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons vegetable
oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh
lemon juice
1 (8-10 oz.) ham steak
(1/2 inch thick), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium peaches, peeled,
pitted, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
Whisk marmalade, oil, mustard
and lemon juice in small bowl to
blend. Alternate ham pieces and
peach chunks on 4 metal skewers.
Brush with marmalade glaze.
Sprinkle with pepper. Grill until
ham is slightly charred and fruit
is softened, turning and brushing
often with glaze, about 6 minutes.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Things You
Don't Want To Hear at Your Family BBQ
8. "I got the idea for this recipe
from watching 'Survivor'"
7. "Which do you want first, kids,
ice cream or the name of your
real father?"
6. "I made the potato salad three
weeks ago, so it's naturally red,
white and blue"
5. "Somebody keep the cops busy while
dad buries the knife"
4. "It's me, Aunt Susan -- you remember
me from last year as
Uncle Jeff"
3. "If you don't wash your hands,
it gives the burgers more flavor"
2. "By the way, your wife is an excellent
kisser"
... and the #1 Thing You Don't
Want To Hear at Your Family BBQ ...
1. "Dude, that firecracker really
did a number on your eye"
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Cracker Barrel's Chicken Salad
========================
2 pounds chicken breasts
2 ribs celery, cut
in chunks
2 chicken bouillon
cubes
2 cans (3 oz. each)
chunk chicken; shredded fine
2 tablespoons dill
pickle relish
2 tablespoons onion,
diced fine
1/4 cup celery, minced
fine
2/3 cup Kraft mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Miracle
Whip Salad Dressing
lettuce, torn
cheddar cheese wedges
1 tomato, quartered
hard boiled egg halves
extra dressing
Cook chicken breast in enough water
to cover with celery chunks and
bouillon cubes. When tender, remove
from broth. Refrigerate till very
cold.
Cut into bite-size pieces and combine
with canned chicken, relish,
onion, celery, mayonnaise, sour
cream, and Miracle Whip. Place scoop
of salad on lettuce and surround
by cheese, tomato and egg.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Southern Grilled Barbecued Ribs
=========================
4 pounds baby back pork ribs
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup prepared mustard
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350F. Place ribs
in two 10x15 inch roasting pans.
Pour water and red wine vinegar
into a bowl, and stir. Pour diluted
vinegar over ribs and cover with
foil. Bake in the preheated oven for
45 minutes. Baste the ribs with
their juices halfway through cooking.
In a medium saucepan, mix together
ketchup, water, vinegar,
Worcestershire sauce, mustard, butter,
brown sugar, hot pepper sauce,
and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to low, cover, and simmer
barbeque sauce for 1 hour.
Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly
oil preheated grill. Transfer
ribs from the oven to the grill,
discarding cooking liquid. Grill
over medium heat for 15 minutes,
turning ribs once. Baste ribs
generously with barbeque sauce,
and grill 8 minutes. Turn ribs, baste
again with barbeque sauce, and grill
8 minutes.
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Cordon Bleu Casserole
==================
6 slices white or whole-wheat
bread
6 chicken breast halves,
cooked and sliced
1 (8 ounce) package
cream cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. sliced, fully
cooked ham
2 (8 ounce) cups shredded
swiss cheese
2 (10 ounce) packages
frozen broccoli stems
2 cans condensed cream
of chicken soup, undiluted
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350F. Place bread
slices in the bottom of a greased
9x13 pan. Layer chicken, cream cheese
slices and ham over bread.
Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded Swiss
cheese. Top with broccoli.
Combine soup and pepper; spoon
over broccoli. Top with remaining
cheese. Bake uncovered at 350F for
50 to 55 minutes or until bubbly.
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Cajun Baked Shrimp
================
3 pounds uncooked large
shrimp, unpeeled
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)
butter
1 1/2 cups bottled
Italian dressing
1/2 cup fresh lemon
juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh
mint
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper
sauce
4 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Place shrimp in a 13x9x2-inch glass
baking dish. Melt butter in
medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in Italian dressing, lemon
juice, mint, Worcestershire sauce,
hot sauce, bay leaves, pepper, and
salt. Cool sauce to room temperature;
mix into shrimp. Refrigerate
at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours,
tossing occasionally.
Preheat oven to 450F. Bake shrimp
until just opaque in center, about
15 minutes, and serve. Lay down
newspapers on the table and invite
guests to peel-and-eat.
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Red Potatoes and String Beans
========================
2 1/2 lbs. Red
Potatoes
2 lbs. frozen
String Beans, thawed
1 lb. Red Onions
4 oz. Olive Oil
3 oz. White Wine
Vinegar
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 tablespoon
Salt
1 teaspoon White
Pepper
Wash potatoes and cut in half. Place
in large pot and cover with
water. Bring to a boil. Cook for
about 15-20 minutes or until soft.
Drain and place on a flat pan. Cool
in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring quarts of water
to a boil. Add string beans and
cook for 3 minutes. Drain and cool
in refrigerator.
Peel onions and cut in half. Slice
halves the long way into
1/4 inch slices.
Combine cooled potatoes, string
beans, and onions in a large
bowl. Mix remaining ingredients
as a dressing, and pour over all.
Mix well being careful not to break
potatoes.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Summer Squash Casserole
=====================
1 3/4 pounds crookneck
yellow squash or other yellow summer squash
1/4 pound zucchini
or additional yellow summer squash
1/2 cup coarse-chopped
carrots
1/4 cup (1/2 stick)
unsalted butter
1 large onion, preferably
yellow, chopped
1 plump garlic clove,
minced
1 1/4 cups saltine
or Ritz cracker crumbs
1/2 cup grated mild
to medium Cheddar cheese
Hot pepper sauce, such
as Tabasco
Salt and freshly milled
black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter
a medium baking dish. Slice the
yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise
into quarters, then cut into
1/2-inch-thick wedges. Place the
yellow squash, zucchini and carrots
in a saucepan, barely cover with
water and salt well. Bring to a
boil; reduce the heat to medium
and cover. Cook about 20 minutes,
until the vegetables are very soft.
Meanwhile, warm 3 tablespoons of
the butter in a medium skillet over
medium-low heat. Stir in the onion
and cook slowly until very soft
and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook an additional
minute. Scrape the mixture into
a mixing bowl. Wipe out the skillet,
return it to medium-low heat, and
add to it the remaining tablespoon
of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup of the
cracker crumbs and cook briefly
until the crumbs are golden. Scrape
them onto a small plate and
reserve them.
Drain the squash mixture, mashing
the vegetables just a bit. Spoon
it into the mixing bowl. Stir in
the remaining 3/4 cup of cracker
crumbs, cheese and a good splash
or two of the pepper sauce. Salt and
pepper generously to taste. Stir
in the eggs and spoon the mixture
into the prepared baking dish. Scatter
the toasted cracker crumbs
over the top. Bake uncovered for
about 30 minutes, until golden brown
and lightly firm in the center.
Serve hot.
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Cheese and Rosemary Breadsticks
===========================
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup grated Gruyere
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh rosemary leaves
1 (11-ounce) container
refrigerated breadstick dough
Finely ground sea salt,
optional
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2
heavy large baking sheets with
silicone baking sheets or parchment
paper. In a food processor, chop
the Parmesan, Gruyere and rosemary
together until coarsely chopped.
Set the cheese mixture aside. Separate
the dough strips. Using a
pizza cutter or a large sharp knife,
cut each dough strip in half
lengthwise to form thin strips.
Working with dough strip at a time,
coat each strip with the cheese
mixture, pressing very gently. Twist
each cheese covered dough strip
and place onto prepared baking sheets.
Sprinkle with the salt, if you wish.
Bake until the breadsticks are golden
brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the warm breadsticks to
a basket and serve.
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Walnut-Date Torte
==============
1/4 cup boiling-hot
water
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
(1/2 pound), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups walnuts
(5 ounces), toasted and cooled
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup matzo meal
1 tablespoon grated
orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground
cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated,
at room temperature 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 350F with rack in
middle. Generously grease a 9- by
2-inch round cake pan with softened
butter or vegetable oil and dust
with some matzo meal, knocking out
excess.
Pour hot water over dates in a large
bowl and let stand 15 minutes
to soften. Pulse walnuts in a food
processor until chopped, then add
1/4 cup sugar and pulse until nuts
are finely ground. Add matzo meal
(2/3 cup), zest, cardamom, and salt
and pulse until combined.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of
salt in a bowl using an electric
mixer at medium-high speed until
they just hold soft peaks. Add
remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow
stream, beating until whites hold
stiff glossy peaks. Whisk yolks
into date mixture. Fold one third of
yolk mixture into whites, then fold
in remaining yolk mixture gently
but thoroughly. Fold all of nut
mixture into batter.
Spoon batter into cake pan and bake
until golden and springy to the
touch and cake just begins to pull
away from side of pan, 35 to 40
minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 30
minutes, then invert onto rack and
cool completely. Serve with whipped
cream.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Okonomiyaki
The word "okonomi" means "as you
like" and the word "yaki" means
"grill". It was first made sometime
around 200 years ago. It was
more basic than nowadays and the
base recipe was only made out of
flour, spice, water and cabbage.
Now it has lots of variety and
each area has its own special style.
Osaka okonomiyaki has a thicker
and richer taste, and Tokyo has
a thinner and healthier okonomiyaki
(a.k.a monjayaki).
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