| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Three Days
Until Oktoberfest
> Wine Appreciation:
Duboeuf Morgon Belles Grives 2009
> Food Funnies: Top
Restaurant Good Signs/Bad Signs
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* McDonald's
McRib Sandwich
* Chicken
Scaloppine With Lemon Glaze
* Beef
Wellington with Gorgonzola
* Shrimp
and Crab Au Gratin
* Margherita
Pizza
* Wild
Mushroom Bisque
* Caramelized
Butternut Squash
* Chocolate
Truffles
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Greek
Chicken
Diabetic: Pumpkin
Cheesecake
Low Fat: Black
Forest Cake
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This Week's Cooking Tips
* If you are only using half an avocado,
leave the pit in the unused
half and refrigerate, covered
with plastic wrap. This will retard
discoloration.
* When breading chicken, coat the
pieces with mayonnaise instead of
egg. The mayonnaise clings
to the chicken and doesn't drip like the
egg does. Plus, it adds nice
flavor.
* Make ice cubes festive for a party
by freezing sprigs of mint,
maraschino cherries, lemon
or orange peel in them.
* Placing flour in a custard cup
in the oven next to a roast will
assure nice brown flour for
gravy when the meat is done.
More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
(Answer at the bottom of page)
What would have
been the preferred cooking method of
eggs in the European
Middle Ages?
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Quote of the Week:
"Without question,
the greatest invention in the history
of mankind
is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was
also a
fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly
as well
with pizza."
- Dave Barry
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
October is: National Cookie Month
National Pasta Month
National Apple Month
National Seafood Month
National Pork Month
National Pretzel Month
National Dessert Month
National Pickled Peppers Month
National Country Ham Month
September 25 - National Crab Newberg Day
September 26 - National Pancake Day
September 27 - National Chocolate Milk Day
September 28 - National Strawberry Cream Pie Day
September 29 - National Mocha Day
September 30 - National Mulled Cider Day
October 1 - World Vegetarian Day
October 2 - National French Fried Scallops Day
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a tasty looking mousepad! We
offer hundreds of different styles
covering many popular themes!
FOOD AND COOKING MOUSEPADS
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Three Days Until Oktoberfest
by John Havel
Much as summer's warm days and plentiful
rains lead to sun-ripened
tomatoes and plump eggplants, frigid
winter is the promise on which
comfort food relies. Instinctively,
we gravitate to the stove and the
gifts it gives us. Time, now somehow
a little less urgent, is given a
wider berth, one generous enough
to accommodate a rising yeast dough,
or the baking of an apple pie, or
the preparation of sauerbraten.
Sauerbraten (literally translated,
sour roast) is one of those
dishes for which there are almost
as many recipes as there are cooks
who make this uber-Germanic specialty.
Some use gingersnaps to season
and thicken the gravy. Other cooks
use a roux. Some add red wine;
others just vinegar. In some regions,
buttermilk is part of the
marinade. Garlic is favored by some
cooks; others just add lots of
onions.
Whichever way you cook it, it's
a wonderful way to turn a relatively
inexpensive cut of meat into a splendid
winter main course. Although
in many German-style restaurants
in America, potato pancakes are
paired with sauerbraten, this is
common only in a small part of
Germany. Spaetzle or another form
of plain pasta is the choice of
many cooks, while others might serve
potatoes -- plain boiled, mashed
or potato dumplings -- that will
absorb the delicious gravy.
Sauerbraten
==========
5 pound top round
10 whole garlic cloves,
peeled
1 quart red wine vinegar
2 cups julienned onions
1 small bundle of fresh
thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole
black peppercorns
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups beef stock
1 cup crushed gingersnap
cookies
1 cup sour cream
Stud the roast with the whole garlic
cloves, and season with salt
and pepper. Place the roast in a
deep glass bowl.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar,
onions, herbs, and sugar
together. Whisk the liquid until
the sugar dissolves. Pour the
marinade over the roast and cover
with plastic wrap. Place the roast
in the refrigerator and marinate
for 72 hours.
Remove the roast from the marinade.
Strain the marinade. Place the
roast in a braising pan. Add the
beef stock to the strained liquid.
Pour the liquid over the roast and
place in the oven. The liquid
should cover 1/2 of the roast. Braise
the roast covered at 325F for
2-3 hours. Turn the meat several
times and add additional stock if
needed. Remove meat from pan and
set aside.
Place pan with the braising liquid
over a burner. Bring the liquid
to a simmer. Whisk the crushed gingersnaps
into the liquid. Simmer
the sauce for 2-3 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper. Stir in the
sour cream and return meat to pan.
Slice the roast and coat meat with
some of the sauce. Serve the remaining
sauce separately.
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THE E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY -
ALL YOU NEED TO COOK IT RIGHT!
Discover
Over 100 World Class Cookbooks!
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This Week's Wine Selection
Duboeuf Morgon Belles
Grives 2009 Price: $12
This Morgon is very smooth, with
intoxicating scents of cassis,
plum, violet and rose. The palate
is filled with sweet revealing
waves of red fruits. This wine is
subtle and hints at a beautiful
extended maturity.
Serve With:
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
==============================
2 red peppers, cored
and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered
lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered
lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms,
halved
1 yellow onion, peeled
and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried
Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce
(store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina
cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked
mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas,
thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan,
plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter,
cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 450F. On a baking
sheet, toss the peppers,
zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and
onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon
salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried
herbs. Roast until tender, about
15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil over high
heat. Add the pasta and cook for
about 6 minutes. Since you will be
cooking the pasta a second time
in the oven, you want to make sure
the inside is still hard. Drain
in a colander.
In a large bowl, toss the drained
pasta with the roasted vegetables,
marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2
teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon
pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently
mix, until all the pasta is
coated with the sauce and the ingredients
are combined.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9
by 13-inch pan. Top with the
remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter
pieces. Bake until top is
golden and cheese melts, about 25
minutes.
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http://www.littlefivers.com =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
FOOD FUNNIES: Top Restaurant
Good Signs/Bad Signs
7. Good sign: No sign of cockroaches
in the kitchen.
Bad sign: They were
all eaten by the rats.
6. Good sign: The restaurant's signature
dish is Crepes
Suzette flambe.
Bad sign: Suzette is
the name of the owner's missing wife.
5. Good Sign: The Michelin Guide
rates it as the best restaurant
in Paris!
Bad sign: That's Paris,
Texas.
4. Good Sign: It's a brand new steak
house.
Bad sign: Those "char
marks" look suspiciously like the treads
off a Goodyear.
3. Good sign: There is a line clear
out the door.
Bad sign: It leads
to the bathroom.
2. Good sign: They take all major
credit cards.
Bad sign: They don't
give them back.
... and the #1 Restaurant Good Sign/Bad
Sign ...
1. Good sign: They offer Surf 'n
Turf.
Bad sign: The waiter
asks if you want one straw or two.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
McDonald's McRib Sandwich
=======================
1 JTM Brand "Grillin'
Ribs" pork patty*
1 6 inch long sandwich
bun
2 tablespoons Bullseye
barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon chopped
white onion
3 sour dill pickle
slices
* JTM is a brand of pressed and
formed pork patties that are shaped
like a rack of ribs.
Look for them at Wal-Mart in the frozen meat
section near the pre-formed
hamburger patties.
Preheat your griddle to 400F. Cook
the pork patty following package
directions. Toast the faces of both
halves of the bun. On the toasted
crown (top) half, apply the barbecue
sauce and follow that with the
dill pickle slices, spread out evenly.
Put the cooked "rib" patty on
next, then add the onions, followed
by the heel (bottom). Wrap the
sandwich in a 12"x16" sheet of waxed
paper, let sit 5 minutes, then
microwave on high about 15 seconds,
still wrapped.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Chicken Scaloppine With Lemon Glaze
==============================
4 boneless skinless
chicken breasts (pounded to about 1/3-inch
thickness)
2 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
2 eggs
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon poultry
seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic
powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning
salt
2 tablespoon olive
oil
Lemon Glaze:
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh
lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 thin lemon slices
2 tablespoons fresh
parsley, chopped
In a small bowl or shallow dish
whisk together mustard and eggs;
set aside. Combine the dry bread
crumbs with poultry seasoning,
garlic powder and seasoning salt;
spread on a piece of waxed paper.
Dip the breasts firstly in egg/mustard
mixture (shake off any excess
egg) then coat well with the crumb
mixture, pressing downs with hands
to adhear the crumbs to the breast.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet
over medium heat. Add in chicken and
cook for about 5 minutes on each
side, or until it is no longer pink
inside; remove and transfer to a
plate to keep warm.
For the glaze; in the same skillet
add in the broth, lemon juice and
salt. Bring to a boil, scraping
any brown bits from the pan. Add in
lemon slices and parsley; mix to
combine for about 1 minute. Spoon
the glaze over chicken and serve.
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Beef Wellington with Gorgonzola
=========================
4 (1 1/2 inch thick
center-cut) filets mignons (about 6 oz. each)
4 large mushrooms (about
1/4 pound total)
1 tablespoon unsalted
butter
1 tablespoon finely
chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced
garlic
1 large egg
1 puff pastry sheet
(from a 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff
pastry),
thawed
4 tablespoons Gorgonzola
cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
Pat filets mignons dry and season
with salt and pepper. In a
shallow roasting pan roast filets
in middle of oven 12 minutes, or
until a meat thermometer registers
110F for rare, and cool. Chill
filets, covered, until cold, about
1 hour.
Thinly slice mushrooms and in a
heavy skillet cook in butter with
shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper
to taste over moderate heat,
stirring, until mushrooms are lightly
browned. Transfer mushroom
mixture to a bowl to cool completely.
In a small bowl lightly beat
egg to make an egg wash.
On a lightly floured surface roll
out puff pastry sheet into a
14-inch square. Trim edges to form
a 13-inch square and cut square
into four 6 1/2 inch squares. Put
1 tablespoon Gorgonzola in center
of 1 square and top with one fourth
mushroom mixture. Top mushroom
mixture with a filet mignon, pressing
it down gently, and wrap 2
opposite corners of puff pastry
over filet, overlapping them. Seal
seam with egg wash. Wrap remaining
2 corners of pastry over filet
and seal in same manner. Seal any
gaps with egg wash and press pastry
around filet to enclose completely.
Arrange beef Wellington, seam
side down, in a non-stick baking
pan. Make 3 more beef Wellingtons
in same manner. Chill remaining
egg wash for brushing on pastry just
before baking. Chill beef Wellingtons,
loosely covered, at least
1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 425F. Brush top
and sides of each beef Wellington
with some remaining egg wash and
bake 20 minutes, or until pastry
is golden.
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Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin
=====================
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose
flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
Salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
pepper
1 pound small or medium
shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound claw crabmeat,
picked through for shells
1 1/2 cups grated sharp
Cheddar
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed
saucepan over very low heat.
When the butter is completely melted,
stir in the flour with a
wooden spoon. Cook for about 1 minute
over low heat, stirring
constantly. Slowly add the milk.
Using a whisk, stir briskly until
you have a smooth sauce, about 2
minutes. Add the wine, lemon juice,
salt, black pepper, and cayenne
and whisk again. Switch to the
wooden spoon and keep stirring the
white sauce until it is completely
smooth and thickened, about the
consistency of mayonnaise. Remove
from the heat.
Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon
salt to a boil in a medium
saucepan and add the shrimp. When
the water returns to a boil, cook
the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately.
Roughly chop the shrimp
and put in a large mixing bowl.
Add the crabmeat and, with your
hands, toss gently to mix.
Pour the sauce over the seafood.
With a large spoon, gently combine,
taking care not to break apart the
crabmeat.
Spray an 11 by 7-inch casserole
dish with vegetable oil cooking
spray. Pour the mixture into the
pan. Place the grated cheese on top,
completely covering the seafood
mixture. Bake in a 350F oven
uncovered, for about 25 minutes,
until bubbly.
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Margherita Pizza
=============
2 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil, additional for dough
1/2 lb. plum (Roma)
tomatoes, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black
pepper
1 12" uncooked NY Style
dough crust
6 oz. mozzarella cheese,
shredded
6 fresh basil leaves
cut into julienne strips
1/4 cup fresh shredded
parmesan cheese
Combine 2 Tbls. olive oil, tomatoes,
garlic, salt, and pepper
in a bowl. Allow to marinate while
making dough.
Brush dough crust lightly with olive
oil. Top with cheese, then
tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake in preheated 500F oven on
pizza stone for 8-10 minutes or
until crust is golden brown and
cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven
and top with parmesan cheese,
then basil. Cool on a wire rack
for 2-3 minutes before cutting
into wedges and serving.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Wild Mushroom Bisque
==================
1.5 oz. dried porcini
mushrooms
2 pints assorted wild
mushrooms - button, Shiitake and oyster
8 cups beef stock
3 cups water
1 carrot
3 stalks celery with
leaves
1 medium onion
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup sherry
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons olive
oil
salt and pepper to
taste
In a sauce pan, bring 3 cups of
water to a gently boil. Add dried
mushrooms and reduce heat to simmer
for 30 minutes uncovered.
In a pot, saute fresh mushrooms
in 1 tbsp. butter. Add a pinch of
salt to allow mushrooms to release
their liquid. Set aside in a bowl.
In same pot, heat butter and olive
oil over medium heat. Add
shredded carrots, diced onion and
diced celery. Saute gently for
10 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer
gently, uncovered for 30
minutes.
Strain beef stock and discard vegetables.
Return stock to pot and
add sauteed mushrooms and dried
mushrooms with liquid. Simmer
uncovered for 10 minutes. Add half
and half and sherry. Return
to simmer and cook a few minutes
more.
Blend in blender or use immersion
blender to get desired
consistency.
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Caramelized Butternut Squash
========================
2 medium butternut
squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
6-8 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup light brown
sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh
ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut off
the ends of each butternut squash
and discard. Peel the squash and
cut in half lengthwise. Using a
spoon, remove the seeds. Cut the
squash into 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" cubes
(large and uniform is best), and
place them on a baking sheet. Add
the melted butter, brown sugar,
salt and pepper. With clean hands,
toss all of the ingredients together
and spread out in a single layer
on the baking sheet. Roast for 45
minutes to 55 minutes, until the
squash is tender and the glaze begins
to caramelize. Turn the squash
while roasting a few times with
a spatula to be sure it browns
evenly. Adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve hot.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Chocolate Truffles
==============
8 ounces semisweet
or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping
cream
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
2 tablespoons alcohol
(Cognac, brandy, Grand Marnier, kirsch,
rum, bourbon,
or Kahlua to name a few) (optional)
cocoa powder, finely
chopped nuts, and toasted coconut, for
coating truffles
Place the chopped chocolate in a
medium sized stainless steel bowl.
Set aside. Heat the cream
and butter in a small saucepan over medium
heat. Bring to a boil. Immediately
pour the boiling cream over the
chocolate and allow to stand for
5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until
smooth. If desired, add the
liqueur. Cover and place in the
refrigerator until the truffle mixture
is firm (this will take
several hours or overnight).
Place coatings for the truffles
on plates. Remove the truffle
mixture from the refrigerator. With
your hands, or else a melon
baller or small spoon form the chocolate
into round or mis-shaped
bite-sized balls. Immediately roll
the truffle in the coating and
place on a parchment lined baking
sheet or tray. Make one third
with cocoa powder, one third with
chopped nuts, and one third with
coconut. Cover and place in the
refrigerator until firm. Bring to
room temperature before serving.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Baked
John Cardy Jeaffreson, a social
historian, wrote: "The peasant
who bakes his egg in hot wood embers
piled about the shell knows
by a sure sign when the meat is
sufficiently cooked. As soon as
a clear dew drop exudes from the
shell's top, visible above the
embers, the egg is done to the perfection
of softness." ("A Book
About The Table", published in 1875.)
It sounds strange to our
ears, but we have to remember that
in the Middle Ages they did
not have modern kitchens!
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