| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Mexican
Subtlety
> Wine Appreciation:
Pennywise Pinot Noir 2009
> Food Funnies: Menu
Disclaimers You’d Rather Not See
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Olive
Garden Shrimp Primavera
* Montreal
Peppered Steak
* Pork
Tenderloin with Bernaise Sauce
* Creamy
Italian Chicken
* Sweet
and Sour Meatballs
* Candied
Yams with Bourbon
* Chili-Baked
Fries
* Banana
Chocolate Strudel
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Atkins'
Original Roast Turkey
Diabetic: Hearty
Mushroom Soup
Low Fat: Low
Fat Gravy
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This Week's Cooking Tips
STUFFING A WHOLE TURKEY:
Whether you choose to stuff your
turkey or cook the stuffing in a
casserole dish is a matter of personal
preference. As with any
preparation involving raw food ingredients,
it is important to
follow proper food safety and handling
procedures carefully to
ensure a safe turkey every time.
If you decide to stuff the turkey,
we recommend the following five
guidelines.
* Prepare stuffing just before placing
in turkey. Use only cooked
ingredients in stuffing -
i.e., saute vegetables, use only cooked
meats and seafood (oysters),
and use pasteurized egg products
instead of raw eggs.
* Place prepared stuffing in turkey
just before roasting. Do not
stuff the turkey the night
before roasting.
* Stuff both neck and body cavities
of completely thawed turkey,
allowing 1/2 to 3/4 cup of
stuffing per pound of turkey. Do not
pack stuffing tightly in
turkey.
* Return legs to original tucked
position, if untucked for rinsing
or stuffing.
* Use a cook method that allows the
stuffing to cook along with the
turkey. Do not stuff turkeys
when cooking on an outdoor grill or
water smoker or when using
fast cook methods where the turkey gets
done before the stuffing.
More Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
Not all Ben & Jerry's
flavors make it to production. One rejected
flavor was made with sour
cream and onion ice cream, with potato
chips. If it went to production,
what were they going to call it?
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FOOD
AND COOKING MOUSEPADS
Brighten up your desktop with
a tasty looking mousepad! We
offer hundreds of different styles
covering many popular themes!
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Quote of the Week:
"Cookery is not chemistry.
It is an art. It requires instinct
and taste rather than
exact measurements."
- X. Marcel Boulestin
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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
October 23 - National Boston Cream Pie Day
October 24 - National Bologna Day
October 25 - National Greasy Foods Day
October 26 - National Mincemeat Pie Day
October 27 - National Potato Day
October 28 - National Chocolate Day
October 29 - National Pancake Day
October 30 - National Candy Corn 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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Mexican Subtlety
By MARK BITTMAN
Pipian - pumpkin seeds - figure
heavily in certain Mexican dishes,
not only contributing their distinctive
nuttiness but also acting as
a thickening agent in a variety
of sauces. I like them best combined
with ancho chilies, which are the
rich-flavored dried version of the
ultramild poblano. (Despite containing
a number of anchos, this dish
is far from fiery, and may in fact
disappoint those who are looking
for something along those lines.)
You can buy toasted pipian, but
you can also toast them yourself;
most health food stores and many
Central and South American markets
sell them hulled, in both forms.
(You can, if you're really
ambitious, use seeds from your own
pumpkin, but you must first dry
and then shell them, a tedious assignment.)
I like two different ways of combining
the sauce with chicken. The
first, which is outlined in the
recipe, involves making a basic and
relatively quick stock with a whole
bird, then using the stock, the
seeds and the chilies, along with
some garlic, to produce a sauce in
which the chicken is simmered.
The second version is simpler and
considerably faster, but requires
already-made stock, or you can compromise
by using canned stock,
which is hardly a crime, but decidedly
less flavorful. Here, you just
soak the chilies in a couple of
cups of heated stock, puree as below
and heat until thick. Meanwhile,
you cook chicken parts any way you
like (this is perfect for simply
grilled or sauteed boneless breasts)
and top them with the sauce. That
entire process should take you less
than half an hour.
Chicken with Pumpkin Seeds
=======================
1 whole chicken, about
3 pounds
Salt and pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled
and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled
and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, trimmed
and roughly chopped
1 cup hulled pumpkin
seeds
3 or 4 ancho chilies
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Lime juice to taste
Chopped cilantro leaves
for garnish
1. Put chicken in a pot in which
it fits snugly, with salt, pepper,
carrot, onion, celery
and water to barely cover. Cover, bring to
boil and adjust heat
for a steady simmer. Cook until chicken is
almost done, about
40 minutes. (It's all right if some traces of
blood remain.)
2. Meanwhile, toast seeds, if not
already toasted, in a dry skillet
over medium heat, shaking
and stirring constantly for a minute or
two, until seeds start
to puff. (Overcooking will make sauce
bitter; seeds may pop.)
3. Remove chicken; strain and reserve
stock. Cool chicken, remove
meat from bones, shred
by hand. (This can all be done a day or so
in advance.) Soak chilies
in 3 cups of hot stock until tender,
about 10 minutes. Remove
stems and seeds and put the flesh in a
blender, with pumpkin
seeds, garlic and enough stock to let
machine work; puree.
4. Combine the sauce, chicken, the
liquid in which the chilies
soaked, and about a
cup of the remaining stock (or a little water)
in saucepan and cook
gently until heated through and thick, 10 to
20 minutes. Add salt
and pepper to taste and, just before serving,
some lime juice. Garnish
with cilantro. Serve with white rice.
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THE
E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY
Find out why the
E-Cookbooks Library is one
of the greatest
values on the internet!
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This Week's Wine Selection
Pennywise Pinot Noir
2009 Price: $10
Surprisingly sophisticated for a
Pinot Noir at this price. It's dry,
light in the mouth and elegantly
structured, with a nice bit of acids
and tannins. The flavors are delicate
in sour cherries, sweet tomato
jam and dusty spices.
Serve With:
Prime Rib with Horseradish Crust
==========================
1 bone in prime rib
beef roast, 3 ribs, about 6 pounds
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup grated fresh
or prepared horseradish
Leaves from 2 fresh
rosemary sprigs
Leaves from 4 fresh
thyme sprigs
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly ground
black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon all-purpose
flour
2 cups canned chicken
or beef broth
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lay the
beef in a large roasting pan with
the bone side down. (The ribs act
as a natural roasting rack.) In a
small bowl mash together the garlic,
horseradish, rosemary, thyme,
salt, pepper, and olive oil to make
a paste. Massage the paste
generously over the entire roast.
Put the pan in the oven and roast
the beef until the internal temperature
of the meat registers 125F
on an instant-read thermometer (medium-rare),
1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Remove the beef to a carving board
and let it rest for 20 minutes
before carving.
Pour off some of the pan drippings
and place pan on stovetop over
medium-high heat. Add the white
wine and bring to a simmer, scraping
the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the wine by half. Whisk
in the flour, then add the broth
and continue to cook, whisking until
sauce thickens into a gravy, about
10 minutes.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Menu Disclaimers
You’d Rather Not See
9. Just so you know, your mother
licked her fingers while she
cooked, too.
8. Warning: Photographs taken with
fake food in a professional
studio. Do not expect
yours to look like this.
7. Opening wrapper voids warranty.
6. Not intended for consumption by
mammals.
5. For calorie and fat content estimates,
just look at the
patrons and do the
math.
4. All of our meats are organic.
Due to market conditions,
however, we are not
always able to identify the specific organs.
3. Since this is Wyoming, all oyster
dishes are safe for anyone
with shellfish allergies.
2. Although the cook was under investigation
by the ASPCA,
nothing was ever proven.
Bon appetit!
... and the #1 Menu Disclaimer
You’d Rather Not See ...
1. Contains less than 0.5% disgruntled
bar-help spit by volume.
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Olive Garden Shrimp Primavera
=========================
Sauce:
6 tablespoons butter
or margarine
1 tablespoon garlic,
fresh, minced
1 (1 ounce) package
Knorr Newburg Sauce Mix (or similar)
32 ounces crushed tomatoes,
canned
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon
juice, fresh
1/4 teaspoon (or to
taste) red pepper, crushed
1/2 teaspoon basil,
dry
1/4 teaspoon marjoram,
dry
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
Vegetables:
1/2 pound mushrooms,
halved (or quartered if large)
1 cup green bell peppers,
cut into 1-inch squares
1 cup red bell peppers,
cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 cup yellow onion,
cut into 1-inch squares
2 tablespoons butter
for sauteing
1 pound linguine
1 pound medium to large
fully cooked shrimp, thawed and drained
Melt butter in 3 quart saucepan
over medium heat. Add garlic and
cook one minute. Add remaining spice
and tomato ingredients, stir
well and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan,
melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute
vegetables about 3 minutes until
crisp-tender. Add to the sauce and
simmer 5 minutes more.
Cook pasta according to directions.
When pasta is almost done, stir
shrimp into sauce to heat through.
Do not boil. Spoon Primavera over
hot linguine. Pass Parmesan cheese.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Montreal Peppered Steak
====================
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons Montreal
Steak Seasoning
2 pounds sirloin or
strip steak
Combine olive oil, soy sauce and
Montreal Steak Seasoning in a large
self-closing plastic bag or glass
dish. Add steak and seal bag or
cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes or
longer for extra flavor.
Remove steak from marinade; discard
marinade. Preheat grill or
broiler. Grill or broil steak 8-10
minutes per side, or to desired
doneness.
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Pork Tenderloin with Bernaise Sauce
=============================
1 pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
1 tablespoon butter
or margarine
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
Bernaise Sauce:
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
leaves, dry
1/2 teaspoon shallot,
minced
2 teaspoons red wine
vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
4 egg yolks, large
4 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon
juice
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper
sauce
8 oz. butter, unsalted,
melted and separated
salt and pepper, to
taste
Combine oil and 1 tablespoon butter
in a heavy skillet over medium
heat; stirring to mix as butter
melts. Add tenderloin and cook until
brown on all sides, turning occasionally.
Sprinkle with freshly
ground pepper. Add water and red
wine to skillet. Cover tightly and
cook over low heat for 12-15 minutes
or until done. Set aside and
keep warm.
Prepare tarragon reduction by placing
tarragon leaves, shallot, red
wine vinegar and white wine in a
saucepan. Bring to a simmer over
medium heat. Reduce heat and continue
to simmer until "sec" or dry.
Remove from heat and reserve.
Melt butter over low heat in saucepan.
Cool slightly. Skim foam from
top of melted butter. Using a small
ladle, carefully remove clear
butter from saucepan, leaving remaining
"milky" liquid to discard.
Reserve clarified butter.
Prepare a double boiler by placing
a stainless steel bowl over a pot
of lightly simmering water. Do not
let bottom of the bowl touch the
water. Add egg yolks, water and
lemon juice, whisk vigorously until
mixture thickens and turns pale
yellow. Remove bowl from the pot. Add
the clarified butter slowly while
whisking vigorously until all the
butter is incorporated. Whisk in
tarragon reduction and hot pepper
sauce. Season with salt and fresh
ground black pepper. Serve on the
side with sliced pork tenderloin.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Creamy Italian Chicken
==================
4 boneless skinless
chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian
salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8 oz. cream cheese,
softened
1 can cream of chicken
soup, undiluted
4 oz. can mushroom
stems and pieces, drained
Hot cooked rice or
pasta
Place the chicken breast halves
in a crock pot. Combine the Italian
dressing mix and water; mix until
smooth, and pour over top of
chicken. Cover and cook on low for
3 hours. Combine the cream cheese
and soup until smooth and blended.
Stir in mushroom pieces. Pour soup
mixture over chicken. Cook 1 hour
more or until chicken is cooked
through. Serve over hot cooked rice
or pasta.
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Sweet and Sour Meatballs
====================
2 pounds lean ground
beef
2 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped
onion
1/2 teaspoon ground
ginger
1 teaspoon seasoning
salt
1/2 teaspoon ground
black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
sauce
2 teaspoons granulated
sugar
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple
chunks, drained with juice reserved
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons distilled
white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup packed brown
sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground
ginger
1/2 teaspoon seasoning
salt
1 large carrot, diced
1 large green bell
pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease
a large, shallow baking sheet.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix
the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs
and onion. Sprinkle with ginger,
seasoning salt, pepper,
Worcestershire sauce and sugar.
Shape into one inch balls.
Place meatballs in a single layer
on prepared baking sheet. Bake in
preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes;
set aside.
To make the sauce, mix enough water
with the reserved pineapple
juice to make 1 cup. In a large
pot over medium heat, combine the
juice mixture, 1/3 cup water, vinegar,
soy sauce, and brown sugar.
Stir in cornstarch, ginger and seasoning
salt, until smooth. Cover
and cook until thickened.
Stir pineapple chunks, carrot, green
pepper and meatballs into the
sauce. Gently stir to coat the meatballs
with the sauce. Simmer,
uncovered, for about 20 minutes,
or until meatballs are thoroughly
cooked.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Candied Yams with Bourbon
======================
6 to 8 large sweet
potatoes
1/4 cup light corn
syrup
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons maple
syrup
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon,
high quality
salt and pepper, to
taste
fresh parsley, minced
Cook sweet potatoes; peel and slice
crosswise then lengthwise or as
desired. Cool and arrange in buttered
casserole pan or dish. Combine
remaining ingredients, except parsley,
and pour over potatoes. Bake
at 350F degrees until bubbling hot.
Garnish with parsley.
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Chili-Baked Fries
==============
4 baking potatoes
4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili
powder
1/2 teaspoon onion
powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic
powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning
salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon
dry mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Scrub potatoes. Leaving skins on,
cut each potato lengthwise into
8 wedges. Rinse under cold water
to remove starch. Pat dry.
In very large bowl, mix all remaining
ingredients. Add potatoes and
toss to coat. Place on rimmed baking
sheet. Bake in preheated 450F
degree oven for about 45-50 minutes
or until crisp and browned.
Carefully toss twice during cooking.
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Banana Chocolate Strudel
====================
4 (17- by 12-inch)
phyllo sheets, covered with 2 overlapping
pieces
plastic wrap and then a damp kitchen towel
3 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted
2 firm-ripe bananas
2 oz fine-quality bittersweet
chocolate (not unsweetened),
finely
chopped
1 large egg, beaten
with 1 teaspoon water
Confectioners sugar
for dusting
Preheat oven to 425F. Arrange 1
phyllo sheet on a work surface with
a short side of phyllo nearest you,
keeping remaining sheets covered,
and brush with some butter. Top
phyllo with 3 more sheets of phyllo,
brushing each with butter. Arrange
bananas one above the other,
horizontally, on lower third of
phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border on
both sides (trim bananas if too
long). Sprinkle chocolate over
bananas, then fold sides of phyllo
toward middle (over ends of
bananas). Fold bottom edge of phyllo
over bananas and roll up bananas
in phyllo.
Transfer strudel, seam side down,
to a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper or to a buttered
baking sheet, then brush strudel
with beaten egg. Cut 4 (1/2-inch-long)
steam vents diagonally along
top of strudel with a sharp knife.
Bake in middle of oven until
golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool slightly on a rack, then dust
with confectioners sugar. Serve
with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Chips 'n' Dip
Can you really blame it being rejected?
It was made up in a
research batch, and apparently all
it took was one bite to reject
it! Other (genuine) rejected flavors
include licorice, or peanut
butter and jelly sandwich. Perhaps
the worst suggestion was
pepperoni pizza with anchovy swirl.
No thank you ... I'll pass.
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