| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Butterflied
If Not Free
> Wine Appreciation:
Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay 2008
> Food Funnies: Signs
That Your Kitchen is Haunted
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Don
Pablo's White Chili
* Brown
Sugar Meatloaf
* Chicken
with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
* Pork
Braised with Autumn Vegetables
* Roast
Duck with Port Garlic Sauce
* Noodles
Romanoff
* Apple
Chips
* Pumpkin
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Sausage
Frittata
Diabetic: Garlic
Cauliflower Stir Fry
Low Fat: Cajun
Style Pasta
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This Week's Cooking Tips
Clarified Butter:
For clarified butter, slowly melt
unsalted butter over low heat.
Don't let the butter come to a boil,
and don't stir it. This
allows the milk solids to separate
from the liquid butter.
Once the butter has separated into
three layers--foamy milk
solids on top, clarified butter
in the middle, and milk solids on
the bottom--turn off the heat. Skim
the foamy white solids from the
top. Then ladle off the clarified
butter. Be careful not to disturb
the milk solids at the bottom of
the pan.
Clarified butter can be used immediately.
Or, let it solidify and
keep it in the refrigerator for
up to three to four weeks.
Just remelt to use. One pound of
unsalted butter yields 1-1/4 cups
clarified butter. More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
(Answer at the bottom of page)
A vital piece of medieval cuisine
was a plate cut from stale loaves
of bread. These would hold food,
sauces, salt and even candles during
the banquet. What name was given
to this plate?
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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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Quote of the Week:
"If a man be sensible and
one fine morning, while he is lying in
bed, count at the tips of
his fingers how many things in this life
truly will give him enjoyment,
invariably he will find food is the
first one."
- Lin Yutang (1895-1976)
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Subscribe
to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
November is: National Pepper Month
National Georgia Pecan Month
National Raisin Bread Month
National Peanut Butter Lovers' Month
October 30 - National Candy Corn Day
October 31 - National Caramel Apple Day
November 1 - National French Fried Clam Day
November 2 - National Deviled Egg Day
November 3 - Sandwich Day
November 4 - National Candy Day
November 5 - National Doughnut Day
November 6 - National Nachos Day
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Over 100 Full Length Cookbooks!
Discover The Largest Online Cookbook
Library In The World!
The
E-Cookbooks Library
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Butterflied If
Not Free
By Mark
Bittman
From the perspectives of tenderness,
flavor and economy, there
really is no better cut of meat
for serving a small crowd than
boneless leg of lamb. And now that
supermarkets regularly stock it,
there is no need to visit a skilled
butcher to get one; happily, we
can add ease to its list of attributes.
Whether you marinate a boned leg
for 10 minutes or a full day, the
resulting taste is invariably stunning,
and you can use all kinds of
seasonings, from a moist North Indian
rub to a Provençal mix of herbs
and olive oil. Lamb has the most
intrinsic flavor of any red meat,
and stands up to strong flavors
brilliantly.
And when you are ready to cook,
you can grill it if you are so
inclined, broil it with much the
same effect, or roast it in a hot
oven. The result will be a crisp,
crunchy and highly seasoned
exterior with a tender, sweet interior.
Finally, because the boned leg is
invariably irregular in thickness,
the meat will be cooked to different
stages of doneness. If, for
example, you cook it so that the
thickest part of the meat reaches
125 degrees (rare), the thinner
parts will vary from medium rare to
nearly well done at the edges. Since
lamb also tastes great at all
stages of doneness, this will make
for a genuine crowd-pleaser.
Leg of Lamb, North Indian Style
========================
1 large onion, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch-long piece of
ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom
seeds (with pods, crush and remove seeds)
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon cumin
seeds
1 3-inch-long cinnamon
stick
10 black peppercorns
2 dried small red chilies,
or 2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes,
or to taste,
optional
1 butterflied leg of
lamb, 3 to 4 pounds
Salt
1. Combine onion, garlic and ginger
in food processor and grind to
paste. Press through
fine strainer to extract liquid; discard
liquid. Toast spices
in small skillet over medium heat, shaking
frequently until aromatic,
about 3 minutes. Grind in spice mill or
coffee grinder until
very fine.
2. Trim lamb of fat; sprinkle with
salt. Combine spices and onion
mix, and rub over meat.
Poke small holes in lamb and stick some of
the mixture into each
one. If time allows, fold meat in half, wrap
tightly in plastic
and refrigerate for a day.
3. Start charcoal or wood fire or
heat gas grill or broiler; fire
should be quite hot,
and the rack at least 4 inches from heat.
Grill or broil until
nicely browned, even a little charred, on
both sides, about 20
minutes, until internal temperature at the
thickest part is about
125 degrees. Some will be rare, some nearly
well done. Let rest
for 5 minutes and slice thinly.
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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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This Week's Wine Selection
Merryvale Starmont
Chardonnay 2008 Price: $8
Fresh and vibrant, with a full-bodied
mix of tangerine, nectarine,
peach and pear flavors that are
intense, complex, layered and
cleansing. This holds on to its
core fruitiness. Drink now through
2013. 34,050 cases made.
Serve With:
Pan-Glazed Fish with Citrus and
Soy
============================
4 (4-oz) pieces cod
or bass, bones removed
1 tablespoon fresh
grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon fresh
lime juice
2 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons mirin
(Japanese sweet rice wine)
3 tablespoons Japanese
light soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable
oil
lime slices for garnish
Place fish in a flat-bottomed glass
or ceramic dish just large
enough to hold fillets in 1 layer.
Stir together juices in a small
bowl, then combine 1 tablespoon
mixed juices with sake in another
small bowl and pour over fillets.
Marinate fish, covered, at room
temperature, 10 minutes. Stir together
mirin and 2 tablespoons soy
sauce, then pour over fillets and
marinate, covered, at room
temperature, 5 minutes more (or
in refrigerator up to 1 hour).
Remove fish from marinade and pat
dry. Discard marinade.
Stir together water, sugar, and
remaining tablespoon each mixed
juices and soy sauce in a small
bowl.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick
skillet over moderately high
heat until hot but not smoking,
then sauté fillets, skin side down,
until just crisp and golden brown,
1 to 2 minutes. Turn fillets over
and sauté until browned,
about 1 minute more. Add soy mixture to
skillet and cook, swirling skillet
occasionally, until sauce is
reduced to a glaze and fillets are
just cooked through, about 3
minutes. (If sauce reduces before
fish is cooked through, swirl in
1 additional tablespoon water, repeating
as necessary until fish
is done.)
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FOOD FUNNIES: Signs That
Your Kitchen is Haunted
9. Either the kitchen's haunted
or my mother-in-law's cooking
cabbage again.
8. That's where you always find your
Mummy.
7. The Pillsbury Doughboy has pins
stuck in his head and you've
got a migraine.
6. Your pea soup keeps throwing up
Linda Blair.
5. Eerily, the contents of your Thermos
are either steaming hot
or frosty cold.
4. One morning you find your Ginsu
knives arranged into a
pentagram on your ceiling.
3. Stands to reason; after all, everything
in your pantry has
long since passed its
expiration date.
2. You open a heavy door... you see
an eerie light... you feel a
rush of cold air....
... and the #1
Sign Your Kitchen is Haunted ...
1. When you lift the Parkay lid,
it moans "Rettub... Rettub...."
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Don Pablo's White Chili
==================
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1 small onion peel/chop
fine
2 medium garlic cloves
peeled/chopped
1 medium red bell pepper
chopped fine
2 cans white beans,
15 oz. each drained and rinsed
4 ounces green chilies
canned/diced
1/2 teaspoon ground
cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (14 1/2 oz.)
low sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound roasted chicken
breast meat cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons lime
juice, fresh
2 tablespoons cilantro
minced, fresh
6 tablespoons salsa
(optional)
In a large pot heat the olive oil
over medium heat. Add the onion,
garlic, and red pepper. Saute for
5 minutes. Stir in the white beans,
chilies, cumin, chili powder and
broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the
heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir
in the chicken and simmer for 5
minutes. Stir in the lime juice
and cilantro. A tablespoon of salsa
can be used to garnish each serving
if chili, if desired.
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Brown Sugar Meatloaf
=================
1/2 cup packed brown
sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground
beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground
black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground
ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed
saltine cracker crumbs
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease
a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Press the
brown sugar in the bottom of the
prepared loaf pan and spread the
ketchup over the sugar. In a mixing
bowl, mix thoroughly all
remaining ingredients and shape
into a loaf. Place on top of the
ketchup. Bake in preheated oven
for 1 hour or until juices are clear.
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Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream
Sauce
====================================
3 tablespoons unsalted
butter
1 tablespoon olive
oil
4 skinless boneless
chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into
1/2-inch
strips
All purpose flour
2 shallots, minced
(about 1/4 cup)
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup (generous)
chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped
fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
Melt butter with olive oil in heavy
large skillet over medium-high
heat. Season chicken with salt and
pepper. Dust chicken with flour;
shake off excess. Add chicken to
skillet and sauté until light brown
and just cooked through, about 3
minutes. Using slotted spoon,
transfer chicken to plate.
Add minced shallots to skillet;
sauté 1 minute. Add whipping cream,
white wine, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
and basil. Bring to boil; cook
until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally,
about 4 minutes. Return
chicken to pan; cook until just
heated through, about 2 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
and serve.
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Pork Braised with Autumn Vegetables
=============================
3 tablespoons butter
2 pork tenderloins
(2 pounds total), each cut crosswise into
3 pieces,
patted dry
2 parsnips, peeled,
cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cups cubed peeled
seeded butternut squash
1 cup frozen petite
whole onions
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can
low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh thyme
3 tablespoons coarse-grained
Dijon mustard
Melt butter in large deep skillet
over medium-high heat. Add pork;
brown on all sides, about 5 minutes
total. Add parsnips, squash,
onions, broth, and thyme; bring
to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer until pork is just
cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Transfer pork to plate and tent
with foil to keep warm.
Continue simmering, uncovered, until
vegetables are tender and
liquid is slightly reduced, about
5 minutes longer. Stir mustard into
sauce. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Cut pork diagonally into
1/2-inch-thick slices and serve
with sauce and vegetables.
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Roast Duck with Port Garlic Sauce
===========================
For Sauce:
1 5-pound duck, fresh
or frozen, thawed (neck, heart and gizzard
reserved)
1 medium onion, quartered
1 carrot, coarsely
chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely
chopped
4 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons (1/4
stick) butter
6 large garlic cloves,
sliced
1 cup ruby Port
1 tablespoon all purpose
flour
For Duck:
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon
mustard
3 large garlic cloves,
pressed
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Make sauce: Cut off duck wing tips
at joint. Combine neck, heart,
gizzard and wing tips in large saucepan.
Add onion, carrot and celery
to pan. Add 4 1/2 cups water and
bring to boil. Reduce heat and
simmer 1 hour. Strain stock into
medium saucepan. Boil stock until
reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy
large skillet over medium heat.
Add sliced garlic and saute until
golden, about 2 minutes. Add Port
and boil 5 minutes. Add reduced
duck stock and boil until reduced to
1 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix remaining
1 tablespoon butter and flour
in small bowl. Whisk into sauce
and simmer until thickened, about 1
minute. Season sauce with salt and
pepper.
Make duck: Preheat oven to 400F.
Trim excess fat from cavity of
duck. Using fork, pierce duck skin
in several places. Place duck,
breast side up, on rack in large
roasting pan. Brush soy sauce over
duck. Mix mustard and pressed garlic
in small bowl. Brush mustard
mixture over duck. Mix salt, pepper
and thyme in another small bowl.
Sprinkle spice-herb mixture over
duck and in cavity. Roast duck 45
minutes. Turn duck and roast, breast
side down, 30 minutes. Turn duck
and roast, breast side up, until
duck is deep golden brown and cooked
through, about 15 minutes longer.
Transfer duck to platter. Serve
with sauce.
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Noodles Romanoff
==============
8 ounces cooked and
drained wide egg noodles
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan
cheese
1 tablespoon chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced
garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan
cheese
Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup cheese,
chives, salt, pepper and
garlic. Stir butter into hot noodles.
Stir in the sour cream
mixture. Arrange on platter, sprinkle
with remaining cheese.
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Apple Chips
==========
6 tablespoons confectioners'
sugar
2 Granny Smith apples
Preheat oven to 225F and line 2
large baking sheets with parchment
paper. Sift 3 tablespoons confectioners'
sugar evenly onto lined
baking sheets. With a mandoline
or other manual slicer cut apples
crosswise into paper-thin slices.
Arrange apple slices in one layer
on sheets and sprinkle evenly with
remaining 3 tablespoons
confectioners' sugar. Bake slices
in upper and lower thirds of oven,
switching position of sheets halfway
through baking, 2 1/4 hours
total, or until slices are pale
golden and starting to crisp.
Immediately peel apple chips off
parchment and cool on a rack. Apple
chips keep in an airtight container
at room temperature 2 weeks.
Recommended for garnish on ice creams
and apple desserts or as a
crisp, cookie-like accompaniment.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
============================
1 3/4 cups unbleached
all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin
pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cup miniature semisweet
chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and
flour 9x5x2 1/2-inch metal loaf
pan. Sift first 5 ingredients into
medium bowl. Using electric mixer,
beat butter in large bowl until
smooth. Gradually beat in sugar, then
beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in
pumpkin and vanilla. Beat dry
ingredients into pumpkin mixture
alternately with milk. Stir in
chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer
batter to prepared pan.
Bake loaf cake until tester inserted
into center comes out clean,
about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on
rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto
rack; cool completely. (Can be made
2 days ahead. Wrap in plastic;
store at room temperature.)
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Trencher
Every diner at the kings table would
eat from one of these plates.
Servants had a specific task during
mealtimes to carve these loaves
and present them to the diners,
the most delicate and finest trencher
being presented to the king or other
ranking nobility. Used trenchers
were covered in sauces and bits
of food so they were usually given to
the poor who waited hungrily outside
the castle walls.
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