Good Gravy! And Other Stuff, Too

I've said in previous posts that I don't feel comfortable not having a dutch oven ready to go for deep-frying at a moment's notice. This is funny to me because I rarely fry anything. I'll panko crust something to death, but I won't fry. I'll cover and smother it in gravy, dressing, or other sauce, but I won't fry. Pan and shallow-frying are not above me but it's not something I do on a regular basis. How many fried items can you count that I've posted about in the past six months?? One, maybe two?

Well, today I felt the need to fill up a pan with oil and go to town.

I defrosted some pork tenderloin, shucked corn and shelled butter beans from a few weeks ago, opened up a bag of Blue Ribbon long-grain rice and made a quick dinner.

And the tenderloin will be my breakfast tomorrow, too. I'll cook up some grits, fry or scramble up an egg, add a half-slice of muenster cheese, salt and pepper. And if I feel like it...some biscuits. If not, then a piece of whole wheat toast will do. Oh, and the gravy will be spooned on top of everything. Yes, sir. That'll do ju-ust fine.

Pan-fried pork tenderloin, mustard sage gravy, mixed vegetable medley, steamed white rice

Pan Fried Pork Chops

6 boneless pork chops

1/2 Tbsp Freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt, for sprinkling

Hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete's or Frank's)
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Canola or safflower oil

Sprinkle the chops lightly with salt and pepper. Shake hot sauce on each chop. Season flour with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil to a depth of 1/8 inch over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers without smoking, it's ready. Alternatively, sprinkle a bit of flour in the pan. If it sizzles, it's ready. Put the chops in the pan, as many as will fit without crowding, and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Drain on cooling rack, paper towels, or brown paper bags. To keep chops warm, place in a preheated 250 degrees F oven.

You're supposed to use the leftover oil in the pan to start the gravy, but I saved this oil (after straining it through a coffee filter to get out all of the black bits and crust) to use another time.

Mustard Sage Gravy

1/4 cup canola oil

1 onion, fine dice or minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock/broth or water

1 Tbsp dijon mustard or 1/2 Tbsp dried mustard

2 Tbsp rubbed sage

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil on medium-high heat, just until hot. Add onions and cook until just past translucent. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the oil, stirring the bottom with a high-heat spatula or wooden spoon to prevent lumps. Stir for a few minutes as the flour cooks, and browns. Adjust heat, if necessary. If the flour burns, you will have to start all over. Add chicken stock, mustard, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in all ingredients and cook for a few minutes. Scrape the pan again, to lift the bits (called FOND) that might be stuck to the bottom. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Gravy is basically a roux (ROO) made of 50% fat and 50% flour cooked with a liquid and seasonings until the flour reaches its maximum thickening capacity. The fat of the roux can be oil, butter, lard, etc. The longer flour cooks, the less thickening power it has. As soon as the flour becomes the nice golden or marroon color of your choice, that is the time to add the liquid. As far as liquids are concerned, the more flavor the better, so I always use stock. If I'm at another locale ( i.e. not at home), water will do.

Boy! I love my life and all the food in it.

Yeah, that's me and Nicole. They caught me with that stupid grin on my face, again.

Clearly, Nicole is not amused.

Don't forget:

http://niksnacks.blogspot.com/2008/06/ice-cream-you-scream-blogging-event.html

Royal Foodie Joust: July

It's almost the first of the month and do you know what that means? The Royal Foodie Joust over at the forum presided over by Jenn, the Left Over Queen is underway.

Erin of Skinny Gourmet, won June's challenge with a three way 1st place tie with Feedingmaybelle and Cookinpanda. We had to have run-off elections and everything. The first time ever on our forum. It was crazy! There are some talented cooks out there and I'm proud to see their work first hand in the joust competitions.

I haven't entered a joust since March of this year, and I was in California at the time and opted not to blog about my entry. I might tell about it in posts to come, but to be honest, it wasn't up to my usual standard of cooking. I'm surprised I even entered it. I was slightly embarrassed.


ANYWAY, we are here to discuss my entry for the July joust!
As winner of the joust, Erin picked three ingredients for the joust: apricots, ginger, and butter. I wanted to do something savory at first (moroccan meat patties with apricot relish) but I got into a frying mood and decided to go sweet and undertake the ultimate fried dough.

Apricot doughnuts in gingered chocolate ganache.

I adapted this from a recipe from the March issue of Bon Appetit. I have so many magazines and other food paraphenalia to read, I don't get around to reading Bon Appetit and Gourmet when they come in the mail. At the grocery, I see the mags in therack and I'm like, "I'll get to you as soon as I can! " I just unwrapped the March issues last night (I know, I know, I know).

One side down, one side to go!

Krispy Kreme who? This is what they were talking about when they said "Hunka hunka, burning love"

Dusted, sugared, and ready to roll

Another look.

Gingered Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon organic blue agave sweetener
4 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper, finely ground
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)

Heat heavy cream in a bowl in the microwave or on the stove just until simmering. Add agave, ginger, pepper, chocolate, and butter. Whisk ingredients into the heavy cream. As the ganache cools, it will thicken.

I used powdered ginger here because I wanted to impart the ginger flavor without the texture of the fresh ginger in the ganache. I bought my ginger from the Asian Grocery in town to ensure its freshness. Many times you get spices and you have no idea of its origins or how long its been on the shelf. This grocer rotates stock pretty often, so I know I can trust him.

The finer the grind of black pepper, the spicier it is. I added pepper to the pot (hee hee) to help acentuate the ginger's spicyness. I also didn't want too many black specks in the sauce, making people think I didn't wash my plates before serving them (the whole premise behind white pepper, which I CANNOT stand and will never use) I can't wait to make truffles with this! Oh, and make candied apricots with the leftover fruits...yum yum yum.
The butter gives the ganache its reflective sheen.

Apricot doughnuts Makes 2 dozen
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 fresh apricots, peeled, pureed
3 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup nonfat milk
Granulated and powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Cream together the oil, sugar, and egg yolks. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir into the first mixture alternately with 1 cup milk. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened, handling dough as little as possible.
Roll dough to about 3/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Let rolled out dough stand for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat canola oil to 375 degrees F. Fat should be at least 1 inch deep. Cut doughnuts out with floured 2 1/2 or 3-inch doughnut cutter, circular cutter, glass, or jar lid. Use a (clean) floured soda bottle cap or medicine bottle cap to cut out the doughnut's center, if you do not have a doughnut cutter. Oil is ready when a doughnut center browns in about 1 minute. Keep temperature as steady as possible.

Fry doughnuts in the hot oil, turning carefully with a slotted spoon, fork, or tong after 30 to 45 seconds. Continue cooking and turning until browned nicely. This will take about 1 1/2 minute total frying time. Drain doughnuts on paper towels or lined sheet pan covered with a cooling rack.

If your apricots are very fresh and thin-fleshed, don't worry about peeling them. Since they are so small, you want as much yield as possible. There are dried apricots, canned apricots, apricot puree, and even apricot nectars available as well. If that's what you have, use them.

These doughnuts cook very quickly so be on patrol. I'm surprised I was able to take photos of the frying because it went so quickly.

As I'm writing this, I'm nibbling on leftovers, dipping my doughnut in Brazil Ipanema coffee licking my plate of the ganache. And I don't even like chocolate! (Nothing is wrong with me, I promise) Today is going to be a good day...

Cooking In The Season

That's right, folks! Another class at Best Health! On Tuesday, June 23 I lead another demonstration class highlighting the best of this season's eatings.

Since I test and formulate my own recipes, it was hard to pick and choose what ingredients I wanted to bring. I looked in my favorite book, Culinary Artistry, to see a list of summer's peak ingredients:

Apricots
Arugula
Basil
Beans, green
Berries
Cantaloupe
Celery
Chanterelles
Cherries
Chickpeas
Clams
Corn
Soft-shell crabs
Cucumbers
Currants
Eggplant
Figs
Frogs’ legs
Garlic
Goat
Grapes
Guavas
Halibut
Honeydew
Ice cream
Litchi nuts
Lobster
Mangoes
Melons
Nectarines
Okra
Peaches
Peppers
Plums
Porcini
Potatoes, new
Red currants

Salmon
Sardines
Scallions
Shallots
Shellfish
Sherberts
Summer squashes
Tomatoes
Tropical fruits
Tuna
Watermelon

Zucchini

This list is by no means complete, but these foods are the main ones at their freshest, highest quality during this time of the year. It's cheaper to buy seasonal eats at their peak because there is an over-abundance. It's too bad it's not cheaper to buy a ripe canteloupe in December as it would be to buy a pair of culottes.

I wanted to make soft-shell crabs**, but in my area they are too expensive ($4.99/ea USD) and I wanted 30 of them and the top seafood purveyor in the city couldn't guarantee me that many.

**Soft-shell crabs are only available for about 2-4 weeks out of the year. During that window o time, crabs molt their hard shell and must be harvested quickly before the shell grows back and becomes hard. For culinary purposes, the entire crab can be cooked (steamed and sauteed, are the best methods). Your local fish monger can clean them for you or you can visit this website to learn how to DIY.

Dejected, I went to Whole Foods to check out their daily values. If you buy two or more pounds of tilapia, catfish, or salmon, you get $2 off per pound. I opted for the catfish because the salmon would have been $10.49/lb and as fresh as it was (pale pink, golden, glistening) I couldn't justify buying enough for 50 people on my budget, considering all the other ingredients I had to purchase.


Summer is the best time for salad greens, too. Again, Whole Foods came through with enough greens to make anyone happy. I picked up beets, rainbow chard, arugula, and a prewashed mixed baby green medley (complete with red and green leaf lettuce, frisee, mache, butter lettuces, and spinach leaves). I wanted dandelion or chrysanthemum leaves but the produce guy told me:

"There's a lady who asks us to order some every week and she buys the whole box"

Me: "What day does she or the greens come in?"
Him: "Tuesdays."
Me: "I'll be here Tuesday, then."

I informed my class of this exchange, which was met with a few frowns and disappointed looks.

Me: "I know, I know! I want to know who this lady is, too."
Participant: "Doesn't she know that you need those greens more than she does? So that you can teach us about them?"
Me: "Apparently not. But don't think that I'm above posting up at Whole Foods, to wait for her, so that I can tell her a few things..."

This illicited a few laughs, so I knew what I had picked would suffice for our seasonal cooking purposes.



Sautéed Fish Serves 4

4 (3 ounce) fish fillets (catfish, halibut, tilapia, cod)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Smart Beat buttery spread

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Sprinkle each piece of fish with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl with cayenne and garlic powder. Dredge each piece in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.
Melt Smart Beat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan, top sides down; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over; cook an additional 2 minutes. Place fish on lined sheet pan and place in oven to keep warm.

Make a salad bed with various salad greens: dandelion greens, beet greens, parsley, arugula, frisee, watercress. Dress with 2 Tbsp of lemon aioli or other fat free dressing. Season with black pepper.

Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup Kraft fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Place mayonnaise in small bowl. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon peel, mustard, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving

Question: What's the difference between mayonnaise and aioli?
Answer: About $4

Technically, aioli is mayonnaise made with olive oil instead of regular salad oil. In the restaurant business, when you add herbs, fruits, or spices...magically it becomes aioli. Go figure.
This aioli can also be used as a glaze on your fish. It's great on salmon. Just slather it on each piece, broil it, and it becomes a flavorful, opaque, crusty glaze on top. Delish...

I won't be able to make ice cream for my July classes (it's a shame since it's National Ice Cream Month, and all...) so I got in where I could fit in and created one made from country peaches I got from the farmer's market.

Well, actually, there's a story about the actual peaches I used. I got them at 50 cents a pound! They were soft, decidedly the sweetest peaches I've ever tasted. I was excited because that meant I might not have to use the entire amount of agave the recipe calls for. I left them in the demo kitchen last Thursday to use for Tuesday. I tagged all of my ingredients with my name and the class's date. Don't you know that when I opened the fridge that there were only three piddly, measley peaches in a bowl? Someone had taken the entire bag, left me three peaches and had the audacity to put the tag I made on the front of the bowl. To make a long story short, someone went out and got more peaches from the grocery but my country peaches...were pillaged. Sadness. I know.

Cinnamon Peach Ice Cream
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

2 cups skim milk
12 oz Fat free evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup Organic Blue Agave
2 cups pureed fresh peaches

In a saucepan, heat milks, cinnamon, vanilla, and until boiling. Set aside to cool. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled properly, add agave and peach puree. In an ice cream freezer container, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze any leftovers.

Mmmm....

(Please excuse the dirty dishes in the sink. I don't have a sous chef to take care of that kind of thing. In culinary school, after the chef's demonstration, he/she would always make us wash his dishes on top of our own. We could F#&! UP a kitchen, man...)

Cooking the milks isn't necessary. Actually, to save time (heat energy, pots, pans, my sanity) I didn't cook the milk during class. The mixture tasted raw and fresh and cooking the milk gives the base a creamier texture.

A Passion For Picnics

I've got a passion for picnics and I am so happy to share my love and joy for them in this post.

Passion For Picnics was my latest class at Best Health. This class was especially fun for me because it just happened to fall on the first day of summer. I do believe that summer is my favorite season.

Spring is so touch-and-go with chilly days, freak snowstorms, allergens flying about the air, and sickeningly oppressive heat, that I cannot fully embrace the season of my birth with flourish and fanfare. The best I can do is enjoy spring lamb, peas, and look forward to Easter.

Every year since I can remember, I've packed a lunch, made ice cream, gone to a pool, or to a movie in celebration of the Summer Solstice. It amazes me that there are 12 hours of daylight, I think. There's no school, extended late-night hours of my favorite restaurants, outdoor concerts, lightning bugs, and the best months of my life have been spent during the summer.

Every summer I'd travel up north to Philly to stay with my grandmother. The day after school let out until the day before school began, I'd call 19141 my home. While droves of kids were being "sent down south" to see grandparents and forgotten aunts and uncles, I was living the high life: riding the subway, being allowed to walk to the grocery by myself, going to the zoo, to the Mint, meeting "inner-city" kids, watching the Phillies, hoping to stay long enough to see the Eagles in a pre-season game...I truly cherished those summers.

After high school, I became a camp counselor and spent five formative adult years working hard, playing hard, and changing lives at Keyauwee Program Center. As I sit here typing this, I'm picturing the group of counselors there now, many of whom I saw turn from tweens to young women, comforting first-time campers during the thunderstorm we're experiencing in Piedmont North Carolina right now.

To usher in Summer, just as I did Spring, I decided to make some easy, adaptable recipes to make any kind of picnic simple and healthy.

Blackberries straight from the farmer's market

Sliced kiwi and local strawberries

Fruit salad (1/2 cup per serving)
1 pint strawberries
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blackberries
1 cup orange supremes (slices)
4 kiwi, sliced
1 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp Organic raw agave sweetener
3 packets Splenda (optional)
1 bunch fresh mint, chiffonade

Rinse and drain fruit. Place in serving bowl. Whisk together orange juice, agave, and Splenda, if using in a separate bowl. Pour mixture over fruit. Toss gently. Garnish with mint. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days. If refrigerating, save mint until just before serving.

A finished product: fruit salad garnished with mint chiffonade

Let me extol praises of the joy that is agave sweetener. If you haven't heard of it yet, let it be known that I believe this is going to be part of a new fad soon. It comes from the same plant that tequila is made. I am not sure of the process, but I'm sure these people can tell you: click here.

For my diabetic friends, it will not spike your glucose levels. It's 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar, so you use less. It is easily dissolvable in hot and cold beverages. You can use it to bake and cook. 1 cup sugar=1/3 cup agave sweetener. My mom found an amaretto flavored one and it is the best tasting thing I think I've ever put in my mouth (besides lobster monter).

Vegetable Chips Serves 4 (1/3 cup per serving)
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 medium zucchini, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 large carrot(s), peeled, sliced 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp each dried basil, chives, parsley, tarragon, dill
2 tsp each dried orange and lemon peel

Crunchy, spicy vegetable chips.

Preheat oven to 200ºF. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
Place zucchini and squash in a single layer on one baking sheet. Place potatoes and carrots in a single layer on other baking sheet. Coat vegetables with cooking spray and season tops of vegetables with herbs and seasonings.
Roast for 1 hour and then rotate trays. Roast until vegetables are crisp and dry, about 30 to 60 minutes more. To keep chips crisp, store completely cooled chips in an airtight container or zip-close plastic bag for up to 3 days. To re-crisp already cooked chips that have gone soft, cook on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes at 250ºF.

Instead of sprinkling the veggies while they were on the pan, I used a Ziploc bag to shake everything up. I sprayed the veg, poured in the seasonings, both sides of all the veggies were coated, and I had an easy clean-up.

You can adjust your seasonings as you see fit. Experiment with something new r use a mixture you know to be tried and true. The chips turned out incredibly crunchy, spicy, and delicious. Oh! They're a great alternative to potato chips any time of the year. Because the oven temp is so low, you won't be adding too much energy (heat) to your home.

Creamy dressing (Serving 2 Tbsp)
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup plain Fage 0% Greek yogurt
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), finely sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

I apologize for giving you another craptastic photo, but this dressing really is good. Substitute the cottage cheese for sour cream, add a few more cloves of garlic or 3 Tbsp of garlic powder and it becomes ranch dressing. Hidden Valley will have NOTHING on you.

Combine all ingredients. Cover in refrigerator for 1 day. Add to prepared salad.

Red pepper sauce (serving 2 Tbsp)
2 red peppers, roasted, skinned, diced
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 Tb tomato paste
1/3 cup Kraft fat free Italian dressing

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blend using handheld mixer. Cover in refrigerator for 1 day. Add to prepared salad.

It's not a picnic without some sort of sandwich. I prepared some turkey pastrami and white cheddar petit fours on Merita Light Wheat for my guests. I do believe my efforts were appreciated.

Me, me, it's all about ME

I've been cooking all day. I'm tired. Too tired to post.

Hasta manana...pero...

I've been tagged! I guess that means I'm the **it! :)

I was tagged by Rose & Thorn at Homemade Heaven.

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE? It's been so long, I don't remember. I think, Harry Potter (the latest one)

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING? Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?Monopoly. I like Cranium, too

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE? Glamour

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS? after a heavy rainfall in the spring, freshly washed and dried hair, Curve for women

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?Tinkling bells or chimes

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? When I have let a loved one down. Or having no money.

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE? "What time is it?"

9) FAVOURITE FAST FOOD PLACE? Wendy's

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME? I'm not soothsayer. I don't know. I've never been one of those girls that plans this type of thing. (But I like the names Olivia and Simone for girls; Alexander and Xavier for boys)

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D... pay off student loans, buy a new car, and then see what my immediate family needed

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?I never go over 70 MPH on the highway

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?Not any more.

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY? Cool when I'm safe inside somewhere.

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? Chevy Malibu

16) FAVOURITE DRINK? I'm boring. Water. (Update 6/25/08: I lied. I love love love love beer. I think I'm a closet alcoholic. I'd drink it morning, noon, and night if it were socially acceptable to do so)

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…blog all day.

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? Only if they're mushy. They're usually too fibrous.

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? Fuchsia

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN? Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Miami/Miramar/Pembroke Pines, Florida; Winston-Salem, North Carolina

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? American Football, tennis.

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? She seems to be a cool, loving mom and wife who is thoughtful and diligent with exercise (which I am not) and food blogging.

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED? Nothing

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??Sure. I think I'm pretty cool

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?I like to get errands done in the morning, but I do my best work at night. I also like to party at night, so...

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP? Good Lord, no no no to both. Hard and crispy, please. I don't want anything glistening on my plate.

27) FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?In my bed. Or during a pedi-mani.

28) FAVOURITE PIE? I don't really like pie. I like quiche though. A florentine or Lorraine one.

29) FAVOURITE ICE CREAM FLAVOUR?Vanilla or mint chocolate chip.

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST? I have no idea. maybe because I'm tired I'm being cynical, but I really don't know!

I'm tagging these people:

1. Mr. Orph's Kitchen
2. Coco Cooks
3. Cooking In Stilettos
4. Gluten Free Mommy
5. Chocolate Covered Vegan

Conscious Eating Starts With Conscious Reading

I am always assessing myself, striving to be the best that I can be in everything that is important to me. I'm humble, yet self-centered (at times) and I think the world revolves around me.

This is the Nikki Miller-Ka show, people. You all are just cast members on this Emmy award-winning show. You didn't know?

Sometimes (well, a lot of times) I fall short of my own expectations and I say, "F#@* it" and go on to the next goal or task. Sometimes I revisit the subject at hand, but mostly I tend to leave it a pregnant chad: punched-in-but-not-quite-but-you-can-kind-of-tell-so-it-should-count-but-we'll-wait-and-see kind of way.

All that being said, I am in a diet/eating/save the world by sustainability self-assess mode as of right now. I got this new CD/book from my mother's sister Conscious Eating from body + soul magazine. It has a 3-disk combo pack with a box of 40 meditation cards and a hardback eating guide. (no, not hardtack. Hardback. I saw you give me that look)

I popped in the 1st CD on the way to work today and by the time I pulled into the parking lot, I felt as if my life had transformed on Interstate I-40. Gael Chiarella is the guide and author of this pack and she has one of those calm, low soothing voices you want to hear while taking yoga or being read a bedtime story. I know I don't have to extol the joys and greatness of yoga, but I felt as if I were participating in a yoga class while gripping the wheel of my Malibu.

This audiobook goes through a series of mental, physical, and emotional exercises that help us embrace new ways of thinking about eating to naturally eat less, choose healthier foods, and feel better.

Being a foodie, I think about food, dream about food, talk about food, cook food, smell food, eat food every waking moment of my life. If I'm not talking about food, I must not be awake. I think about other professional chefs, writers, bloggers, commentators and wonder what their relationships to food are. What exactly is a healthy relationship with food? Because I struggle with my waistline is my attitude unhealthy? Can I be so consumed by this one subject that my approach can never be deemed safe? Am I a glutton in the sense that I seek out not only morsels of food, but morsels of knowledge about food to fill my proverbial cup?

Over the past few years I've realized why Americans are seeing an epidemic of unhealthy attitudes and waistlines: because we don't savor our food. Sure, yeah, you may smell the aroma of your meal or someone else's meal wafting through your nostrils or you may snap a pic or two to Photoshop later. That is not what I'm talking about.

We take a "working lunch" and
eat at our desks,
eat while standing,
eat in the car,
at the ballpark,
in the ballet studio,
anywhere except a kitchen table.

Thirty-minute meals are our friends. Sodium-laden, pre-packaged meals evaporate the worry beads of sweat on our foreheads. Fast, quick, easy, now. Don't talk, eat! While eating out with friends and family is a pleasure, but in less than 20 minutes we're done.

For example, in elementary school (I went to a parochial K-8) we had 20 minutes for lunch. A teacher would stand in front of the cafeteria and ring a gold-tone bell. We'd say grace in unison and then plow through the trough called a lunch box. We consumed, drank, wiped our mouths (well, some did anyway) and then the lunch proctor would ring the bell to signify the end of the feeding period. When we all graduated to the big Catholic high school, we had a whole 47 minutes for our lunch period. What the hell? What are we going to do with the other 27 minutes? We learned young to speed up the eating process.

I hope to learn and embrace some new ways of thinking about food. If this audiobook helps or not, I think I'm due for a change.

Ice Cream, You Scream: Blogging Event

I am proud to announce Nik Snack's first EVER blogging event:

July is National Ice Cream Month in the United States and what better way to celebrate than by making ice cream!

I love ice cream and I know I'm not the only one. With the temperatures rising and our ovens and stoves out of commission for a while, why not crank up the ol' machine or freezer and make a sweet treat? The possibilities and combinations are endless! Not only are there ice creams, there are gelatos, sorbets, sherberts, bombes, custards, yogurts. . . the list could go on!


This is a chance for you to show the blogging community your favorite frozen treat. Posting your favorite gelateria, homemade or cookbook recipe, or favorite treat from the local grocer's freezer are all acceptable entries. Entries posted in the last month (starting May 18, 2008) can count as well. Simply provide a link to your previous post within a new post with the Ice Cream, You Scream icon.



To participate, submit an entry to nikkimiller14@hotmail.com with the following information:


*Your name, hometown and country
*The name of your ice cream, sorbet, or other frozen confection
*A link to your blog post about the dish, a short description of the dish, including a recipe or just a description, recipe, and picture, if you don't have a blog.
*Your blog's name and URL
*A link to an optional photo (it must be uploaded to an online storage/sharing service like Flickr or Photobucket) that measures no larger than 240 x 160



Feel free to copy and paste the Ice Cream, You Scream: Blogging Event icon in your blog post.

Participation will be open until July 15, 2008, 12 midnight (EST) to prepare for a huge posting on National Ice Cream Day, July 20th!

Email all entries to nikkimiller14@hotmail.com with Ice Cream, You Scream in the Subject line.

I look forward to seeing all of your yummy frozen treats, soon!

E-V-Oh No!

I think that bookstores would be the epitomy of good grammar, spelling, and comprehension when it comes to words. Be they printed or spoken, proofreading is important before something goes to press.

How disappointed was I to see this today:

I hope your trained eye can see what I am talking about. She's not my favorite celebrity cook, but that doesn't matter. She deserves a sign with her name spelled correctly, too.

I brought it to the attention of a staff member (after I snapped this pic) who seemed genuinely embarrassed, and she took it down. Upon returning from the restroom, I saw it was right back as if I'd never said anything. Mediocrity will not go unnoticed. Now the whole world has a chance to see what idiots they are.

Nik Snacks: Under Construction

Please excuse my mess while I try to transform my blog!

Watch out for that beam!
(I have to inject some sort of humor in this. My blog looks pitiful right now)

I've known HTML since high school, but I learned XML code just a few weeks ago and I'm trying it out now.

I now know why I was not a computer science major in college.

This may take a while...

Yellow For Bri

In high school, a close friend of mine was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and I thought my life and his was coming to an end. My young friend was going through something so real, so adult, and so painful. Death is not real at age 16. It's something distant, in the far-off future that our parents and grandparents have to deal with. Not us! we're invincible! We have eons of life ahead of us to experience.

I thought he was playing a joke on me when he said he was missing school the next day to have a biopsy on his spleen. Oh, he's just going on vacation with his family. He wasn't in Genetics class the next day, and I knew it was true. The only thing I could do was read up on the disease and visit him in the hospital and attempt to spread good cheer.

Out of the 100s of people at our school, I was the ONLY person to visit him in the hospital. Many came up with excuses and sob stories about how they "couldn't make it." That friend and I aren't as close now as we once were. When we do see each other, we know what we both went through and thanks to support from those around him, he is still here today to live his life and tell his story.

Let's help someone live to be able to tell their story.

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.

She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri

Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site.

Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.

You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.

Mellow Yellow

I found some yellow tomatoes at Wal-Mart about two weeks ago and I had illusions of grandeur: insalata caprese, hot, crispy items fanned out underneath yellow tomato gravy, multicolored heirloom salads, yellow tomato and grilled cheese sandwiches (with maple crusted bacon)...

And all I did was let those pieces of fruit sit in the fridge until the insides began to get mealy and the skins shriveled up. Better than Salmonella, right?
I didn't even know about the outbreak until one of my guests at Sunday night dinner told me and became wary of my tomatoes. All were grown organically and locally.

**additional information about Salmonella outbreak below recipes**

Lemons=lemonade

Tomatoes=tomato sauce

Ok, they really don't look as bad as I made them out to be. I just wanted to get rid of them.

Yellow Tomato Sauce

5 ripe yellow tomatoes, crushed
3 Tbsp basil-infused olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Heat olive oil, spices, and garlic in a saute pan or saucepot. Add tomatoes and all juices. Simmer on low for an hour. As the tomatoes start to break down, stir and press them. Cook for 30 minutes to minimally develop flavors. Continue to simmer for an additional 30 to 45 minutes for full flavor.

Avoid using aluminum pots when cooking tomatoes. It lends a harsh, unpleasant metallic taste to the already-acidic tomatoes. It also might change the color of the sauce from bright yellow to a dirty mustard.

And it is awesome on pizza! My secret: Hormel Turkey Pepperoni. It tastes the same, has 70% less fat, and you don't have to do that annoying blotting thing with a paper towel. I don't care how many calories it saves. I'm not blotting my pizza with a napkin.

Quick Pizza Dough (adapted from Taste.com.au)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine warm water and oil. Add to flour mixture. Mix until dough comes together.
Turn onto a lightly-floured surface. Knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, or until elastic (when you press the top it should bounce back and leave no indentation). Cut dough in half. Pieces can be frozen at this point. If continuing on, roll out dough to desired size.

**FDA Expands Raw Red Tomatoes Warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warning to consumers nationwide that a salmonellosis outbreak has been linked to consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes, and products containing these raw, red tomatoes.
FDA recommends that consumers not eat raw red Roma, raw red plum, raw red round tomatoes, or products that contain these types of raw red tomatoes unless the tomatoes are from the sources listed below. On June 5, using traceback and other distribution pattern information, FDA published a list of states, territories, and countries where tomatoes are grown and harvested which have not been associated with this outbreak. This updated list includes:
§ Arkansas
§ California
§ Georgia
§ Hawaii
§ North Carolina
§ South Carolina
§ Tennessee
§ Texas
§ Belgium
§ Canada
§ Dominican Republic
§ Guatemala
§ Israel
§ Netherlands
§ Puerto Rico
FDA recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators offer only fresh and fresh cut red Roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes and food products made from these tomatoes for sale or service from the sources listed above.
FDA further recommends that retailers, restaurateurs, and food service operators continue to offer cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, from any source.
If unsure of where tomatoes are grown or harvested, consumers are encouraged to contact the store where the tomato purchase was made. Consumers should continue to eat cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, or tomatoes grown at home.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html#retailers.
Since mid April, there have been 145 reported cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul nationwide, including at least 23 hospitalizations. States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Wishful Thinking

There are eight (8) listed CSA-supported farms in my area and I am jealous of everyone who has a share. I go to the farmer's market every Saturday (just like my grandmother) so I can be inspired (read: picky) about the produce and occasional meat product in my house. I want a CSA share too!

Yes, parsley! And you, too, can be a part of the joy that is a community-supported agricultural experience!

Recently, I've been enamored by bloggers that get CSA boxes delivered to them like,

Tammy at Food On The Food and Kat at A Good Appetite...

and the goods they all produce. We don't eat that much in my house, but if we had a 4 to 5Lb box of veg, eggs, or flowers guaranteed to me each week, I'd love that!





So, by the end of this week, I'm going to look into a CSA to carry me through to the fall...

Southern Seasonings

Wow...it's been an entire week since I last posted.

I have to admit, it's been entirely too hot to cook. 100+ degrees F every day for an entire week, no lie. I download the weather page at the newspaper where I work, so I know. I've eaten nothing but salads, bowls of cereal, cubes of frozen Crystal Light, and JELL-O sugar-free pudding cups (and I don't really like pudding).

Yesterday, in the usual Sunday fashion, I made a killer dinner for myself and my family. I stayed up ultra-late Saturday night to make the menu:

Smoked BBQ on crispy dill pickle

Fresh summer salad with herb balsamic vinaigrette

House smoked chicken with citrus beurre blanc or creamy mushroom gravy

Southern succotash

Banana sorbet or banana souffle

There was an amendment to the dessert portion of the menu: I didn't feel like making any dessert, so I brought out leftover chili-lime chocolate cupcakes.

The smoked BBQ was from 2 weeks ago. I froze a good portion of it to have for later and it was a nice amuse bouche to whet everyone's appetite.

Crispy Dill Pickles

1 jar Sandwich-style dill pickles
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chipotle flakes

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water (or 1 egg white with 1 Tbsp water or 1/4 cup mayonnaise)
1 cup Ian's whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
oil for pan-frying

Drain pickles on paper towels, blotting each one until most of the moisture is removed. Set aside.

Set up standard breading station: 1 plate with flour, seasoned with the above seasonings, 1 small bowl with beaten egg or mayonnaise, 1 plate with panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each pickle in order of the procedure. Set aside and heat up oil in skillet or pan to 375 degrees F. Test a breadcrumb as a gauge to insure proper oil temperature, if needed. It should take 20-30 seconds for it to reach a golden brown.

Pan fry each pickle until golden brown, on each side. Let drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Keep in a slow oven to keep warm.

The summer salad came out of a need to get rid of my bell peppers in the fridge. Red, yellow, orange. Beautiful. I am still slightly obsessed with my mother-in-law's tongue designer pasta. The fresh veggies of the season definitely accompany the streaks of red, purple, green, orange, and yellow of the pasta. The salad is simple enough to put together at any time but complex enough to make people think you spent hours composing it. The pasta should be al dente, slightly toothy, to match the crunch of the fresh veggies. The accompanying herb balsamic vinaigrette is a nice acidic sweetness.

Pretty ribbons of the mother-in-law's tongue pasta. $4.99 at TJMaxx. Oh, and let it be known that I usually don't go cruising discount retail clothing chains for my foodstuffs.

This was the best I could do to show the salad. You can kinda see what I was going for. Right? Right?

Summer salad
1 red onion, julienne
1 red bell pepper, julienne
1 yellow bell pepper, julienne
1 orange bell pepper, julienne
1 English cucumber, sliced 1/16" on mandoline
1 pkg mother's tongue pasta, al dente, cooled

Herb balsamic vinaigrette
The key is a 3:1 ratio of vinegar to oil. Start with small droplets or a slow stream of oil into a food processor, blender, or in a bowl with a whisk.

3-4 Tb chopped herbs (ie. parsley, oregano, thyme, cilantro, basil)
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 squirt mustard (yellow is fine)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup salad oil
salt and pepper to taste



Now that I've put up these few recipes, I realize what an undertaking this meal really was. No wonder I didn't feel like banging out a dessert! It took a little less than an hour (minus the smoking of the chicken) to cook and plate everything, but it was an intense hour, in the intense heat of my little piddly-poop of a kitchen.



I have to tell you about my chicken. I love my little smoker. It came with a few small tubs of chips and I haven't been compelled to go out an purchase any more yet, but I'll have to soon because I plan on smoking everything I can get my hands on this summer. Ever had smoked fruit?...



I made a spiced butter to put underneath the skin for flavor and imminent crispness. The inspiration behind the butter was from niter kibbeh, a spiced, clarified butter that is used in Nigerian cooking. My butter was not clarified, but that did not detract from the flavor at all.

Spiced Butter
4 TB No-Salt seasoning
1TB smoked salt
1 stick salted butter, softened

Mix all ingredients together.
No-Salt Seasoning Shake** Yield: 2/3 cup

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons celery seed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried lemon peel

Chicken quarters ready to be patted, flipped, and rubbed down. <---5 lbs on sale for $3.41 USD!!!
Fresh, shucked corn frying in the faux niter kibbeh.

Normally, succotash is made with corn, butter beans (also called lima beans), tomatoes, or any combination of the three. My mother doesn't like butter beans, so her succotash is only corn and tomatoes. I like all three, so in they go! For a quick fix, canned veggies can be used. Since I like to pretend I'm hardcore, I used fresh corn from the cob, beans shelled from their pods, and fresh Roma tomatoes. My tomatoes were so fresh and delicious, I couldn't bear putting heat to them. I simply sliced them and put them on the side, like a garnish. This succotash is definitely NOT sufferin'!

Southern Succotash

2-3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips, cooked until crisp

2 tablespoons butter or spiced butter

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears)

1 lb fresh lima beans in pods, shelled or 1 (10oz) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed

Put corn and butter in pan. Cook corn until charred and juices turn sweet. Add beans and cook until beans are no longer raw tasting. Add bacon, salt and pepper to taste.

Mushrooms cooking down, getting ready to be immersed in a dark roux.

Creamy Mushroom Gravy

It was too salty, so I added nonfat sour cream to cut it, alternatively making it creamy. Smooth move, Nik!

1 lb white mushrooms

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped fine

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour dissolved in 1 1/2 cups cold water

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream (optional, for creaminess)

In a 10-inch heavy non-stick skillet cook garlic in butter and over moderately low heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add mushrooms season with salt and pepper. Sauté until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown.
Add wine and cook down until liquid is evaporated. Stir in flour mixture. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps and incorporate all ingredients (take care not to get mushroom stuck in the spokes of the whisk!), and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add sour cream, if desired.

Adding tarragon will make it kinda French. Dill, paprika, and lemon will make it kinda Dutch.

A complete meal. If only I had made biscuits... Maybe next time!

Steal Shamelessly

I'm a copy-cat. I stole this from Ley at Cilantro & Lime.



It's a great idea in lieu of a post about what I cooked and ate this week.

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?
I live in a kinda big city, Winston-Salem, home of the Krispy Kreme doughnut. The capitol of my state is Raleigh. It's 2 hours away.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
My own secrets: 10. I don't tell a thing unless I want you to know. Your secrets: 3. You have to make sure you tell me it's a secret 1st. It's fair game otherwise.

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).
Today: a sad state of affairs

Two weeks ago: a thick, curly, natural bed of dark brown hair

Tomorrow: thick, straight, shoulder-length bed of dark brown hair

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?
I'm a great driver. Very courteous and knowledgeable about road rules. I drive fast when I have to, slow other times and my mirrors are set up perfectly according to Click & Clack from The Car Show (I love those guys. They've taught me everything I know about cars)

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?
This week

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
Every. Single. Time.




Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
Carpet. Nothing fancy. Run-of-the-mill apartment living.




Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Naught nettles no nuisance now.

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Yes. Quite a few friends and people I've encountered in the blogging world.




Dessert
Name 2 blue things.
The sky, the Save Now button on Blogger.

It's Like Butta, Baby

I need a new camera. It's as simple as that. As much as I love taking pictures with my cell phone camera (because it is UNBELIEVABLE) I need a real camera so I can take consistent pictures. Well, I have a digital camera, but it does not hold a candle to my Samsung.

I enjoy messing around with the lighting, turning different angles, hiring people to help me set up shot (ie training my friends how to hold the phone) but when it's time to eat, it's time to eat. Chronicling my journey to the food blog could be a blog in itself.

Because I "bite it and write it" it's inconvenient at times to whip out a camera (or cell phone) to take a quality pic.

But I digress, I am supposed to be talking about food. :)

Yes, those are leftover frozen ravioli. Pulling a page from the Left Over Queen.

I always get ravenous just before I have to go to work and I never seem to eat enough before I go. I snack, snack, snack all night long because I didn't eat enough for dinner.

I felt luxurious and in need of some gourmet food but I was short on time and even shorter on money.

Here comes beurre blanc. BURR BLONK. White butter sauce.

I prefer using butter to margarine or other butter substitute product because it's better for you. I don't want any of my fats hydrogenized, aerobicised, or otherwise manipulated into tasting good. Give me the butter (in small healthy amounts, please)

Citrus Beurre Blanc
1 large shallot, finely minced I didn't have shallots, so I used Vidalia onions and I diced mine because I wanted them to be promenent in the sauce.
1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup lemon juice, orange juice, lime juice or white wine vinegar
5 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste I don't like the taste of white pepper so I used my peppercorn medley. I didn't care if the specs showed.

In a saucepan, combine shallots with the wine and citrus juice. Reduce until syrupy. Remove from heat and add one chunk of butter, stirring with a whisk to blend. Slowly add all the pieces of butter until well combined. The sauce should have a thick, creamy consistency. If you need to return the sauce to the heat to incorporate all the butter, do it over very low heat, or the sauce will break.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and serve immediately, or hold in a double boiled over barely simmering water, or in a Thermos. Garnish with oranze zest.

This sauce really is very easy. Easier than some, fancier than most.

Some people add cream to beurre blancs and I say NO NO No no no to this one. It makes me want to cry. If your emulsion breaks, so what. Cream is not the answer. Whisking in more cold, whole butter is the answer.

I chose not to strain it because #1: time #2: a juicy morsel of citrus never hurt anybody.




And everything goes good with chocolate...