Food good for body and soul
A big THANK YOU to Marcia Calvin, one of my fellow members of the Wakefield Unitarian Universalist Church, for bringing this lovely salad to our church potluck picnic last Sunday! I love potlucks. They provide a wonderful opportunity to try new dishes and enjoy old …
I just learned that my friend Mark Yannone, whom I met years ago on an epilepsy message board, died last summer. We had last emailed in May 2009 and then, as sometimes happened over the years, lost touch for a while. I was just looking …
I LOVE fiddleheads. You will too if you like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or brocolli. And, even if you don’t, you just might like fiddleheads the way I prepare them with olive oil and Parmigiano reggiano cheese. 🙂
If you live around Wakefield, go to the refrigerated section in the far right corner of Farmland and look for this package:
Some folks simmer and then saute and/or marinate. But here is my favorite way of preparing fiddlehead ferns:
While bringing a pan of water to a boi, rinse the fiddleheads well, swirling around in cold waterl. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water and simmer (NOT a roaring boil!) for 15 minutes. Drain. While the fiddleheads are still hot, add a BIG handful(s) of grated cheese, with freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano my recommendation, and a tablespoon or two of olive oil as desired. Unbelieveably delicious. Good served over pasta, too.
NOTE: When simmering the fiddleheads, don’t be alarmed at all the brown flakes, etc. that end up in the water. It is just part of the plant.
Remember, fiddleheads are only available in the spring, as far as I know. So, if you are going to try them, do it now!
Okay – this is REALLY GOOD. Unbelievably good, in my opinion – with that opinion shared by my husband. It is a WOW. It gets even better when leftover and it goes especially well with strongly-flavored vegetable such as fiddle heads (in the spring when …
Some folks prefer the convenience of buying ready-made breadcrumbs, but I like to make my own. I simply save any bread ends or scraps that would otherwise get tossed in a brown paper bag in my cupboard. When I need breadcrumbs, I just toss the now dried scraps into my food processor and let it run for a minute or so. That way, I don’t waste food, and, because I use mostly whole wheat products, the breadcrumbs have more fiber than most store-bought ones.
You can also grind a batch ahead of time but I recommend storing these breadcrumbs tightly covered in the fridge so they won’t get rancid, at least if they are made with a portion of whole wheat bread. While the WW breads stay stable when left to dry is slices or pieces, grinding causes the naturally occurring oils in the whole grains to b e exposed to air and light, which causes a chemical reaction leading to rancidity.
I had half a box of small shells, 7 ounces, to be exact, a few chunks of Parmesan Reggiano in the fridge, had milk that had not gone bad (always a miracle) and wanted something with at least a feel of comfort food. A big …
THIS is the ultimate comfort food, as good for your body as it is for your soul. See the end of the post to learn how to make it vegan, not just vegetarian. I discovered this wonderful recipe while searching online for something to serve …
Dry. Tasteless. Boring…… And, don’t get me going about that cream of mushroom soup and rice thing we all do with pork chops.
I had pork chops in the freezer and it was time to finally use them. Some kind of bone-in sirloin chop. They were under an inch thick, so I was hesitant to use a saute technique that I have used successfully on very thick chops.
But, Pam Anderson writing for USA Weekend in 2004 to the rescue! No, not Pamela Anderson! At least, I highly doubt it. 🙂
Anyway, here is her advice, excerpted from a Q&A section on allrecipes.com
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“It is possible to serve a beautifully brown, juicy pork chop without losing the food’s moisture, whether or not it was previously frozen.
First, choose the right skillet size. Use a 12-inch skillet for four chops. If you crowd the pan, you’ll end up overcooking the chops to get them to brown.
Saute with a combination of butter and oil. Butter helps browning; a little oil increases the butter’s smoking point so you get great flavor without burning.
Dry the food’s surface. Pat with layers of paper towels. Then season the food with salt and pepper, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.
Add food only when the pan is really hot. Warm butter and oil over medium-high heat until butter solids turn golden brown and the first wisps of smoke start rising. You want to hear a solid sizzle when the food hits the pan.
Set a timer for three to four minutes, and leave the food alone! To develop a golden-brown crust, it needs to remain stationary. Resist the temptation to turn it before you hear the “ding.” ”
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AHA! check this post from The Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog for info about this Pam Anderson. Note to self – take some time to check out the Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog. Actually, I think I have been there before and may have even mentioned it in this blog. Hit 50 years, memory be gone…
From some quick searching, I have also discovered that Pam has written a number of cookbooks and is a former Executive Editor of Cook’s Illustrated. (!) Shows what I know! I plan to check out her cookbooks, that’s for sure.
Anyway, the advice is superb. I had already learned that it is better to blot the marinade before grilling steaks to get a crusty exterior. (Steve is the grill man, but I often do the prep. ) Doing the same for pork chops is equally beneficial.
When making these pork chops, I marinaded them for a few hours. Then, my schedule got crazy so I needed to hold the chops for the next night. No problem – I removed them from the marinade, dried them off, and put them in a tupperware until the next night, when I dredged them lightly in flour and follow Pam’s cooking directions. YUM! AND, even when reheated by nuking two days later, the leftover chops were still moist and tender. Don’t lose this technique!
Click HERE for the recipe on which I based the marinade I concocted. 🙂
I used somewhat the same proportions and ingredients, except for OJ instead of pineapple juice, and minced shallot, I think….no scallion or ginger. But, the sweet and garlic taste was still there. To each his or her own marinade, I say!
In any case, it was all good. Next post will be the Brown Rice and Veggie Casserole I made to go along with the chops. Here is a teaser picture. <grin>
I need to do another post to finish up Easter, especially so I can share the recipes of the lovely items that other folks brought. But, it has been a busy few weeks. I was totally booked the entire weekend of April 10-11 and again …