.....to me. Well hopefully. It has been a long time since I did any blogging. After the store closed and several other unexpected battles, I just didn't have it in me. I know it has been over a year since I made a post in here, but I have been tossing around some topics to cover over the last couple of weeks and that, coupled with my dad starting to blog again has gotten my juices flowing again.
If anyone sees this, I will try to get something up before or on Christmas.
Stay tuned!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Fun Food Facts
OK, been very busy as of late and haven't had a chance to do much here even though I really enjoy doing this.
So, let's get on to some fun food facts again.
An ear of corn always has an even number of rows because of the genetic formula which divides the cells. I think I have noticed this before. I always thought the corn just had OCD.
Although explorers brought potatoes back from the New World in the early 1500s, Europeans were afraid to eat them for fear that the spuds would give them leprosy. It wasn't until Louis XVI, who was looking for a cheap food source for his starving subjects, served them at the royal table that people were convinced potatoes were safe to eat. I don't find anything to support this, but the potato did have it's bad rep for a bit as it is a member of the nightshade family, so there is surely some thruth to this.
In the Middle Ages, chicken soup was believed to be an aphrodisiac. I see no mention of this, but chicken soup was used as a cure for the common cold as far back as ancient egypt.
Whole wheat bread has more iron, vitamins and dietary fiber than white bread. This one was easy. I just went out in the store and looked at some labels. True enough, but I didn't doubt it to begin with.
The average person ingests about a ton of food and drink each year. Well, let's evaluate this. Doing the math that equates to around 5 1/2 pounds a day of food and drink. Assuming you have 8 - 8oz glasses of water a day that is 4 pounds right there leaving you 1 1/2 pounds of food to consume. 3 half pound meals doesn't sound like much to me, but what do I know? I'm overweight. Most Americans do not drink just water or enough fluids according to studies so this is probably where the difference comes in and I'll bet that number is not too far off for the average young adult or middle aged American. I'll bet a new born doesn't come close to this number, nor do the elderly or all of those people living in third world countries. Just some thoughts on this stat, not really trying to go anywhere with it.
The strawberry is the only agricultural product that bears its seeds on the outside. Sounds good to me.
The above information comes from mindlesscrap.com and the red remarks are my comments.
So, let's get on to some fun food facts again.
An ear of corn always has an even number of rows because of the genetic formula which divides the cells. I think I have noticed this before. I always thought the corn just had OCD.
Although explorers brought potatoes back from the New World in the early 1500s, Europeans were afraid to eat them for fear that the spuds would give them leprosy. It wasn't until Louis XVI, who was looking for a cheap food source for his starving subjects, served them at the royal table that people were convinced potatoes were safe to eat. I don't find anything to support this, but the potato did have it's bad rep for a bit as it is a member of the nightshade family, so there is surely some thruth to this.
In the Middle Ages, chicken soup was believed to be an aphrodisiac. I see no mention of this, but chicken soup was used as a cure for the common cold as far back as ancient egypt.
Whole wheat bread has more iron, vitamins and dietary fiber than white bread. This one was easy. I just went out in the store and looked at some labels. True enough, but I didn't doubt it to begin with.
The average person ingests about a ton of food and drink each year. Well, let's evaluate this. Doing the math that equates to around 5 1/2 pounds a day of food and drink. Assuming you have 8 - 8oz glasses of water a day that is 4 pounds right there leaving you 1 1/2 pounds of food to consume. 3 half pound meals doesn't sound like much to me, but what do I know? I'm overweight. Most Americans do not drink just water or enough fluids according to studies so this is probably where the difference comes in and I'll bet that number is not too far off for the average young adult or middle aged American. I'll bet a new born doesn't come close to this number, nor do the elderly or all of those people living in third world countries. Just some thoughts on this stat, not really trying to go anywhere with it.
The strawberry is the only agricultural product that bears its seeds on the outside. Sounds good to me.
The above information comes from mindlesscrap.com and the red remarks are my comments.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A Couple Apple Recipes
I haven't tried these but they sure do sound good. They both come from recipesource.com and have their original origin as well.
Title: Apple Cider Biscuits
2 c Flour
4 ts Baking powder
2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
1/3 c Butter; cut into chunks
3/4 c Apple cider
1/8 ts Cinnamon
Recipe by: Inn recipes Heat oven to 450 degrees Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; cut in butter to make coarse crumbs. Sir in cider mix until soft dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead into small ball. Pat out to 1/2″ thick with floured cutter - cut biscuits. Place 1″ apart on ungreased sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 8 2-1/2″ biscuits.JM. National Pike Inn New Market, Maryland
Title: Apple Johnnycakes -DOTTIE CROSS, TMPJ72B
6 tb Maple syrup
4 ts Unsalted butter; melted
2 lg Apples; peeled, cored and cut into 1/4″ slices
3/4 c Yellow or white cormeal preferably stone ground
3/4 c -All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts -Salt
1/4 ts Baking soda
1 c Buttermilk
1 lg Egg; lightly beaten
1 tb Vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 T. maple syrup and 1 tsp. butter in a heavy 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute for about 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Remove from heat. Using two spoons, arrange the slices, fanning them out from the center of the skillet. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a small mixing bowl, beat together buttermilk, egg, remaining 1//4 cup maple syrup, remaining 1 T. melted butter and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spread the batter evenly over the apples and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert onto a platter, cut into wedges and serve immediately, topped with more syrup. Nutrition information: 197 calories per serving: 5 grams fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 263 mg sodium. 23% of calories are from fat. Source: Eating Well Magazine, February, 1992
Title: Apple Cider Biscuits
2 c Flour
4 ts Baking powder
2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
1/3 c Butter; cut into chunks
3/4 c Apple cider
1/8 ts Cinnamon
Recipe by: Inn recipes Heat oven to 450 degrees Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; cut in butter to make coarse crumbs. Sir in cider mix until soft dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead into small ball. Pat out to 1/2″ thick with floured cutter - cut biscuits. Place 1″ apart on ungreased sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 8 2-1/2″ biscuits.JM. National Pike Inn New Market, Maryland
Title: Apple Johnnycakes -DOTTIE CROSS, TMPJ72B
6 tb Maple syrup
4 ts Unsalted butter; melted
2 lg Apples; peeled, cored and cut into 1/4″ slices
3/4 c Yellow or white cormeal preferably stone ground
3/4 c -All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts -Salt
1/4 ts Baking soda
1 c Buttermilk
1 lg Egg; lightly beaten
1 tb Vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 T. maple syrup and 1 tsp. butter in a heavy 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute for about 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Remove from heat. Using two spoons, arrange the slices, fanning them out from the center of the skillet. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a small mixing bowl, beat together buttermilk, egg, remaining 1//4 cup maple syrup, remaining 1 T. melted butter and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spread the batter evenly over the apples and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert onto a platter, cut into wedges and serve immediately, topped with more syrup. Nutrition information: 197 calories per serving: 5 grams fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 263 mg sodium. 23% of calories are from fat. Source: Eating Well Magazine, February, 1992
Saturday, May 31, 2008
A Little Something About Apples
Who doesn't love an apple? Or a fresh baked apple pie? OK, I assume there are a few people that do not like apples, but since I like them I pretty much assume that most people do as well.
Growing up on a small farm, it wasn't uncommon to just grab one off of the tree while going by on the lawn mower, and eating it as we made the rounds in the unending battle to keep the lawn in check. We had a few types if I remember right as well as a pear tree. The mixture of types as well as throwing in some pears made some of the best cider I have ever had. (Mom, chime in if you know what we had for apples in the comments section please).
OK, so I mentioned apple pie, cider and just eating them by themselves. There are many, many other things that can be done with those apples. Apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cake, apple turnovers, carmel covered apples and apple jack just to name a few.
Apples hold a prominant place in history whether it be Greek, Roman, or Christianity. The only problem with this is, the word apple was used as a generic term covering most fruits as well as some nuts as late as the 17th century. This means that Adam and Eve's apple may well have been a fig or some other fruit and possibly even a nut. This however has no bearing in the story so there is really no need to examine that further.
God: Adam, don't eat that apple.
Adam: But it is a fig.
God: I don't care what it's called for crying out loud, just don't eat it!
See my point? The story is pretty much the same. One last thing about that, is that the Adam's apple is believed to be a term derived from a piece of the forbidden fruit being stuck in Adam's throat.
Data from 2005 puts China at the top of world apple production with 25,000,000 metric tons. The United States, while being the second in production falls far short of that lofty number with less than 5,000,000 metric tons. Third is Turkey with about 2,500,000 metric tons produced for that year. That is a lot of apples no matter where they come from.
If you would like to read more on the history, use and science of apples, here is the link to the Wikipedia apple page.
I was going to give some information on Johnny (Appleseed) Chapman, but found this information such a good read I will just link to it. He was a very interesting character to say the least. There is only one thing that I have a hard time believing about him. That tin pot on his head. I mean, come on. How uncomfortable would that be?
Adios! And remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
EDIT: I can't believe that I forgot to mention dried apples. My mom made lots of these growing up and they were SOOOOOO good.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Gravys, Sauces, and Rouxs. Oh my!
Mmmmmm, gravy! Who doesn't love gravy? Well there is one person in town here that doesn't apparently, and even claims that we here at the store, we are addicted to gravy. How about that? Addicted to gravy. We offer out a home cooked reheat and eat meal to customers and there will be some gravy on the mashed potatoes. Occasionally, the main dish will be an open faced sandwich which is of course served with gravy. If we are offering a pasta as the dish that night, it could be argued by our Italian friends, that we are indeed serving gravy whether it be spaghetti or alfredo.
OK! Maybe we are addicted to gravy. What's wrong with that? Gravy gives a good down-home, meal made with love, mother's touch, make you feel warm all over finish to a home cooked meal. Thin, thick, lumpy, creamy, it is just good stuff.
What is gravy? Well the most basic form, also known as "God's gravy", is just the juices from whatever you cooked poured over your main dish or side. Or maybe you prefer to just sop it up with some bread off of the plate that the steaks were on.
Second would be a pan reduction gravy. This you make in the pan from cooking by deglazing the pan with a little wine or broth and reduce until it is the thickness that you are looking for.
Then we have your traditional gravy. It is thickened a bit with corn starch, flour or arrowroot. I say traditional because, it is the version that most people know and recognise. So much so that you can find bottled versions of it on the shelf at the grocery store. These will do in a pinch and I usually keep a couple jars on the shelf in case I end up with too little drippings to make gravy from.
Last, but certainly not least would be the roux. Which is more like a reverse process gravy. You start this in a pan with equal parts fat (butter, oil or renderings) and flour. Typically 2 tblspoons of each and one cup of liquid to equal one cup of finished product. Start with just the fat and flour and cook through and mix well for about 5 minutes to help cook off the flour flavor. Now you slowly add in your broth, cream or what have you until the desired consistancy is obtained. This is the best process to avoid a lumpy gravy unless of course you like a lumpy gravy. I don't mind a lump or two here and there with mine.
Alternate thickeners:
Wondra flour as seen here, makes a wonderful thickener regardless of the temperature. This is my preferred thickener.
Instant potato flakes will do in a pinch to thicken gravy, but go very slow with this. Both potato flakes and wondra flour are good "no lump" thickeners.
That is it for now, but I may have to bring this gravy topic up again. After all, I am addicted to it.
OK! Maybe we are addicted to gravy. What's wrong with that? Gravy gives a good down-home, meal made with love, mother's touch, make you feel warm all over finish to a home cooked meal. Thin, thick, lumpy, creamy, it is just good stuff.
What is gravy? Well the most basic form, also known as "God's gravy", is just the juices from whatever you cooked poured over your main dish or side. Or maybe you prefer to just sop it up with some bread off of the plate that the steaks were on.
Second would be a pan reduction gravy. This you make in the pan from cooking by deglazing the pan with a little wine or broth and reduce until it is the thickness that you are looking for.
Then we have your traditional gravy. It is thickened a bit with corn starch, flour or arrowroot. I say traditional because, it is the version that most people know and recognise. So much so that you can find bottled versions of it on the shelf at the grocery store. These will do in a pinch and I usually keep a couple jars on the shelf in case I end up with too little drippings to make gravy from.
Last, but certainly not least would be the roux. Which is more like a reverse process gravy. You start this in a pan with equal parts fat (butter, oil or renderings) and flour. Typically 2 tblspoons of each and one cup of liquid to equal one cup of finished product. Start with just the fat and flour and cook through and mix well for about 5 minutes to help cook off the flour flavor. Now you slowly add in your broth, cream or what have you until the desired consistancy is obtained. This is the best process to avoid a lumpy gravy unless of course you like a lumpy gravy. I don't mind a lump or two here and there with mine.
Alternate thickeners:
Wondra flour as seen here, makes a wonderful thickener regardless of the temperature. This is my preferred thickener.
Instant potato flakes will do in a pinch to thicken gravy, but go very slow with this. Both potato flakes and wondra flour are good "no lump" thickeners.
That is it for now, but I may have to bring this gravy topic up again. After all, I am addicted to it.
Fun Food Facts,
Just a couple. Very busy around here lately and I need to get down to some real blogging.
An apple tree is at its prime when its about 50 years old. The United States produces about 100 million barrels of apples a year. That's a lot of old trees. We are second in production to China
The first cookbook published in the United States was Compleat Housewife, or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion, printed in Williamsburg, VA in 1742. This seems to be true, however the first cookbook actually written BY an American for the american market wasn't published until 1796. The previous mentionged one was just a british cookbook reprinted in the U.S.
When potatoes were first introduced to Europe, people were skeptical and only ate the leaves, which made them sick. They would then throw away the rest, including the actual spud. I could not find anything to support this, and am thinking that it may be false.
The cashew nut in its natural state contains a poisonous oil. Roasting removes the oil and makes the nuts safe to eat. Apparently it has a skin irritant toxin that is the same as poison ivy.
The above comes from mindlesscrap.com and the red comments are mine. Go spend some time there if you have some to kill.
An apple tree is at its prime when its about 50 years old. The United States produces about 100 million barrels of apples a year. That's a lot of old trees. We are second in production to China
The first cookbook published in the United States was Compleat Housewife, or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion, printed in Williamsburg, VA in 1742. This seems to be true, however the first cookbook actually written BY an American for the american market wasn't published until 1796. The previous mentionged one was just a british cookbook reprinted in the U.S.
When potatoes were first introduced to Europe, people were skeptical and only ate the leaves, which made them sick. They would then throw away the rest, including the actual spud. I could not find anything to support this, and am thinking that it may be false.
The cashew nut in its natural state contains a poisonous oil. Roasting removes the oil and makes the nuts safe to eat. Apparently it has a skin irritant toxin that is the same as poison ivy.
The above comes from mindlesscrap.com and the red comments are mine. Go spend some time there if you have some to kill.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Fun Food Facts
Apple pie was brought to England from France sometime around 1066 by William the Conqueror. It made it to America when the Pilgrims arrived. I was able to find a recipe dating back as far as 1381.
On average, every American consumes 109 pounds of beef a year. It takes eight pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. Looks like beef consumption hit an all time high of 94.3 pounds in 76 and has declined ever since.
Dolley Madison is credited with inventing ice cream. Nancy Johnson, the wife of a naval officer, is credited for inventing the ice cream freezer. I see nothing to support this at all. Here is a good history in wiki that mentions nothing of Dolly Madison.
Before Columbus, Europe had never tasted cord, potatoes, tomatoes, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tapioca, chocolate, pumpkins, squash, coconuts, pineapples, strawberries, and much more. Why? All these food items are native to America. Sounds logical to me.
The citrus industry started in the United States in 1873 when two Riverside, CA ranchers obtained some orange saplings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two years earlier, the government had secured a dozen saplings from Brazil. It appears that fFlorida had them beat by a few decades if you read the history section here.
The above comes from mindlesscrap.com, my comments follow in red. Check out the sight if you have some time to kill. There is always some interesting stuff there.
On average, every American consumes 109 pounds of beef a year. It takes eight pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. Looks like beef consumption hit an all time high of 94.3 pounds in 76 and has declined ever since.
Dolley Madison is credited with inventing ice cream. Nancy Johnson, the wife of a naval officer, is credited for inventing the ice cream freezer. I see nothing to support this at all. Here is a good history in wiki that mentions nothing of Dolly Madison.
Before Columbus, Europe had never tasted cord, potatoes, tomatoes, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tapioca, chocolate, pumpkins, squash, coconuts, pineapples, strawberries, and much more. Why? All these food items are native to America. Sounds logical to me.
The citrus industry started in the United States in 1873 when two Riverside, CA ranchers obtained some orange saplings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two years earlier, the government had secured a dozen saplings from Brazil. It appears that fFlorida had them beat by a few decades if you read the history section here.
The above comes from mindlesscrap.com, my comments follow in red. Check out the sight if you have some time to kill. There is always some interesting stuff there.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
More Alligator Recipes
Well, I just finished putting together a recipe sheet to hand out to our customers. In addition to the grilled alligator recipe from last week, here are a few more.
Fried Alligator Strips
1 lb. alligator meat cut in strips, 1 cup flour, ½ cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp red pepper
Mix eggs and milk in small bowl and set aside. Add garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper to flour in a large bowl. Dredge alligator strips through the milk and egg mixture, and then lightly pad each side of the alligator strip min the flour mixture. Pan fry in your choice of oil or grease until golden brown on both sides. Salt and pepper to taste.
Beer Batter Alligator Strips
Same process as above, but substitute the following for the egg, milk, and flour method.
Mix together one 12 oz. can of beer with ½ cup flour. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for 2 hours before dredging fillets through beer batter.
Baked Alligator
Alligator Fillets, garlic powder, chopped parsley, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper, lemon slices
Arrange alligator fillets in an ovenware dish large enough to place in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets. Cut a generous amount of butter into squares and place all over the fillets. Arrange lemon slices over the fillets and sprinkle generously with parsley. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until fillets are cooked through. Serve with French bread.
Fried Alligator Strips
1 lb. alligator meat cut in strips, 1 cup flour, ½ cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp red pepper
Mix eggs and milk in small bowl and set aside. Add garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper to flour in a large bowl. Dredge alligator strips through the milk and egg mixture, and then lightly pad each side of the alligator strip min the flour mixture. Pan fry in your choice of oil or grease until golden brown on both sides. Salt and pepper to taste.
Beer Batter Alligator Strips
Same process as above, but substitute the following for the egg, milk, and flour method.
Mix together one 12 oz. can of beer with ½ cup flour. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for 2 hours before dredging fillets through beer batter.
Baked Alligator
Alligator Fillets, garlic powder, chopped parsley, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper, lemon slices
Arrange alligator fillets in an ovenware dish large enough to place in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets. Cut a generous amount of butter into squares and place all over the fillets. Arrange lemon slices over the fillets and sprinkle generously with parsley. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until fillets are cooked through. Serve with French bread.
A little Gator info from Wikipedia.
Alligator farming is a big and growing industry in Florida, Texas and Louisiana. These states produce a combined annual total of some 45,000 alligator hides. Alligator hides bring good prices and hides in the 6-7 foot (1.8-2 m) range have sold for $300 each, though the price can fluctuate considerably from year to year. The market for alligator meat is growing and approximately 300,000 pounds (140 000 kg) of meat is produced annually. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, raw alligator meat contains roughly 200 calories per 3oz (85 g) serving size, of which 27 calories come from fat.
Monday, May 5, 2008
It's Monday! Fun Food Facts
I will try to get some content out this week, but will resort to fun food facts as I have become accustomed to doing on Mondays.
Imperia, Italy is the home of the Agnesi Historical Museum of Spaghetti. I was hoping to find a link to post for your viewing pleasure, but can not find one. I do however find many mentions of it out there.
Forks weren't widely used in the United States until the 1800s. It is true. Click here for the wiki.
Italians in Italy consume a million and a half tons of spaghetti every year. Well I see that as of 2007 there are 58 million people in Italy. That works out to about 52 pounds per person per year averaging one pound per week. Seems like a good number.
The national dish of Scotland, haggis, is made of the heart, liver, lungs and small intestines of a calf. It's then boiled in the stomach of the animal, and seasoned with salt, pepper and onions. Oh, and don't forget to add the suet and oatmeal. I'll pass on this dish.
The brewing of beer is recorded as far back as 6,000 years ago. Until the 12th century (when skilled experts took over), women performed the task of making beer as part of their household chores.
The above all comes from mindlesscrap.com a good trivia site. Red are my comments.
Imperia, Italy is the home of the Agnesi Historical Museum of Spaghetti. I was hoping to find a link to post for your viewing pleasure, but can not find one. I do however find many mentions of it out there.
Forks weren't widely used in the United States until the 1800s. It is true. Click here for the wiki.
Italians in Italy consume a million and a half tons of spaghetti every year. Well I see that as of 2007 there are 58 million people in Italy. That works out to about 52 pounds per person per year averaging one pound per week. Seems like a good number.
The national dish of Scotland, haggis, is made of the heart, liver, lungs and small intestines of a calf. It's then boiled in the stomach of the animal, and seasoned with salt, pepper and onions. Oh, and don't forget to add the suet and oatmeal. I'll pass on this dish.
The brewing of beer is recorded as far back as 6,000 years ago. Until the 12th century (when skilled experts took over), women performed the task of making beer as part of their household chores.
The above all comes from mindlesscrap.com a good trivia site. Red are my comments.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Completely NOT About Food
Happy 50th anniversary to my parents, Jack and Hilda Smith!
We met up with them almost 2 weeks ago for brunch at a restaurant that I used to work at in high school. It has since changed hands a couple of times. While the food was very good, I thought that there were some things lacking to round off the menu.
Ok, it's about food again. Sorry. As I was saying. The food was good, but didn't have the finish to it. They had potato skins on the buffet. I like potato skins. However, these were completely plain with nothing on them. I grabbed one anyway assuming that down the line there would be some cheese sauce, maybe some bacon bits, chives, etc., to top them with. Nope, sorry. No toppings for my potato skin.
Then my niece Michelle gets back from the line. She was depressed that they had ran out of the glazed carrots that she had liked so much. She had a couple of mozzarella sticks on her plate that they had replaced them with. Cool! I love moz sticks dipped in marinara sauce. I find them and grab a couple, and guess what? NO marinara sauce. I've never heard of such a thing.
I think there was something else, but it didn't matter. We had a good time eating and talking. We had to leave early though due to a funeral.
Anywho. Congratulations Mom and Dad on 50 years!
We met up with them almost 2 weeks ago for brunch at a restaurant that I used to work at in high school. It has since changed hands a couple of times. While the food was very good, I thought that there were some things lacking to round off the menu.
Ok, it's about food again. Sorry. As I was saying. The food was good, but didn't have the finish to it. They had potato skins on the buffet. I like potato skins. However, these were completely plain with nothing on them. I grabbed one anyway assuming that down the line there would be some cheese sauce, maybe some bacon bits, chives, etc., to top them with. Nope, sorry. No toppings for my potato skin.
Then my niece Michelle gets back from the line. She was depressed that they had ran out of the glazed carrots that she had liked so much. She had a couple of mozzarella sticks on her plate that they had replaced them with. Cool! I love moz sticks dipped in marinara sauce. I find them and grab a couple, and guess what? NO marinara sauce. I've never heard of such a thing.
I think there was something else, but it didn't matter. We had a good time eating and talking. We had to leave early though due to a funeral.
Anywho. Congratulations Mom and Dad on 50 years!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Dandelions
OK, why is he talking about dandelions in a food blog? I saw something this morning about dandelions as food and since they are everywhere right about now, I thought why not discuss?
I recall a school field trip when I was young that centered around dandelions. I don't remember what all we did, but I remember they made dandelion fritters and I kind of liked them at the time. I think I even remember coaxing my mom into making them shortly after that once.
I assume that it was a simple batter. One cup milk, one egg and about a cup of flour (give or take depending on your batter preference). The open heads (plucked just above the stem) were dipped in the batter and then deep fried. Hmmmm. I may have to try these again. If I do, I will probably add some pepper to the batter and maybe a little maple syrup or some hot sauce.
There are also recipes for dandelion root tea. Here is a little information about that. I think I will pass on the root tea.
Here is another list of various dandelion recipes.
It seems that almost the entire plant is used except for the stem. The roots are used for tea or coffee, the leaves for salad and the head for various things including wine. They say that the stem is very bitter.
I am going to pass on the salad, but may have to try making some wine out of them.
Here is the wikipedia link if you would like to know more about this plant.
I actually think that a yard full of them looks very nice. That is until they go to seed and keep shooting up as soon as you chop them down.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Fun Food Facts
Pineapples are classified as berries. I couldn't find anything to support this. But I do love pineapple.
The apricot can be traced back to China at least four thousand years ago, and it first appeared in Greek mythology as the "golden apple."
Two-thirds of the world's coffee comes from Brazil. While Brazil IS the largest coffee producer in the world, it is closer to 1/3rd and not 2.
One pound of tea can make nearly three hundred cups to drink. Yum. I like my tea iced with no sugar or lemon. During the winter I can be found with a hot cup of Eark Grey on occasion.
Whiskey was first brewed in the United States in 1640. It was made from a mixture of corn and rye.
Vanilla is the extract of fermented and dried pods of orchids. I did not know this, but looked it up and sure enough, it is true.
Chewing gum was created by the Mayans over 300 years ago. They boiled the sap of the sapodilla tree and chewed it. The Mayan civilization ended about 1200 years ago. While they did have this for hundreds of years before they met their demise, the greeks beat them to it around 2,000 years ago or more.
Milk is actually considered to be a food and not a beverage. I can buy this one.
The above all comes from mindlesscrap.com. Stop in and check it out if you want to kill some time and pick up some trivia. Red comments are mine.
The apricot can be traced back to China at least four thousand years ago, and it first appeared in Greek mythology as the "golden apple."
Two-thirds of the world's coffee comes from Brazil. While Brazil IS the largest coffee producer in the world, it is closer to 1/3rd and not 2.
One pound of tea can make nearly three hundred cups to drink. Yum. I like my tea iced with no sugar or lemon. During the winter I can be found with a hot cup of Eark Grey on occasion.
Whiskey was first brewed in the United States in 1640. It was made from a mixture of corn and rye.
Vanilla is the extract of fermented and dried pods of orchids. I did not know this, but looked it up and sure enough, it is true.
Chewing gum was created by the Mayans over 300 years ago. They boiled the sap of the sapodilla tree and chewed it. The Mayan civilization ended about 1200 years ago. While they did have this for hundreds of years before they met their demise, the greeks beat them to it around 2,000 years ago or more.
Milk is actually considered to be a food and not a beverage. I can buy this one.
The above all comes from mindlesscrap.com. Stop in and check it out if you want to kill some time and pick up some trivia. Red comments are mine.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Grilled Alligator Tail Roast
I got this from my partner Billy.
1 Alligator Tail Roast
1 jar Italian dressing
2 lemons
4 limes Marinate alligator tail roast overnight in Italian dressing in a zip lock bag.
Slice lemons and limes.
Prepare a grill for medium low cooking
Lay out the lemon slices on the grill and place alligator tail roast on lemon slices to cook for 12-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Before you flip the roast, lay out the lime slices in the same manner. Flip roast onto lime slices and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 135. Allow to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
1 Alligator Tail Roast
1 jar Italian dressing
2 lemons
4 limes Marinate alligator tail roast overnight in Italian dressing in a zip lock bag.
Slice lemons and limes.
Prepare a grill for medium low cooking
Lay out the lemon slices on the grill and place alligator tail roast on lemon slices to cook for 12-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Before you flip the roast, lay out the lime slices in the same manner. Flip roast onto lime slices and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 135. Allow to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Monday, April 21, 2008
More Fun Food Facts (yet again)
Sorry I haven't posted in a little while, but I can whip out a fun food facts with realitive ease. Today's post is in momory of Roy Kroener. I'll miss you Roy.
Dry wine is a wine that has been completely fermented, meaning that only 0.1% of the sugar remains.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchise owner in Uniontown, PA, invented the Big Mac in 1968. He originally named it the Big Mac Super Sandwich. The following year McDonald's sold it nationwide.
Peanuts are salted in the shell by boiling them in a heavily salted solution, then allowing them to dry.
There are 1,218 peanuts in a single 28 ounce jar of Jif peanut butter.
The canning process for herring was developed in Sardinia, which is why canned herrings are better known as sardines. OK, this one sounded like bunk to me, so I looked it up. While a can of sardines may indeed be herring as well as dozen other types of fish, the terms are not interchangeable. Sardines. Herring.
Americans use about 100 million pounds of tea leaves every year.
A quarter of raw potato placed in each shoe at night will keep the leather soft and the shoes smelling fresh and clean. Um.....I don't think I will try this one.
When the English colonists sat down for their first Thanksgiving dinner on February 22, 1630, an Indian chief named Quadoquina offered a deerskin bag filled with freshly popped corn. Thus popcorn made its first appearance to non-native North Americans.
There is no difference in flavor or nutritional value between brown and white eggs. Aside form color, they are identical. Most white eggs come from White Longhorns and browns come from a commercial cross of Rhode Island Reds and Barred Plymouth Rocks.
The above all comes from Mindlesscrap.com
Sorry. That's all I have time for today.
Dry wine is a wine that has been completely fermented, meaning that only 0.1% of the sugar remains.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchise owner in Uniontown, PA, invented the Big Mac in 1968. He originally named it the Big Mac Super Sandwich. The following year McDonald's sold it nationwide.
Peanuts are salted in the shell by boiling them in a heavily salted solution, then allowing them to dry.
There are 1,218 peanuts in a single 28 ounce jar of Jif peanut butter.
The canning process for herring was developed in Sardinia, which is why canned herrings are better known as sardines. OK, this one sounded like bunk to me, so I looked it up. While a can of sardines may indeed be herring as well as dozen other types of fish, the terms are not interchangeable. Sardines. Herring.
Americans use about 100 million pounds of tea leaves every year.
A quarter of raw potato placed in each shoe at night will keep the leather soft and the shoes smelling fresh and clean. Um.....I don't think I will try this one.
When the English colonists sat down for their first Thanksgiving dinner on February 22, 1630, an Indian chief named Quadoquina offered a deerskin bag filled with freshly popped corn. Thus popcorn made its first appearance to non-native North Americans.
There is no difference in flavor or nutritional value between brown and white eggs. Aside form color, they are identical. Most white eggs come from White Longhorns and browns come from a commercial cross of Rhode Island Reds and Barred Plymouth Rocks.
The above all comes from Mindlesscrap.com
Sorry. That's all I have time for today.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Book Review Dr. BBQ's---
Barbecue All Year Long! Cookbook.
Ray lampe is Dr. BBQ. Truck Driver turned Author and BBQ afficianado from the Northern Illinois area. My only experience of ever rubbing elbows with the stars would have to be Ray Lampe. I have met him a few times and he is the best ambassador for BBQ that the hobby could have.
On to the book. Well for starters it is a good read. I've said it before that even a cook book should be a good read. This one does not dissapoint on that level. It is filled with stories and tidbits of information that are fun to read.
The concept of the book, Barbecue All Year Long!, breaks down the book into seasons. It then further breaks down the seasons into holidays and events. Each holiday or event has a list of recipes. The recipes covered are far from just grilling or BBQ recipes for meat. There are lots of sides and desserts to go along with them. There is even an occasional cocktail thrown in for good measure. I have tried many of the recipes and have yet to be dissapointed by any of them.
After all those "seasons", Ray talks a little about the tools and gear that he finds useful. He then gives up a bunch of seasoning and marinade recipes to finish it off.
What really rounds out the book in my opinion is the photos. They are taken from all around the country at various competitions and such. I even recognise a few people in there. I saw Jim Minion twice with a hat that I had made and sent to him. Chris Lilly whom I have not met, but lots of fellow BBQ-brethren have, several faces that I have met at various competitions around the area, and oh, that's me on page 297 standing behind Phil Rizzardi when we cooked against Ray in Long Island. So there we have it, my 15 minutes of fame.
Get the book you won't regret it. You can order this one or his others, here.
Ray lampe is Dr. BBQ. Truck Driver turned Author and BBQ afficianado from the Northern Illinois area. My only experience of ever rubbing elbows with the stars would have to be Ray Lampe. I have met him a few times and he is the best ambassador for BBQ that the hobby could have.
On to the book. Well for starters it is a good read. I've said it before that even a cook book should be a good read. This one does not dissapoint on that level. It is filled with stories and tidbits of information that are fun to read.
The concept of the book, Barbecue All Year Long!, breaks down the book into seasons. It then further breaks down the seasons into holidays and events. Each holiday or event has a list of recipes. The recipes covered are far from just grilling or BBQ recipes for meat. There are lots of sides and desserts to go along with them. There is even an occasional cocktail thrown in for good measure. I have tried many of the recipes and have yet to be dissapointed by any of them.
After all those "seasons", Ray talks a little about the tools and gear that he finds useful. He then gives up a bunch of seasoning and marinade recipes to finish it off.
What really rounds out the book in my opinion is the photos. They are taken from all around the country at various competitions and such. I even recognise a few people in there. I saw Jim Minion twice with a hat that I had made and sent to him. Chris Lilly whom I have not met, but lots of fellow BBQ-brethren have, several faces that I have met at various competitions around the area, and oh, that's me on page 297 standing behind Phil Rizzardi when we cooked against Ray in Long Island. So there we have it, my 15 minutes of fame.
Get the book you won't regret it. You can order this one or his others, here.
Monday, April 14, 2008
More Fun Food Facts (again)
Boiling the cork for a few minutes makes it easier to place it back into a wine bottle.
The flavor we think of as bubblegum is a combination of wintergreen, vanilla and cassia, a form of cinnamon.
Almost without exception, cows are milked from the right side. The reason is because most farmers have been right-handed since the start of the dairy business and it's easier for a right-handed milker to work from the right side.
The Aztecs of Mexico roasted and ground up the cacao bean, mixed it with water, added peppers and other spices, stirred it up to a froth and drank the pungent mixture they called "chocolatl."
The banana is the most prolific of all food plants with as many as 300 bananas growing on the same stalk.
Cheese closes the stomach and should always be served at the end of a meal.
The above all comes from Mindlesscrap.com
The tomato: One of the strangest things about the history of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is the fact that, although it is of American origin, it was unknown as food in this country until long after it was commonly eaten in Europe. Until hardly more than a hundred years ago it was generally thought to be poisonous in the United States. Long before it was considered here as fit to eat, it was grown only as an ornamental garden plant, sometimes called "love apple."
The mistaken idea that tomatoes were poisonous probably arose because the plant belongs to the Nightshade family, of which some species are truly poisonous. The strong, unpleasant odor of the leaves and stems also contributed to the idea that the fruits were unfit for food.
Our word "tomato" is but a slight modification of tomati, the word used by the Indians of Mexico, who have grown the plant for food since prehistoric times. Other names reported by early European explorers were tomatl, tumatle, and tomatas, probably variants of Indian words.
The above comes from here and has much more info on the tomato.
This one is for Mom and Dad and comes from this website. I'll just include one paragraph, but it is an interesting read and only takes a couple of minutes. For whatever reason we were discussing margarine at the Easter dinner table and I stumbled upon this today. The laws that were passed in regards to it's sale is quite interesting to say the least and they weren't all repealed until 1996.
Although it has been around for over a century, margarine was not always the preferred tablespread in the U.S. In 1930, per capita consumption of margarine was only 2.6 pounds (vs. 17.6 pounds of butter). Times have changed for the better, though. Today, per capita consumption of margarine in the U.S. is 8.3 pounds (including vegetable oil spreads) whereas butter consumption is down to about 4.2 pounds. Research studies have shown that the shift within populations around the world - from the highly saturated fat content of butter to vegetable oil-based margarines - have contributed significantly to the reduced risk of heart disease. Check out the timeline below to learn more about the history or margarine.
The flavor we think of as bubblegum is a combination of wintergreen, vanilla and cassia, a form of cinnamon.
Almost without exception, cows are milked from the right side. The reason is because most farmers have been right-handed since the start of the dairy business and it's easier for a right-handed milker to work from the right side.
The Aztecs of Mexico roasted and ground up the cacao bean, mixed it with water, added peppers and other spices, stirred it up to a froth and drank the pungent mixture they called "chocolatl."
The banana is the most prolific of all food plants with as many as 300 bananas growing on the same stalk.
Cheese closes the stomach and should always be served at the end of a meal.
The above all comes from Mindlesscrap.com
The tomato: One of the strangest things about the history of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is the fact that, although it is of American origin, it was unknown as food in this country until long after it was commonly eaten in Europe. Until hardly more than a hundred years ago it was generally thought to be poisonous in the United States. Long before it was considered here as fit to eat, it was grown only as an ornamental garden plant, sometimes called "love apple."
The mistaken idea that tomatoes were poisonous probably arose because the plant belongs to the Nightshade family, of which some species are truly poisonous. The strong, unpleasant odor of the leaves and stems also contributed to the idea that the fruits were unfit for food.
Our word "tomato" is but a slight modification of tomati, the word used by the Indians of Mexico, who have grown the plant for food since prehistoric times. Other names reported by early European explorers were tomatl, tumatle, and tomatas, probably variants of Indian words.
The above comes from here and has much more info on the tomato.
This one is for Mom and Dad and comes from this website. I'll just include one paragraph, but it is an interesting read and only takes a couple of minutes. For whatever reason we were discussing margarine at the Easter dinner table and I stumbled upon this today. The laws that were passed in regards to it's sale is quite interesting to say the least and they weren't all repealed until 1996.
Although it has been around for over a century, margarine was not always the preferred tablespread in the U.S. In 1930, per capita consumption of margarine was only 2.6 pounds (vs. 17.6 pounds of butter). Times have changed for the better, though. Today, per capita consumption of margarine in the U.S. is 8.3 pounds (including vegetable oil spreads) whereas butter consumption is down to about 4.2 pounds. Research studies have shown that the shift within populations around the world - from the highly saturated fat content of butter to vegetable oil-based margarines - have contributed significantly to the reduced risk of heart disease. Check out the timeline below to learn more about the history or margarine.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Charcoal or Gas? What kind of grill to buy?
Ah, the age old debate. Well maybe not age old, but for some time. I am not sure who made the first gas grill, but according to this timeline, Weber made their first one in 1971. Their first kettle was made in 1952. So, a decision that every grilling guy has had to make since 1971, gas or charcoal?
I have both and don't use either as much as I want to. I do however use them both about the same amount probably over the course of a year.
Let's examine the aspects of grilling and the pros and cons associated with each type.
I'm hungry, let's cook something outside for dinner. Well, how much time do we have? Getting the grill started and ready to cook on takes at least a half an hour or longer to get up to temp. I like to fire up my charcoal in a chimney then when lit transfer to the grill. From there I put the lid on it because I want to sterilize the cooking grate. With the gas grill I turn all the burners on high for about 5 minutes to sterlize the cooking surface and then turn it down to where I want it and voila! The gas grill wins this contest.
Off-set cooking. My gasser has three burners from left to right. I can turn on just the left or both the left and right and cook in the middle at indirect temperatures. My Weber has 2 baskets under the grill that hold a nice pile of lit coals and allow me to cook in the center as well. Both do a great job of off-set cooking so this one is a draw.
Direct cooking Goes pretty much the same way as that is exactly what they were both designed for, so I will give them a draw on that one as well.
Fuel cost. I think right now a 20 pound bag of kingsford goes for around 8 dollars. Depending on what I am cooking on the grill I am probably going to get up to 6 cooks out of that bag. That would be for just some quick grilling. The last time I filled my my propane tanks, I believe the price was 12.50 each. For some quick grilling I am looking at probably in the neighborhood of at least 25 cooks, maybe more off of one tank. So price wise, The gasser wins out in this round. You will have people say bad things about running out of propane, but guess what, you can run out of charcoal as well. I have 5 tanks. When I get down to 3 empty ones, I fill those up.
Here is the big one, the cooked product. You definately get some good flavors coming off of those briquets (or hardwood lump or what ever type of charcoal you are using). To combat this, grill makers are using flavorizer bars or a similar type of item. In essence, it is a plate that gets nice and hot over the fuel source. The drippings from whatever you are cooking hit this and put off smoke that helps to flavor the meat. In my opinion they both put out a pretty good product, but I think I am going to have to give a slight edge to the charcoal grill on this one.
Well, it looks like they stack up fairly close. I'd call it a tie even. Except for one missing category.
Nostalgia. When it comes to nostalgia, the charcoal grill is going to have to win over the gas grill. I don't remember when dad switched to a gas grill, but I do remember him firing up the charcoal grill. I remember an old black plastic container with charcoal in it that we had around the house that had to be fetched when it was time to fire up the grill. If anyone knows where I can find one of these, I would love to know where I can get one. It was designed specifecally for that purpose.
I have both and don't use either as much as I want to. I do however use them both about the same amount probably over the course of a year.
Let's examine the aspects of grilling and the pros and cons associated with each type.
I'm hungry, let's cook something outside for dinner. Well, how much time do we have? Getting the grill started and ready to cook on takes at least a half an hour or longer to get up to temp. I like to fire up my charcoal in a chimney then when lit transfer to the grill. From there I put the lid on it because I want to sterilize the cooking grate. With the gas grill I turn all the burners on high for about 5 minutes to sterlize the cooking surface and then turn it down to where I want it and voila! The gas grill wins this contest.
Off-set cooking. My gasser has three burners from left to right. I can turn on just the left or both the left and right and cook in the middle at indirect temperatures. My Weber has 2 baskets under the grill that hold a nice pile of lit coals and allow me to cook in the center as well. Both do a great job of off-set cooking so this one is a draw.
Direct cooking Goes pretty much the same way as that is exactly what they were both designed for, so I will give them a draw on that one as well.
Fuel cost. I think right now a 20 pound bag of kingsford goes for around 8 dollars. Depending on what I am cooking on the grill I am probably going to get up to 6 cooks out of that bag. That would be for just some quick grilling. The last time I filled my my propane tanks, I believe the price was 12.50 each. For some quick grilling I am looking at probably in the neighborhood of at least 25 cooks, maybe more off of one tank. So price wise, The gasser wins out in this round. You will have people say bad things about running out of propane, but guess what, you can run out of charcoal as well. I have 5 tanks. When I get down to 3 empty ones, I fill those up.
Here is the big one, the cooked product. You definately get some good flavors coming off of those briquets (or hardwood lump or what ever type of charcoal you are using). To combat this, grill makers are using flavorizer bars or a similar type of item. In essence, it is a plate that gets nice and hot over the fuel source. The drippings from whatever you are cooking hit this and put off smoke that helps to flavor the meat. In my opinion they both put out a pretty good product, but I think I am going to have to give a slight edge to the charcoal grill on this one.
Well, it looks like they stack up fairly close. I'd call it a tie even. Except for one missing category.
Nostalgia. When it comes to nostalgia, the charcoal grill is going to have to win over the gas grill. I don't remember when dad switched to a gas grill, but I do remember him firing up the charcoal grill. I remember an old black plastic container with charcoal in it that we had around the house that had to be fetched when it was time to fire up the grill. If anyone knows where I can find one of these, I would love to know where I can get one. It was designed specifecally for that purpose.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
What's in a rub?
Well, first things first. What IS a rub? From Wikipedia.com we get the following.
Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made for the purpose of being rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked. The spice rub forms a coat on the food. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate into the food or it can be cooked immediately after it is coated in the rub. The spices are usually coarsely ground. In addition to spices, salt and sugar may be added to the rub, the salt for flavor and the sugar for caramelization. The simplest rub is just coarsely ground black pepper as in Steak au poivre.
Spice rubs can also have ingredients like herbs, crushed garlic or oil added to make a paste. The spice rub can be left on or partially removed before cooking.
OK, now we know what a rub is, let's look into what makes a good rub. When I am doing pulled pork, I use a very basic rub consisting of fairly equal parts salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne. Probably about half a part on the cayenne now that I think about it. I do it this way because we give it a sprinkle of seasoning salt as we make up sandwiches for selling and that completes the complex flavors typically found in a rub.
When I do my ribs I use a very complex rub that has a very nice finish. I don't use sugar in the rub itself, but rather apply a rub of just brown sugar prior to my final rub. For other cuts I tend to use a rub that contains some or all of the following in no particular order. Sugar (a must) salt (just a bit, too easy to over do), celery powder, garlic, onion, cayenne, MSG (yes MSG, it's fantastic stuff), paprika (mainly for color), black pepper (maybe white), thyme, oregano, cinnamon (a must in my rib rub), various dried peppers (depending on how much heat I want), and the list goes on.
If you are interested in making your own rubs I would suggest getting a book with lots of rub recipes as a starting point. It will give you a good idea of what goes good together and what spices compliment what meats. And may save you time and money rather than completely throwing out batches and starting over again. Start with something very basic and build from there. You will have your very own signature rub before you know it.
These days there is no shortage of rubs available to the consumer who knows where to look. I usually have a handful of these in my kitchen at all times, because I know how good they are and will get consistant results with them. What's on my counter right now that gets lots of use? Spicewine's Hen and Hog dust, Spicewines Heffer dust, and Plowboy's yardbird rub to name a few. There are others, but I know these guys, their product is good, and I'll get a plug in for them whenever I can.
Applying a rub. Well, there are two types of rubs. Wet and dry. Wet normally is the consistancy of paste to much thinner and you simply slather it on and rub it in. Such as this Walker's Wood jerk seasoning. I was in Jamaica in January and had the pleasure of visiting their factory. It is a great set up. Most of the ingredients come from a co-op of local farmers and they put out some great product.
Dry rubs are just like they sound. A mixture of dry spices and ingredients. In many cases you can sprinkle on evenly or pour it on and rub it in. You can also apply a wet ingredient before applying the rub. I typically don't do this, but occasionally will slop something on there first. With ribs I will use a splash of cider vinegar. Brisket I may use a little terriyaki, a pork butt may benefit from some pineapple juice. These can be slathered on first, or mixed with the dry rub and then applied in essence making a wet rub. Other slathers that I have heard of being used may include mayonnaise, salad dressing, olive oil, mustard or a whole slew of other imaginative compounds. I recommend against the mustard. Some say they can't taste it, but I can taste when it was used and I don't like mustard.
Thanks for looking.
Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made for the purpose of being rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked. The spice rub forms a coat on the food. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate into the food or it can be cooked immediately after it is coated in the rub. The spices are usually coarsely ground. In addition to spices, salt and sugar may be added to the rub, the salt for flavor and the sugar for caramelization. The simplest rub is just coarsely ground black pepper as in Steak au poivre.
Spice rubs can also have ingredients like herbs, crushed garlic or oil added to make a paste. The spice rub can be left on or partially removed before cooking.
OK, now we know what a rub is, let's look into what makes a good rub. When I am doing pulled pork, I use a very basic rub consisting of fairly equal parts salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne. Probably about half a part on the cayenne now that I think about it. I do it this way because we give it a sprinkle of seasoning salt as we make up sandwiches for selling and that completes the complex flavors typically found in a rub.
When I do my ribs I use a very complex rub that has a very nice finish. I don't use sugar in the rub itself, but rather apply a rub of just brown sugar prior to my final rub. For other cuts I tend to use a rub that contains some or all of the following in no particular order. Sugar (a must) salt (just a bit, too easy to over do), celery powder, garlic, onion, cayenne, MSG (yes MSG, it's fantastic stuff), paprika (mainly for color), black pepper (maybe white), thyme, oregano, cinnamon (a must in my rib rub), various dried peppers (depending on how much heat I want), and the list goes on.
If you are interested in making your own rubs I would suggest getting a book with lots of rub recipes as a starting point. It will give you a good idea of what goes good together and what spices compliment what meats. And may save you time and money rather than completely throwing out batches and starting over again. Start with something very basic and build from there. You will have your very own signature rub before you know it.
These days there is no shortage of rubs available to the consumer who knows where to look. I usually have a handful of these in my kitchen at all times, because I know how good they are and will get consistant results with them. What's on my counter right now that gets lots of use? Spicewine's Hen and Hog dust, Spicewines Heffer dust, and Plowboy's yardbird rub to name a few. There are others, but I know these guys, their product is good, and I'll get a plug in for them whenever I can.
Applying a rub. Well, there are two types of rubs. Wet and dry. Wet normally is the consistancy of paste to much thinner and you simply slather it on and rub it in. Such as this Walker's Wood jerk seasoning. I was in Jamaica in January and had the pleasure of visiting their factory. It is a great set up. Most of the ingredients come from a co-op of local farmers and they put out some great product.
Dry rubs are just like they sound. A mixture of dry spices and ingredients. In many cases you can sprinkle on evenly or pour it on and rub it in. You can also apply a wet ingredient before applying the rub. I typically don't do this, but occasionally will slop something on there first. With ribs I will use a splash of cider vinegar. Brisket I may use a little terriyaki, a pork butt may benefit from some pineapple juice. These can be slathered on first, or mixed with the dry rub and then applied in essence making a wet rub. Other slathers that I have heard of being used may include mayonnaise, salad dressing, olive oil, mustard or a whole slew of other imaginative compounds. I recommend against the mustard. Some say they can't taste it, but I can taste when it was used and I don't like mustard.
Thanks for looking.
Monday, April 7, 2008
More fun food facts
The strongest any liquor can be is 190 proof. This means the drink is a little more than 97 percent alcohol.
The original filling in Twinkies was banana. It was replaced by vanilla-flavored cream during World War II, when the United States experienced a banana shortage.
If Jell-O is hooked up to an EEG (heart monitor), it registers movements virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult.
Honey is believed to be the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found to still be edible.
Popcorn has been a food product for over 6,000 years.
A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top.
The French cooked fish soup in a kettle called a chaudière, and from it comes the word chowder.
The above is all from mindlesscrap.com
FROZEN PIZZAThe earliest print reference we find to manufactured frozen pizza (in the USA) is patent 2,688,117, "Method for Making Frozen Pizza," filed by Jo Bucci, Philadelphia PA, August 10, 1950. We also find evidence of refrigerated pizza products penetrating grocery stores. It was just a matter of time before frozen pizzas were competing with TV Dinners for space on the consumer's ubiquitous living room feeding tray. Source: The food timeline
Who would have guessed that the idea for "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies was born in the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War? Legend has it that on a trip to Spain, Forrest Mars Sr. encountered soldiers who were eating pellets of chocolate that were encased in a hard sugary coating to prevent them from melting. Inspired by this idea, Mr. Mars went back to his kitchen and invented the recipe for "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies.
First sold to the public in 1941, "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies became a favorite of American GIs serving in World War II. Packaged in cardboard tubes, "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies were sold to the military as a convenient snack that traveled well in any climate. By the late 1940's, they became widely available to the public, who gave them an excellent reception. In 1948, the packaging changed from a tube form to the characteristic brown pouch known today.
Source: M&M
The original filling in Twinkies was banana. It was replaced by vanilla-flavored cream during World War II, when the United States experienced a banana shortage.
If Jell-O is hooked up to an EEG (heart monitor), it registers movements virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult.
Honey is believed to be the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found to still be edible.
Popcorn has been a food product for over 6,000 years.
A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top.
The French cooked fish soup in a kettle called a chaudière, and from it comes the word chowder.
The above is all from mindlesscrap.com
FROZEN PIZZAThe earliest print reference we find to manufactured frozen pizza (in the USA) is patent 2,688,117, "Method for Making Frozen Pizza," filed by Jo Bucci, Philadelphia PA, August 10, 1950. We also find evidence of refrigerated pizza products penetrating grocery stores. It was just a matter of time before frozen pizzas were competing with TV Dinners for space on the consumer's ubiquitous living room feeding tray. Source: The food timeline
Who would have guessed that the idea for "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies was born in the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War? Legend has it that on a trip to Spain, Forrest Mars Sr. encountered soldiers who were eating pellets of chocolate that were encased in a hard sugary coating to prevent them from melting. Inspired by this idea, Mr. Mars went back to his kitchen and invented the recipe for "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies.
First sold to the public in 1941, "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies became a favorite of American GIs serving in World War II. Packaged in cardboard tubes, "M&M's"® Plain Chocolate Candies were sold to the military as a convenient snack that traveled well in any climate. By the late 1940's, they became widely available to the public, who gave them an excellent reception. In 1948, the packaging changed from a tube form to the characteristic brown pouch known today.
Source: M&M
Ribs
Well I did a mess of ribs yesterday. Forgot to get any pictures until they were ready for wrapping in foil. The next time I do some I will get more pictures and do a step by step.I now have a photobucket account and can include more pics with any stories or instructionals.
I definately have a learning curve on this new cooker and I will need to get that straightened out before I can reliably use it for any potential catering jobs. I figure one more time should get me pretty close.
I used my signature rib rub on these and for some reason, the flavor did not come out as strong as it normally does. I'm going to have to figure that one out. I just mixed up the batch from all fresh ingredients. I am thinking that it is quite possible that the temperatures were higher than I am used to and it may have changed the flavor profile of my rub. I know it went higher than I usually try to maintain a few times and for longer than I cared to.
I smoked them over apple wood. The apple wood came through very nice and lent a pleasant sweet smoke to the end product.
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