Carol’s Comfort Foods

Confused about the terms that are cropping up in the produce section of your local supermarket or when you wander around a farmer’s market?  I sure have been – sustainable, local, and organic.  What is the difference?  I found this simple explanation in the April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens.

Sustainable – The goal of sustainable agriculture is to be profitable and meet the needs of the human consumer while maintaining environmentally sound practices.  Sustainable agriculture also addresses quality of life issues of the farm worker and their communities.

Organic – The USDA has defined organic foods as those produced using sustainable agricultural practices with no synthetic fertilizers, conventional pesticides or bioengineering.   The USDA “Certified Organic” seal signifies that a product is made with at least 95% organic ingredients.

Natural – The FDA has not established formal guidelines for the use of the term “natural”.  Generally, to use the term natural on product labels the product must not contain any added color, artificial flavor or synthetic substances.  The use of “natural” does not speak to how the products ingredients are grown or produced.

Local – This is a unregulated term that generally indicates that the product was produced locally (within a 100 mile radius).  The advantage of buying locally is that it supports your local economy and given the close proximity, the foods should be fresher.

To learn more about sustainable agriculture visit these sites:

·        www.farmtotable.org

·        www.localharvest.org – (includes listing of organic restaurants throughout the country - my favorite is Farm255 in Athens, GA)

·        www.cityharvest.org

·        www.chefscollaborative.org

Yield:  2 quarts

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large carrots, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, halved

1 garlic bulb, halved

Reserved chicken bones

2 quarts cold water

4 sprigs of fresh parsley

2 bay leaves

PREPARATION

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to stockpot and heat for approximately 30 seconds.  Add the vegetables and sauté for 3 minutes.  Add reserved chicken bones, water and herbs.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and allow stock to simmer for approximately 1 hour.  Remove from heat and strain stock to remove any solids.  Use immediately or place in an airtight freezer container for later use.

Ever wonder what part fats, sugars and other ingredients play in creating the perfect cookie?  Consider: 

Fats

The fats used in cookies can include butter, shortening or margarine.  Since butter melts the minute it hits a hot oven, cookies made with butter will spread more than those made with margarine or shortening.  Taste is also a factor in the butter versus shortening/margarine debate.  Most experts generally will prefer butter over margarine or shortening when it comes to baking, typically it will give you a better flavor to your baked goods.

If you decide to use margarine, make sure that you use the stick type of margarine, not the margarines that come in a tub.  The tub type margarine contains oil and are too soft for baking.  What about salted versus unsalted butter?  It really doesn’t make a difference, whatever you happen to have on hand.  Just be aware that salted butter has about ¼ teaspoon of salt, so adjust you’re the salt in your recipe accordingly.

Sugar

Recipes specify what type of sugar to use in your cookies.  All sugars will bring sweetness to the cookie, but different sugars will add different qualities to the cookies.  White granulated sugar produces the crispiest texture, while brown sugar adds color and will produce a more “chewy” cookie.  Using powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar in a cookie recipe will reduce the amount of flour that is needed in a cookie and thus producing a light and airy cookie.  The “Mexican Wedding Cookie” is a fine example of this concept.  Lots of butter, powdered sugar, ground nuts and very little flour, produce a melt-in-your-mouth cookie.  Specialty sugars such as turbinado or coarse crystal sugars can be used to add a great crunch to the outside of cookies, but should not be substituted for granulated or brown sugar in a cookie recipe.

Flour

Bread flour, pastry flour and cake flour are all used frequently in baking.  However, most experts agree that for cookies, all-purpose flour yields the best results.  In terms of all-purpose, there are two varieties – bleached and unbleached flour.  For years there has been a debate regarding what type of all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached, yields the best cookies.  There doesn’t appear to be any evidence that one or the other type of flour is better for making cookies.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Most cookie recipes require at least baking soda or baking powder or both.  Which one depends on the other ingredients in the cookie.  Baking soda usually produces a crisper cookie and requires an acidic ingredient such as cocoa, buttermilk or molasses to activate it.  Baking powder, which produces a more “chewier” cookie does not.

Flavorings

Vanilla is a typical flavoring that is added to lots of cookies and baked goods.  The most common varieties are pure vanilla extract and imitation vanilla extract.  There is a significant cost difference between pure vanilla and the imitation vanilla extract.  If possible, use pure vanilla extract in your cookies, it definitely adds a much better flavor to your cookies.

Source:  McClatchy – Athens Banner Herald – December 10, 2008

I found this chart on the King Arthur Flour website and thought it clearly spelled out the various stages of cooking sugar.  When combining sugar and water and cooking it to various temperatures, the sugar reacts in different ways and serves as the basis for making any number of candies.  As the holiday seasons approach, I thought this would be a handy chart to have in the kitchen as you make those special candies and fudges.  You can identify these stages by using a candy thermometer or by certain physical characteristics that the sugar will display will cooking.

Everyone is conscious today about minimizing their fat intake.  Many of you do not deep fat fry at all.  However, if on occasion you do deep fat fry, here are some helpful tips to remember on how to obtain the best results and do so in a safe manner:

1.   Choose the type of oil that you use to fry carefully.  Just any type of oil will not do when it comes to deep fat frying.  Some of the best oils that you can use are:  peanut, safflower, sunflower, canola or grape seed oil.  All of these have relatively high “smoke points” which means that they will not break down at deep fat frying temperatures.  Grape seed oil is particularly popular with chefs, as it retains the original flavors of the food that you are preparing and has a relatively high smoke point of 320 degrees F.

2.   When you are frying, use a deep skillet or pan and allow for at least 2 inches at the top of the pan.  This will allow space for any bubbling oil when you add food into the pan.  Always add your oil to a cold pan – don’t heat the pan and then add the oil!

3.   Normal frying temperatures are between 350-375 degrees F.  If you are going to do any amount of deep fat frying, it’s a good idea to purchase a deep fat fryer thermometer.  If you don’t have a thermometer, you can drop a 1” cube of bread into the oil and it should brown within 1 minute.  If so, you have an oil temperature of about 365 degrees F.

4.   When your frying, don’t overcrowd the pan.  Only fry in small batches.  If you overcrowd the pan, it will reduce the temperature of the oil and instead of frying your foods, the oil will be absorbed into the food, causing it to be soggy.  As you finish your small batches, the fried foods can be held in a 200 degree F oven, while you finish frying your other batches. 

5.   Make sure the foods that you are frying have been patted dry before adding them to the hot oil.  If you are frying breaded or coated foods, let them sit awhile and absorb the coatings, before frying, this will avoid a lot of splattering and your foods will fry better.

6.   When you are deep fat frying, this is not the time to wander away from the stove.  You need to stay by the stove and regulate the heat as necessary to ensure that the oil doesn’t get too hot.  Once your food is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted and drain on paper towels.

7.   Don’t reuse oil, as it may retain the flavors of your previous foods and after it has been heated, trans fats may have started to form.  Cool it completely and then discard appropriately.

8.   Other safety tips to remember are:

a.    If your oil starts to smoke or catch on fire, cover it immediately with a pan lid. 

b.   Keep any water away from the hot oil. 

c.    Keep a fire extinguisher in close proximity to the kitchen. 

One thing that I believe is overlooked in many recipes is toasting nuts before you include them in your recipes.  This is especially true in baking.  Lightly toasting nuts, prior to adding  them into your recipe allows for the oils in nuts to be released.  By doing this, it produces a nuttier tasting nut and adds more depth to your recipes.  However, when you toast nuts, you must watch them carefully while in the oven, as they burn very easily!

To toast nuts, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place them in the oven.  Place in the oven and lightly toast the nuts, until they have taken on a slightly darker color.  Watch them carefully and don’t over-toast them!  It should only take about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the nuts cool and then use them as directed in your recipe.   

Although we use eggs practically everyday, how much do you really know about these incredible edibles?  There is really nothing so versatile than the egg.  Use them solo to make great omelettes and deviled eggs or team them up with other ingredients to make a variety of cakes, cookies and other delicious dishes.  Here are some amazing facts about eggs:

-On average, Americans eat more than 250 eggs per year.

-Organic eggs come from chickens that have been fed organic feed, have not been given hormones or antibiotics and live free of cages.

-Cage-free eggs are from chickens that living free of cages.

-Free-range eggs are from chickens that have access to outdoor yards.

-Candling is a process of shining light through eggshells to determine the quality of the egg.   Any egg that isn’t clear should not be sold.

- Brown eggs are not healthier than white eggs.  The color of the egg is an indicator of the different breeds of hen.

- Fresh is not always better – depends on what you’re going to do with the egg.  Eggs that are seven days or older are a better bet for hard-boiled eggs.  They’ll peel easier.  Poached eggs are much better when the freshest eggs are used.

-Test the freshness of an egg by placing the egg (shell on) into a bowl of water.  If the egg lies flat on the bottom of the bowl, it’s very fresh.  A bobbing egg is slightly older.  If an egg floats, it may be rotten.

- The older the chicken the larger the eggs they lay, but they lay less frequently; the younger the chicken, the smaller the eggs.

-Crack an egg on a flat surface, like a countertop, for a straighter break.  

Source:  Rebecca Lang - Athens Magazine - November 2007

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Since beginning my food blog, I have picked up some tips on how best to photograph food.  Currently, I use a Canon Power Shot S5 IS and it does a credible job in photographing the foods that I prepare to showcase on the blog.  My daughter, 11 year old Maria is the talent in the family when it comes to photography.  She shoots most of the photographs used on the blog.  For both of us, there has been a learning curve on how best to photograph foods.  We came across these ten simple tips for photographing food and they have been very useful in creating more appealing food photographs.  If you ever get the urge to photograph some of your memorable dishes, keep these tips in mind:

1.   Settings:  Choose a setting that enhances and doesn’t detract from the food.  Simple and plain backgrounds do the best.  Make sure there is no distracting clutter in the background (unless that is your intent).  Use plates that contrast or harmonize with the food.

2.    Light:  Natural light is the best for food photography.  An ideal set-up is next to a large window with a light curtain diffusing the light.

3.    Color Balance:  Learn to balance color, particularly when natural light is not available.

4.    Don’t Move:  Keep the camera still.  Sounds simple, but it can be really difficult.  In low-light situations, long exposure will be very sensitive to any camera movement causing the photo to be blurred.  If possible, use a tripod or try resting the camera on the back of a chair.

5.    Shoot A Lot:  Practice, practice, practice!  Shoot a lot of pictures and don’t be afraid to try different angles when taking photos of food.  Some shots are best taken from above and others look better when taken from the side where you can get a full appreciation of the texture of the foods.

6.    Zoom In:  Photograph food as close as you can.  Use the macro setting on your camera if it has one.  Usually a macro setting can be identified on the camera by a flower symbol.  This will allow you to photograph the food close-up without the blur.

7.    Preparation:  Don’t forget to take photos of the food being prepared, not just the final product.  Sometimes they can yield a more interesting photo.

8.    Be Quick:  Work quickly!  The faster you take the picture the more appealing the food will look.  

9.    Details:  Make sure you check the edges of your plates and glasses for any smudges and wipe them away before photographing.  Again, the camera will pick up any minute particles or smudges.  To add color to a drab dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil or dress it up with a lemon wedge.

10. Don’t Shoot:  Learn that some foods will never photograph very well.  Meals that are all one color or that contain brown sauces are difficult to capture in an appealing manner. 

We all need to be more cognizant of our snacking habits and particularly those of our children. In June, 2007 the Mayo Clinic published these helpful tips on children’s snacking. Take a look…..

1. Give you kids a say. Offer comparable choices, such as regular or frozen yogurt, celery or carrots, whole-grain toast or whole-grain crackers, apples or oranges. Better yet, recruit your children’s help at the grocery store when you’re selecting snacks or in the kitchen when you’re assembling snacks.

2. Designate a snacking zone. Restrict snacking to the kitchen. You’ll save your children countless calories from mindless munching in front of the TV.

3. Make it quick. If your children need to snack on the go, think beyond a bag of potato chips. Offer string cheese, yogurt sticks, cereal bars or other drip-free items.

4. Don’t be fooled by labeling gimmicks. Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories. Likewise, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar. Check nutrition labels to find out the whole story.

5. Go for the grain. Whole-grain snacks – such as whole-grain pretzels or tortillas and low-sugar, whole-grain cereals – can give your children energy with some staying power.

6. Out of sight, out of mind. If the cookie jar is full, your children will probably clamor for cookies. But if there aren’t any cookies in the house, fresh fruit or raw veggies may seem more appealing.

7. Play with your food. Ask your children to make towers out of whole-grain crackers, spell words with pretzel sticks, or make funny faces on a plate using different types of fruit. Use a tablespoon of peanut butter as glue.

8. Think outside the box. Offer something new, such as fresh pineapple, cranberries, red or yellow peppers, or roasted soy nuts. Slice a whole-grain pita and serve with hummus.

9. Mix and match. Serve baby carrots or other raw vegetables with fat-free ranch dressing. Dip graham cracker sticks or fresh fruit in fat-free yogurt. Top celery, apples or bananas with peanut butter.

10. Revisit breakfast. Many breakfast foods – such as low-sugar, whole grain cereals and whole-grain toast – make great afternoon snacks.

11. Use the freezer. Mix mashed bananas and peanut butter, spread between graham crackers and freeze. For a new twist on old snack time favorites, freeze grapes or peeled bananas, or fill an ice cube tray with juice or pudding.

12. Have fun. Use a cookie cutter to make shapes out of low-fat cheese slices, whole-grain bread or whole-grain tortillas. Eat diced fruit with chopsticks. Give snacks funny names. Try the classic “ants on a log” – celery topped with peanut butter and raisins – or make up your own.

13. Sweeten it up. Healthy snacks don’t have to be bland. To satisfy your child’s sweet tooth, offer fat-free pudding, frozen yogurt or frozen fruit bars.

14. Pull out the blender. Use skim milk, fat-free yogurt and fresh fruit to make your own smoothies.

15. Promote independence. Make it easy for older children to help themselves. Keep a selection of ready-to-eat veggies in the refrigerator. Leave fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Store low-sugar, whole-grain cereal in an easily accessible cabinet and stock canned fruit or packaged in its own juice in the pantry.

16. Remember your leftovers. A small serving of last night’s casserole might be a great snack.

17. Drinks, count, too. Offer your child plenty of water between meals. Liven it up with shaped ice cubes, a crazy straw, or a squirt of lemon, cranberry or other fruit.

18. Keep it safe. Make sure your children’s snacks are age appropriate. Never give foods that pose a choking hazard –such as nuts, raisins, whole grapes or popcorn – to children younger than age 4.

19. Practice what you preach. Let your child catch you munching raw vegetables or snacking on a bowl of grapes.

20. Be patient. Your children’s snacking habits may not change overnight. Look for positive changes over weeks or months.

An article appeared in the Los Angeles Times by Amy Scattergood that listed 100 ways to use Meyer lemons. Here are my favorite 25 from Amy’s list that will give you some ideas on how to incorporate Meyer lemons into your cooking and more.

• Make Meyer lemonade
  

• Make Meyer lemon-cardamon ice cream

• Assemble sandwiches of thinly sliced lemons, smoked salmon and sour cream on pumpernickel bread.

• Candy the peel, dusting with superfine sugar.

• To a risotto made with mascarpone and Parmesan, add some grated Meyer lemon peel.

• Rub a Meyer lemon peel around the rim of a demitasse of expresso.

• Grate Meyer lemon peel into a bowl of Chantilly Cream.

• Make Meyer lemon curd

• Try your hand at making Meyer lemon frozen soufflés.

• Make Meyer lemon chiffon cake

• Make Meyer lemon hollandaise sauce.

• Bake Meyer lemon meringue pie.

• Drop a few slices into a pot of tea.

• Make Meyer lemon limoncello by steeping lemon peel in a bottle of vodka for two weeks. Then strain the infused vodka, mix with simple syrup and more vodka, and bottle the result.

• Add Meyer lemon zest to French toast.

• Whisk together a Meyer lemon beurre blanc by reducing lemon juice, shallots, salt and pepper, then whisk in cubes of cold butter. Makes a terrific pan sauce to serve with salmon or Arctic char.

• Make a Meyer lemon crème Anglaise

• Slice a few Meyer lemons and put them into your bath with a sprinkle of lavender and rosemary.

• Make a Meyer lemon aioli for your crab cakes

• Add grated Meyer lemons to your favorite shortbread recipe.

• Hollow out the interior of whole Meyer lemons, fill them with Meyer lemon ice cream, then freeze them.

• Make Meyer lemon marmalade

• Squeeze wedges of Meyer lemons onto fresh fish tacos

• Place a basket of Meyer lemons in a wooden bowl in the middle of the table.

• Open a Meyer lemonade stand on your street.

Here are two really good recipes for homemade mayonnaise. It’s really pretty simple to make and tastes great. Even if you don’t want to abandon your favorite commercial brand, learning how to make your own mayo is a great technique to master. Just in case one day you reach in the refrigerator for mayonnaise and come up empty, you’ll have a backup plan!

Recipe #1 - Homemade mayo recipe from Alton Brown – Good Eats – Mayo Clinic Episode

Yield: Approximately 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

1 egg yolk*

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon fine salt

2 pinches sugar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup oil, canola, safflower or corn

PREPARATION

In a glass bowl, whisk together egg yolk and dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl, then thoroughly whisk half into the yolk mixture. Start whisking briskly, then start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit. Once you reach this stage, you can relax your arm a little (not too much though) and increase the oil flow to a constant (albeit thin) stream. Once half of the oil is in add the rest of the lemon juice mixture. Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Recipe #2 - Homemade mayo recipe from Molly Wizenberg – Bon Appetit – April 2008 edition

Yield: ¾ cup

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg yolk**

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup canola oil

PREPARATION

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and ½ teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼ teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add ¼ cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time. Gradually add remaining ½ cup oil in very slow stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes. Cover and chill.

**RAW EGG WARNING

Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. To avoid the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, you can use pasteurized egg yolk instead.

The French translation of chiffonade literally means “made of rags”. Although the name chiffonade conjures up thoughts of a fancy French dessert like a chiffon cake or something, in the culinary world, chiffonade is simply a term for slicing herbs into very thin strips. This technique is particularly useful in introducing basil into any number of pasta, salads and egg recipes. The “how-to” is very simple:

Step One: Gather Basil From Your Garden

Step Two: Stack the Basil Leaves In One Bunch

Step Three: Roll Basil Leaves Together Tightly Like a Cigar

Step Four: Slice the Basil Into Thin Strips

Step Five: Presto! - You’ve Made A Chiffonade

Risotto is a wonderful and versatile Italian rice dish. You can use it on the side to accompany any number of main courses or “jazz” it up with veggies and diced ham or chicken to make a great main event.

There are some basic techniques to making a delicious, creamy risotto that may cause you a bit of angst. However, once you’ve mastered the technique, you can use that skill to create countless number of wonderful meals.

When purchasing rice for your risotto, you will need to get a short-grained, round rice, such as Arborio. Long grain rice or minute rice will not work for a risotto as neither type has the capacity to absorb the ingredients and the grains will remain separated. As a result, you will not be able to achieve the creamy texture and consistency that is the hallmark of a great risotto. Now days, you can purchase Arborio rice in any of the major supermarkets.

Although risotto recipes will have variations, the basic concepts of preparing a risotto are as follows:

• Begin by mincing a small amount of onion and/or other herbs that may be indicated in your recipe.

• Saute the onion and other herbs in a combination of olive oil and unsalted butter. When the onion is translucent, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the drippings in the pan.

• Stir in the rice and saute until it also becomes translucent. Usually takes about 10 minutes. Stir constantly to ensure that the rice doesn’t stick and burn.

• Return the onion and herb mixture to the pan with the rice. Add approximately 1/3 cup of red or white wine that has been warmed. It is important to note that all liquids that are introduced into the risotto should be warmed. If not, cold liquids will shock the rice and cause it to flake on the outside and remain hard on the inside. Continue to cook over medium heat until the wine has evaporated.

• At this point, you want to begin to introduce your stock (low sodium chicken, beef or vegetable) into the rice mixture. This should be in small amounts – ½ -1 cup and stir constantly. Continue to stir until the stock has almost been totally absorbed by the rice. Then add another small amount of stock and continue the process until all stock has been incorporated into the rice mixture.

• Once all the stock has been incorporated, remove from heat and add butter and grated cheese. Cover and let the risotto set for approximately 5 minutes before serving. If you would like a creamier risotto, you can add a small amount of heavy cream along with the butter and the cheese.

If you follow these simple steps, you can prepare delicious risotto in no time. It can serve as the foundation for creating a wide variety of sides and entrees. One classic Italian dish is called, Rise e Bisi (Rice and Peas). It’s a great accompaniment for roasted pork or chicken.