Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

 

I bought these fresh White Currants for less than a dollar at Grower’s Direct.  The price was good, like most of the produce there, and I’d never tried them before.  You’ll find great prices on fruit and vegetables at Grower’s Direct, if you can put up with the narrow aisles, people traffic and (sometimes) parking issues.  I went there for the makings of a Vegetable Platter and tacked on these White Currants for a try.

I quickly learned that White Currants aren’t too edible alone — They’re tart and have a lot of crunchy seeds inside.  So much for simply enjoying a new tasty Berry, HA.  I was hoping to eat ’em like a Blueberry, Raspberry, etc.  The next thought was to make something out of them.  What?  The obvious was Jam/Jelly, which I don’t use.  And I couldn’t see them enhancing the flavor of anything that’s quick and simple to make.

Since I didn’t want to waste all of them, I tossed some in a small batch of Rice Pudding, which isn’t as simple as it sounds.  I had the prepared (leftover) Rice, but it’s necessary to pick off both ends of the White Currants before adding to a recipe.  And by the time you pick off the bottom fur-ish part, you’re left with mostly seeds and skin, HA.  It’s real worth it, not. 

Overall, they weren’t bad in the Rice Pudding, nor good either.  I learned a lot, yet still don’t know the best thing to do with White Currants.  That’s okay, because it’s always fun to try new things — Some are fabulous finds and others just an educational story.  Next.

Patrick and Gina of TV Food Network’s Show Down Home with the Neeleys are so cute — They have a lot of fun together centered around food.  Their happy interaction and enjoyment made me want to make Pat’s Sausage and Pepper Sandwich, and I’m generally not a fan of Sausage Sandwiches.  Another appeal is the Beer in the Sauce.  And since I didn’t have Neely’s BBQ Sauce (in the recipe), I used Lucille’s BBQ Sauce. 

I went to Henry’s Farmers Market for the Sausage — They didn’t have a Smoked Sausage, but the Butcher highly recommended the Pork Sausage  over the Turkey, when asked the difference between the two Sweet Hot Italians.  As a substitution, I opted for the Pork and was glad it was $1 less a pound.  And I ended up with Potato Rolls that were toasted inside. 

RECIPE: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/pats-smoked-sausage-and-pepper-sandwich-recipe/index.html

Confession:  It wasn’t until after the preparation of this recipe did I realize that I misunderstood and used the wrong type of Sausage.  The key word is “smoked” and I used fresh Sausage.  A Kielbasa in a vacuum pack may have been better, especially since casings gross me out.  Good thing I cooked the Sausage well done.  And I cooked all ingredients longer (except the Garlic) than noted on the above linked recipe.  Onions are always best caramelized and the Peppers were added after the Onions cooked a bit.

Overall, it’s a great recipe — The Sauce turns out pretty tasty.  I now wanna make it with a Kielbasa, and might not eat it on a Sandwich.  Luckily all who tried this preparation liked it.

Where to buy Neely’s BBQ Sauce:
http://www.neelysbbq.com/home.htm

Did you know that these foods are illegal or barely legal in the United States?  Check out the link to learn why you cannot eat certain foods in the USA and perhaps why you shouldn’t eat others.

It’s easy to uncase and butterfly a Sausage Link, and convenient that it becomes the perfect shape for a Sandwich Roll.  Just cut the Sausage Link in (almost) half, peel off and discard its outer casing, then butterfly the meat.  It fries up well in a pan and could be a winner with tasty Sausage and a few more frills.

I like this Sandwich preparation idea, but will try it next time with a flavorful Italian Sausage, Marinara Sauce and Provolone Cheese.  The pictured Sandwich was bore-ring.  The Sausage was tasteless, which doesn’t work for anything, especially a Sandwich that just has it on it.

Related Links:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/butterflied

http://www.casings.com/html/home-english.html

I received a coupon to try 4 Marie Callender’s Frozen Pie Crusts (Deep Dish Pie Shells).  I’d always liked their Pies from the restaurant, but never tried their Frozen Pies or Frozen Pie Crusts.  There’s a Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery down the street and fresh is always best.

My Grandma used to make the best Pie Crusts, but it’s hard for her to do it these days.  She now uses the Mrs. Smith’s Frozen Crusts, but says the Marie Callender’s Crusts were very good too.  And I thought they were surprisingly great.  I would now choose these Frozen Pie Crusts when in need.  The 4 Pies I made were Blackberry with a Cinnamon Crumble Topping (above) and continuing.

Orange Cream Pie with Real Whipped Cream.  I used a Lemon Cream Pie Recipe and substituted Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice and Orange Zest for the Lemon.  This Pie was the BEST! 

Pecan Pie from the Karo Corn Syrup Bottle Label Recipe.  It’s good and simple.  I add just a few extra Pecans.  I write only a few, because one time I added too many – HA.

Custard Pie was the fourth Pie we enjoyed during our Marie Callender’s Tour De Pies.  I cooked the excess Custard in the toaster oven and will report the results of that later.  It’s fun creating Pies when the tricky part is already done — I’d rely on MC’s Crusts to do it for me.

Related Links:

http://www.mcpies.com/

http://www.karosyrup.com/

http://www.mrssmiths.com/

http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/brand_info.jsp?cookietest=true&page=marie_callenders

I learned there’s nothing to preparing a Ham, especially one that’s pre-cooked, like the one pictured here.  Since a Ham usually starts with a smoked flavor, it’s almost best to just place it in a Dutch Oven without anything else.  For this Ham, I read several recipes before choosing to add a combination of Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice and Beer.  I also thought that a deep scoring would allow the baste to permeate more deeply into the meat and make it look prettier.

Overall, the Ham did look nice, but the too-deep scoring made it difficult to cut a decent slice for my guests.  It yielded too many small squares – HA.  And the Beer/Pineapple/Sugar combination wasn’t good either.  I could still taste the Beer, which I usually prefer in a glass.  I also added too much liquid to the pot, which isn’t necessary since the Ham was cooked covered.  When it was done (12 minutes per pound), I found myself shaving off the outside to obtain a reasonably sized slice of the traditional Ham inside.  Next time I’ll simply add a little Brown Sugar.  I had previously seen that recommendation, but thought I needed some liquid — I’ve since learned, when covered, a Ham will provide its own juice.  Now on to Split Pea and Ham Soup…

After my Christmas Party this year I ended up with leftovers from two generous Vegetable Platters.  I love having washed pre-cut vegetables on hand.  They’re a great snack, but you can only eat so many Celery and Carrot sticks with Ranch Dip.  Since I had so many, I tried a few recipes.  Before that I did eat the Red, Yellow and (most) Green Peppers, and there were no Cucumbers after the party — I made a few dishes with the remaining Cherry Tomatoes, Celery, Carrots, Broccoli, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas.

White Bean & Celery Soup – This may not look like much, but it’s good.  The recipe (linked below) is a combination of Celery, Onion, Garlic, Cannellini Beans, Vegetable Stock and S & P.  I substituted Chicken Stock and added some fresh squeezed Lemon Juice at the end, plus Scallions on top.  It hit the spot after that.  http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/netwalker/recipes/white-bean-and-celery-soup

Creamy Vegetable Soup – I roasted Broccoli, Carrots, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas in the oven.  After all were a little charred, I removed the vegetables from the oven and added hot Chicken Stock.  I mixed some Milk with a little Cornstarch and poured it in, then brought all to a quick boil, simmered a bit and served this Soup within a short time.  It was easy and flavorful.

 Baked Cherry Tomatoes – I stumbled across this recipe (linked below) which seemed easy and a little different.  I had all ingredients, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Chives, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and S & P.  I followed the recipe exactly, but next time I might add less Lemon Juice, or add the Peel/Rind instead.  I’ve found that the Rind imparts a Lemon flavor without making a dish too tart.  Or Lemon Juice added at the end is sometimes best.  http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0896/cherryto.html

Roasted Carrots – I roasted Carrots in the oven with a little Olive Oil and Salt.  I ate several, then mashed the rest and incorporated them into an easy Carrot Souffle recipe.  It didn’t turn out like I hoped, mostly because I didn’t have all ingredients.  I tried to improvise, but the final was too dense, not fluffy and light how I want.

Cafeteria Carrot Souffle – Here’s the wannabe Souffle photo and recipe (linked below).  I mickey-moused this one, but you might want to give it a try.  It has potential.  After making all the above, I’m down to a small bag of Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots and Broccoli.  Any suggestions?  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cafeteria-Carrot-Souffle/Detail.aspx

This Pizza was okay.  I bought Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce, then added what I had on hand — It has Cheddar Cheese, Salami, Pineapple and Jalapeno.  The Sauce was good and the Dough works, but I might want to try it another time with Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Olives, Pineapple, Artichoke Hearts, Jalapenos, and maybe more. 

I think I overcooked this Pizza and made the Dough too thick.  Good thing I didn’t videotape myself trying to spread out the Dough and make it stay – HA.  I really wanted to throw and spin it up in the air, but feared I’d drop it on the kitchen floor.  I wished I had a big bolt of plastic to lay down.  I might pick some up before the next Pizza.

Related Links:

http://www.traderjoes.com/

It’s always nice in the Summer to receive Herbs from a Friend’s Garden.  Here’s another creative way to keep them for a short period of time.  It’s fun to open the fridge to see a Cup-O-Herbs, especially if the Herbs have blooms.  This bunch includes Garlic Chives, Rosemary, Basil and Pineapple Sage.  There’s a little water at the bottom of the cup.  It’s like a decoration in your fridge.  I thought about adding a tablecloth. 🙂

But learn something from my unrelated mistake.  You probably wouldn’t notice, but if you do — I should have removed the Tomato Paste from the can before placing it in the refrigerator.  I’ve read that’s what you’re supposed to do.  I was just keeping it for a day, but that’s no excuse.  It’s the bad in the good, the bad and the funny.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=744

It was very good, but more like diced Corned Beef and Potatoes with Onion, Garlic and Salt, rather than “Corned Beef Hash.”  I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and saw a similar recipe being made by a featured Diner.  I later looked it up on the TV Food Network’s website, re-watched the video online, and reviewed the posted recipe.  The recipe actually differs from the TV footage, so I prepared my own variation of the two.

I sauteed Sweet Onion, blanched the Potatoes and then combined them with the Onion and Salt.  I fried all a little longer then added the minced Garlic and Corned Beef, and after a few minutes placed the skillet in the oven and baked all at 450° for 15 minutes.  Although it was super tasty, it didn’t stick together like a true Corned Beef Hash.  Perhaps I should have mashed it or chopped all smaller to make it more authentic.  I believe Eggs are optional to this dish.

Lo Siento.  I’m not really sure why I’m trying to speak Spanish right now – HA.  I tried a recipe I saw Rachael Ray make on 30 Minute Meals.  It’s called Potato Salad Fra Diavolo.  The combination sounded really interesting to me, so I made it, but didn’t like it. 

That was a bummer, since I was hoping to eat it for lunch throughout the week.  I followed the recipe exactly, which I rarely do.  I’ll usually change something.  To me, the flavor was a bit heavy and didn’t jive — Perhaps too much Mustard or Fennel, I’m not sure.

I love the TV Food Network and Rachael Ray, but this particular recipe doesn’t work that well, with all due respect.  It’s from Episode#: TM1903.  Has anyone else made it?  If so, I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s a few pictures of my preparation and a link to the recipe so you can try it yourself.  Good luck.

Recipe Links – http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2055

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/potato-salad-fra-diavolo-recipe/index.html

It was quick and easy to make, but next time it needs Vegetables and more Cilantro.  Here’s the step-by-step pictures of the preparation.  It’s fun to experiment.

I first sauteed the Onion, then added grated Ginger and minced Garlic, then the Shrimp and cooked all for another 3 minutes.  I separately mixed Cornstarch and more grated Ginger into some Coconut Milk, then added the combination to the Shrimp saute along with a few Red Pepper Flakes. 

I quickly brought all to a boil to thicken, then added what little Cilantro I had and served it over Basmati Rice.  And here’s the final (below) — It’s WAY too white.  All was just okay, NOT great.  Its preparation was a bit impromptu, but with a few changes it has the potential to be better next time. 

This dish happened by mistake.  And the title was inspired by a funny SNL skit that cracks me up every time.  Here’s an excerpt of the song by Dana Carvey with some fun animation.  Choppin’ Bro CO Lay — It’s funny stuff!

I was attempting to make my Aunt Barbara’s Spinach Souffle´.  She’s been making it every Christmas for years.  My sister and I always look forward to gobbling it down.  And since I recently learned how simple the recipe is, I wanted to make it immediately.

But it appears I wasn’t paying enough attention at the grocery store, because I ended up with (3) blocks of frozen chopped Broccoli, instead of frozen chopped Spinach.  Since I had the rest of the ingredients, I made the recipe with the Broccoli and added some Panko Breadcrumbs on top.

The Broc-Co-Lay Souffle´ was okay tasting, but the recipe is a lot better with Spinach, and no Panko Breadcrumbs are needed.  Also, it was a bit curdled looking when made with Broccoli, which isn’t attractive in a Souffle´, Gratin or similar.  I won’t be making it with Broccoli again.

Aunt Barbara’s Spinach Souffle´ Recipe: 

3 10oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
[It’s made with Broccoli above and Spinach below – YEAH]

1 16oz. Sour Cream

1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Mix all ingredients together and bake in the oven at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Recipe shown here with Broccoli and Panko Breadcrumbs.

And here, as it’s supposed to be made with Spinach.  Yum.  Thanks for the recipe Aunt B.

FYI:  These are the Panko Breadcrumbs I’ve been using in recipes.  They continue to stay fresh and crispy each time I open the container.

Panko Breadcrumbs – http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/canada.html

This year the cooking / baking contests are rotating, due to lack of refrigeration and cost associated with same.  It makes sense too, since the items are perishable and naturally breakdown.  Last year some entries looked terrible towards the later days of the Fair.  It was somewhat comical to look through the glass to see a shriveled up dessert and say to your friends — I can’t believe that won First Place – HA.

The Contest Categories on display this opening day appeared to be Fudge, Cakes, Scones, Biscuits and Breads.  Next year I’m in.  Registration begins in March 2009 — It’s the Home Arts Division.

There’s also a Table Setting Competition.  The table on the far left won First Place, and the other two are my favorites.  Check the link below to learn about more food related contests and competitions happening at the Fair.

More Orange County Fair Info – http://www.ocfair.com/ocf/

Bridgford Ready-Dough — Thawed, set aside to rise, then dipped in melted Butter and rolled in Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and chopped Pecans.  It’s was baked at 375° for 30 minutes, then turned upside-down onto a plate.

I wish I could say this tasted as good as it looks, but it was a little dry — Next time I may set it aside to rise again and cook it for less time. 

Related Links:

http://www.bridgford.com/consumer/default.asp 

FYI:  The Post Title was inspired by a Robbie William’s Song – Me and My Monkey.  I used to have it linked here, but its origin was unfortunately removed.  Robbie Williams is so under-played in the USA.  I love his music.

I wanted to try to make a quick and easy candied nut, so I mixed Almonds, Sugar, Cinnamon and a little Water in a cup.  I stirred all until the Sugar was dissolved, then baked the Almonds in a toaster oven for about 20 minutes.

Well, they weren’t that good.  They did bond together like I hoped, but the Almonds were cooked too much inside.  Unfortunately they basically tasted burnt.  They looked okay, but the process didn’t create what I hoped.  So don’t do this.

This stuff is interesting and good to know…

http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/six_invisible_kitchen_mistakes

http://www.eversave.com/eversave/mc/CookingTips/CookingTriumphs

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/281719

http://www.epinions.com/content_237888376452

http://marinadesecrets.com/Barbeque_and_Grilling_Blunders.html

http://www.food-network.us/cooking/notes-to-self-minor-cooking-blunders_msg_6684.html

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/NEWS01/803240331

http://www.cakehead.com/archives/2005/06/a_new_museum_de.html

http://wordpress.com/tag/cooking-mishaps/

For some reason, preparing this dish makes me want to go back to Italy.  I’m not sure why — I didn’t eat this there.  Maybe because it’s rustic, simple and flavorful. 

Just cut all the florets off (1) whole Cauliflower, then toss with a fair amount of Olive Oil, several whole or cut Garlic Cloves, Lemon pieces, Salt, and freshly ground Pepper.  Place all in a glass baking dish and ROAST in the oven at 475° for 20 minutes, or longer if necessary.  Stir a couple times to evenly brown.  It tastes so great, and it’s pretty good for you too.  I even eat the Garlic and some Lemons.

Note:  Although most roasting is at 500°, I often prefer the oven be preheated, and a bit lower in temperature.  475° can be good too, or 500° if deemed necessary.  If areas of your baking dish start to burn, add a little water to loosen.  It can steam the Cauliflower a bit, and help to avoid adding more oil.

What Not To Do:  It’s not necessary to squeeze the Lemons into the mix, it can make the dish too tart.  It’s best to just stir in the pieces.  It imparts a better flavor.

Fortunately I have no witness, nor pictures of the following cooking blunders which happened some time ago.  It’s embarrassing to admit, but you can hopefully learn by my mistakes, if you don’t know already.

* After making a nice Hollandaise Sauce from scratch, NEVER put it in the microwave to warm it up.  It basically turns into an egg.

* After making a nice Alfredo Sauce from scratch, NEVER bake it in the oven with pasta.  It basically turns into oil.  The sauce separates.

These things seem obvious to me now, but I didn’t know when I once tried them.  It’s funny now.