What Makes Irish Stew "Irish?"

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Photo Courtesy of 
Amazon's Affiliate Program.

I was heading past Reedville Cafe, the other day, when I noticed their reader board was advertising Irish Stew.  My first thought was, "Oh, that'd be good."  Then I stopped and asked myself, "Why would that be good?"

I realized, I had no idea what made Irish Stew Irish, or how it differed from general stew.  When I began my research, I had no idea what a controversial topic it was.   At one point, I expected The Smoking Man, from The X-Files, to come around the corner and tell me I wasn't ready for the truth.

Many cooks & restaurants, supposedly, use lean stew beef to make their Irish Stew.  Traditionalists see the usage of beef as, practically, a hanging offense.  Historically, the dish was made with mutton shanks and backbones in order to maximize flavor and use the tougher cuts.  Culinary Irish hard liners will, begrudgingly accept the use of lamb, in place of mutton, but never beef.

Feathers again become ruffled over whether the addition of vegetables, other than potatoes and onions, is allowed in "real" Irish Stew.   While diehards limit ingredient to; mutton, mutton stock, potatoes, onions, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper; modernists have been known to add controversial ingredients, such as, celery, carrots, peas, garlic, cabbage and Guinness.

Such debate has resulted in the publication of a variety of Irish Stew recipes.  I don't have the right to publish any of the recipes here, but below are links to some of the more interesting Irish Stew recipes I've come across.

| Cookbook Above Featuring Traditional Irish Stew Recipe  |
| Lamb Stew with Herbes de Provence by Emeril Lagasse |
| Guinness Irish Stew | Lamb Neck Irish Stew | Paula Deen's Irish Stew |

Of course, there are MANY more variations of the classic dish.  The best advice I can give is, know your audience.  If you're cooking for a traditionalist, you'll probably want to stick to the basic meat, potato, and onion stew.  However, if your guests are more adventuresome eaters, you may want to play with additional ingredients.

April 2nd Is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Day

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This week every food blogger, and their dog, are publishing recipes and wine pairings for Easter and Passover. In the past, I've done so here, here, and here. I've published the recipes, recommended the right wines, and even addressed the irony of serving ham to mark the resurrection of the King of the Jews. There's no need for me to rehash such topics this year.

Subject: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich | Date: 11/11/2010 | Photographer: Evan-Amos |This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Evan-Amos. This applies worldwide.

This week I'm going to talk about a lesser known observance, since April 2nd is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Day. Why Congress chose April 2nd to honor the childhood staple is a bit of a mystery. Nevertheless, the simple little sandwich has become as much a part of American childhood as bicycles, skateboards, and comic books.

While most of us have been aware of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches since being knee high to a grasshopper, the fact is the dish has only been around for 114 years. The first known mention of a peanut butter & jelly sandwich appeared in 1901, in the Boston Cooking-School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics, by Julia Davis Chandler:

"For variety, some day try making little sandwiches, or bread fingers, of three very thin layers of bread and two of filling, one of peanut paste, whatever brand you prefer, and currant or crab-apple jelly for the other."

Perhaps one reason for the popularity of the sandwich lies with the fact that, unlike cookies and cakes, the sandwich delivers a sweet taste while being considered to be relatively healthy.  A basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich consisting of two slices of white bread, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of jelly delivers;

• 5.9 grams of fiber (4 from the bread),
• 380 calories, 
• 13.45 grams of protein,
• 19 grams of total fat, 
• 3.72 grams of saturated fat, 
• 8.86 grams of monounsaturated fat,
• 5.33 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 
• 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 
• 45 grams of carbohydrates,
• and 460 milligrams of sodium.

It's a bit high in sodium & fats, granted, but when compared to candy bars & donuts, it's a tasty carb & protein source to fuel an afternoon of cops & robbers.

Normally, I'd post a recipe at this point, but I'd wager that anyone reading this blog has this dish down cold.  In fact, the peanut butter & jelly sandwich is probably the first dish most of us learned to make as children.

That being said, I was at a sports bar, a few years ago, where I had a triple decker deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  The bread was crunchy and slightly salty from having been fried, the peanut butter became melty and gooey, and the whole sandwich took on a richer tone.  I found a recipe for a one deck version here, which you could modify into the three deck version.  Of course, doing so pretty much negates any of the aforementioned health benefits of the classic version.
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Have Yourself A Merry Little Cheese Ball

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Wiktionary defines a cheeseball, or cheese ball, as, "a spherical mass of cheese or cream cheese, often including nuts or other additions and served as an hors d'oeuvre or finger food, usually with bread or crackers."

Some claim the cheese ball originated with the 1,235 pound mammoth cheese structure Elisha Brown Jr. presented to Thomas Jefferson in 1801.  However, the spherical spread disappeared from cuisiniers' culinary repertoire until 1944 when the first known cheese ball recipe appeared within the pages of Virginia Safford's cookbook, "Food of My Friends."

Since the cheese ball's debut, the mixture of cheese, spices, and flavorful additives has become something of a holiday party tradition.  While I have no objective numbers to back up my belief, I'd bet good money the cheese ball is second only to the fruit cake when it comes to edible holiday gifts.

In any event, the holiday season makes me hungry for the dairy based cracker topping.  I could've picked up a fairly tasty one, for $5 to $10, from my local grocery store or Hickory Farms kiosk.  I wanted to make my own this year though, so I did what any good 21st century foodie does.  I surfed the web for recipes.

Today, a wide array of cheese ball flavors exist, including;
(Click on each flavor below to see its recipe.)

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese Ball,
• Green Onion & Swiss Cheese Ball,
• Port Wine Cheese Ball,
• Olive Cheese Ball,
• Southwestern Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball,
• Spinach Cheese Ball,
• Spicy Taco Cheese Ball,
• Pizza Cheese Ball,
• Cheddar Horseradish Cheese Ball,
• Herb Coated Goat Cheese...

After reading these, and many others, I came up with my own recipe.  I knew I wanted to feature a smoky bacon flavor, and since I already had Parmesan cheese in my fridge, I decided to use it rather than traditional Cheddar.  The result is the recipe below.

As I'd hoped, the end product was smoky and savory with a slight tang on the finish, furnished by the dry ranch dressing mix.  Even though I like this version, you should feel free to experiment, keeping a few simple rules in mind.

1. Use a soft cheese as a base.  You can add other cheeses if you like, but you need a pliable base (cream cheese, soft goat cheese, Mascarpone, etc...) which can be molded into a ball.
2. Flavor your ball with additives that are tasty but not over powering (green onion, herbs, mild spice, packaged seasoning, etc...).
3. Include a crunchy ingredient (nuts, bacon bits, green onion, etc...) for texture.

Once you have your cheese ball made and set, simply display it alongside your favorite crackers, bread, and/or crudités, and enjoy your holiday get together.

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Bacon Ranch Parmesan Cheese Ball Recipe

Subject: Bacon Ranch Parmesan Cheese Ball | Date: 12/17/2014 | Photographers:
James Kiester & Dani Cogswell |
This picture was taken by the author of this blog.

Makes 1 Cheese Ball
 
Ingredients:
8 ounces of cream cheese,
1 ounce of packaged dry ranch dressing mix,
3/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese,
1 (3 ounce) bottle of bacon bits

Directions:
Take 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened) and mix till slightly whipped. Add 1 ounce of ranch dressing and mix till incorporated. Fold in 3/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. Pour 3 ounces of bacon bits in a pie tin. Form cream cheese mixture in to a ball with your hands. Roll ball in bacon bits till covered. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to let it become firm.  Remove from fridge and serve with crackers, bread, and/or *crudités.

Note:
You CAN fry and crumble your own bacon to make your own bacon bits. However, according to the Cookbook Equivalencies Page of Wikibooks it takes 1.5 pounds of raw bacon to produce 3 ounces of bacon bits. Plus, when making bacon bits, for this recipe, unless the cook makes sure to dab ALL the excess grease from the bacon bits they run the risk of the cheese ball turning rancid. Not only are packaged bacon bits more cost effective, they're safer.

*Crudités is a French term for pieces of raw vegetables (such as carrots and celery) served before a meal.

Recipe prints as a single pages for your recipe file or refrigerator.

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The Salted Caramel Band Wagon

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Sometimes food trends sneak up on eaters, wiggling their way into the cracks and crevices of culinary pop culture, before we even realize they're upon us.  The early to mid 20th century saw sweetened bowls of milk drenched cereal slowly, but surely, replace eggs, bacon, and pancakes as typical breakfast fare.  The 80s saw the rise of micro brews, which would eventually horn in on Budweiser's & Miller's virtual monopoly on the American beer market.  Today eaters find themselves surrounded by foods flavored to taste like salted caramel.

Photo courtesy of Amazon's Affiliate Program.

When I first heard of the trend, I figured chefs & food manufacturers were trying to capitalize on the long running popularity of Cracker Jacks, candy-coated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of nominal value inside.

As it turns out, the famous salty/sweet snack, registered in 1896, has nothing to do with the current fad.

According to a New York Times article, America's love affair with the flavor of salted caramel was imported directly from France. Heavily salted butter caramels are, apparently, a traditional treat in the coastal town of Brittany, France.

With this tradition in mind, Pierre Herm, the Parisian pastry chef known for his experimentation, invented a salted caramel macaron, an almond meringue cookie with a salted caramel filling. The cookie quickly inspired a loyal following among American foodies who became intent on producing their own salted caramel something.

Today, multiple products feature this flavor combination, including, but not limited to:

Boxed Sea Salt Caramels,

Lean Protein and Fiber Bar - Salted Caramel,

Monin Gourmet Flavoring Syrup - Salted Caramel,

Salted Caramel White Chocolate Bars,

Torani Sugar Free Syrup - Salted Caramel,

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Sticks,

Kind Nuts & Spices Bar - Caramel Almond & Sea Salt,

Funky Chunky® Sea Salt Caramel Snacks,

Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels,

Sea Salt Caramel & Chocolate Dipped Strawberries,

Snyder's of Hanover Salted Caramel Pretzel Pieces,

Smucker’s Simple Delight Salted Caramel Topping,

and BEN & JERRY`S Salted Caramel Core Ice Cream.

My good friend, Sarah B., even made salted caramel popsicles for her kids, the recipe for which, I'm still waiting to receive, by the way.

Perhaps the most surprising incarnation of this flavor profile was Buffalo Wild Wings’ use of it as a wing sauce on their recent summer time menu.   One doesn’t often think of candy coated chicken.  However, when coated in the sauce, the wings deliver the initial taste of sweet BBQ.  After three or four bites though, I noticed a pleasing burnt caramel taste on the back of my palette.

The flavor of salted caramel will undoubtedly find its way into dishes and commercial products for some time to come.  One day it may even be considered to be a run of the mill flavor alongside chocolate and vanilla.

What’s your favorite salted caramel flavored food?
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Supplemental Note Added 09/05/14:

Since posting this blog, Sarah B. has provided me with the following recipe.

Salted Caramel Popsicles

Mine take about three cups of liquid to fill, so I play around with the proportions, but it's typically just simple syrup and fruit. The fruit can be left raw, roasted in the oven or stewed in 1/2" of water, then it gets puréed. These have 3/4 cup of simple syrup, 1/2 cup of salted caramel sauce and 1 3/4 cups of apricot purée. They are by far my favorite of any pops I've made, but I've also done strawberry-rhubarb, strawberries and balsamic vinegar, ginger-peach, raspberries & cream, vanilla bean-pear, roasted nectarine and basil.
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Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

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Subject: Ice Cream | Date: 06/15/2013 | Photographer: palnatoka|
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Recently, a friend of mine, Shane, noticed that the "ice cream" in his freezer was labeled as a "frozen dairy dessert" instead of ice cream. Confused, he sent an email to the manufacturer asking for an explanation.

The answer actually lies with the legal definition of "ice cream." According to 7 CFR 58.2825 - United States Standard for ice cream, "Ice cream shall contain at least 1.6 pounds of total solids to the gallon, weigh not less than 4.5 pounds to the gallon, and contain not less than 20 percent total milk solids, constituted of not less than 10 percent milkfat. In no case shall the content of milk solids not fat be less than 6 percent. Whey shall not, by weight, be more than 25 percent of the milk solids not fat."

The product in question didn't list milk or cream as ingredients, making the "dairy" portion of the label a complete mystery.  Nevertheless, the lack of milkfat puts the dessert alongside sorbet, sherbert, and frozen yogurt as part of the category of non-ice cream frozen desserts.

Historians can trace the origins of frozen treats, in general, back to ancient times.  Biblical evidence suggests King Solomon was fond of iced drinks, akin to Slushies, during harvesting.  Proverbs 25:13 ~ "Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master."   Then during the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices making, perhaps, the first snow cones.

Over the next thousand plus years, such treats began to evolve.  In the late 13th century, Marco Polo returned to Italy, from the Far East, with a recipe which resembled modern sherbet.  The confection found its way to England, sometime in the 16th century, where it morphed into something we'd recognize as ice cream.  By the 17th century "Cream Ice," as it was called, was a luxury enjoyed by the British aristocracy, and appeared regularly at the table of King Charles I.

Catherine de Medici introduced similar frozen desserts to the French elite in 1553.  However, it wasn't until 1660 that ice cream was made available to the general public when the Sicilian Procopio sold a dessert of blended milk, cream, butter, and eggs at the first café in Paris, Café Procope.

The first record of ice cream in America comes from a letter written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen.  It was another 33 years before the first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available "almost every day."

In early America, the "soda jerk" sold ice cream sodas, a beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water, from eateries called, appropriately enough, soda shops.  The, seemingly innocuous, beverage was popular with young people and ladies, who didn't frequent taverns.

Yet, religious zealots objected to the "sinfully" rich ice cream sodas being consumed on Sundays.  Thus, a clever confectioner in, Evanston, Illinois, drizzled flavored syrup across scoops of ice cream, left out the carbonated water, and invented the ice cream "Sunday" in 1890. The name was eventually changed to "sundae" to remove any connection with the Christian Sabbath Day.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities.”  I, for one, am happy to do so.

One can celebrate with any one of a number of desserts, including:

• Ice Cream Soda - a beverage that consists of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water
•      Root Beer Float - an ice cream soda made with ice cream floating in root beer
• Milkshake - a sweet cold beverage which is usually made from milk and ice cream
• Ice Cream Sundae -  ice cream topped with a sweet sauce, nuts, whipped cream, etc...
•      Banana Split -  three sundaes (strawberry ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream topped with crushed pineapple, and vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry syrup, each garnished with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry) side by side between two halves of a banana, sliced lengthwise
•      Hot Fudge Sundae - a variation on the classic sundae made from ice cream, sprinkles, hot chocolate sauce (hence the "hot fudge"), whipped cream, nuts, and a single bright-red maraschino cherry on top
•      Turtle Sundae - a combination of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, hot caramel sauce, and toasted pecans
• Ice Cream Cone - a thin, crisp, hollow conical wafer holding one or more scoops of ice cream
•     Dipped Cone - ice cream in a cone dipped in chocolate which turns hard
• Ice Cream Sandwich - a layer of ice cream sandwiched between two biscuits, cookies, or slices of cake
• Ice Cream Bar - ice cream, on a stick, coated in a layer of chocolate to prevent the ice cream from melting and dripping

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of other ice cream creations, and variations of creations, to choose from.  Such creations can be made with almost any flavor of ice cream, including, but certainly not limited to:

• Chocolate 
• Strawberry
• Vanilla
• French Vanilla
• Mint Chocolate Chip
• Cookies and Cream
• Cookie Dough
• Butter Pecan
• Peanut Butter Swirl
• Raspberry Truffle
• Coffee
• Moose Tracks
• English Toffee
• Dark Chocolate Chip
• Double Chocolate
• Pistachio
• Cherry Vanilla
• Butterscotch Vanilla
• Chocolate Chip
• Rum Raisin
• Peach
• Pralines and Cream
• Mocha Chip
• Rocky Road
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla Fudge
• Mango
• Butter Almond
• Macadamia Nut

And a boat load more...

 It's a widely held sentiment that the spirit of America is the spirit of individualism.  President Reagan may have had this idea in mind when he granted ice cream a national month of its own.  Given the variety of  flavors ice cream comes in and the myriad of things one can do with it, ice cream can be made to conform to the taste of any dairy compatible individual.
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Naan Vs. Pita

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I was at Bible study, the other day, when the group came across Exodus 16:31, which says, "Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey."  We were trying to decide how to picture manna in our minds, and I surmised it may have looked like an early form of naan.  Someone then chimed, “Oh, you mean pita.”

Subject: Indian Naan bread | Date: 08/10/2007 | Photographer: jetalone | This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Subject: Greek Pita Bread | Date: 03/25/2007 | Photographer: AlMare | This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

I knew the breads were different, but I didn’t know enough to be able to articulate the difference.  Thus, I gave a hem, a haw, and a shrug and the discussion progressed.  When I got home I was still annoyed that I hadn’t known what distinguished the two breads, so I did some digging.

Pita and naan are, as I knew, varieties of flatbread, traditionally made from refined flour and yeast.  There are distinct differences though.

Pita is  a flat rounded slightly leavened bread, originally from the Middle East, with a hollow inside like a pocket, which can be filled with food.  Made from a dough of water, flour, yeast, and salt, the dough can be heated in one of two ways.  Baking the dough in an oven maximizes the soft puffy texture, but mellows the flavor.  Conversely, cooking the pita on a stovetop costs the bread some puffiness, but produces crispy toasted spots on the surface of the dough.

Pita comes in 4 different sizes and at least 3 different thicknesses ranging from mini to pocket to the larger loaves. All the types can be used to make sandwiches such as Gyros and Falafel. The medium to thicker ones can also be toasted and eaten with cheese, olive oil, hummus, or other toppings.

On the flip side, naan is a softer lighter leavened flatbread from northwest India.  This version of flatbread consists of flour, water, yeast, cooking fat (e.g. butter, ghee), and yogurt, which gives the naan its softer texture.  Unlike pita, for the bread to be “naan” it must be baked in a tandoori oven to give the bread its characteristic smoky flavor.

Naan is typically brushed with butter and is served along side Indian meals.  However, modern chefs are topping naan in new ways to make everything from Naan Bread Margherita Pizza with Prosciutto and Grilled Open-Faced Sandwiches.

As it turns out, the manna God gave the Israelites probably wasn’t like naan or pita bread.  Theologians believe it was a flaky substance, roughly the consistency of the glaze on an Old Fashion Donut, which the Israelites baked into small honey flavored pancakes.  Still, not only will I be prepared if naan or pita  ever arise in conversation again, I’ll know what to do with these tasty breads.

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Naan Bread Margherita Pizza with Prosciutto - from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 naan breads
2 teaspoons olive oil, or as needed
1 green onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
8 slices mozzarella cheese
1 large roma tomato, thinly sliced
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 slice prosciutto, sliced
6 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place naan breads on the prepared baking sheet; brush each naan with olive oil. Spread green onion and garlic over each naan. Arrange 4 slices mozzarella cheese onto each naan; top with tomato slices. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top tomato layers with prosciutto, basil, and Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until pizza is crispy on the edges and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Turn on oven's broiler and broil until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.

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Billy Starr's Open-faced Grilled Naan Sandwich - from ming.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbl. Tikka Masala paste
2 each, 6 oz. chicken breast, cut into 3 each, 1/4-inch thick, long slices on the bias
1 Naan bread, halved for two sandwiches
2 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch lengthwise
1 vineripe tomato, sliced thin
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Sriracha Hippy-Shake*
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
The day before, in a bowl, combine Greek yogurt and Tikka Masala paste and add chicken. Marinate overnight. The next day, heat grill pan on the stove top.
Brush the naan bread lightly with olive oil and grill both sides till warmed through.
Remove bread to your service plate. Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill both sides till just cooked through. Layer grilled zucchini onto grilled naan bread. Top zucchini with layers of thin sliced tomato. Wipe off excess marinade from chicken. Add a touch of oil to the hot grill pan and grill chicken till cooked through. Top your sandwich off with the chicken slices. Sprinkle sandwich with the crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the sandwich with the Sriracha Hippy-Shake. Eat proudly with a knife and fork.

*Sriracha Hippy-Shake
Makes about 1/3 cup
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 squeeze of a half lemon
Water
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, Sriracha and lemon juice. Thin with water to a milkshake consistency.

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Recipes print as a single pages for your recipe file or refrigerator.
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Food Fans Still Have Intelligent Choices

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While it's true the first nationally televised cooking show was I Love to Eat, on NBC, hosted by

Title: Julia Child gives the KUHT audience a cooking demonstration | Date: Unknown | Source: KUHT | This picture was made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

James Beard in 1946, it's pretty safe to say that Julia Child's The French Chef, which had its debut on February 11, 1963, on WGBH, brought the food show genre into the realm of main stream pop culture. Those early televised lessons in French cooking sparked a line of publicly broadcasted cooking shows including The Frugal Gourmet, Graham Kerr: The Galloping Gourmet, Louisiana Cookin' with Justin Wilson, and Yan Can Cook among many other 30 minute epicurean tutorials.

Public Broadcasting remained the dominant force in food entertainment until November 23, 1993, when shows such as Emeril Live – hosted by Emeril Lagasse, The Naked Chef – hosted by Jamie Oliver, and Sara's Secrets – hosted by Sara Moulton debuted on the new Food Network.  For the next 20 years viewers were treated to an array of informative how-to cooking shows such as 30 Minute Meals – hosted by Rachael Ray, Barefoot Contessa – hosted by Ina Garten, Everyday Italian – hosted by Giada De Laurentiis, Grill It - hosted by Bobby Flay, and, my personal favorite, Good Eats – hosted by Alton Brown.

While some of these shows still exist, food TV is currently devolving from being an instructional resource, into a gluttony of increasingly silly food competitions.  For the record, I enjoy Chopped and Iron Chef, which show chefs working with unique ingredients in creative ways.  However, on any given day we can see cooks "sabotaging" one another in Cutthroat Kitchen - hosted by Alton Brown, cooks struggling to out cook Bobby on, the OBVIOUSLY rigged, Beat Bobby Flay – hosted by Bobby Flay, and chefs losing oxtails and chicken livers based on a draw of the cards on Kitchen Casino - hosted by Bill Rancic.

Even with the abundance of dumbed down offerings being served up to food fans, there is still hope for intelligent audiences.   One gold nugget, America's Test Kitchen, offers recipes and product reviews back on PBS.  However, I turn to online podcasts for the bulk of my food news these days.

Unless something comes up, Sunday is the day I listen to food related podcasts, including The Splendid Table, America’s Test Kitchen Radio, Wine Life Radio, Beer Sessions Radio, Cutting The Curd, A Taste of the Past, and the NPR: Food Podcast, which have stockpiled themselves on my ITunes through out the week.  I enjoy listening to them back to back, as if they were segments of my own Food Network lineup.

The nice thing about food podcasts, or podcasts in general, is that a listener can work and learn something at the same time.  This week I was made aware of labor issues related to cheese mongering, learned about vintages from Moshin Vineyards, was briefed on the history of culinary knives, and learned that experts are no longer advising people to eat low fat in order to lose weight & stay healthy.

The Splendid Table did a story about capers.  During the segment, their guest, David Rosengarten, explained, "They do make something quite special on the the west coast of the main island of Sicily.  There is a place called Trapani where they make a local form of pesto. They call it pesto, but it doesn't look like our pesto. Our pesto is very basily and green, but theirs is quite red because they make it with tomatoes. They also pound almonds into it and they add, of course, capers to it."  Intrigued by the idea of red pesto, I looked up the recipe.

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Pesto alla Trapanese - (Pesto Trapani style)

Recipe found at Nigellissimaandrobert.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

500g/1lb 2oz fusilli lunghi or other pasta of your choice
salt, to taste
250g/9oz cherry tomatoes
6 anchovy fillets
25g/1oz sultanas
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
50g/2oz blanched almonds
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
small bunch basil, leaves picked


Procedure:

Put abundant water on to boil for the pasta, waiting for it to come to the boil before salting it. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, though start checking it a good two minutes before it’s meant to be ready.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by putting all the remaining ingredients, bar the basil, into a processor and blitzing until you have a nubbly-textured sauce.

Just before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of pasta-cooking water and add two tablespoons of it down the full of the processor, pulsing as you go.

Tip the drained pasta into your warmed serving bowl, Pour and scrape the sauce on top, tossing to coat (add a little more pasta-cooking water if you need it) and strew with basil leaves.

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I haven't had time to try it yet, but my point is that the show exposed me to  variation of pesto, which I wouldn't have considered. In a day when food TV is largely becoming a lineup of food related game shows, it's nice to still have access to productions which provide listeners with actual food related news and ideas.
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Recipe prints as a single page for your recipe file or refrigerator.
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A Taste of Traditional English Christmas Dinner

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Title: Scrooge's third visitor, from Charles Dickens: A Christmas
Carol | Date: 1843 | Artist: John Leech | This work is in the public 
domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright
term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.

“Heaped up on the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies, plum-puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and seething bowls of punch, that made the chamber dim with their delicious steam.” ~ A Christmas Carol', by Charles Dickens

According to biographer, Peter Ackroyd, our modern concept of a wintry snow covered Christmas is the invention of Charles Dickens*.  Perhaps that's why I've always mentally associated my fantasized version of the ideal Christmas with the traditional British Victorian template complete with caroling, parlor games, greeting cards, brightly wrapped packages, dances/parties, and spiced wines.  Of course, no vision of Christmas is complete without the quintessential Christmas Dinner.

When I think of an prototypical Christmas dinner, I picture a feast worthy of Downton Abbey, but with enough familiar dishes to make Bob Cratchit feel at home. The affair begins with drinks such as eggnog and mulled wine, with hot chocolate for the kids, served alongside a cheese platter and a smoked salmon platter while guests mingle.

Once everyone's seated, a parsnip soup with crème fraiche would be served.  The soup course would, naturally, be followed by a traditional Christmas Salad of mixed greens, toasted almonds, red onion, and crumbled blue cheese tossed in a fresh cranberry dressing.

The main course would feature either roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding or roast goose with chestnut stuffing. Either pièce de résistance would be accompanied by glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, pigs in blankets (bacon & sausage rolls), and dinner rolls dripping with butter.

Such a meal should be rounded out with plum pudding and/or figgy pudding, with hard sauce dressing either selection.  To those with room, a final dessert of Christmas mince pies and coffee would be served.

Each course would, certainly, be served with appropriate pairings of red or white wine, with milk for the kids.

As I said, this is my version of the ideal holiday feast, based upon Victorian British standards and recipes.  For readers wishing to put a meal like this together, below I've linked each dish/piece of the meal to the best recipes I could find online, except for the cheese platter, which I outlined myself.  Because the recipes are from various sources, they reflect different serving sizes, but with a bit of math they should be easy adjust to fit the same meal.
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Drinks
Eggnog
Mulled Wine

Hot Chocolate (for the kids)

Appetizers

Title: The French know how to construct a Cheese Plate | Date: 09/16/2007 | Photographer: Chris Buecheler from New York, USA | This image is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Smoked Salmon Platter
Cheese Platter - Feature three cheeses, each representing a different milk and level of hardness.  Thus, a plate displaying; Smoked Cheddar (semi-hard cow's milk cheese), Roquefort (semi-soft sheep's milk cheese), Goat Brie (soft goat's milk cheese), some neutrally flavored crackers/toast points, slices of green pear or apple, and some salty nuts; will keep your guests stomachs from growling until the soup is served.
Melba Toast (Serve with either platter)

Soup
Parsnip Soup with Crème Fraiche

Salad
Christmas Salad

Title: Christmas Goose | Date: 12/01/2004 | Photographer: Jürgen Howaldt | This image is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Shasre Alike 2.0 Germany license.

Dinner
Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding
or Roast Goose with Chestnut Stuffing
Marsala Glazed Carrots with Hazelnuts
Mashed Potatoes with Roast Beef Gravy
or Port Sauce from the Goose
Pigs in Blankets (Bacon & Sausage Rolls)
Dinner Rolls with Butter
Bottles of Red and White Wine

Title: Christmas pudding with flaming rum | Date: 12/01/2011 | Photographer: Jay Springett from London | This image is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Shasre Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Pudding
Plum Pudding 
Figgy Pudding
Hard Sauce (Can top either pudding) 

Dessert
Christmas Mince Pies



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Merry Christmas!

*Ackroyd, Peter. Dickens: A Biography. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1990. 

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A Taste Of The First Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, here in the states, and many of us are preparing to devour generous helpings of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes,

Description: Tender, juicy roast turkey - the main attraction - with old-fashioned gravy, cranberry sauce, smashed potatoes, baked green beans, sweet and sour cod, steamed rice, pickled green papaya relish, flan, pigs in a blanket... | 
Date: 11/23/2005 | Photographer: Ms. Jones from California | This photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, various fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie just as the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Tribe had back in 1621.  Well...., not exactly.  Actually, the holiday's menu has evolved considerably over the last few hundred years.

For starters, while potatoes are a big part of our celebration, they first grew in South America and hadn't made their way into the Wampanoag diet at the time of the 1621 harvest celebration.

So, if there were no potatoes, what was served at the first Thanksgiving?

Title: The First Thanksgiving | Date: between circa 1912 and circa 1915 | Painter: Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930) | This media picture is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923.

While no one has found a complete menu from the historic celebration, gastronomic anthropologists are certain that the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Tribe were able to cook with; waterfowl (goose, duck), wild turkey, venison, lobsters, clams, mussels, oysters, dried corn, corn meal, pumpkins, squashes, onions, porridge, and corn bread; to dine upon at their 1621 harvest celebration. Surprisingly, experts claim that the turkey gave way to goose, duck, and venison as the main courses.  Although less certain, anthropologists also think the diners may have eaten; eels, chestnuts, walnuts, dried beans & peas, lettuces, spinach, and radishes.

For readers looking for a "genuine Thanksgiving experience," I've compiled five recipes which should deliver the general flavor profile of the dishes the Pilgrims may have prepared.   Of course, the recipes utilize modern ingredients, measurements, and equipment.

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1. Cornbread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cups butter
• 2/3 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [Source]

2. Pumpkin Soup

• 2 medium pumpkins (for recipe)
• 1 large pumpkin (for tureen)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup half and half
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the 2 medium pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds, and place skin-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until soft. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh into food processor and puree until smooth. Pour pureed pumpkin into a saucepan and add the chicken broth, water, maple syrup and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the top off the large pumpkin to create the soup tureen. The hole should be wide enough to fit a ladle. Hollow out the seeds, checking for holes and lining with plastic, if necessary. Remove the soup from heat and stir in the half and half. Pour the soup into the pumpkin tureen and serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds. [Source] 

3. Roast Duck 

• 1 (5 pound) whole duck
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Rub salt, pepper, and paprika into the skin of the duck. Place in a roasting pan.
3. Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4 cup melted butter over bird, and continue cooking for 45 more minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over duck, and cook for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown. [Source] 

 4. Boiled Lobster

•  4 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 (1 1/2-pound) live lobsters
• 1 cup butter  

Combine water and salt in a very large Dutch oven or stockpot; bring to a boil. Plunge lobsters headfirst into boiling water, and return water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; cook 5 minutes or until completely melted. Skim solids off the top with a spoon, and discard solids. Slowly pour remaining butter out of pan, leaving remaining solids in pan; discard solids.

Place each lobster on its back, twist the body and tail shell apart, and cut the body shell open using kitchen shears. Remove liver and coral roe. Remove meat from tail shell. Remove intestinal vein that runs from the stomach to tip of the tail. Return tail meat to shell. Crack claws using a seafood cracker or nut cracker. Serve tail and claws with warm clarified butter. [Source] 

5. Venison Roast

• 5 lb. venison roast
• 6 1/4 inch thick slices salt pork
• 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 med. onion, chopped

Remove all fat from venison roast, season with salt and pepper. Wash salt pork to remove excess salt. Line roasting pan with salt pork. Place venison roast in pan. Add juice of 1 lemon, Worcestershire sauce, chopped onion and slices of remaining lemon. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 to 3 hours or until done, adding hot water as needed. [Source]

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Recipe collection prints as pages 3 & 4 for your recipe file or refrigerator.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

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Celebrate National Hot Dog Day - 07/23/2013

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The foot long, frank, frankfurter, grandstander, hotshot, pigs in a blanket, red-hot, sausage, showboat, tube steak, weenie, weener, weener wrap, and wienerwurst are all words which have been used to refer to this bread encased sausage of pork and/or beef trimmings.

National Hot Dog Day is Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013.  Thus, it's the perfect time to examine this epicurean staple of childhood & summer time.

Little is known, or at least agreed upon, when it comes to the origin of the hot dog.  Most people can generally agree that the pork sausage known as the frankfurter can be traced back the 13th century Frankfurt, Germany.   When and how the bun was added is less clear.

The most popular theory attributes credit to German immigrant Charles Feltman for first selling sausages in rolls out of his Coney Island eatery in 1870.

Others maintain Mrs. Feuchtwanger, of St. Louis, invented the sausage on a bun in 1880, to keep her customers from burning their hands on her German husband's, Antonoine's, sausages.

Still, some believe Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger, a Bavarian sausage seller, first served sausages in rolls at the World's Fair in 1893.

There will likely never be complete agreement the origin of this classic sandwich.  We do know, from FDR's home movies, that  as late as 1939 hot dogs were served perched on top of a bun, rather than nestled inside of the bun.  Whether, or not, this perching is a clue to the sandwich's inception remains unclear though.

What IS clear is that the hot dog is one of the most popular sandwiches in America.

• During a typical summer, Americans will consume a total of 7 billion hot dogs. That's 818 hot dogs per second*.

• It’s estimated that baseball fans will consume more than 26 million hot dogs at US baseball stadiums this season**.

• Mustard is the most popular hot dog topping among adults at 87.6%. Among kids, it’s the sweeter condiment, tomato ketchup***.

• More hot dogs are eaten in Los Angeles (over 95 million) than anywhere else in the country, besting Baltimore, Washington D.C., and New York City*.

• Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, the nation's most famous competitive eating contest, takes place each year on the 4th of July in Coney Island***.

Rivaled only by hamburgers in their versatility, hot dogs can be topped with ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, hot sauce, chile con carne, Coney Island sauce. jalapeno poppers, sauerkraut, onions, mayonnaise, corn chips, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and/or bacon.  Unlike hamburgers though, which are pretty much hamburgers or cheeseburgers despite one's choice of toppings, toppings can define a hot dog  as a specific dish.

An all-beef hot dog topped with mustard, fresh tomatoes, onions, sport peppers, bright green relish, dill pickles, and celery salt, (but no ketchup) is a Chicago Dog.

The signature Fenway Park Dog is a grilled dog served on a New England-style bun, covered with ketchup and relish. 

New York Street Dogs are boiled hot dogs on soft buns with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.

Chili Dogs are hot dogs topped with chili which would otherwise be eaten from a bowl.  Shredded cheese, chopped onion, and jalapeno slices are optional.

A Frito Dog is a variation of the Chili Dog consisting of a Nathan's hot dog topped with chili, shredded cheese, and Fritos corn chips.

Coney Island Dogs  are like Chili Dogs except the Coney Island chili-like sauce  is a bit thinner than chili which would be eaten from a bowl.  The same shredded cheese, chopped onion, and jalapeno slices are optional.

As for me, I like fry or grill (not boil or nuke) a hot dog with a natural casing which gives the dog a firm texture and "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the dog is bitten into. I coat the inside of a hot dog bun with a mixture of 2 parts yellow mustard to 3 parts mayonnaise, so I get the tang of the mustard without the vinegary bite.  Then I lay the hot dog inside the bun and top with sweet pickle relish, chopped onions, and 3 slices of pickled jalapeno.

The result gives me the crisp juicy taste  of the meaty frank, with the tang of mustard, sweetness of the relish, subtle heat of the onion, and spiciness of the peppers.

Of course, this is just how I like my hot dog.  There are thousands of possible topping variations, limited only by the imagination and appetite of the eater.  How do you like your hot dog?
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* National Hot Dog & Sausage Council|
** FoodAroundTheTrack.com|
*** Chiff.com
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Celebrate National Caviar Day - 07/18/2013

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You've seen playboy spies order it while wooing beautiful women.  It's been consumed by almost every formal evening wear clad soap opera character on the afternoon airwaves.  Michelin ranked chefs use it to garnish a variety of opulent dishes from Wagyu Tartar with Spicy Mayo with Caviar & Garnishes to Shot of Avocado Cold Soup Garnished with Caviar to Warm Oysters with Cucumber & Caviar Butter.  The Hollywood elite snack on Deviled Eggs with Caviar at the  Academy Awards.  Arguably, the most classic way to eat caviar is as an appetizer consisting of a dab of caviar and a dollop of crème fraîche on toast points. If any single ingredient embodies the spirit of the fiscal elite, it's caviar.

The word caviar originates from the Turkish word khaviar, a variant of the Persian “khaya-dar,” which literally means “having eggs.”  While this food has typically been thought of as an upscale delicacy,  during the early nineteenth century, caviar was routinely served during free lunches in American saloons as a salty snack which stimulated thirst and enhanced beer sales.

This beer promotion was cost effective due to the fact that America's waters were teaming with sturgeon.  In 1873, German immigrant Henry Schacht recognized this resource as being the proverbial gold mine it was, and began exporting caviar to Europe for the then high price of a dollar per pound.

Other entrepreneurs soon followed suit.  Much of the harvest shipped to Europe though, was labeled as the more coveted "Russian caviar," and shipped right back to the U.S. at a higher price.

But what is caviar, and why is it thought of as such a luxury food?

First, the term roe is used when referring to eggs harvested from various species of fish.  Caviar is a specific kind of roe, the processed salted roe of sturgeon, to be precise.  The female sturgeons have to be fully mature and loaded with eggs, 100-200 pounds.  The mother's are killed to harvest the eggs which are then hand packed and salted.

As for its expensive price, "real" or "traditional" caviar is only from sturgeon (Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga) from Russia and Iran.  Mature egg baring sturgeon are extraordinarily rare these days, due to the fact that pollution in the Black and Caspian seas is killing the immature fish.  The rarity and hands on preparation both contribute to driving the price of this seafood delicacy up to $114.50 per ounce for Russian Osetra Caviar and $16,000 per kilogram for Beluga Caviar, thought to be the best in the word.

Red caviar, on the other hand, comes from salmon, paddlefish, and/or lumpfish and can be found for as little as $3.50 an ounce.  Many of these low end versions though, are dyed with chemical dyes to make them red, and I personally find them to have unpleasantly strong fishy flavors.

Fortunately, entrepreneurs have begun to "farm" sturgeons in the US, China, and Canada, and produce less expensive versions of traditional black caviar.  American Hackleback Sturgeon Caviar can be found for around $21.80 per ounce.  While still not what the average buyer would call cheap, American sturgeon caviars are more affordable, for special occasions, and deliver the desired salty savory flavor one expects from a caviar.  The FEW times I buy caviar, this is the route I like to take.

Thursday, July 18th, 2013 is National Caviar Day.  I'm not saying one should take out a loan for an ounce of Beluga in order to celebrate the day.  Nevertheless, if you find yourself at your local specialty store, and you come across a moderately priced version of this delicacy, the upcoming observance may be the perfect excuse to try something new
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Homemade Beef Jerky: How to Make It and Why You Should - A Guest Post by Bridget Sandorford

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Lately I've been thinking about jerky & smoked meats.  In the good old days people made jerky to preserve meat for long trips.  Pioneers & drovers lived on the stuff, because it was a good source of energy that wouldn't spoil.  We have to gulp down the jerky we buy today though, because it molds within a few days after opening it.

I was writing about the issue, but having a hard time of it, since I'm not expert enough in smoking meats to include a recipe for homemade jerky that would be safe to store for long periods.  Fortunately, freelance blog and culinary writer, Bridget Sandorford wrote to me asking if there was a topic she could write about for my blog.

Talk about perfect timing.

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance blog and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching culinary schools in Kansas City. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.
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Homemade Beef Jerky: How to Make It and Why You Should
It is important to include plenty of quality protein in your diet. Yet most of us don’t have the time to sit down and eat a steak or to whip up a grilled chicken breast in the middle of our busy work days. Nor do we have the time to cook a full breakfast of eggs or sausage in the morning. Finding quality sources of ready-to-eat protein is a great way to help us meet our protein needs despite our busy schedules.

However, many commercially available products contain unhealthy ingredients that can contribute to our risk of serious health problems and even disease. For example, deli lunch meats have preservatives, additives and artificial colors. Hot dogs and other cured meats like pepperoni have cancer-causing nitrates.

Beef jerky is a great choice for protein-on-the-go, but commercially available options have a lot of those same additives – and they often spoil a few days after they are opened. Traditionally, beef jerky and other smoked meats were created to preserve meats for long trips or to store food in case of shortage. Now they provide healthy snacks for busy people.

Here are a few tips for how you can make our own beef jerky that is free of all toxic ingredients and that you can store for later use:

Choose a Quality Cut of Meat
Good jerky can’t be made from just any type of meat. You have to choose a quality, lean cut such as a sirloin or top round. Make sure to remove any visible fat from the cut. The meat doesn’t have to be beef. Jerky can be made of any type of meat, and some great versions have been made from bison, ostrich, deer, and even turkey.

Marinate Your Meat
The marinade that you choose will have the most impact on the final product. Here’s where you can have fun and try out different spices and flavorings. Explore different recipes or experiment in your kitchen until you find one that you like best.

Consider trying out one of these recipes:

• Food Network Beef Jerky 

• Emeril Lagasse’s Homemade Beef Jerky

Let your meat marinate for anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. Typically, the longer you allow it to marinate, the more full the flavor will be.

Make Your Jerky
The easiest way to make your jerky is to put it in a dehydrator and to follow the instructions for use. However, if you can’t or don’t want to buy a dehydrator, you can just use your oven.

The right temperature will vary depending on your altitude, the power of your oven, and other factors. However, 200 degrees F is an average starting point for jerky. The key is to dry out the meat, not to cook it, so the oven has to be set to a very low temperature.

Cooking times will also vary according to the same factors. However, typical times range from 45 to 90 minutes. The longer you cook it, the more tough and chewy it will be. The lower your temperatures, the long it will take to cure. Some recipes call for jerky to cure for up to 6 hours or more.

Store your jerky in airtight bags or jars, and put it in the refrigerator or freezer to help it keep longer. Your jerky should be able to last two weeks or more if stored correctly. Then you’ll have a ready supply of healthy, lean protein that you can eat for a snack or as an addition to a meal.

What are some of your favorite recipes for making your own beef jerky? Share your recipes and your best tips in the comments!
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Celebrate National Cheese Day - 06/04/13

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National Cheese Day (06/04/13) is almost here.  I, for one, LOVE cheese.  In fact, before this blog had a page on Facebook I hosted a Facebook discussion group about cheese for over two years.  Most of the time I was the ONLY person to post on the group's wall, but that was OK.  I had a lot to say about cheese, and that was the place where I could say it.

Nobody knows how long cheese has been around, or exactly where it came from.  A popular theory is that when  milk was transported in bladder-like skins, circa 8,000 BCE, the churning, caused by the rough ride, resulted in the formation of curds, which eventually lead to the production of cheese.  There's no conclusive evidence to support, or thwart, this theory though.

We do know that cheese dates back to 6,000 BCE, since the earliest found cheese strainers, found at Lake Neuchatel in modern Germany, date back to that era.  The first written record of cheese appears a thousand years later, in Egypt, as part of an inventory  of items the Pharaoh would be buried with.  Two-thousand years later, murals depicting the art of cheese making, performed as a method of milk preservation, appear in the grasslands of the Sahara. 

What is clear is that those early days of cheese spawned a chain of culinary creativity and experimentation across; Europe, the Sahara, and the Middle East; leading to a myriad of varieties which adopted the flavors and personalities of the regions where they were produced.

With approximately 500 varieties of cheese recognized by the International Dairy Federation, umpteen versions of each of those varieties being produced, and more versions hitting the market, somewhere, almost every month no one knows exactly how many kinds of cheese there are in the world.  Certainly no one has tried them all.

That being said, here's a countdown of my five favorites.

05. White Irish Cheddar - In general White Irish Cheddars have a nice sharp bite and pleasant dry texture, which doesn't deliver the spongy mouth feel associated with so many orange Cheddars.  Specific brands, such as Kerrygold's Dubliner, deliver an extra hit of sweetness just beneath the robust Cheddar flavor.

White Irish Cheddar is your basic beer & cracker cheese, perfect for eating while watching Soccer, or other sports, with one's mates.

Beer Pairings: Guinness, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Base: Cow’s Milk

04. Madrigal Swiss - I'm not sure what it means that my favorite version of "Swiss" Cheese is actually French.  In any case, this "French cheese with holes" has a smooth semi-soft texture and sweet nutty flavor, which makes it an ideal everyday eating cheese.

Madrigal compliments most sandwiches and tossed salads, but is equally good just on a cracker.

Wine Pairings: Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir
Beer Pairings: Stoudt’s Belguim Triple, Fat Dog Stout, Young’s London Porter
Base: Cow’s Milk

03. Smoked Gouda - The young version of Dutch Gouda has a very mild flavor while its aged counterpart can taste reminiscent of an extra sharp Cheddar.  Smoke it though, and it develops flavors of salt, smoke, and sometimes the wood it was smoked over.  Just make sure your monger sells you a variety which has actually been smoked, NOT simply injected with smoky flavoring.

People do use this cheese for sandwiches, but, in my opinion, Smoked Gouda eats much better as a straight snacking cheese, while watching TV.

Wine Pairings: Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir
Beer Pairings: Bock Style Beer
Base: Cow’s Milk

02. Triple Crème Brie - With extra cream added before the curd is formed, the Triple Crème version of this French staple, named for the Brie region of France, brandishes a mild milky flavor and a rich buttery texture.

Triple Crème Brie is a special occasion cheese, perfect for parties and opening courses of holiday dinners.  Special occasions aside though, this is also a comforting cheese on a cold day alongside crusty bread and a hot bowl of soup.

Wine Pairing: Champagne
Beer Pairing: Cuvee-Brut, Goose Island Sofie, or other sour beer
Fat Content: 75% or greater butterfat
Base: Cow’s Milk

01. Cambozola - is a triple cream blue-veined cheese made in Germany by Kaserei Champignon. This gourmet cheese is a delicious combination of the white molded rind Camembert and blue veined Gorgonzola.  As a result, this is a spreadable creamy cheese featuring the salty bite of well aged blue cheese.  The marriage of flavor & texture makes Cambozola my hands down favorite.

Cambozola is a great cheese for appetizers, salads, turkey sandwiches, and Cambozola Cream Sauce.

Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chardonnay
Beer Pairing: Yukon Brewing's Arctic Red, Widmer's Hefeweizen
Fat Content: 70-75% butterfat
Base: Cow’s Milk

Cheeses of honorable mention include; stinky creamy Camembert, the chive filled Cotswald, the Greek mainstay, Feta, and the Stilton/Cheddar combo, Huntsman.

Of course, these are merely my favorites, based on what I've tried so far.  While being well versed on every single cheese is a practical impossibility, the exploratory attempt is sure fun.  I'd encourage you to use National Cheese Day (06/04/13) as an excuse to visit your local cheese monger and pick up a cheese you've never tasted before.  Who knows, you may find a new favorite.

Want to know more about cheese?   You can sign up for my friend's, Jennifer Meier's, free weekly newsletter at ABOUT CHEESE, and/or subscribe to Anne Saxelby's podcast Cutting the Curd.  Personally, I recommend both sources.

What's your favorite cheese?  Leave your answer in comments below.
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Celebrate National Hamburger Day - 05/28/2013

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"Tried to amend my carnivorous habits.  Made it nearly seventy days, losin' weight without speed, eatin' sunflower seeds, drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays.

But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams, some kind of sensuous treat.  Not zucchini, fettuccini, or Bulgar wheat, but a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat.

Cheeseburger is paradise.  Heaven on earth with an onion slice.  Not too particular, not too precise.  I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise." ~  Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffet

Above is an except from just one of many songs dedicated to this fundamental American dish, the hamburger.  Commander Cody waxed lyrical about his love for Two Triple Cheeseburgers, Side Order of Fries, Johnny Hicks had hip teens boogieing to the Hamburger Hop, and Jaxsn  released a hip hop ode to the Hamburger just to name a few other musical tributes to this beloved, and oh so versatile, sandwich.

I first wrote about hamburgers in March of 2012, but the focus of that piece was on the pink slime scare.  May 28th  is National Hamburger Day, so I decided this would be a good time to talk more about hamburgers, and touch on some things which I neglected last time.

Historians pretty much agree on the origin of ground beef.  Essentially, Mongol warriors, in the 1200s, rode with cuts of meat under their saddles.  At the end of the day, they would eat these portions of ground raw meat.  This eventually evolved into what we know as Steak Tartare, and later into cooked meatballs and meatloaves.  (Note: Meatloaf actually dates back to 5th century Rome, but those early recipes refer to "minced," not ground, meat.)

While the origin of ground meat is a matter of historical fact, the origin of the sandwich known as the hamburger is a matter of hot debate by some.

• There are those who believe the hamburger was invented by an Italian cook who flattened his meatballs between two slices of bread and called his new creation “Charlie’s Hamburgers.” 

• Others contend the hamburger was invented by a hot dog seller who decided to substitute ground beef for his sausages, and named this sandwich the “hamburger” after the stand's location in Hamburg, New York.

• Texans maintain that the burger was a reincarnation of the breakfast patty (a beef sandwich between two slices of french toast and garnished with glazed onions).  

We'll probably never know the true origin of the hamburger, the truth being lost to time.  Yet, one can't argue with the fact that this basic sandwich, since its inception, has become as American as apple pie, westerns, or NASCAR.

One reason may be its versatility.  Americans love to express their individualism, and one can pretty much do that adinfinitum with the hamburger.  Think about it, add Pastrami & slaw to a Reuben it becomes a Rachel, add pickles & peppers to a Club Sandwich a you have something else entirely, but top a burger with anything from lettuce & tomato to eggs & bacon to hot pepper & onions along with any cheeses & sauces you want, and it's still a hamburger.

This is not to say, I have no pet peeves when it comes to  hamburgers.  I do.  Essentially there are two things I want to clarify once and for all.

• Hamburgers are made from beef (buffalo in a pinch).  Patties made from ground; chicken, turkey, vegetable matter, etc...; may make tasty sandwiches, according to some palettes, but they're not hamburgers.

• Bigger isn't always better.  Commercials and certain food pundits who make a show of gulping down the most grotesquely huge burger they can find, as if size somehow equates to flavor, irk me to no end.  If I'm stuffing my face with enough meat & cheese to make me feel bloated and sick, I'm not enjoying my meal.  I'd much rather have a well cooked, well seasoned 1/4 pound to 1/2 pound burger topped with just enough ingredients to maximize flavor.

To that end, I played in the kitchen a few weeks ago and developed the following recipe.  Recipe prints individually as page 3.

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My Chile Cheeseburger Recipe

Ground beef is the least expensive grind, and contains the most fat, up to 30 percent fat. Since the juiciest, most flavorful burgers, result from a grind of 70 percent lean to 30 percent fat, ground beef, from a trusted (pink slime free) butcher/grocer, is really all you need.

For those hung up on the health thing, you can use the slightly more expensive ground chuck, which comes from the shoulder and neck part of the animal, an area producing the chuck primal cut, often containing 15 to 20 percent fat. If you use the chuck grind, you want a ratio of 80 percent lean to 20 percent fat. Beef grinds containing less than 15 percent fat make dry tasteless burgers.

To see what the lean-to-fat ratio is on ground beef/chuck packages, look on the label. The ratio will usually appear in slashed numbers, with the lean content before the slash and the fat content after the slash.

As for other cuts, unless you're really into conspicuous consumption, there's no reason to grind a T-Bone, Filet Mignon, or other high steak into burger meat. What makes those steaks so delicious is the marbling and tenderness, which are lost during the grinding process.

For the purpose of this recipe, I'll refer to the grind as ground beef.

  Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds 70/30 ground beef
McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
8 slices American cheese
4 hamburger buns, split
Mayo & ketchup to taste


Procedure:

Set your stove's burner to medium heat per manufacturer's instructions.

Divide your grind into 4 equal burgers.  Season the one side of each burger with the steak seasoning. Place the burgers into a nonstick pan, seasoned side down and cook covered, until nicely browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes.

DO NOT PRESS ON THE BURGERS AS THEY COOK!  Doing so only forces the juices out and leaves you with a dry burger.

Season the other side of the burgers with the seasoning, then flip them carefully and continue to cook.  Top each cooking burger with 1 ounce of chopped green chiles, cover with one slice of American Cheese, and continue to cook, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the center of each patty registers 160°F for well done, about 4 to 5 minutes longer.

Dab mayo on both halves of the bun, ketchup if desired, apply second slice of American Cheese to the bottom half of the bun, top with burger patty, and close with top half of bun.


You'll be treated to a creamy cheesy slightly spicy sandwich of savory beef.

Makes 4 Chile Cheeseburgers.

Note: Some professional chefs cook hamburgers to medium-well, warm with little or no pink, (150° to 155°), or even medium-rare, warm and red, (130° to 135°).  However, these chefs, ideally, grind their beef themselves and store it under pristine conditions.  Retail ground beef and home grind cooked to a temperature below 160°F can't be guaranteed to be safe.

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Of course, this is just one possible burger variation, there are, quite literally, thousands of other possibilities you can experiment with.  Have some fun on May 28th, National Hamburger Day, try a few different burgers.

What's your favorite hamburger?  Leave your answer in comments below.

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Easter Lamb Part 1

Lamb bleeding into the Holy Chalice, carrying the Vexillum (a flag-like object used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire).

Christians believe the sacrificial system established by God in the Old Testament set the stage for the coming of Jesus Christ, who was the perfect sacrifice, provided by God, as atonement for the sins of His people. Later, when Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it is in reference to Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Since the church began commemorating Christ's sacrifice with the annual observance of Easter European Christians have been eating lamb as part of the Easter tradition. This being the case, one's forced to wonder if the eating of lamb is symbolic of the death, and resurrection of Christ?

As it turns out, most fervent Christians acknowledge a link between the Lamb of God and the lamb on their Easter plate.  In fact, in the 9th century whole roasted lamb became the nucleus of the Pope's Easter Dinner, and has been so ever since.

I've never done lamb before, but I've been a bit more "church-minded" for the last year or so.  Thus, my family and I decided to throw caution to the wind and experiment with a rack of lamb this year.  I initiated my customary first step, by scouring the internet for the perfect recipe. After much research, I finally settled on a Crown Roast of Lamb Recipe by Alton Brown, mostly because I like the sound of the herbs, spices, and other flavoring his recipe uses, plus his directions for frenching the racks were pretty clear.

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Crown Roast of Lamb Recipe by Alton Brown

Ingredients
2 racks lamb, 6 to 8 ribs each, approximately 1 1/2 to 2-pounds each
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To french the racks of lamb:
Make a cut on the fat side of the ribs, perpendicular to them, about 2 1/2-inches down from the rib ends. Cut through the fat down to the rib bones.

Turn the rack on end, with the bones facing up and push a knife through the flesh between each rib, using the initial cut as a guide for the knife. Cut down the side of each rib to remove the excess fat in between each rib. Using strong kitchen twine, wrap the twine around each rib at the base, nearest the meat and pull to remove all of the remaining fat and sinew from the rib bone.

Bend each rack into a semicircle (meat side in and fat side out) and using kitchen twine tie them together at the base and center, in order to hold the racks together. The rib ends should be pushed outward to create the look of a crown.

To season & cook the lamb:
Rub the lamb with the olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and coriander and press all over the lamb. Place the roast in a Bundt pan with the center of the pan coming up through the middle of the roast.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. This is approximately 8 to 12 minutes per pound. Remove from the oven, transfer the roast to a rack, cover with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for 20 minutes. While the meat is resting add the sherry vinegar, mustard and rosemary to the juices that accumulated in the Bundt pan while cooking. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Cut the string away from the roast and place cooked stuffing, rice or barley in the center if desired. Serve the warm sauce with the roast.

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We hit a slights snag.  Most of our local grocers don't sell lamb.  Costco fortunately does.  We visited Costco the Monday before Easter, and the racks of lamb had already been thoroughly picked over.   

Lamb chops are small to begin with, taking 2 to 3 chops to constitute a main course.  I was looking at racks of 8 to 10 one bite chops for over $10 a pound.  Roughly $7.50 out of every $10 would have been paying for bone, rather than meat.  Seriously, these racks looked like multi-packs of meat flavored lollipops, 4 of which MIGHT have constituted a decent sized appetizer.

Fortunately, the same freezer case held boneless leg of lamb roasts for a little over $5 per pound.  I thought for a moment.

The roast was a little more than half the price of the racks.

Some fat & sinew would need to be cut away, but with no bone to speak of, the price would mostly be covering meat.

Since they're both lamb, I should be able to use roughly the same herbs, spices, and seasonings that I would've used on the racks.

With these three things in mind, and figuring half a pound of meat per person, I left with a five pound roast.

Not being able to find a single recipe that caught my fancy, I put together the following amalgam based on a number of recipes and government cooking guidelines.  Then I chose two Oregon Pinot Noirs (**NV Rascal & 2011 Eola Hills) to accompany the meal.

Next week: Come back for Part 2 to learn how the roast turned out.  Did my research pay off & produce a quality recipe?  Did the wines compliment or overpower the meal?  Find out.

Recipes print individually as pages 2 & 4 for your refrigerator or recipe file.

 **NV = Non Vintage (denotes a wine that is a blend of grapes from different years as well as different vineyards and/or varietals)

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Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients
2 lemons
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating the meat
1 (4 to 5pound) boneless leg of lamb, netting removed
Butcher’s twine

Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Finely grate the zest from the lemons. (If you’re using a vegetable peeler, finely chop the peeled zest.) Place the lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and measured oil in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir until an evenly combined paste forms; set aside.

Unroll the lamb, lay it flat on a cutting board, and remove any large pieces of gristle, sinew, or fat. Season the top surface of the lamb generously with salt and pepper, then, using your hands, spread the lemon-garlic-parsley paste over the seasoned meat. Roll the lamb back up, so the seasoning paste is inside the roast, and tie it in several places, about 1 to 2 inches apart, with butcher’s twine. Rub some; olive oil, salt, and pepper; all over the outside of the lamb and place it in a roasting pan.

Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the boneless leg of lamb. Set the lamb into the 450º F (230º C) oven and roast for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 325º F (165º C) and continue cooking the lamb until the internal temperature is to your liking (See chart below). Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the twine, carve, and serve.

(Source: United State Department of Agriculture)
Boneless, Rolled, Roast Leg of Lamb| 
Oven Temp = 325° F (165º C) After Being At 450º F (230º C) For 20 minutes

DESIRED DONESS LEVEL	APPROXIMATE Roasting Time	Internal Temperature To Be Reached
Rare	20 to 25 minutes per pound	135 F (57.2 C)
Medium-rare	25 to 30 minutes per pound	145 F (62.8 C)
Medium (to medium well)	30 to 3 minutes per pound	160 F (72.0 C)
Well done*	35 to 40 minutes per pound	170 F (77.0 C.)

*Most people avoid cooking lamb to “well done”. It will be tough and dry.

There are several factors that will affect the cooking time:

• The shape of the roast
• The internal temperature when you first put it in the oven
• Bone-in roast will require extra cooking time
• Fluctuations in temperature of your own oven.

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Meat pictures courtesy of The National Live Stock & Meat Board