Food for Thought

Some like it hot...some not!

2011-01-14T01:36:00.000-05:00

There are different degrees of heat-depends on the eye of the beholder or maybe the tastebuds!

Visually there are Hot Looking:Cars...People...Colors...Clothing

There's the sound of Hot Jazz (similar to Cool Jazz!)

Hot Tempers...Hot Love Affairs...Fever (means you are ill or in lust)

This Salsa is Hot...The Woodstove is Blazing Hot

The Scoville Heat Scale for Chile Peppers:

Recipes:Mild, Hot & Hotter:

Mild

BEER BATTERED SHRIMP WITH CHIPOTLE HONEY

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 ounces beer
Flour for dusting
3-4 cups peanut oil for frying
1 1/4 pounds rock shrimp or peeled white shrimp

Combine 1 cup of the flour with the cayenne, salt, sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add beer all at once and whisk until smooth. Set aside at least 1/2 hour. Heat oil to deep-fry temperature (350/) in a large saucepan. Test oil by sprinkling a few drops of batter and if they rise to the surface, the oil is ready. Toss the shrimps in the flour for dusting and toss to coat evenly, then pat off excess. Drop a few at a time first in the batter then into the hot oil and fry until lightly golden and crispy-- about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with the following dipping sauce.

Yield: 6 servings

CHIPOTLE HONEY DIPPING SAUCE

2 chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 tomato, cored and cut in quarters
1/2 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup water
l teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In a small saucepan, bring chiles, tomato, water, onion, garlic and salt to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, slowly, covered for 15 minutes, then puree in a blender until smooth transfer to a small bowl and add honey and vinegar. Serve at room temperature as a dipping sauce with shrimps.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

From: TOO HOT TAMALES

Hot

COWBOY CANDY

Yield: 4 cup

A cowboy candy slice is delicious served with cream cheese on a cracker. Note of warning: when slicing the jalapeno,wear disposable latex gloves

Ingredients

10 cups sliced fresh jalapenos
4 cups sugar
2 cups water

Directions:
Slice jalapenos, and place in a small sauce pan.
Add water and sugar
Cook over medium heat until boiling.
Reduce temperature to low, and simmer until the liquid has reduced, and the sugar water has become syrup-like (about 15- 20 minutes depending on temperature of heat source).
Let cool and place in clean jelly jar.

Store in refrigerator.

Hotter

Southwest Style Habanero Frittata

Ingredients:

2-4 habanero peppers, stemmed
2 potatoes, baked
3 large eggs
1 cup Mexican style cheese, shredded
1 cup roasted corn
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make sure your baked potatoes are good and soft. Peel them, then mash them into a deep, lightly oiled baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the roasted corn as a layer over the potatoes.
In a mixing bowl, add eggs and scramble. Add cheese, basil, cilantro, habanero peppers and chili powder. Mix well.
Pour over corn layer and spread.
Bake 20 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool.
Serve

Frittatas are great for breakfast or brunch, but realistically, they can be served any time of day, and even as a snack. Make one ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. This is one of those meals served good hot or cold, and even at room temperature.

I yam a sweet potato...

2010-11-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

I don't know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato...are they the one and the same? Are they relatives (twins or cousins)? If there is an answer-please share it with me.

My sister sent me this recipe from the Miami Herald:

Sweet Potato Flan
You can bake the flan in 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins, checking for doneness after about 30 minutes.
　
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt, to taste
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh-ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg, or to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for the pan
Cinnamon or toasted walnuts, for garnish
　
Place cubed sweet potato in a large pot and cover generously with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 20 minutes until soft. Drain and place potato cubes in ice water. Drain again, and blot dry with kitchen towels.
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Place sweet potato in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add eggs, egg yolks, cream, salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Process 30 seconds.
Butter a 9-inch round baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Place in a larger pan (we used a 12-inch ovenproof skillet). Add enough boiling water to the larger pan to come half way up the side of the baking pan.
Place in oven and bake about 1 hour. To check for doneness, insert the blade of a paring knife into the flan. If it comes out clean and dry, the flan is done. Remove it from water bath and set aside at least 10 minutes.
Unmold the flan onto a platter, and remove the parchment paper. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon or toasted walnuts. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Source: Adapted from executive chef de cuisine Philippe Ruiz of Palme d’ Or at the Biltmore.

Here's another Sweet Potato recipe that we're serving at the Armadillo this weekend with Maple-Cranberry Glazed Pork Chops and Sauteed Greens:

Chipotle Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
6 ounces queso blanco, or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1-1/2 cups)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook sweet potato slices in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes; drain and set aside. Grease a rectangular baking dish; set aside.
2. For sauce, in a small saucepan cook onion in hot butter about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once; stir in chipotle pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in cheese.
3. Place half of the sliced potatoes in prepared baking dish. Cover with half of the sauce. Repeat layers.
4. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more or until potatoes are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Chilies Abound Around Here

2010-11-17T19:45:00.000-05:00

Talkin' Turkey & Trimmings

Traditional or something fresh & novel...here's a few recipes we read about or received from friends with a different twist:

Our friend Jennifer sent:

Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro & Chiles
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

•4 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil (if you need to substitute try a light tasting oil)

•1/2 cup natural unsalted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

•Sea salt

•2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed

•1 1/3 cups chopped green onions (dark green parts only; about 2 bunches)

•1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

•2 tablespoons minced seeded serrano chiles

•6 tablespoons sugar

•6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

To show off the tangy freshness of cranberries, don't cook them at all. Chopping the raw berries in the processor gives them a coarse texture, which is great alongside the turkey and the trimmings.

Preparation

•Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add pepitas; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate; sprinkle with sea salt.

•Place cranberries in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Add onions, cilantro, and chiles. Stir sugar and lime juice in another bowl until sugar dissolves.

DO AHEAD Cranberry and lime juice mixtures can be made 4 hours ahead.

Cover separately; chill.

•Add cranberry mixture and pepitas to lime juice mixture; stir to combine

Feed all...Fuel all!

2010-09-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

Green-it's not just for Food, Girl Scout Uniforms or the Color of Money or It's not easy being green...but it's better!

The following words are linked as are all the elemental things in this world. With the smallest changes in lifestyle/choices, we are capable of a balance that will lead to a sustainable sustanence that will feed all, fuel all.

Sustainable:

1. Capable of being used without being completely used up or destroyed; such as, sustainable energy resources or sustainable water supplies.

2. Involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources: "Some farmers are utilizing sustainable agriculture techniques."

3. Able to last or to continue for a long time: "We must have sustainable development, or growth, in the financial markets."

4. Describing activities that make use of the earth's living and physical resources, including humans and their technologies, cultures, and institutions, in a way that does not diminish their ability to support future generations.

Specifically, the consumption of energy in a manner that emphasizes renewable sources and the judicious use of non-renewable sources.

Sustenance:

1 sustenance, sustentation, sustainment, maintenance, upkeep

the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence; "they were in want of sustenance"; "fishing was their main sustainment"

2 nutriment, nourishment, nutrition, a source of materials to nourish the body

Use every scrap...wood/paper/food
build/heat/eat/share...As a restaurant our overflow is in edibles. We compost most of it for our organic garden. We have discovered other ways to continue the cycle of recycle.
Our vegetable oil is picked up by a person who converts it into fuel for his car.
Our raw meat scraps are donated to a bird of prey sanctuary, vegetable scraps are also given to farm friends for the pigs to dine on.
Get in touch with local farmer friends and Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, Forsth Park-see if they could use any of your trimmings.
For certain they could use some clean hay-maybe wood chips, try local shelters-clean dry newspapers are alway welcome.

We're looking for more ways to recolor ourselves green...let's hear from you.