Use the right onion

Don't confuse quality with taste

I consider myself a gourmand.  What is that?  Well, to me it's someone who enjoys good food and knows what good food is.  It is someone who appreciates the differences between a well cooked al dente piece of pasta and a limp noodle.  Someone to whom well seasoned means more than a salt shaker. While I know the best, that doesn't mean I don't like junk.

I happen to have a wide open view of things to eat.    I do enjoy a McDonald's hamburger now and then though.   And, I happen to love a can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli now and then.  Yup, the cheap stuff.  I open the can, add a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and microwave until steamy.  YUM!  There is something so soothing about that thick almost pasty red sauce and the lump of meat in those pillows of ravioli.  I think it might be one of my favorite secret pleasures.

So what kinds of junk do you crave secretly?  Come on, I know you do...

Is it Twizzlers, or raw cookie dough?  Or maybe frosting from the can??  OK, now you are drooling for something.  Tell me what it is.

Smells that make me smile

When I was in middle school my mother went back to work outside the home. My younger sister was in school a full day and we were never home without her. One day after school the selfish child in me complained that because she was working I felt neglected. Of course I was not neglected, but even at 11 years old, I knew how to push my mother's guilty buttons. She asked why? What was I missing? And I told her that when I came home from school she used to be wearing a house-dress and the kitchen always smelled like something wonderful cooking. Now she was dressed like a business woman and because she got home only minutes before I did, there were no smells coming from the kitchen yet.

Well, it took only one day for that to change. The next day I came home and found her out of her business clothes and in a house-dress and the kitchen smelled like cookies. Don't ask me how she managed to do that so quickly, but she always had a way with magic. Anyhow, I managed to continue complaining. I didn't want the house to smell like cookies, I wanted onions and garlic sauteing wafting through the air. From then on, that's what I got.

So, why do I tell this long winded anecdote? Well, this morning I am making bacon. And, I am remembering that there is nothing better than the smell of bacon in the air, except for the smell of onions and garlic sauteing. Sure I eat sweets, though not as often as my weight would have you think. But, I far prefer the smell and taste of savory foods. Give me the smell of carbonized beef coming from the exhaust fans of a local steak place or even fast food place over the smell of any bakery.

****

Blues and BBQ

Tonight is blues and BBQ at Theodore's in Springfield MA

Theodore's is much more than that though. They have big screen TV's to watch your favorite sports and Buzztime trivia too. The beer menu is vast and full of variety.

Try it, you'll like it.

***

Find favorite foods in a new location - PIZZA

We are in the process of moving from a suburban area not far from New York City to a rural area in the mountains of western Massachusetts. The choice of the move is mine, all mine! I have been waiting since 1985 to be able to call the Berkshires my home.

One thing that has occurred to me lately though is that I need to find some "special" foods. For example, I love Pizza! It is a weekly necessity for both my husband and I. If we miss a week, we get irritable and have withdrawal symptoms. Most people think you can't find good pizza if you get too far away from NYC. Well, we have found two places that we love. The first is called Athena's Pizza in Lee, MA. They have a full Italian menu that we haven't tried yet, but the pizza is very good. The second place we found is on Route 20, in a tiny town called Russell, MA. It is in the Russell Inn. The pizza is great and the rest of the menu is just as good. The bar is so friendly, that even though we are new to the area, we felt like we were home.


Stay tuned for the next entry about our quest for good food in the mountains.

*****

What's with restaurants and their lack of UN-chocolate desserts?

I am not a chocolate person. No, I am not allergic to it. I just don't like the flavor.

We love to go out to dinner and most of the time I am more than satisfied with whatever I have eaten for my main meal. It is rare for me to look for a dessert. But sometimes, it sure would be nice.

If you are a chocolate person, you probably have never noticed the lack of UN-Chocolate desserts on the menu. Oh, there is the standard fruit pie with ice cream, but their energies and creativity are always spent on the exotic chocolate desserts.

There are a few winners though. Tonight I had one of my favorites. Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie is among my very favorite desserts anywhere. It is a Nutty, Buttery Blondie (a vanilla, nutty version of a brownie) served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And then there is a hot melted butter and maple syrup mixture that is poured sizzling over the ice cream. Oh my!! When I tell you about the foodgasm in my mouth when I taste this it doesn't even begin to describe how luscious this is. Try it sometime!

**

Always in search of the perfect egg roll....

I am always trying egg rolls from new Chinese restaurants or buffets. Inevitably I am disappointed. I like them filled to the brim and well fried. I like them hot and crispy. Occasionally, I will find one I love and then I have to eat 4 or more of them at a time. One is never enough.

Do any of you have foods you just are obsessed with?

***

Master Quench

This past weekend we were in the Berkshires and I had one of my latest favorite drinks. It is called the Master Quench. It has some ingredients that sound like they don't belong together but it is out of this world. It is made with vanilla vodka, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and ginger beer.

Now, I love maple syrup; the real stuff only! And, the combination of the bite of the cayenne and the ginger beer is perfectly matched and soothed by the sweetness of the maple syrup. It leaves a warm feeling in your throat but holds no burn.

This has led me to contemplate more combinations with maple syrup. I will post them when I have tried them.

****

What is Hunger? Why do I eat?

As someone who has spent the most of her adult life trying to lose weight, I have developed a theory about hunger. I am talking about true stomach hunger, not the emotional hunger that many feed when they overeat.

I believe that if you eat properly and get all of the good health guidelines in your diet, you will not be physically hungry. Sometimes I think I am hungry and if I take the time to stop and "listen" to my stomach and I realize that I am not hungry at all. When I don't take to the time to stop and listen, I often overeat.

I eat for hunger, but I also eat because I love the taste of food. Sometimes I wish I could chew and spit out the food. I really do love food. I love trying new flavors and eating familiar favorites. There are a few items that I know I can't have in the house because of the inability I have of choosing the proper portion or saying "NO". But, most times if I have eaten properly in the day, I can easily decide not to have too much of something else.

I am going to start to blog my daily food intake and comment on what I am eating and why. I am also going to start commenting on the amount of alcohol that I drink. If I stay home, I drink nothing. But, when we go out, I do drink; and sometimes I drink way too much for any healthy lifestyle. I don't drive when we go out, so at least I am only hurting myself.

I already plan my weekly dinners, but now I want to use this forum to post my other daily meals as well.

Today I had a 3 egg omelette with onions and zucchini for breakfast. I also had coffee.

For lunch I ate 3 cups of lettuce, 1/2 cup of fat free feta cheese, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. I also added in many spices and herbs.

Tonight we are having pizza. I will post my recipe for polenta pizza. It is Simply Filling Weight Watchers and oh so good!

******

Menu July 18 - July 25, 2008

Friday July 18 - Turkey Kielbasa and BBQ Pinto Beans
Saturday July 19 - Grilled Strip Steaks, Curried Quinoa Salad
Sunday July 20 - Grilled Pork Chops, Cuban Style Black Beans and Rice, Salad
Monday July 21 - Weekly Pizza
Tuesday July 22 - Whole wheat penne with baked caponata salad (as a cold pasta salad)
Wednesday July 23 - Sweet Polenta Pie with Roasted Vegetables (I am grilling my veggies in stead of roasting them)
Thursday July 24 - Spicy Shrimp Kabobs over brown rice

*****
Cuban Style Black Beans and Rice - 7 pts

Recipe By :The PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick) Vegetarian Cookbook by Donna Klein
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowFat (Less than 25%) Quick
Spicy Vegan
Veggie WW

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
1/4 cup frozen chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon refrigerated bottled minced garlic
16 ounces black beans, canned -- (1 can) rinsed and drained
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth -- or water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cayenne pepper -- or to taste (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups hot cooked rice

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring often, until thawed and softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add the beans, broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, cayenne (if using), salt and pepper; bring to a brisk simmer over medium-heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly reduced, about 10 minutes.

To serve, divide the rice evenly among 4 dinner plates. Top with equal amounts of the bean mixture and serve at once.

Makes 4 main dish or 6 to 8 side dish servings

Per serving: Cals 343 (21% fat); Total Fat 8g (sat fat 1g); Carbs 57g; Fiber 4g; Prot 11g; Chol 0mg; Sodium 70mg.

"This classic bean dish is traditionally served over white rice, but brown rice is an equally delicious, and more nutritious alternative. The beans are also wonderful over couscous or tossed with small shells or elbow macaroni."

Description:
"7 pts"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"06.15.08"
Copyright:
"2004"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 355 Calories; 8g Fat (21.1% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 57g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 419mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.



*****

Baked Caponata - 1 pt, Carbs 7g, Fiber 2g

Recipe By :"The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen" by Donna Klein
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 calories LowerCarbs
Spicy Vegan
Veggie WW

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds eggplant -- 1 eggplant
salt
1 medium onion -- about 6 ounces
1 large celery stalk -- chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes -- (about 6 oz each), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup kalamata olives -- pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup green olives -- preferably Italian, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon capers -- drained
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil -- (1 to 2 T) optional

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Brush a large baking sheet with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and set aside.

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. (If time doesn't permit, omit salting and draining eggplant that is to be stewed or baked with several ingredients, as any bitterness is typically masked by other flavors.) Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Quickly brush the eggplant with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Bake for 20 minutes, turning and stirring once.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 T. of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are reduced to a pulpy consistency, about 25 minutes.

Add the water, vinegar, tomato paste, and sugar; blend well. Stir in the baked eggplant, olives, and capers; season with pepper. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and the flavors are well blended. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with the basil, if desired.

ADVANCED PREPARATION: the dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days. Bring to room temperature or reheat in a low oven before serving.

Make about 3 cups (12 one-quarter cup servings)

Per 1/4 cup serving: Cals 63; total Fat 4g (sat fat 0g); Carbs 7g; Fiber 2g; Prot 1g; Chol 0mg; Sodium 127mg.

"There are probably as many versions of this famous sweet and sour eggplant appetizer as there are cooks in southern Italy. the following rendition is my "baked" adaptation of a Sicilian recipe that calls for frying the eggplant in copious amounts of oil. Delicious on its own or as a side dish, caponata makes a fine topping for crostini, bruschetta, and polenta."

Description:
"1 pt"
Cuisine:
"Italian"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi in MC):
"07.05.08"
Copyright:
"2001"
Yield:
"3 cups"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 60 Calories; 4g Fat (56.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 127mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

******

Sweet Polenta Pie with Roasted Vegetables - 2 pts, 24g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber

Recipe By :"How It All Vegan" by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 calories LowFat (Less than 25%)
Spicy Vegan
Veggie WW

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Roasted Veggie Topping:
1 med carrot -- chopped
1 sm zucchini -- chopped
4 mushrooms -- quartered
1 sm green pepper -- sliced
1 sm red pepper -- sliced
1 sm red onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 c water
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
4 fresh basil leaves -- finely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes -- chopped
salt -- (to taste)
pepper -- (to taste)
Pie crust:
1 c Coarse cornmeal
3 1/2 c Water
1 Tbsp oil
salt -- (to taste)
pepper -- (to taste)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

TOPPING:
In a lg bowl, combine carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and garlic.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and mix well.
Lay veggies out on a cookie sheet or lasagna pan and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned.
Place 1/2 c of the roasted veggies into a blender or food processor and blend with the water, tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, oil, basil, and tomatoes
Transfer this sauce and remaining roasted veggies to a medium saucepan and cook on med-high heat for 10 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat.

PIE CRUST:
In a med bowl, whisk together the cornmeal with 1c of cold water, then set aside.
In a med pot, bring the remaining 2 1/2 c water to a boil. Once boiling, add cornmeal mixture and turn heat down to med-low. Add oil, salt, and pepper. Continuously stir mixture for about 10-15 minutes, until the mixture sticks together and becomes very stiff.
Pour into a lightly oiled pie shell or a casserole dish. Let set for 5-10 minutes.
Pour veggie topping into pie crust. Cut into slices.

Serves 8

Description:
"2 pts"
Source:
"Posted 5:22 PM by Eric to Unknown"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"07.07.08"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 141 Calories; 4g Fat (24.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 40mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 435 0 0 0 0

My Love Affair with Curry

When I was a little girl we went to a restaurant for Easter Sunday once called Patricia Murphy's. My mother always cooked, especially for holidays, but this year she wasn't feeling well, so my grandmother took us out to dinner. It is a restaurant that no longer exists and you can see information about it's history and tradition here: Patricia Murphys Gardens in Yonkers

Lamb being a traditional Easter choice for a meal was on the menu and they made it with a herb and curry rub. My mother HATED curry, and she couldn't eat dinner that day because the whole place reeked of the perfume of the curry.

After that, I assumed that I didn't like curry. And, until I was out on my own and cooking for myself, I continued to believe that. When I finally tasted it at an Indian restaurant I fell in love. I also love the Thai curries that I have tried. So, now I cook them for myself or order them at a restaurant any time I can.

I just got a new cookbook called 660 Curries, The Gateway to Indian Cooking by Raghavan Iyer. Well, it is an encyclopedia of flavor on every page. I will have to finish this review and spend the rest of my living days reading and cooking from this book and I still won't be able to try half of them.

Curry is the gateway to Indian cooking. It is the backbone of Indian cooking, it's the GLORY of Indian cooking. Curry has nothing to do with the powder in a can and everything to do with amazing flavors. Curry is the dazzling layering of spices and ingredients, the familiar made new and the exotic made accessible. Not to mention all the tasty sauce to mop up with rice or bread. 660 Curries is Salmon with Garlic and Turmeric, Grilled Chicken with Cashew-Tomato Sauce, Lamb Shanks Braised in a Fennel and Cumin-Kissed Broth, Toasted Tamarind-Rubbed Shrimp, Pork Ribs with a Sweet-Sour Glaze. 660 Curries is traditional, contemporary, extraordinary, and it's jam-packed with easy one dish dinners that dance on the palate, in recipes created for the home kitchen. Even some of the more exotic ingredients are easily gotten from a list of mail order sources or some easy substitutes.

The beginning of the soft cover book has 16 pages of full color photographs. The chapters are plentiful and complete.

1 - The Curry Quest - history and information
2 - Spice Blends and Pastes
3 - Appetizer Curries
4 - Poultry, Game & Egg Curries
5 - Beef, Lamb & Pork Curries
6 - Fish & Seafood Curries
7 - Paneer Curries
8 - Legume Curries
9 - Vegetable Curries
10 - Contemporary Curries
11 - Biryani Curries
12 - Curry Cohorts

It also has 4 Appendix

Metric Conversion Charts
Glossary of Ingredients
The Elements of Curry
Mail Order Sources for Spices and Legumes


In over 800 pages there is more information than you ever need. I wanted to find just one recipe to try first so I closed my eyes, flipped the pages and pointed and chose Pigeon Peas and Peanuts with Jaggery. It was awesome. My husband wants to know when I am going to try something else from this book.

1 cup oily or unoily skinned split yellow pigeon peas (toovar dal), picked over for stones
1/2 cup raw peanuts (without the ski)
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves; or 1/2 cup dried fenugreek leaves soaked in a bowl of water and skinned off before use
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut; or 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted
1 tablespoon crumbled jaggery or firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 to 6 fresh green Thai, Cayenne or Serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed, slit in half lengthwise, do not remove the seeds.
2 tablespoons Ghee or canola oil
1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground asofetida

1 - Place the pigeon peas and the peanuts in a medium-size saucepan. Fill the pan halfway with water and rinse the pas by rubbing them between your fingertips. The water will become cloudy. Drain this water. Repeat three or four times until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Now add 4 cups water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Stir in the fenugreek leaves. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pigeon peas are tender, 20 - 25 minutes.

2 - Stir in the coconut, jaggery, salt, tamarind paste, turmeric and chiles. Continue to simmer the dal, still over the medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.

3 - Heat the ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds. Cover the skillet and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (not unlike popcorn), about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the asaferida. Pour this into the dal, and serve.

Note: To reconstitute coconut, cover with 14/ cup boiling water, set aside for about 15 minutes, and then serve.


Jaggery: A bamboo like sugarcane that dots the landscape in India. Mexican stores sell a similar product called piloncillo. Dark brown sugar is an easy substitute.

Ghee: Clarified Butter

Asafetida: A member of the carrot family. It is dried and then grated. It smells like the worst thing you have ever had in a kitchen. A cross between dirty socks and rotten onions. But, when cooked it tastes like oniony-garlick. (I can't get past the smell. I don't use it, I use onion and garlic!)

As a post note: I ran into another review with many pictures and other recipes for this book on line. Check out this link.

Ice Cream - It's own Food Group

To me ice cream isn't just a bowl of dessert. It is heaven in a dish. It is cold which is my favorite temperature and cream which is my favorite food. Combine them together and it makes me happy! PURE JOY!

Now, I truly believe that ice cream is the healthiest dessert. It is full of calcium and even has protein and vitamin D. If you make it yourself, you can control the sugar or use none. You can control the fat or use yogurt.

Unfortunately I can't have any in the house. If it is in the house, no matter how much is here, I will eat it all.

OK, that's my blog entry, a confession that I can't say NO to ice cream. It is my drug! AND WHAT A HIGH IT IS!!