Lorraine Eaton
Category: Food
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Power outage? Bring it on!
04
Sep 08
8:30 PM
Well, there it is>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That's our solar-powered dinner, cooked with the energy of the sun and nothing more. I set it on the deck at around 10:30 a.m. and removed it at around 4 p.m., turning it twice to fully face the sun.
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I lifted the top off the main dish and found that the pork chops had actually browned! They were fall-off-the-bone tender and better than what I would have made on my stove!
The side - frozen chopped spinach with a few onions tossed in and a splash of olive oil - turned out just fine, too.
I ate dinner an hour ago, and I'm not dead yet. The Baby Girl is fine, too, eating an ice cream sandwich at this very moment.
My foul weather advice: Definitely try this at home. Even if there's not a hurricane, it's kinda fun.
"Cooking With Sunshine" is a swell guide (if I could only find my copy!), but there are sites on the internet that outline exactly how to make a simple solar cooker. This one has pictures, for the craft-challenged among us. So if the storms do come, along with the batteries and bottled water, bring home some aluminum foil, cardboard and glue.
Dinner's on . . . on the deck!
04
Sep 08
10:23 AM
It's 10 a.m. and dinner's on! (How many people can say that?!)
I've dusted the spiders and webs off my handy, homemade solar cooker, scrounged up a couple of bricks and that's my "oven" right there >>>>>>>>>
I procured a trio of pork loin center cut chops, oiled them, salted and peppered them and added a little bit of water. I put all of that into a black enameled cooker (which I bought for a buck or two a couple of years back at a thrift store), put all of that into one of those browning bags, and faced the whole thing toward the sun.
I'm a bit worried that the gigantic Civil War-era magnolia in my backyard will block some of my dinner's rays, but I'll be here to monitor the progress. Basically, I need to turn it so it fully faces the sun most of the day. I'll keep you posted.
Cook with sunshine, without dying!
04
Sep 08
8:41 AM
Yikes! And yuck!
Looking at the Weather Channel’s tropical Atlantic satellite map with all those paisley things swirling around in the water gives me the willies.
I’m lazy and don’t want to lug the potted plants inside, twist the swing off its hinges, pry the window boxes (particularly gorgeous right now filled with pink phlox) from the house.
Really, I just want to go to the beach and read a book all stretched out and oiled up in the sun.
But instead, it looks like "yikes" and "yuck" are on the menu. The only "yippee!" thing I can think of right now is that I have a reason to unfold solar cooker and get a little practice.
That’s right, folks. Tonight me and the Baby Girl will be feasting on pork cooked right on my deck without any electricity or any fear of dying from salmonella or triginosis or whatever death sentence humans face from consuming uncooked pork.
I’ll probably put a little side of cooked carrots out there, too.
I (of very little crafty skill) made a perfectly functional solar cooker from cardboard and aluminum foil and school glue right on my kitchen floor a couple of years ago. (It looks somewhat like the one in the picture here.) Some hurricane or another was bearing down upon us, so I thought it would be fun to see if I really could cook on my deck and not die.
My guide was a book, “Cooking With Sunshine,” which I just realize that I misplaced or something (Hellooooooo Georgiana up there in Maine, did I lend you that book?), but I totally recall how to do this.
So I’m off to the grocery store to get my pork. I’ll keep you posted on the progress throughout the day.
Cuz you know, an epicure has gotta eat. And eat well. No matter the weather!
TV, schmee-vee. We got your "Amazing Wedding Cakes" right here!
03
Sep 08
8:37 AM
So there’s a new show premiering on Sunday on We tv called “Amazing Wedding Cakes.” Don’t touch that remote. We got your amazing wedding cakes right here.
Steven Ciccone is known internationally for his wedding cakes, and he lives and teaches right here in South Hampton Roads.
I first heard Steven’s name from my mother, Sandra, who used to own Old Towne Bakeryin Portsmouth and who has been decorating cakes for more than 30 years. When Steven was still in high school, she taught him what she knows about decorating, and then he zoomed off into the stratosphere, earning a degree in Occupational Studies in Baking and Pastry Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, and studying with the most well-known names in the cake decorating world (Betty VanNorstrand and Pastry Chef Patty Mitchell, if you move in those circles). His wedding cakes, of which he does very few, cost up to $25 a slice.
That may seem like a lot, but you can’t imagine what this guy does with icing - pianos, flowers, flowing fabrics – or the hours and hours he puts into the artistic conceptualization and the making of the cakes.
His avant-garde style of decorating has won him several prestigious awards including 1st Place Ribbon winner of Societe Culinaire Philanthropique de New York 2006; Gold Medal Winner of Vatel Club of France 2006; 1st Place Ribbon winner of Societe Culinaire Philanthropique de New York’s 139th Annual Salon of Culinary Art. Those are big deals, according to Wine & Cake owner AnnaBelle Eversole, who is also one of Steven’s mentors.
Both of the cakes pictured on this post are big award winners, and he assured me that everything on both cakes is edible. Later this month, Steven will be teaching how to decorate the bird of paradise cake at Wine & Cake Hobbies. (That’s the very cake that is featured in the August/September edition of “American Cake Decorating” magazine.) He’ll be showing students how to make the birds of paradise, calla lilies, Stars of Bethlehem, hypericum berries and leaves.
I don’t know about you, but let’s all ditch the sad little icing tubes in the grocery store aisle and get on over there.
For information on the class, go to http://www.wineandcake.com
Restaurant report card day!
02
Sep 08
8:25 AM
It might look like a beach day, but it’s the first day of school for most kids around here.
The baby girl last night carefully arranged her first-day-of-fifth-grade outfit out on the dining room table. (I’m not sure why she chose that exact location, but I pick my battles wisely.) The most notable element in her ensemble is the long T-shirt covered in glittering neon skulls. I don’t know where she got this fashion sense, but the skull look apparently has staying power among the elementary school set.
The first day of school has everyone with children settling into a different groove. We’re not ready to cede the summer at our house. Like all good beach girls, we’ll be making ocean pilgrimages until October turns cold. That means an occasional after school jaunt when we’ll stay near the sea until the shadows stretch out like salt water taffy. Which means momma won’t be cooking on those days. Which means an occasional carry out dinner. Which means a side of parental guilt.
Just in time for back to school, a report card on America’s worst restaurants for kids. A new book, “Eat This, Not That! For Kids” reveals the vast dietary differences among America’s favorite fast-food and sit-down chain restaurants.
Here’s a “Restaurant Report Card” sampler from the book:
A: Chick-fil-A, for having the country’s “healthiest” chicken nugget, a slew of low-calorie sandwiches and a variety of sides like fresh fruit and soup which can be substituted into any meal.
A- : Subway, for having more than a dozen sandwiches less than 300 calories, but know that those calorie counts in the brochures don’t include cheese or mayo. Also, beware: Cornell researchers have discovered a “health halo” at Subway, which refers to the human tendency to reward a healthy entrée with chips, cookies or large soft drinks.
B+: Boston Market, for healthy entrees like turkey and roast sirloin. Beware the pot pie and nearly all of the sandwiches.
B: McDonald’s, for not being burdened with any major calorie bombs. Kids’ standards such as McNuggets and cheeseburgers are both in the acceptable 300-calorie range. Adults should go for a quarter-pounder without cheese.
C+: Domino’s, which suffers the same pitfalls of other pizza purveyors: too much cheese, bread and greasy toppings. But stick with crunchy thin crust pies sans sausage and pepperoni and you’ll do OK.
C : Burger King has only four legit kids’ entrees on the menu, and none of them – French toast sticks, hamburger, mac and cheese, chicken tenders – are particularly healthy. Despite a recent introduction of apple fries for kids, the authors say the menu is still sullied with trans fats. BK pledged to follow in the wake of nearly every other chain restaurant and remove trans fats from the menu by the end of 2008, but so far, not so good. In fact, a large order of has brown has an outrageous 13 grams of the heart-threatening fat, and even an order of Cini-minis will add 4.5 grams of trans fats to your kid’s breakfast.
Adults can order a Whopper Junior and a garden salad and escape with only 365 calories, and the kids’ best option is a 4-piece Chicken Tenders, applesauce or apple fries and water or milk. Beyond that, the authors say, there is little hope of escaping unscathed.
D : Chipotle (yes, really). Authors applaud Chipotle’s commitment to high-quality produce and fresh meats, but even the most pristine ingredients can’t limit the damage wrought by the massive portion sizes the chain serves up. (When I went, I couldn’t believe the bicep-sized burritos!) The lack of options for kids means young eaters are forced to tussle with one of the behemoth burritos or taco platters, which can easily top 1,000 calories. Even a leafy bowl of salad at Chipotle’s can knock out more than a half day’s worth of calories. Best to stick with crispy tacos or burrito bows, or saw a burrito in thirds.
F : Applebee’s, IHOP, Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, T.G.I. Friday's. Authors say that these titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t provide nutritional information. Even after years of communication with their representatives, the authors said that they still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh. Their response: If every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they? Recent New York legislation requiring these restaurants to run calorie counts on their menus gave diners a glimpse of what the authors believe that these establishments are hiding: At Friday’s, no fewer than nine sandwiches and 10 appetizers topple the 1000-calorie barrier; at IHOP, the “healthiest” entrée-sized salad has a staggering 1,050 calories; and at Outback, even a simple order of salmon will wipe out 75 percent of your day’s caloric allotment.
For a breakdown of 30 other chain restaurants – plus the best and worst meals at each – see the complete “Eat This, Not That! For Kids” Restaurant Report card at eatthis.com/restaurants.
A Deviled Egg Alternative for Labor Day
29
Aug 08
8:37 AM
On this cloudy Friday morning, I’m contemplating the most gorgeous colors – tan and sienna, brown and buff – and what to do with them.
What I have in front of me is one dozen eggs, some freckled, some not, all packed into a single cardboard carton, part of the bounty I brought home from Full Quiver Farm in Suffolk this week. The eggs cost $3 a dozen, and I think they are kind of special. Yesterday I soft boiled one for a salad. The big, golden yellow yolk against the bright green lettuce (and finished with pinch of my Maine sea salt stash) was almost too pretty to eat.
So what to do with these? Earlier this summer, when I found myself inspired by a similar dozen eggs, I turned to a cookbook that I hardly ever use, but always plan to use more. It’s called “eggs,” by Michel Roux, 300-plus pages of egg recipes with photographs that rival “Vogue” for sensual appeal.
(You can skip this paragraph, as it is a total aside and has nothing to do with eggs, but I think Roux sounds like he might be French. I once went to France -- for just 10 minutes -- expressly to kiss a Frenchman, but that's a story for another day.)
Back the eggs. For those eggs from earlier this summer, I chose Roux’s “Hard-cooked eggs stuffed with mussels.” Actually, I chose to cook this recipe. I procured the mussels and carrots. Then, in a twist of events that has become commonplace in my kitchen, my (Italian) guy Joe (hands down the best intuitive cook I know, something that my female epicurean posse and I have come to accept and enjoy, like having our personal chef) made the dish while I gabbed with an impromptu gaggle of friends.
Now I do love a deviled egg and like all Southern girls past the age of 16, I own an egg plate. But eggs stuffed with mussels are to deviled eggs as Phantoms are to Fords. OK, maybe the mussel-stuffed eggs are a bit messy for finger food, but we managed nicely. (That’s the finished dish in the picture.)
For this dozen on my desk, I want to be able to show off the shells. So here’s the verdict: Roux's “soft-cooked eggs with pots of flavor.” Basically, you soft cook the eggs and present them with different toppings – shredded Parmesan, fresh chives, mini croutons, sea salt, capers and chopped olives. What could be simpler?
Anyway, if you want to make those mussel-stuffed eggs for your Labor Day feast, here’s the recipe. It serves four, but I really think that you can stretch the filling and sauce to accommodate five or six eggs. So here it is, and happy three-day weekend!
32 mussels, scrubbed
¼ cup dry white wine
4 hard-cooked eggs
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
3 tablespoons peanut oil
7 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
½ red onion, finely chopped
Put the mussels and wine in a pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for a few minutes until the shells have steamed opened. Lift out the mussels, shell them, and place in a bowl, discarding any that have not opened. Strain the cooking juices through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into the bowl. Keep at room temperature.
Cut the hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Press the yolks through a coarse strainer to make egg mimosa.
Drain the mussels thoroughly, straining the juices into a pan. Reduce over low heat to a syrupy consistency. Cool, then stir into the mayonnaise. Mix in the mussels and arrange 3 or 4 mussels in each egg white cavity.
Put the lemon juice in a bowl with some salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil. Mix in the carrot julienne and chopped onion. Spoon onto a platter, arrange the stuffed eggs on top, and sprinkle with egg mimosa. Serve cold, but not chilled.
Cow lips and pig snouts? Not these hot dogs!
28
Aug 08
8:29 AM
Remember when everyone in elementary school swore that hot dogs were made out of pig noses?
Well, of course I never, ever believed that. Impossible, I reasoned, because pigs’ noses are hollow. I mean, duh.
Well, turns out I was wrong. (An early blonde moment, perhaps?) An Associated Press story that ran today in our esteemed newspaper (which I’m sure you all paid 50-cents for and read and enjoyed) confirmed that the government has nixed using eyeballs, hooves or genitals in dogs.
However, and this is big, hot dogs can contain pig snouts and stomachs, cow lips and livers, goat gullets and lamb spleens. And if they do, it has to say so on the package. OK, I’m an adventuresome eater, but really, shouldn’t cows be the only ones chewing on cow lips?
My elementary school blunder exposed, I was mighty proud of myself for buying some “hog dogs” during my desk-less day at Full Quiver Farm in Suffolk yesterday. Scott and Alison Wilson and their nine children run Full Quiver following the earth- and animal-friendly principles of Polyface farm, which I wrote about in an earlier post. Their daughters, who tend the farm’s market, assured me the dogs were good and wholesome, something I could feed the (10-year old) baby girl on a school night, sans the guilt. (They are a bit pricey at about $2 each.) Just boil them, they advised. Grilling breaks the skin.
So in addition to two dozen beautifully colored (and noticeably heavier in the hand) eggs, ground beef, bacon (of course! and jowl bacon at that!) and a whole “pastured” chicken that was recently processed right on the property, I stuffed a pound of “hog dogs” in the cooler.
When I returned home, I read the AP story and quickly checked the “hog dog” ingredients. Pure and simple, as promised: pork, salt, spices, onion powder.
Out of the package, they are brawnier than regular dogs, a bit irregular in shape and the casing at the ends has a twist. For dinner, I boiled one as told to do, and yum! Truthfully, this tastes more like one of those lean, high end sausages. It’s dense and meaty and full of pork flavor, but with no sign of fat. And the snap of the skin is pretty darn pleasing.
If you have a craving, I’m sorry. I only have three dogs left and I’m not sharing.
But there’s a couple of ways to get these dogs yourself. One is to visit the farm market in Suffolk. Or, you could join one of their “clubs” and arrange to pick up an order at one of their “host” houses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News or Williamsburg. For details about delivery and prices and market hours, check them out at www.fullquiverfarm.com
Why the bum rap for bacon?
26
Aug 08
9:07 AM
Over dinner last night, conversation turned, as it often does, to bacon.
One of our dining companions – without the slightest sigh – pondered giving up real bacon altogether in favor of turkey bacon. Now I’ve got nothing against turkey bacon, but it’s no substitute for the real thing.
Personally, I think bacon has gotten a bum rap. It’s one of the finest seasonings around. Heck, our country was raised on pork seasoned beans and soups and rice. If your kin is of the Southern persuasion, your body is probably 2 or 3 percent bacon.
As usual, the bum rap comes from substance abuse. Fast food burgers with six slices of bacon, a “sandwich” made from bacon and Krispy Kreme donuts, people who eat a whole pound for breakfast.
Others try to be inventive. My colleague, Malcolm Venable, recently sent me an e-mail for a website that taunted New York Magazine for touting a recipe for a bacon-infused Manhattan cocktail. The elixir features bacon fat, bourbon and maple syrup.
No thank you, not today.
But there are plenty of bona fide culinary uses for bacon, probably more than you ever thought (including, I admit it, eating it right off the paper-towel covered plate). I learned this last December when I reviewed a volume titled, simply, “The Bacon Cookbook.”
Consider “Key West Conch and Bacon Stew.” Or “English Bacon and Cheddar Bread.” Or “Guacamole and Bacon Canapes.”
This time of year, I like to pinch a few fat, slightly sweet figs off the tree in my side yard (sorry neighbor!), quarter them, and wrap them in a cooked slice of bacon with a light schmear of blue cheese.
Bacon. It’s really nothing to be scared of. In fact, that fig thing I just mentioned? It’s divine.
Get your watermelon quota now!
25
Aug 08
9:10 AM
Summer – well summer proper anyway – is winding down, and I realized this weekend that I haven’t eaten near enough watermelon. At a girlfriend gathering, great triangles of sweet, pink watermelon were served up as a nosh – cool, sweet and thirst slaking.
I started thinking how watermelon is one of those truly singularly summer treats. I mean, even if you saw a watermelon in the market in February, would you eat it? Aside from the gigantic carbon footprint (read global guilt) that would be served alongside it, I just think eating watermelon in the wintertime would make me sad and mopey and start a big whine about weather.
So, it’s time to eat more watermelon. Last summer, I tried watermelon a different way, served as a salad with feta cheese. Here’s the recipe for “Watermelon and feta salad with ginger and chilies from a slim volume titled “Salads” by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern. It serves 4.
4 thick slices of watermelon
8 ounces feta cheese
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons nut oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 red chile, seeded and finely sliced
Kosher salt or sea salt flakes
Cut the watermelon into triangle wedges and remove the seeds. Cut the feta into long shards. Coarsely crush the peppercorns. Grate the ginger and squeeze the juice from the gratings into a small pitcher, or just run it through a garlic press. Add the lime juice and oil and beat with a fork.
Arrange watermelon slices on a plate standing vertically. Add the feta, crushed peppercorns and a little salt. Sprinkle with the ginger dressing sliced chile and serve.
There’s a little town in Arkansas which is famous for growing the largest watermelons in the world. The picture here is from the Hope, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce. The current Guinness World Record is 268.8 pounds, if anyone asks.
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