This week, I was on a lychee kick. An Asian market near where I work had bags of beautiful, colorful lychees and I simply had to have some. But other than eating them straight out of hand, I didn’t know what to do with them. They are yet another food item that I did not grow up with and only became familiar with at the end of some Chinese meals. So, I set out to find some good lychee recipes. But first, a little info…

What Are Lychees?

Lychees, also spelled litchis, are native to China. They’re a roundish tropical and subtropical fruit of the soapberry family. The outside rind is pinkish/reddish and is pliable but tough, and has a rough texture. This rind is inedible and must be peeled away. Underneath that rough skin, however, is a soft, juicy flesh that is unlike anything else. It’s sweet, with floral notes and an equally floral perfume, and creamy white with a slight translucence. Despite its softness, it’s also firm, which makes it ideal as both an eating fruit and a cooking fruit (where texture is desired). Beneath the flesh is a dark brown, hard pit, which can be germinated to grow a lychee tree. It’s particularly popular in China, parts of Southeast Asia, and India.

Okay, now that we know what it is, let’s cook with it!

Cooking with Lychees

I found a bunch of very interesting recipes, but my week was busy, so I focused on three: two beverages and a dessert.

The dessert was a Lychee Tapioca Pudding. It called for cooking tapioca pudding and adding the lychees to it. Now, I’m not that familiar with tapioca. Again, it’s not something common in Italian households. And the last time I had it was many moons ago. So, as tapioca puddings go, I’m not quite sure how it came out. It was very thick and sticky, which I don’t think it’s supposed to be. But the flavor was very fruity, although it could have used more sugar. This is it on the right.

The first beverage was Lychee-Coconut Frappe. This is made with coconut cream (not cream of coconut), lime, and, of course, lychees. These are pureed together in a blender, like a smoothie. It was mildly sweet with a decidedly tropical flavor. (It tasted like something I’ve had before, but I still haven’t been able to figure out what that is.) It was reminiscent of a piña colada, so I think adding some rum to it would be fabulous. I’m doing that tomorrow night.  Tonight it’s…

Lychee Margarita. That’s the second drink. Of the three recipes, I like this one the best. It’s like a margarita, but with a delicate fruity edge to it. Yum.

Lychees are a great source of vitamin C and other nutrients. According to Nutritiondata.self.com, 1 cup of raw lychees has 226% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, or 135.8 mg (according to the USDA), as well as some calcium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and B2 (riboflavin). They’re also high in something called polyphenol, which is an antiinflammatory and antioxidant. In China, they’ve been used to treat stomach ailments and as a source of nutrition to newborns; in fact, the Chinese have even used peeled lychees as pacifiers.

Aside from the fresh fruit, lychees are available canned. Like anything else that’s canned, the flavor is inferior to fresh lychees. But since the season for fresh lychees is summer (May, June, July, August), you may want to avail yourself of the canned stuff in other seasons. You can also find lychee juice, syrup, and puree on the market.

I’m going to get more lychees this week while they’re still around and try out some more recipes. Below is the recipe for Lychee Margaritas, from LycheesOnline.com. If you have a great lychee recipe, feel free to share it here. See you next week, everybody.

Peace

Lychee Margarita

1 cup lychee juice
1 cup lime juice (about 8 limes)
1 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons of salt
1 ½ cups tequila
1 ½ cups Triple Sec

Combine the juices, water, zests and sugar.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Rub the rims of your glasses with the leftover lime rind or lychees, then dip the rims in salt.
Fill the glasses halfway with ice.
Strain the juice thru a fine sieve into a pitcher or cocktail shaker.
Add the tequila, Triple Sec and crushed ice.
Stir or shake 30 seconds and strain into the glasses.

I’m kind of mad at myself because I used to have purslane growing wild in my pots. The dirt in my pots came from a large garden I had in my backyard (which I subsequently paved over for a patio). But I wanted to grow vegetables and herbs so I transferred the dirt from the ground to the pots. All kinds of things came out of that dirt: garlic, mint, and purslane.

Well, growing up in an Italian family, I didn’t know from purslane. With all the food research and writing I’ve done, I’d heard of it but I’d never actually seen it. After all, it’s not a common market item. Not here in the U.S., anyway. At least, not in New York, where I live. I thought they were weeds.

So, I pulled them. Yep, every year, I pulled them out and tossed them. Only last year did I find out that those weeds were actually purslane. Now it no longer grows in my pots. And they’re selling it at the farmer’s market for $2 a pound.

I’m very annoyed by this.

So, What Exactly Is Purslane?

There’s some discrepancy about purslane’s origins, but the consensus seems to be that it’s native to the Asian/Middle Eastern part of the world. Purslane has a thick, reddish stem with roundish leaves. It’s been likened to both spinach and watercress. Its leaves are used as herbs, particularly in France, and for salads, soups, and stir-fries throughout Europe, Asia, and in Latin American countries, where it’s known as verdolaga. But according to Wikipedia (and, therefore, it’s fact), in the U.S., it is considered a weed, hence its absence from most markets. (And it proves that I’m not a total dumbass.)

Purslane contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which most land-based plants don’t have, vitamins A, C, some B, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron, as well as antioxidants. Supposedly, the leaves can be used to relieve sores and insect and snake bites.

And it would appear that purslane/verdolaga is available jarred. Who knew? I certainly didn’t.

Now I’ll have to see if I can prod a purslane root or two back to life in my vegetable pots. It would irritate me if I had to start paying for it.

If you have purslane available (hopefully, growing like weeds in your garden), here are a couple of recipes to try. Let me know how you like them. Have a great week, everyone.

Both of these recipes are from Tuscon Community Supported Agriculture

Honey Dijon Purslane and Red Potato Salad

By Heidi DeCosmo
Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings

1 pound Red La Soda potatoes cut into medium cubes
Olive Oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped Purslane
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

Dressing
1/4 cup grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar

Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to boil. Cook about 15 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl combine the potatoes, purslane, onion and peppers. In a small bowl combine the mustard, honey and vinegar. Add the dressing to the salad and mix well.

Verdolaga (Purslane) and Walnut Pilaf

Lorraine Glazar, Tucson CSA

1 small to medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons oil
1 cup rice
2 cups water, stock or broth
1 share verdolagas, washed and chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the chopped onion in the oil until golden. Toss the rice in the pan until it is coated with oil. Add the liquid of choice and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook until all liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes to an hour (brown rice will take longer and may require a little more liquid). When rice is tender, toss in verdolagas and walnuts, season to taste, and serve it forth!

Adapted from a recipe in Sunset Magazine, June 2008 issue.

I’m very pleased to introduce my second guest blogger this week. Her name is Mary Griggs and she has an awesome food blog―very cleverly called Mouth Brothels―where she talks about all things food-related (a woman after my own heart) and offers fabulous restaurant reviews. She’s done me the honor of writing something up, so let’s get to it. Here’s Mary with her blog (and recipes) on grits.

Grits

I want to thank Roberta for this opportunity to guest blog for her. My topic is a quintessential American food―grits.  Made from hominy (the dry kernel of corn after the hull and germ have been removed), they were actually one of the first foods given by the Native Americans to the European colonists.

The difference between grits and polenta comes from the type of cornstarch

Photo by Ernesto Andrade

in the kernel. Grits are made from dent corn, while polenta comes from flint corn. This New World crop arrived in Italy during the 16^th century. Because corn was plentiful and cheap, treasure hunters used flint corn meal in the hold of their ships to hide gold from pirates on the high seas. It is believed that, during a famine, people in Spain, Portugal and Italy began using the packing material for food. What began as desperation rations later became part of the cuisine.

Grits aren’t just for breakfast, although nothing beats some creamy grits to start the day. No, this dish is a good accompaniment to the main course, whether it is animal, vegetable or seafood.

Here is a basic recipe for grits and one of the best ways to enjoy grits at dinner. For the best flavor, always use old-fashioned and NOT quick-cooking grits.

Creamy Grits

3 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream or half & half or water
1 cup old-fashioned grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the milk and cream in a 3-quart saucepan. Turn heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the grits. Continue stirring while the liquid comes to a boil. When the grits begin to bubble, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Mushroom Grillades (pronounced gree-odds)

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 lb Portobello mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
1 T Creole Seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped with white and green parts divided
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups mushroom stock or water
1/2 cup red wine
Salt, freshly ground pepper and Creole seasoning to taste
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Few dashes Tabasco
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley

Mushroom stock:

Place mushroom stems in a pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove stems and reduce liquid by half. You should have about 2 cups of mushroom stock.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven—cast iron is best. Rinse mushrooms and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Saute mushrooms with salt and pepper until liquid has been released. Remove from pot. Add 1/2 cup of oil to pot and stir in flour to make a roux. Stir constantly over medium heat until roux is dark brown but not burned―takes at least 20 minutes. Immediately add onion, bell pepper, celery and white part of green onions. Reduce heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add garlic, cook for another minute. Add mushrooms and then stir in tomatoes, stock and wine. Add remainder of ingredients except green onion tops and parsley and stir well. Simmer, covered, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When finished, add 1/4 cup green onion tops and parsley. Serve over grits.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and start to make grits a regular player at the table.

Bon Temps et Bon Appetit!

Check out my restaurant and food blog at:  Mouth Brothels

My website is: www.marygriggs.com

Now, here’s the main show: Mamey.

I’ve never had a mamey. There are two reasons for this:

1)      They’re very hard to find. You definitely won’t find them outside of a Latin/Hispanic (or, occasionally, Asian) market, but even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll find them. The markets in my neighborhood cater to a Latin community and they still don’t carry them.

2)      They’re expensive.

The mamey (pronounced mah-mee, like “mommy”) for me has been one of those elusive things that I always knew I’d pounce on if I was every lucky enough to spot it. (And mangosteens. But that’s another discussion.) My interest was especially piqued when I saw celebrity chef Daisy Martinez use them on her TV show, Daisy Cooks.

While frozen mamey pulp has been available, fresh mamey has been notoriously difficult to find. I haven’t been able to find out why. (Although I read somewhere that U.S. government tight-asses screamed like little girls when they found out that the mamey pit is considered to be some sort of narcotic or toxin or something. Pansies.) But, happily, the era of mamey embargo seems to be coming to an end.

Eureka!

I just started a job in April. I have a really long-ass commute and I hate it, particularly since I commuted from Brooklyn to Jersey City for almost 15 years (bear with me, there’s a point to this). I’m really over long-haul commutes. But one good thing about where I now work is that it’s smack in the middle of a thriving Latin community, comprising numerous Central and South American cultures, and markets abound to cater to them. For a foodie like me, it’s paradise having access to multicultural ingredients like that.

When I first started this job, I went exploring in the neighborhood and fell in love with one particular market, which had not only ingredients essential to Latin cuisine but excellent prices as well. It was there that I spotted the elusive mamey sapote, and my eyes bugged out. Unfortunately, I was pretty broke at the time and simply couldn’t afford the hefty price of $5.99 a pound. And because mameys are heavy fruits, and these were pretty big specimens, I knew I’d be looking a nice amount of money. I continued seeing them there, but they started to look not-so-fresh. With each passing week, they looked worse and worse. Then, yesterday, I went to get myself a mango and some bananas and, lo! A fresh batch of mameys! Some small ones, too. And I had money in my pocket. (Still, at $5.99/lb., and with my other purchases, I blew my whole wad!)

But What Is a Mamey?

Mamey, also called sapote or pouteria, comes from the mamey sapote tree. Its skin is brown and somewhat rough and slightly bumpy, but its flesh is orange, creamy, and sweet. It’s reminiscent of papaya in both color and flavor. The flavor, however, has a potato-y edge, and, in fact, it has been likened to sweet potato, which I concur. The texture is smooth, but with a subtle graininess to it, lending to it potato-iness (I just made that up). Some people have said that it reminds them of sweet potatoe pie and pumpkin pie. Someone even said it reminds them of vanilla ice cream with a little pumpkin added. I don’t know about that last one, but can see the pumpkin analogy.

Photo by Fibonacci

Mamey is eaten raw, but is also very popular in smoothies and shakes, as well as ice cream and in baked goods. If you’re lucky enough to spot them, look for fruit that is smooth and unblemished. By that, I mean there shouldn’t be any soft/mushy dents, mold or discolored parts. And it should not be confused with a mammee apple, which is similar looking but is not the same thing. However, I don’t think you’ll have this problem―as hard as it is to find mameys, it’s probably twice as hard to find mammee apples (picture here).

A ripe mamey yields a bit when you press into it. I think mine was half ripe. Half of it was soft, while the other half was as hard as rock. It has an interesting pit in the center―oblong and smooth, and its shape rather reminded me of a closed mussel shell. It’s actually quite pretty. But it’s useful, too. The seeds have been used to make insecticide and treatments for parasitic skin diseases.

I Like My Fruit to Do Double Time

Okay, that’s cool. Because mameys, like so many other fruits, do other things for you besides make you go, mmmm. It’s high in vitamins A and C and potassium, and is an excellent source of dietary fiber and calcium. It’s been used for stomach ailments, headaches, venereal disease, and as an antiseptic.

So, here’s the good news: Because so many Latin Americans use mamey in their cuisine, the demand for it is heralding a wide-spread introduction to mameys, and it’s very possible that mameys might be coming to a store near YOU!

And because I like to be optimistic about these things, I’m giving you a few mamey recipes to try out. I made a batido (milkshake) with mine. I used soymilk and it came out yummy. I topped it off with a tropical drink umbrella to make it more festive. (Okay, so I keep little drink umbrellas around. So?)

Keep in mind that you can use frozen mamey pulp for these recipes instead of fresh, so look for it in Latin markets and well-stocked supermarkets. Let me know what you think. Until then, happy summer, happy Van Duzer Days, and ENJOY!

Frozen Mamey Sapote Mousse

1 cup mamey pulp
¾ cup sugar
1 envelope gelatin
½ cup cold water
½ cup boiling water
2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp salt

Rub fruit through a sieve or put through a food mill to remove any fiber. Mix sugar and salt with fruit pulp. Soak gelatin in cold water, then dissolve in the boiling water. Blend with fruit mixture. Chill until mixture thickens, then whip until light. Whip the heavy cream until stiff and fold into mamey mixture. Freeze.

Recipe courtesy of Virtual Herbarium

Mamey Muffins

Yield: 24 mini muffins

2 Florida eggs
1 1/4 cups Florida sugar
2 cups mamey, peeled, seeded and pureed
1 1/2 cup Florida milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup Florida pecans, chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar

Beat together eggs and sugar. Add mamey and milk. Mix together flour, soda and spices and add to mamey mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together pecans, butter and sugar. Drop mamey batter into greased mini muffin tins and top each with a teaspoon of pecan mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done.

Recipe courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Batido de Mamey

Cuban Milk Shakes

1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
1 cup fresh ripe mamey cubed (You may subsitute frozen mamey pulp, available in many Latin markets.)
1/2 cup crushed ice

Put everything in the blender except the ice and process until frothy. Add the crushed ice and process until the ice is ground fine and the batido is thick and rich. NOTE: The condensed milk is a very Cuban addition. You may omit this ingredient to your taste.

Recipe courtesy of Three Guys from Cuba

This past week, Melynda told me that she was going to be cooking for an impromptu wedding for her friend and that she would be making mehndi (henna tattoo) cupcakes instead of a wedding cake. I just about fell off my chair when I read that. And I thought, “Yes! That is what I want you to write about.” So, without further ado, here is my fabulous guest, Melynda Huskey, and her cupcakes.

Mehndi and Marigold Wedding Cupcakes

My life as a cook, which started in first grade with white sauce (and why?  I blame my maternal great-grandmother, a turn-of-the-century scientific homemaker whose brooding influence on our dusting, laundry-folding, and canning has not been one whit diminished by more than 40 years of death), has been always been punctuated by unpredictably intense states of obsession with achieving some perfect culinary object.  For five years I was a burden to my friends as I sought the perfect sugar cookie.   Before that, it was the perfect French Breakfast Roll (a sugar-and-cinnamon dipped muffin sacred to my childhood).  Sandwich bread.  Pie crust.  Jalapeno Creamed Spinach. One by one, I’ve nailed them, after arduous labor.

Except vanilla cupcakes.

I’m well known, in a small-town way, for my cupcakes. Everyone who has eaten my cooking has had a cupcake, and mostly, they’ve loved them.  Which would be great, of course, except that, honestly?  Not an achievement.  It’s just the soft tyranny of low expectations, to coin a phrase. Like a curly-headed child actor, all a cupcake has to do is show up in a cute outfit and wave.

But that’s not enough for me.  I want CUPCAKE.  Like this:  Perfectly mounded tops, with a sugary-crisp crust that yields to the teeth with just a hint of modest reluctance.  A moist, tender, clinging crumb, and a spongy, springy texture.  Yellow like a buttercup, a primrose, a bowl of thickly-clotted cream.  And with a fragrance of vanilla, butter, and first love.

The essence of cupcake.  It has eluded me for years. It has become my Holy Grail.

Three weeks ago, I found out that two dear friends had decided to get married, more or less on the spur of the moment—except they were going to have to do it at least twice, to accommodate everybody else’s physical, legal, and familial geography, and neither performance was going to suit them much.

“Come to our house,” I said. “We’ll have a nice picnic, Joan’s got her internet ministerial credentials, and . . .”

“You’ll make cupcakes??” asked the bride with a gleam in her eye, who once told a roomful of people that if I made cupcakes out of dirt, she’d be first in line to get one.

What else? Three weeks to the perfect cupcakes.  The happy couple had no wishes, although when I pressed her, the bride thought it would be fine if the cakes matched her outfit—turquoise and chocolate brown.

That was not enough for me.  These cupcakes needed to be perfect.  I wanted them to reflect the incredibly quirky, fraught, hilarious, geeky, adorable bride and groom, and their sweet, self-conscious devotion.  Somehow I wanted the cupcakes to contain every cool, weird, unpredictable thing that I love about these two.

Inspired by the bride’s gorgeous Indian silk stole, I settled on marigolds, the traditional Indian wedding flower, and turquoise-frosted cakes piped with bridal henna designs in chocolate frosting.  And the cake, snagged at the last moment from the King Arthur Flour website, uses a technique as off-center as my friends and as sweet.  Not perfect, but real—just like them.

Adorably Odd Vanilla Cupcakes (freely adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Golden Vanilla Cake)

Two hours or so before you want to make your cake, take out all the ingredients and line them up on the counter to reach room temperature.  When you start mixing the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F.

2 cups sugar
3 ¼ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter
1 ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon high-quality bourbon
4 large eggs

Sift the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl.  On low speed, beat in the very soft butter.  It’ll look and feel like you could make a great sand castle with it. Pour in the milk, vanilla, and bourbon and mix at medium speed for one minute.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition.

Fill your paper-lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full.  You should easily get 24 cupcakes.  I got 2 dozen plus an 8” square pan that the kids ate at snack time. Bake them about 20 minutes, but watch them carefully in the last few minutes.  Nothing is sadder than a dry, overbaked cuppie.

Frost however you like.

My family celebrates Easter and I always remember that day as being filled with the sights and smells of incredible food. Two of the traditional Easter main dishes for Italian families are lamb and goat. (I could never bring myself to eat either, but I’ve been told that goat has a milder flavor and aroma than lamb.) Along with that, we would have an array of antipasti (appetizers), pasta (of course), and side dishes.

The antipasti usually consisted of artichoke hearts, mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives, cheeses, marinated mushrooms, dried sausage, Insalata Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad), salami, prosciutto, and stuffed mushrooms.

The main course was accompanied by such things as mushrooms and peas, broccoli raab,  stuffed peppers roasted potatoes, eggplant parmesan, stuffed artichokes, and various types of bread.

But Easter, like many other holidays, is also accompanied by “signature” desserts. After the last of the meal is gone and people have had time to loosen their belts for a bit, Italians are ready to indulge in the traditional desserts of panettone (big bread), pandoro (golden bread), and especially la colomba (the dove). Panettone and pandoro are also enjoyed at Christmas, but the colomba (sometimes called Colomba Pasquale, or Easter dove) is exclusively for Easter. They’re all fluffy, light, egg-based cakes, but the difference between them is the added ingredients: panettone usually includes citron, candied fruit, and raisins; the colomba usually has only candied fruit and is topped with sugar and almonds; and the pandoro is nothing but cake, but is topped with powdered sugar.

Panettone

The significance of the colomba is a message of peace, the dove being the symbol of peace. In the Catholic faith, it also symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It’s been around for centuries and, consequently, numerous stories exist about the origin of the cake. There are several popular stories, but each is an off-shoot of the other and blends history with romance and folklore.

Pandoro

One version goes that in the 12^th century, Emperor Frederico I, also known as Barbarossa (Red Beard), invaded and conquered the Italian city of Pavia and was crowned King of Italy there in 1154. He demanded that all the virgins of the city were brought to him, after which he’d destroy the city. Barbarossa was known to love dove hunting, so the people of Pavia asked all the bakers of the town to bake a cake in the shape of a dove. Each virgin girl was given a cake to present to the Emperor. After he’d tasted them all, he was so full and satisfied that he softened his position and freed the virgins and let the city of Pavia stand.

A variation on this has the origin at a few centuries before, the 6th, when King

Barbarossa

Alboino was terrorizing Pavia and demanded 12 young virgins (these guys have got to stop with the virgins!). One young woman made a cake in the shape of a dove to symbolize both purity and peace and presented it to the king. The king was so touched by the gesture that he had a change of heart about his decree.

Yet another story tells us that the people of Milan saw three doves fly from a church during Battle of Legnano in Lombardy against Barbarossa. They believed it was this event that sparked their victory over Barbarossa. The Milanesi celebrated throughout the years by eating the Colomba cake, with its delicate texture and golden crust.

Here’s a recipe for a Colomba, from Academia Barilla. Let me know if you give it a try and what you think.

Have a great holiday, everyone. And more than ever…peace.

In my part of the country (New York), summer has been a fleeting thing the past several years. I remember the days when it was hot in May, and it would stay sunny and hot throughout June, July, August, and even September. Now, it’s cold and rainy through June, then we finally get some heat and sunshine in July. By September, it’s already cooling off. Just last week, New York experienced an unbelievable wind and rain storm that left hundreds of broken umbrellas lining the streets like blankets. And look what’s going on in the rest of the world: earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes. Global warming, people, is messing with us.

So, with the weather making us all crawl back inside and hibernate, my mind turns to the topic of comfort food. It’s funny how people consider many of the same things as comfort food.There are differences that have to do with the region or country you grew up in, the cultural make-up of your community, and your economic status growing up. (Of course, your heritage or nationality will play a huge role in this—someone who grew up in a Chinese household, for example, will have different ideas of comfort food than someone who grew up in an Indian household.)

Yet, despite these conditions, many things we consider comfort food in this country seem to be across the board: Mac ‘n’ cheese, anyone? What’s interesting is that restaurants are responding to this need for comfort food. One of the most prevalent crazes, in my opinion, of the past few years is the transformation of comfort foods into “gourmet cuisine.” Take that good ol’ mac ‘n’ cheese, for instance. Chefs are turning this favorite into a specialty by using different and/or multiple cheeses (sometimes expensive ones) or enhancing its depth by employing different cooking methods. And by adding new ingredients, chefs can change the flavor profile. Some green chiles will turn it into a Southwest dish; Indian spices will yield curried mac ‘c’ cheese; and use some shaved truffles for a decidedly French twist. In fact, you can add just about anything to macaroni and cheese to turn it into your own personal dish. I like the idea of veggies. If you’re a meat-eater, you can add ground beef, chicken, or turkey. How about shredded salmon or tuna? Mac ‘n’ cheese is pretty wide-open to interpretation. (I really wouldn’t add Reese’s Pieces or Skittles or anything like that, though.)

However, I must say at this point that because of my background—that is, my Old World Italian upbringing—mac ‘n’ cheese was not something I grew up with. So, while it has become the occasional comfort food for me, it’s really not the first thing I think of when I want something comforting . For me, it’s simple noodle soup or a grilled cheese sandwich.

How about you? I’d love to hear what you all consider comfort food. What do you turn to when you need a bit of warmth, comfort, and security? And if you can tell me why those particular foods, I’d absolutely love it. (I love finding out the origins of things, especially when it comes to eating habits.) So, please leave a comment. That would be awesome. In the meantime, here’s a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Proscuitto and Taleggio, from Bon Appetit, March 2002, and a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumbs, Plain and Chipotle, originally appearing in Gourmet (R.I.P), December 1999. Enjoy!

Okay, everyone. Here’s hoping we’ve seen the last of winter nastiness, wherever you are, and that spring will arrive very soon. I think we all need it.

Ciao.

By: André Karwath aka Aka

Umm, have you guessed the theme yet? That’s right, you’ve won the prize. It’s chocolate! That’s because February is Celebration of Chocolate Month, all hinged on one day: St. Valentine’s Day, this Sunday. (Incidentally, February 14 is specifically National Creme-Filled Chocolates Day. Gee, I wonder why.)
Chocolate has a fascinating history, beginning in the New World. Native to Central and South America, chocolate has been used since at least 1100 B.C. The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec Nuahatl word xocolatl, meaning “bitter water.” This was a ceremonial drink that the Aztecs made by  mixing chocolate paste with herbs and spices and shaking it in a hollowed-out gourd until it frothed. More directly, “chocolate” comes from a combination of Nahuatl and Mayan dialects for the term “cacao water,” chocolatl. They also used cacao medicinally and called chocolate “food of the gods.”

Cacao pods

[Excerpt from What, No Meat?]
In 1502, Columbus sent cacao beans back to Spain but no one took an interest, most likely because of their bitterness. In 1519, however, explorer Hernando Cortez tasted the Aztec drink and sent the beans once again to Spain. The beans found their way to a monastery where monks added sugar to it. It became a hit, but the details of chocolate-making were kept secret until the Jews were driven out of Spain in the mid-1500s. They went to France and shared the Spanish monks’ secret. French royalty took a liking to it and, naturally, it became elite. It was so expensive that a smuggling ring began in England and Holland to bring in beans illegally from Venezuela. Exclusive “chocolate clubs” opened up where the rich could indulge in it, and it was even used as currency. In 1847, British confectioners added sugar to cocoa and invented the chocolate bar. In 1876, a Swiss, Daniel Peter, invented  milk chocolate for eating after eight years of experimenting.

Where Chocolate Comes From

Chocolate literally grows on trees in cacao pods. After they are harvested, the beans and pulp are removed from the pod, then allowed to ferment.  Here is a further explanation of the process from Wikipedia:

Dried cacao pods

“After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Because this cocoa mass usually is liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. The liquor also may be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Unsweetened baking chocolate (bitter chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids (and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).”

It’s appropriate that chocolate has become so associated with Valentine’s Day because it is believed that chocolate has the same effect on the brain as falling in love and is, therefore, considered an aphrodisiac. And studies have shown that eating chocolate lowers the risk of fatal heart attacks. I mean, come on, if that’s not a reason to eat chocolate, what is?

Keep an eye out on news in the chocolate world. One of these days, you  may end up buying something other than what you wanted. In 2007, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMS), on behalf of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States, petitioned the FDA to allow them to use vegetable fats and milk substitutes instead of real cocoa butter and milk products, yet still call the end product “chocolate.” The most well-known members of this group are Hershey (the largest chocolate manufacturer in the U.S.), Nestle, and Archer Daniels Midland, an agricultural conglomerate. The FDA rejected the petition, so our chocolate is safe for now. But anything can change. You can read the story Here or for a bunch of links, go HERE.

In the meantime, enjoy the yumminess that is chocolate. No one needs an excuse to buy chocolate, but St. Valentine’s Day is a good one anyway. Mind you, National Celebration of Chocolate Month and National Creme-Filled Chocolates Day are not the only chocolate holidays. No, no, no. Here’s a list of a few more:

February 19                          Chocolate Mint Day
March 24                                National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day
April 21                                   National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
May 15 & August 4                    National Chocolate Chip Day
June 22                                   National Chocolate Éclair Day
June 26                                   National Chocolate Pudding Day
July 7                                      National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
July 28                                    National Chocolate Milk Day
Sep 13                                     International Chocolate Day
October 28,
December 28 and 29             National Chocolate Day
November 7                       National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day
Dec 16                                   National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day
3^rd Week March                American Chocolate Week

Oh, yeah! Chocolate all year long! And that’s just in the United States. Wooo!

And to get you started, here’s a recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse (with my approximate American conversions), from JustChocolateRecipes.com. Enjoy!

Valentine's Day card, 1910

Until next week, have a great Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

250 g Dark chocolate (1 cup + 1 tbsp)
5 lg Eggs, whites and yolks separated
1 tsp Orange rind (grated) and extra for garnish
2 tb Roasted hazelnuts or pecan nuts (lightly crushed)
1 tb Caster sugar (“superfine” in the U.S.; otherwise, use confectioners’ sugar)
pinch Cream of tartar

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Once melted, remove and allow to cool a little.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, and mix in. Add in orange rind.

Beat egg whites, caster sugar and cream of tartar until it forms soft peaks and fold into the chocolate mixture. Add roasted pecan or hazelnuts.

Pour the mixture into individual bowls and refrigerate. Serve with sour cream, mint and grated orange rind.

Which brings me to my topic for this week: February is National Snack Food Month! Now, snack food is not necessarily comfort food, but for some, it is. And it’s particularly appropriate that I’m writing about snack food today because I’m craving it for an entirely different reason, and it is a source of comfort for me during those times. I think you know what I mean. Moving on…

Pizzelle

Samosas

Just as comfort food means something different for everyone, snack foods means something different for everyone, too. To Americans, it may be potato chips and Oreo cookies. To Italians, it can be sweet pizzelle smothered with Nutella, or savory arancini (rice balls).  In China, a stop at a dim sum house is a good bet for an on-the-go treat, while samosas are ubiquitous at street stands all over India. (Just to get an idea of what your neighbors around the world are munchin’ on, take at look at this Village Voice slideshow on “Strange Snacks of the World.”)

But Americans do tend to gravitate towards the snack-food aisle of the grocery store, where we are bombarded with choices from potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, cheese doodles, Ring Dings, Yodels, Twinkies, Snowballs… and the list goes on. What’s interesting is that snack food companies have jumped on the healthy-eating bandwagon and even the low-carb bandwagon and now offer alternatives to the traditional American snack foods: baked chips, popped chips, soy chips, rice crisps, etc. These are variably lower in fat, cholesterol, carbs, and gluten, so depending on what kind of diet you’re on, check the label to make sure it suits your needs.

What exactly is a popped chip? you ask. Popchips are potato chips that are not fried or baked, but are popped with heat and pressure. I’ve had them and they are really crunchy and tasty, reminiscent of puffed corn snacks (not popcorn). One ounce (22 chips) are 120 calories and 4 grams of fat, versus regular potato chips, which have 150 calories and 10 grams of fat (from Nutritiondata.com). They come in 7 flavors and can be found at various stores around the country.

According to the Snack Food Association, “SFA and the National Potato Promotion Board (NPPB) initiated National Snack Food Month in February 1989 to increase consumption and build awareness of snacks during a month when snack food consumption was traditionally low. The result has been a substantial increase in snack food sales during this month. The promotion kicks off on Super Bowl Sunday and publicity is generated throughout the month of February.”

Let me just say that I try to eat healthily and avoid processed foods as much as I can. But there are times—let’s just say once a month—when absolutely nothing will do but a salty, crunchy bucket o’ carbs. My personal favorites are barbecue, sour cream and onion, garlic and onion (Wise),  and cheddar cheese in the potato chip department, tortilla chips, and crunchy cheese doodles. I love fruit but even for me, fruit just doesn’t cut it. I also enjoy healthy snacks, such as rice cakes and trail mix, but it just can’t deliver on the salt and crunch factor.

Having said that, there are ways to satisfy that salty/crunch craving without planning ahead for that triple bypass surgery in the future. You can certainly opt for the low-fat, baked, low-carb varieties, but a great way to enjoy these types of snacks and still keep it healthy is to make some yourself. My favorite homemade snack is pita chips. They’re easy to make and actually cost you less than most bags of processed chips. Uh huh—a package of pita bread is about $1.99 (I get them for 99¢), and then it’s a few pennies more for a little oil and some spices. The average bag of chips (unless they’re on sale) will run you between $2.59 and $3.99. “Fancy” chips and organic chips are even more. And for your $1.99 investment on the pita bread, you’ll get a ton of chips.

So, when you’re jonesing for that disgusting, ultra-fattening, artery hardening, take-years-off-your-life stuff, give the recipe below a try.  You can eat them plain or with dips and salsa. Really, really yummy.

Stay warm, everyone.

Pita Chips

1 package pita bread
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea or kosher salt to taste
1/4 herb and spice mix of your choice*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut open the pita breads and stack the rounds. Cut the rounds into 8 triangles and spread them out on a couple of large baking sheets. Brush them with a little olive oil. Sprinkle salt on them (as much or as little as you like), then sprinkle the herb/spice mix over them.

Bake until chips are crisp, anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bread.

Transfer them to a basket and serve with dip or salsa.

*The herb/spice mix can be whatever flavor profile you like. You can do an Italian/Mediterranean  flavor by using basil, parsley, oregano, and garlic powder; a Middle Eastern flavor by using cumin and coriander; or a Tex-Mex flavor by using chili powder and cumin. Other  ideas: rosemary, dillweed, onion powder, paprika, cracked black pepper, sesame seeds, or cinnamon and sugar for a sweet version (don’t serve those with salsa, though).

Photos of pizzelles and pitas: www.kingarthurflour.com

I’m glad for the good things that have happened, and I’m grateful that my life situations weren’t as bad as they were for others. But, still, I close the book on 2009 with a bon voyage and good riddance.

So many people have suffered this past year, especially where money is concerned. I’m not big on money, but life is always easier when you have it. I firmly believe that money isn’t everything and that if you have good health, you’re way ahead of the game. But not everyone has their health, and I—along with many others—learned that health often costs money. For those of us who cannot afford health care, money suddenly took on new meaning.

And so, in that vein, I want to offer here a recipe for Hoppin’ John. It is said that eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day brings good luck, and eating it with collard greens will make you rich. Okay, so it’s past New Year’s Day, but you can’t lose anything by eating some in the first week of the new year.

This recipe for Hoppin’ John is vegetarian and can be found at Vegsource.com.

Incidentally, a pox on Optimum/Cablevision for dropping The Food Network from its program lineup. It’s one of the most popular channels and I think it’s a slap in the face to the millions of people who enjoy it. Cablevision, stop being cheap and give Scripps more money to keep The Food Network!

So, Happy New Year, everyone! May the new year be better than the last.

Peace.