Marie Rama's Blog, page 6
February 6, 2014
Bacon Valentine's Day Cards
If for you, like me, bacon and love go hand in hand, link to this site for an endless assortment of bacon-themed cards and gifts to give your one and only bacon fan.
A Seasoner for All Seasons
Here’s a go-to blend of seasonings made with bacon, garlic, fresh ginger and herbs that you can whip up to improve a number of meat, fish, poultry and veggie dishes. Fortunately, many of these ingredients are usually readily available in your fridge.
Mix together in a small bowl 4 slices thick-cut chopped bacon, 4 medium-size chopped garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons each fresh chopped thyme and rosemary leaves, and 2 to 3 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger.
Uses for Seasoning Mix
This seasoning mix works well because the bacon releases its fat, salt and smokiness into the food as it cooks, adding assorted flavors and moisture. Just a few uses for this savory blend follow; I’m sure you can imagine lots more.
Stuff it under the skin of a whole chicken or chicken parts before roasting. Trapped between the skin and the flesh, the bacon moistens as the chicken cooks.
Sprinkle onto pieces of white fish set on aluminum foil; drizzle with olive oil, then wrap the fish and seasonings in the foil and bake until the fish is cooked.
Sprinkle the seasoning onto sweet potato wedges before roasting.
Cook the seasoning mix in a large skillet with a little hot olive oil over medium heat until the bacon is browned; then add 5 to 6 well beaten eggs. Let the mixture set into an omelet before flipping, removing from the pan, and serving.
Toss into bread stuffings for poultry or pork before cooking.
Saute ingredients in a little olive oil over medium heat until the bacon is browned and use as a topping for whole baked potatoes or roasted acorn squash.
Live well and enjoy your food!
Marie Rama
January 29, 2014
Rethinking Minestrone
While even a mediocre minestrone is a comforting meal on a cold winter day, there’s nothing like a superb version of this great Italian classic to really satisfy the soul.
Making a great minestrone calls for more technique and attention than simply throwing together a bunch of vegetables and broth into a soup pot. Here are important tips for getting your minestrone just right. Some of them are from my own testing and others, admittedly, come from the kitchens of other good home cooks.
1.) Use the freshest vegetables you can find.
2.) Add chopped bacon to the pot and use the rendered fat to saute the vegetables.
3.) Toss rinds of Parmesan cheese into the simmering soup. Sounds bizarre, but they add an imitable creaminess.
4.) In a pinch, you can use canned beans, but dried cannellini beans, first soak or par-boiled to soften, are a much better choice.
5.) Use homemade chicken stock as the soup’s base; if you only have store-bought stock, you can boost its insipid flavor by simmering a couple of carrots, a stalk of celery, a small onion and a few chicken bones in the stock; then strain and use this enriched broth to make your soup.
6.) First caramelize the vegetables in the bacon fat, then remove them from the pot and separately simmer the beans in the stock until nearly tender. Cooking the veggies and beans separately, preserves the flavor of the vegetables.
7.) Add aromatic herbs both to the simmering soup before it’s done cooking and at the end of the cooking process, as a flavorful garnish.
8.) Always serve with the finest, freshly grated Parmesan you can buy.
9.) Francisco J. Robert, offers a recipe for Minestrone in the Cook’s Illustrated magazine “Soups and Stews,” claiming that the secret to making a great minestrone, in part, is to use V-8 instead of canned or fresh tomatoes. After testing his recipe I have to agree; V-8 adds a distinctive vegetable brightness. See if you think so too. Here’s his recipe with a couple of my own minor modifications.
1/2 pound (about 1-1/3 cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon salt
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Half a head small green cabbage, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 packed cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
5 to 6 cups water, as necessary
3 cups homemade chicken broth (or see tip 5 above)
1 bay leaf
2 cups V8 juice
1 rind Parmesan cheese, about 3 x 3 inches and 1/4-inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
One baguette, sliced
1.) Combine the beans, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 quarts water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand about 1 hour. Drain beans and rinse under running cold water.
2.) Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, about 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and some of the fat is rendered, stirring occasionally. Add the olive oil, celery, onion, carrot and zucchini and cook about 9 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, stirring often.
3.) Stir in the cabbage, 2 tablespoons of the basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set them aside.
4.) Add the soaked and drained beans, 5 cups of water, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese rind, and bay leaf to the pot, and raise the heat to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
5.) Add the reserved vegetables and the V8 to the pot and cook about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If the soup seems a little too thick, add as much of the remaining 1 cup water as necessary to increase the liquid.
6.) Discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as desired.
7.) Garnish each serving with some of the remaining chopped basil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with baguette slices.
Serves 4 to 5
Now that you’ve got the recipe, get busy and make yourself a pot!
January 27, 2014
Fun Super Bowl Video
After Thanksgiving, Americans eat more food on SB Day than any other. More Super Bowl facts in this NYT’s video.
January 26, 2014
The Olive Oil Scam
When you spend lots of money on high-priced extra virgin olive oil from Italy, chances are you’re not getting what you paid for. Read this cartoon from the The New York Times that illustrates the olive oil crime.
January 24, 2014
Bacon Treats to Make Super Bowl Fans Cheer!
Throwing a Super Bowl party has become as much of an American tradition as gathering family around the Thanksgiving Day table. Chips and dips, pigs in blanket, guacamole and salsa are like turkey and pumpkin pie — the foods we’ve come to expect on game day. But, if you’re looking for something a…
Bacon Treats to Make Super Bowl Fans Cheer!
Throwing a Super Bowl party has become as much of an American tradition as gathering family around the Thanksgiving Day table. Chips and dips, pigs in blanket, guacamole and salsa are like turkey and pumpkin pie — the foods we’ve come to expect on game day. But, if you’re looking for something a little different to serve while watching this year’s Broncos-Sea Hawks battle, we recommend these bacon-laced recipes, from Bacon Nation.
To order Bacon Nation, click on this link:
http://therewillbebacon.tumblr.com/BaconNation
To watch videos showing you how to make our Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Scallions and Onions and our Bacon Swizzle Sticks, scroll to the end of this post.
Bacon Jam
Our Bacon Jam is easy to make, and packed with the slightly sweet, pungent flavors of bacon, ginger, jalapenos, Bourbon, brown sugar, and shallots.
Your guests will love it served with assorted cheese and crackers or as a condiment atop ground pork or beef sliders.
Candied Bacon Slices
For a simple bacon appetizer that’s perfect with beer or even a glass of good Scotch, serve up some Candied Bacon Slices. Lay slices of bacon on a rack over a foil-lined roasting pan; sprinkle generously with your favorite mix of seasonings such as curry, brown sugar, and a touch of cayenne …
… then, bake in a 400 degree oven 11 to 15 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Great as appetizer sticks with beer or other beverages.
Roasted Sweet Potato Sticks
Our Bacon Nation sweet potato recipe roasts sweet potato wedges in a luscious sauce of brown sugar, Bourbon, butter, shallots, fresh ginger and pieces of bacon.
For an alternate dish that’s more savory than sweet, cook half a pound of bacon until nearly crisp in a medium skillet; add 3 chopped scallions (white and green parts) and set the mixture aside.
Cut 3 sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch thick wedges, (don’t peel them!); place in a large bowl and sprinkle with a 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a dash of cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste. Toss to coat, then place in a single layer on a large roasting pan and roast in a 425 F oven about 15 to 20 minutes or until the wedges are browned and tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the bacon-scallion mixture, then return to the oven and roast another 5 minutes or just until heated through.
Serves 6 as an appetizer, 3 to 4 as a side dish.
Bacon Cheese Straws
Grated Parmesan cheese and cooked pieces of bacon are rolled into packaged puff pastry to make our crispy Bacon Nation cheese straws; they have just enough salt and fat to keep the hunger pangs away while waiting for the game to start! You’ll find these only in Bacon Nation!
Bacon Brisket and Beer Chili
A football party, especially one celebrating the Super Bowl, is a sad affair without a warm pot of chili to satisfy a crowd of hungry, cheering fans. Our Bacon Nation Brisket and Beer Chili has a long-list of ingredients, as laid out here …
… but chili fans will appreciate how bacon, beer, beef brisket cubes, ancho chiles, chipotle peppers, onions, fire-roasted tomatoes and 5 different spices elevate this common dish to an uncommon level.
Hmmm!!! Bacon Brisket and Beer Chili!
If you wish, you can make our chili a day or two before the game and reheat before serving.
Click on the links below to watch cooking videos of two more football party appetizers: Bacon Swizzle Sticks and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Scallions and Ginger. Even if your team doesn’t come out on top, making a couple of Bacon Nation dishes on game day will give every fan something to cheer about!
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Scallions and Ginger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2C_bKDeqE
Bacon Nation Swizzle Sticks:
January 16, 2014
Another reviewer likes Bacon Nation (Yes!)
You can read the review here: http://marydekokblowers.wordpress.com/
January 15, 2014
A Go-To-Dinner Favorite: Butternut Squash with Apples, Sage and Almonds
Sometimes a recipe works so well that it becomes one of your go-to dinner favorites. This favorite of mine is a side dish of caramelized butternut squash and apples finished with a sage/almond/olive oil pesto. Its multiple layers of flavors team up beautifully with pork, beef, or poultry roasts. No, bacon here! So vegans will love it, as well, for its full-meal heartiness.
2 butternut squash, about 4 pounds total
1/2 cup olive oil (more or less as needed)
2 teaspoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
2 large apples (any kind except Red or Golden Delicious)
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with two racks positioned in the bottom third of the oven.
2.) Peel the butternut squash; cut each in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut each half crosswise into slices about 1-inch thick.
Recipe Note: Every time I cut open a hard-shelled butternut squash, I remind myself, “Keep your fingers out of the way of the knife’s blade!” I use a Chinese cleaver and a honing steel or a heavy mallet to gradually pound the blade of the cleaver into the squash as pictured here. The hardest part is getting started, and it helps to cut off a small piece on the other side of the squash to keep it from rocking, before you make the first cut.
Keep pounding the top of the clever until you can slip it between the two halves to separate them completely.
Once you’ve halved the squash, remove the seeds and fibers with a metal spoon; then peel off its skin.
3.) Place the cut squash pieces in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle over the ginger, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using, and toss to mix well.
Recipe Note: Cayenne pepper is very intense, but when used sparingly it wakes up the other flavors in the dish. Just a little sprinkling over the squash is enough to have this effect.
4.) Place the squash in a single layer, on two baking sheets, dividing it equally.
5.) Roast in the preheated oven 10 minutes.
6.) While the squash bakes, peel and core the apples. Slice them into wedges about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. (Or, if you prefer, you can core the apples and slice them crosswise into rounds about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick.)
7.) Remove the squash from the oven and using long-handled tongs turn the pieces over. Add the apples to the baking sheet, dividing them evenly between the two sheets.
8.) Place the sheets back into the oven and roast 10 to 15 minutes more or until the squash is caramelized and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook the squash. You want it a little firm so it doesn’t fall apart when lifted from the baking sheets.)
9.) As the squash roasts, make the pesto: Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a small saucepan; add the sage and garlic, and cook over low heat just until the oil bubbles. Remove and discard one of the garlic cloves, then add the oil-sage mixture and the remaining garlic clove to the bowl of a mini food processor or blender container. Add the toasted almonds and process into a fine crumble, adding a little more olive oil if the mixture is stiff or difficult to process. (You’re making a pesto that is more nutty and less oily than a traditional pesto.)
Recipe Note: Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet until their ends are lightly browned, over low heat, stirring occasionally and watching them carefully to prevent them from burning. Depending on the pan and the heat of your range, this should take 5 to 8 minutes.
10.) Transfer the roasted squash and apples to a serving platter or bowl and spoon over the sage-almond pesto.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
January 11, 2014
I'm Cooking with Bacon at Chef Central!
Join me for a bacon cooking class at Paramus, New Jersey’s Chef Central to make two of my favorite Bacon Nation recipes: Butternut Squash and Bacon Galette and Chocolate-Peanut-Bacon Toffee.
Details on their website: http://www.chefcentral.com/pages/Baco...
