Rachael Ray's Blog, page 85

Know your produce - The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15

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I don’t know about you but I start to glaze over when I hit the supermarket produce section and have to decide what is an absolute must to buy organic and what is ok to go with non-organic. In a perfect world, I would buy all organic (and make that local too) produce but it can be pricey. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) issued a “Dirty Dozen” list - a list of actually 14 fruits and vegetables that should be at the top of your “buy organic” list, as well as the “Clean 15″ - a list of fruits and veggies which are lowest in pesticides.

“The Dirty Dozen”

Buy organic:

Apples
Celery
Sweet bell peppers
Peaches
Strawberries
Nectarines – imported
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Blueberries – domestic
Potatoes
Green beans
Kale/Greens

” The Clean 15″

Lowest in Pesticide

Onions
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Cabbage
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Kiwi
Cantaloupe
- domestic
Sweet potatoes
Grapefruit
Watermelon

THE ICONIC BURGER

As Labor Day nears, grilling season is upon us.  And just in time, our good friend and one of America’s favorite cooks, Rachael Ray, has come out with her twentieth cookbook, The Book of Burger. Her first single topic book covers in over 300 recipes “burger and his buddies - dogs, sandwiches, and sides.”  What better choice of subject?  As Rachael puts it, “Burgers are iconic because they say who we are. Everyone is included. You can afford this. It’s a moveable feast.” Ain’t that the truth?  Travel across America, and everywhere you go, you’ll find stops you have to make on the iconic food pilgrimage: Louis’  Lunch in New Haven to taste the original burger, according to local lore;  Hot Dog Johnny’s in Buttzville, New Jersey, for a chili dog with a birch beer in a frosted mug; and you can’t go to the Jersey Shore without having a Taylor Ham roll sandwich.  And I’m not even out of the Northeast!

You can find your way across this country using burger joints

the way a navigator uses stars. Charles Kuralt

As kids growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, we enjoyed  burgers two ways: in the backyard on the grill, or at the local diner, coffee shop, or drive in. At home, everyone had their own preferred way to cook them.  My dad ate his seared and  blue; my mom liked hers well done. Condiment additions were crucial.  It was all about the meat then.  There is something about a classic beef hamburger that satisfies the human animal - that charbroiled meat from the fire. It’s been immortalized in American film and television. Who can forget Arnold’s burger joint in Happy Days or The Olympia Diner on Saturday Night Live with John Belushi behind the counter. There was only one offering available to the customers there:

Cheeseburga, cheeseburga, cheeseburga. John Belushi

Today there is every kind of burger available- Kobe beef, pork, salmon, tuna, turkey, chicken, veggie, and grain, to name a few. Rachael features them and others in The Book of Burger: a Wellington Burger with steak and pate; Cuban Patty Melts with yellow mustard slaw; and a Spanikopita chicken burger with spinach and feta. Plus there are all kinds of hot dogs and sloppy sandwiches. Even homemade pickles. And since Rachael has been hosting the Burger Bash at South Beach and New York Food and Wine Festivals for years, she includes the winning burger recipes from famous chefs.  As Rachael points out, “Great food has hit the streets, and in this economy, the top chefs have brought their food to the people.”

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Photograph by Romulo Yanes

I think that one of the biggest innovations of the day is the rise of the small burger, the now ubiquitous SLIDER. Once found only at cocktail parties and fancy bars, today you can get slider rolls in your local supermarket. They are the perfect size for eating in combination with other favorite foods. This Labor Day weekend, most Americans will pull out the grill at some point. And we all know that everyone love burgers. With sliders, you can make a few different kinds easily.  I personally love being able to have a slider, a dog and a sausage sandwich!.  And here’s some great news!  Rachael said that she is planning to open a slider bar with specialty fountain drinks and Bloody Mary flights on Sundays.  I, for one, can’t wait. The plan is to open in New York, and eventually move to several cities. Now that would make Charles Kuralt happy!

To help with your menu planning for Labor Day, Rachael is sharing a recipe from The Book of Burger with us. It’s a 5- Spice Burger with Warm Moo Shu Slaw. It’s the perfect twist on your favorite Mu Shu Pork or Chicken, served up on a bun.  Enjoy this end of summer grilling treat!

Photograph above by Romulo Yanes

5-SPICE BURGERS with WARM MU SHU SLAW

Serves  4

Ingredients:

BURGERS:

1 1⁄2 pounds ground pork or chicken

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

2 cloves garlic, grated or

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced

2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Vegetable oil, for drizzling

MU SHU SLAW:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced

1⁄3 to 1⁄2 pound cabbage, such as napa or Savoy, shredded

2 or 3 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced on an angle

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4 cornmeal-dusted or sesame kaiser rolls, split and lightly toasted

Preparation:

Make the burgers: In a large bowl, combine the pork or chicken, 5-spice powder, garlic, ginger, scallions, tamari, and a drizzle of oil; mix thoroughly. Score the mixture into 4 equal portions and form them into patties slightly thinner at the center than at the edges for even cooking and to ensure a !at surface burgers plump as they cook). Drizzle the patties with oil.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Cook the burgers, flipping once, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

While the burgers are cooking, make the slaw: Heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook the shiitakes 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the scallions and hoisin sauce, toss to combine, and remove from the heat.

Place the burgers on the roll bottoms and pile high with slaw. Set the roll tops in place.

Copyright © 2012 by Rachael Ray from THE BOOK OF BURGER published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

Ever make something on a whim that turns out to be such a hit you can hardly believe it? Well, that happened to me today. I threw a brunch for my father-in-laws birthday and at the last minute decided to add chicken salad to my usual bruncheon fare. I really wasn’t expecting to make anything else but felt my spread could use an extra protein boost. Chicken salad seemed like a dish that everyone would like and I knew I could easily prep it in advance. I roasted the chicken the night before using skin-on, bone in breasts which I really believe is the key to making a rockin’ chicken salad. Roasting the chicken in whole pieces allows the chicken to remain super moist  and keeping that skin on just imparts so much more flavor. While the chicken cooled, I made the dressing and the whole thing came together in a snap. I refrigerated it overnight and simply popped it out of the fridge right before the guests came. To serve,  I simply mounded it up in a pretty bowl on top of some romain lettuce and alongside croissants, crackers and some crisp endive. The cranberries give the salad a nice sweetness and the almonds, a delightful crunch.

Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups roasted chicken, diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, minced
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Add in chicken, celery, onion, cranberries and almonds and stir until well combined. Serve alongside pieces of endive, crackers or sandwich rolls.

Supermarket Score! Bitters

“Supermarket Score!” is all about taking a look at the great deals and delicious meals that are hidden in lesser-known yet commonly found supermarket items.

Often when reading through food magazines and watching cooking shows on TV, I hear people talk about how much they love adding the flavors of their favorite cocktail to their dinner. Zingers like “Margarita Chicken” or “Bloody Mary BBQ” are cheeky and all, but I’d personally rather save my alcohol for drinking rather than cook it all away. That’s why, for this week’s Supermarket Score, I’m encouraging you to take a look - not at cocktails, per se - but at what flavors them. This week is all about bitters.

In a world long preceding the *ahem* wonders that are Whipped Cream and Birthday Cake flavored vodkas, the classic cocktail was king (which, I’m told, is back to being in vogue right now). Many a classic cocktail is based on ratios of a single spirit, typically something stronger like whiskey or gin, mixed with a little acid or bitters. Bitters are a highly concentrated blend of spices, herbs, and aromatics that are steeped together and used to add depth and flavor to cocktails. Think of them as seasoning salts for your bar.

Equated nowadays with the utmost in modern masculine chic, the use of bitters in mixology is exploding. With that comes a growing portfolio of flavors like orange, rhubarb, grapefruit, chocolate, and many many more. Where it all started, though, was in two original formulas: Peychauds and Angostura. These two varieties of bitters were conceived originally as tonics sold in apothecaries as health aids to digestive ailments. You can find them now on the shelves of supermarkets near the bar mixes.

I’m not saying to take it out of your cocktails, just try bringing bitters into the kitchen using one of the ideas below and you, too, can see what all the fuss is about.

COCKTAIL PARTY SNACK MIX

Snack mix is one of those party favorites that I just love. Everyone’s got their own take on it, adding in that never-to-be disclosed secret ingredient that makes it their own. Next time your whipping up your own batch, as soon as it comes out from toasting in the oven, toss it with a few dashes of bitters. Not only with the aroma be mouth-watering, the flavors will echo as a perfect complement to that starter round of cocktails you’re serving.

EVERY GUY’S (NEW) FAVORITE BARBECUE SAUCE

Let’s face it, a steak dinner is delicious (sorry, vegetarians). Nothing says “bring on the beef” like an amazing steak sauce to complement it. Whether you’re going store-bought or whipping up your own (take a little recipe help from Rach, if you like http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?reci...), a few dashes of bitters added to your sauce will have your special guy going from “that was great!” to “wow, that’s a clean plate!”.

MANHATTAN BAKED BEANS

Living nearby New England and spending lots of time there each summer, you see how crafty they are with their baked beans - they sneak them into almost every meal of the day! Take your beachside clam bake’s favorite side dish on a trip downtown with a few dashes of bitters (and even a shot of bourbon or whiskey). Suddenly a side dish of beans got a whole lot classier.

Patrick W. Decker’s life revolves around food.  Always has.  Probably always will.  As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and past member of the culinary team on Rachael’s daytime talk show, he now works as a food stylist and producer in NYC by day, and a food writer and recipe developer at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by night.  You can see what he’s up to by following his latest twEATs on Twitter at @patrickwdecker or visiting his website at patrickdecker.com.

Summer Stress on our Tresses

With only a few weeks left of our fun in the sun, I thought we should take this opportunity to discuss, from a scientific approach how UV rays cause damage to our locks internally. While we spend less time in the sun during the fall and winter months, remember the sun stays by our side year round.  Our friends over at Redken’s R&D department shed some light on the subject.  Don’t worry you can nurse your hair back to health!

Consequences of UV Rays:

· Discoloration

· Roughness

· Fragility

Discoloration

UV particles degrade melanin pigments in the hairs natural color causing a lightening or almost bleaching effect.

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Roughness/ Fragility

Cuticle damage and deterioration can occur with exposure to UV rays. It makes hair less hydrophobic and more sensitive to humidity.  There is a cement like substance that holds cuticle scales together and they can become degraded which weakens the structure increasing the hair’s sensitivity. Hair loses smoothness and softness and can look dull. The more exposure to UV the more the cuticle becomes sensitive to aggressors such as blow drying, brushing and flat irons). The cuticle can be worn off and exposed like split ends.      

Cortex

Intense levels of UV exposure over time can weaken the hairs elasticity; lessen lipid content causing higher porosity and even keratin (protein) loss.

The Remedy

Ceramides (protection against moisture loss) and conditioning agents help to restore moisture to dry or damaged hair. Also, protein based treatments can help restore keratin loss in extreme cases.

Try to use conditioning masks once a week or as needed and Redken Extreme CAT Protein Reconstructing Treatment for distressed hair as directed. Preventatives are also helpful, wearing a hat or scarf at the beach and applying a leave in conditioner on damp hair will help add an extra barrier of protection. Products containing Vitamins A, B and C will help protect your hair against free radicals that can harm your hair cells.

Triple Layer Oreo Cake

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I was a child of the 70’s. Some of my favorite foods were Captain Crunch, Pop Tarts, Oreos, Sugar Corn Pops, and Frosted Flakes (there seems to be a sugary-cereal theme). I preferred my Oreos cold from the fridge and dipped in milk until they were saturated to the point of disintegration (a lot of times I would lose half of the cookie in my glass of milk). The funny thing about all of these mass-produced, chemical-laden food favorites from my youth is that when I have tried them as a generally health conscious adult, they don’t taste nearly as good as I remember. In fact, they taste downright terrible.

I typically don’t buy sugar cereals for my kids but we were recently on vacation and someone came home with a box of Frosted Flakes. My kids were beside themselves and I tried a single dry flake - probably my first in 30 years. Yuck. Beyond sweet. My kids of course gobbled them up - and were bouncing off the walls.

This Oreo Cake is the best Oreo you will ever taste - I have made it a few times for birthdays and special occasions and while it’s time consuming, it’s worth the effort. You can make the Oreo filling as well as the cake layers a day or so in advance and store in the fridge (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) until you are ready to assemble.

Triple Layer Oreo Cake (recipe modified from BeantownBaker.com)

1.) Make the cake layers.

Oreo Cake Layer:

Ingredients:

1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 package of oreos, cut into quarters (reserve 4 whole oreos for decorating the top of the cake)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an eight-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper circle, and butter and flour the pan. Cream butter until fluffy - 3-5 minutes. Add milk and vanilla and combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter and mix until combined. Stir in sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Turn mixer up to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in oreo quarters and transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then turn cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cake Layers (this is modified from the “Hershey’s ‘Perfectly Chocolate’ Chocolate Cake” recipe):

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

1/2 package Oreos, cut into quarters.

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two eight-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with a parchment paper circle, and butter and flour the pans. Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Stir in Oreo quarters. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

2.) Make the Oreo filling.

Oreo Filling

Ingredients:

4 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 package Oreos, cut into quarters

Directions:

Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of cream and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the cream and beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream - do not overmix. Reserve 1/2 cup of the filling to decorate the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to assemble the cake, stir the Oreos into the filling for the cake (not the reserved 1/2 cup for decorating).

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3. Make the chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions:

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Sift 3 cups sugar and the cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn mixer on lowest speed and blend until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed. Increase mixer speed to medium and add the vanilla, salt and milk or cream. Beat for 3 minutes. If the frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add more suar. If it needs to be thinned, add more milk/cream.

4.) Assemble the cake.

Place one chocolate layer, flat side up, on a cake plate. Tuck a piece of wax paper just under each side of the cake so when you are done frosting the sides of the cake, you can pull them out and the cake plate will be free of frosting. Frost the the top of the bottom chocolate layer with one half of the Oreo filling.

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Place the Oreo cake layer on top and frost with the remaining Oreo filling.

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Place the second chocolate cake layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the chocolate frosting.

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Decorate the top of the cake with the reserved Oreo filling and reserved Oreos.

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Lemon and garlic chicken wings

Pardon me for being a little obsessed right now, it’s just that I have spent a week in culinary heaven – Dubai. Known as the United States Of The Middle East, Dubai represents it all. The best of Japanese, Indian, Italian and French, it is no wonder so many celebrity chefs are going there to set up shop. Whether you are here to eat a Wasabi lobster taco at NOBU or a Burger King chicken burger and fries, the chances are that it will never have tasted so good. That is because, in Dubai, food is prepared with all ‘purpose and intention’. Convenient, fast food meals are given as much consideration as the high end equivalents.

Dubai Mall photo by pjf@cpan

Yet with all the variety this country has to offer, the pull for me, is in its own native cuisine – Arabic food. The food is greatly influenced by the Levant and one can expect to find vegetables stuffed with meat,, kebabs crusted with pistachio, dates dipped in chocolate and flaky baklava. The meal is intensely garlicky with underlying notes of saffron and pomegranate and ends on a sweet note with rose scented pastries and gummy dates.

Photo by Exei Gusto

We had many great meals in Dubai, but the one dish in particular that required immediate revisiting was the lemon and garlic chicken wings. I was excited to make this because it was quick and easy, and I could find the ingredients right here in my very own pantry. The chicken was crispy from the outside yet moistly peeled away from the bone. The secret to the dish is in broiling the marinated chicken first and then coating it in a garlic and herb infused oil. Feel free to throw it together with some rice or a crisp salad.

Ingredients

2 lbs skinless chicken wings (must remove the skin or it will taste greasy)
3 cloves of garlic (2 for the marinade and 1 for the dressing), minced
¼ cup of olive oil
1 tsp. Black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons and zest of one (split equally between marinade and dressing)
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed chili flakes

Method

1) Marinade for at least 2 hours the chicken wings in garlic, salt and pepper, 3 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice and zest.

2) Broil until juices run clear when a knife is inserted by the bone – allow the wings to get some charring. Alternatively, cook on the barbeque

3) Heat the remaining oil; add the garlic and chili flakes until the garlic turns golden. Remove from heat. Add the parsley and whisk in the remaining lemon juice. Season with salt

4) Pour the dressing over the chicken and evenly coat the wings. Serve immediately.

Saira Malhotra, is of British –Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: Passport Pantry where she shares approachable and international recipes.

Spicy Poblano Lime Sauce

Taco Night saves dinner in our house time and time again. It’s easy to throw together and everyone loves it, even my 18 month old. I usually set out a bunch of small colorful bowls and fill them with various toppings like cooked ground chicken, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes, cheese, corn, and my four year old sons secret ingredient, black olives! I lay the bowls out surrounding some slightly charred soft tortillas and let everyone build their own tacos the way most people do.

My husband and I like hot sauce so I usually set out one or two mexican hot sauces for us to use but the other day I decided to make my own. I had some poblano peppers hanging around that needed to be used so I decided to make a hot sauce with them. I roasted them on top of my gas range and pureed them up with fresh lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper and let me tell you i may never go back to bottled hot sauce again. The flavor was divine. Seriously, I wanted to drink it straight from the jar. I didn’t, of course but I wanted to! I love how the bright flavors of lime and cilantro contrast the smokey heat from the poblano pepper. It’s a spicy sauce but not overpowering in any way. And it’s not just for tacos or mexican food. Try it as a dip for chips or even drizzled over grilled meat, fish or eggs.

It’s crazy to thing how a few simple ingredients can really jazz up an ordinary meal but it’s so true. I’m telling you, this sauce takes taco night to a whole new level. Move over ketchup and mustard this sauce might very well be your new favorite condiment.

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Spicy Poblano Lime Sauce

Makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

1 poblano pepper, skin, seeds and stem removed (see instructions below)

Juice of 2 limes

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Set poblano pepper directly over a high flame on a gas stovetop. Cook the peppers until the skin begins to blister and turn brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes.

2. Place poblano peppers into a brown paper bag and seal it tightly. Allow peppers to sit for 5 minutes to steam. Remove peppers from the bag and gently rub the skin off (you can also do this under running water). Scoop out the seeds, remove the stem and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a food processor combine poblano pepper, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper and process until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container ( I love using a mason jar for this) for up to three days. Enjoy!

Supermarket Score! Cauliflower

Supermarket Score is all about taking a look at the great deals and delicious meals that are hidden in lesser-known - yet commonly found - supermarket staples.

OK, I know what you’re thinking:  “he’s supposed to be helping me out with lesser-known grocery store items.  I buy cauliflower all the time!”.  And you make a fair point.  But I’m taking the chance this week to taste my way through a “Supermarket Score” that always gets one-trick-pony status.

When I was growing up, cauliflower only ever made it onto my mom’s table as a raw chunk of white vegetable abandoned on a crudite platter like the last kid picked for dodgeball.  While a great cook in many other regards, the cauliflower was just something that she never mastered.  It was an after-thought; bought exclusively for its color diversity and left to play second fiddle to high-flavor contenders like tomatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli.

Such was my relationship with cauliflower for many years.  It just never made it onto my radar.  So imagine my surprise when my husband and I started dating and he’d request cauliflower for dinner.  Frequently, no less!  There’s only so many bags of steamed “brocco-flower” vegetable medley one guy can handle before it’s time for some diversity.  It was in that moment of need that cauliflower’s true powers showed themselves to me, and here I am today to share them with you.

From off of the party platter and into the light, cauliflower is a vegetable I’ve come to truly enjoy for its versatility, mild flavor, and - well, frankly, I just don’t think people expect to see it used that often.  The element of surprise is always a great reaction.  Turn your refrigerator’s forgotten head of cauliflower from “boring” to “scoring!” with these simple (and summer-friendly!) ideas.

TUSCAN-STYLE CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Sure we all love a good greens salad to round out the meal.  But try switching up your routine with a crunchy and satisfying raw vegetable salad based with cauliflower (which, as an aside, travels flawlessly to a Labor Day BBQ).  A perfect complement to the flavors of almost any meal, the secret here is to slice your vegetables very thin.  If you’re adept with a mandolin, I say use that, but know that a few good slices with a chef’s knife work just as well.  Take whatever assortment of vegetables you like (I add in red onion, bell pepper, and kale) and season them up with a few hearty splashes of EVOO and red wine vinegar.  A few minutes of marinating later and you’ve got yourself an Instant side dish, no oven required.

RESTAURANT-QUALITY CAULIFLOWER PUREE

I’ve actually got to attribute this one to my father-in-law, as it’s totally up his alley of delicious, restaurant-quality cooking.  Each holiday season he manages to somehow transform mundane vegetables into amazing roasts, mashes, or - in this case - purees.  High-class enough for a 5-star restaurant but simple enough for everyday, shake up your ordinary mashed potatoes with a half-and-half blend of spuds and cauliflower.  (This tip, by the way, is a great use for that bit of cauliflower that has spent a little too much time in refrigerator and is starting to soften up a bit)  Boil and puree it all up in a food processor with a little milk or stock and your side dish just kept all the delicious creaminess of mashed potatoes while ditching half of the starch for a hearty boost of fiber.

CAULI CAULI CHOW CHOW

If you’ve been cooking along with Rach at home, you know that she loves Chow Chow - and why wouldn’t you!?  This simple, tangy slaw is a great swap-out for standard relish and beautifully balances a delicious summer platter of grilled chicken and sausages.  Just take a few knobs of cauliflower to the large holes of a box grater and shred it up.  Toss that with some store-bought dill pickle relish and chopped up banana peppers.  Adjust the wetness to where you like it with a few splashes of EVOO and vinegar, give it a 10 minute rest to marinate, and you’re good to go!  Kids will love it on their hot dogs as much as dad will be piling it on his grilled steak.

Patrick W. Decker’s life revolves around food. Always has. Probably always will. As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and past member of the culinary team on Rachael’s daytime talk show, he now works as a food stylist and producer in NYC by day, and a food writer and recipe developer at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by night. You can see what he’s up to by following his latest twEATs on Twitter at@patrickwdecker or visiting his website at patrickwdecker.com.

National Rum Day

Who knew today was National Rum Day?  I sure didn’t until a friend sent me a bottle of Santa Teresa Venezuelan sipping rum.  She is working with the company so she turned me on to a few recipes people have created using the rum as a mixer but encourages people to drink it straight up as well.  I tried the rum and it is delicious and rich tasting-it is not too sweet but also not too dry like my other favorite rum, to be revealed in a moment.

Here’s the Hemingway Daiquiri from Steve Schneider of the Macao Trading Co in NYC, courtesy of Santa Teresa rum:

Ingredients

1 3/4 ounce Santa Teresa 1796 rum
3/4 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

Instructions

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.  Garnish with a lime/brandied cherry flag.

Rum from Venezuela?  Being rather green in my rum knowledge, I had thought of it as only an export from Puerto Rico, where my favorite rum hails from, Ron Del Barrilito. This rum doesn’t taste sweet like some, it is a delicious sipping rum that tastes to me more like whiskey.I love that this rum was born as a result of a family who owned a sugar cane plantation and developed this as a byproduct of the sugar and honey from the land.  One of the sons studied in Europe and returned with samples of cognac which influenced how they continued to make this rum, which explains why it reminds me more of an after dinner, sipping rum rather than an overly sweet mixing kind.

Rum is made from sugar cane or molasses or sometimes even honey and then aged in oak barrels.  It is made all over the Caribbean and South America. Some are sweeter than others and some are best mixed in cocktails like the popular Rum Punch, Daiquiri, Pina Colada, Mojito, Cuba Libre, Hot Buttered Rum or in cooking, like my Aunt Rachel’s famous Rum Cake, which is so delicious or Rum Balls.  Here’s a recipe from a friend of ours, mixologist Nick Mautone for Banana Buttered Rum:

Ingredients

For the banana butter:

1 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 pound brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For each Banana Buttered Rum serving:

2 heaping tablespoons banana butter
2 ounces dark rum
Boiling water
1-2 whole star anise, for garnish
1 cinnamon stick, for garnish

Serves 10




Preparation

To make the banana butter, place all of the ingredients for the banana butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined well. Roll the mixture into a cylinder in a piece of plastic food storage wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Let the banana butter come to room temperature before serving.

When ready to serve, add two heaping tablespoons of banana butter to each mug. Top with two ounces of rum and fill the glass two-thirds full with boiling water.

Float a star anise or two on top of the butter. Add a cinnamon stick and stir the mixture using the stick. Serve immediately.

Buttered Rum variation: prepare the banana butter, above, omitting the banana and keeping all other ingredients as specified.

Glassware: 6 large mugs

Don’t make the mistake of thinking rums are all alike.  Try a bunch from all over the world and find the one you like!  Celebrate rum today!

Rosemary Maggiore is our Last Minute Lady. A single mom of two kids plus a full time job (she runs this website!) keep her busy and usually pushing things to the last minute. Somehow she manages to keep her cool and her sanity while she enjoys good food, wine, friends and most importantly, family.

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