Sardines Revisited

When I first started this blog, I posted a quick write up on how I love Sardines (Saltines and Omega 3) and the fact that I think they get a bad rep. I also posted a link to an Alton Brown, Good Eats recipe “Sherried Sardine Toast” that I had not tried out at the time, however recommended to folks who are willing to eat these lovely little fishes.

Well, I took the plunge and tested out this recipe and OH MY TASTE BUDS! The Alton Brown episode was extremely mouth watering, especially if you are a person who loves to eat sardines like me, but at the same time it does not do the justice it really deserves until you taste this wonderful snack/lunch and even more.

I personally had this tasty delight for what I call “Lupper”, the time between a late lunch and supper, which is generally when I eat, as I am not a big breakfast or for that matter a big lunch eater. I mainly see myself as a dinner hound and the occasional over the sink/counter eater.

Not to get off subject, but did you know that there is a difference between Supper and Dinner? Well, there was in my family according to my Nana on my father’s side. Supper was the feast between 4pm and 7pm on holidays and Dinner was any meals eaten a few hours later-between 7-9pm. Now…Don’t have a frenzy, I know this is backwards as the dictionary is Dinner first, then Supper. But hey, I loved my Nana (even though not that educated) and that’s how it was in my family.

So, back to the Sherried Sardine Toast…Again, WOW! I really think, if you are a person who may be a bit squeamish about sardines, to try this recipe out. The toast and the smooth buttery taste of the Avocado; with the initial splash of the sherry vinegar on the tongue really tones down the Sardine fishiness. I even believe that if the canned Brisling Sardines are still not something you want to be adventurous with, try just canned tuna in oil as a starting point. I might even try this with anchovies and add some small capers (not caper berries-but hey this could work too)!

So the pictures I have posted are not exactly the "Toast" the recipe calls for exactly, but at the time, I only had what I had.  So that should tell everyone that you don't necessarily have to have a boule to make this treat.  I used an italian long loaf of bread and cut it in long wedges, which is actually perfect for the snack/appetizer form which will yield 8 smaller slices instead of the bigger 4 the original recipe recommends.  For a more substantial meal, then use a thicker loaf of crusty bread as stated.

So, be adventurous for the rest of this month! This recipe is perfect for a Snack, Appetizer and if you are like me, perfect for “lupper” and a late night snack!  Just keep in mind, this is a recipe that does not store for more than the day you prepare it. Yes, you can make half (the toast should be prepared as you serve it)  for the early part of the day, but best make and eat the next half before the day ends.

Click for Original Recipe Link

I swear it was not a "Dis"

Ok, most of you read my blog: Food Traditions-Bodega Style and may have thought based on my comments in the 3rd paragraph regarding my sister's diet, I dissed her in some way or another.

Sorry if my comments alluded to that, but I never meant to "dis" her in any way. My sister is a vegetarian as well as her boyfriend. I fully respect their dietary choice and if you asked them personally, I always, when planning a feast consider them more than the meat eaters in the family or the desire of friends or my appetites.

It just so happened that I mentioned her in a sugary sense.  My sister loves sweets more than an I and I was only reflecting the fact that I knew that she would not want to be tempted by sugar and if I did tempt her, it should be more organic and vegan in nature as a better option.  Not that she would refuse any sweet offerings from me in any sense, I understand that she would rather refrain and go for a healthier version if offered.

The fact that my sister is a vegetarian (will eat fish occassionally), comes as a great challenge to me as a cook.  For a person who always learned to cook meat and meat based recipes, I now have to learn to cook those same family recipes without a poultry or meat base for her and her bo.  I have welcomed this challenge and I hope that in past menus for them, I have succeded to thier food enjoyment.

As a sister, I am proud that she has stuck to her beliefs in food in general. I may be a meat eater, but what my sister has educated me over the years is to understand my food and the food I cook and respect those who choose not to eat meat.

In many years past, vegans and vegetarians were thought of as wacky, free being, communal folks but in today's world, they are exactly what people should be (well maybe not so communal). The rest of us are only slowly learning this through the media in which we are so drawn to and rely on. That's a sad and sorry means to learn something that should be inherent.

Those vegetarians, vegans and macro biotic in years past were so way ahead of the game when it comes to wanting to live a full and healthily life. Being eco friendly and appreciate what mother earth gives them.

We as a crazy American society are just learning what the food we eat, does to our body. I for one do admit that I am not the perfect eater. Again, I love meat, but that does not mean I don't care about the meat I do eventually eat and do not care about my ultimate health.

I've seen the documentaries on the slaughter houses, the mis treatment of animals, but what is at the most injustice is the corporations that are controlling what and how we eat. It is time for us to take back control. The movie/documentary that really opened my eyes was Food Inc. This was a turning point for me as I learned with all the technology we have, we as the consumer should speak up by purchasing the right foods. By purchasing the foods we know where it comes from.

Please start to buy Organic, Pasture Fed and Bred and Free Range.  Add more veggies and whole grains to your dietary appetites. You will live happier and longer and most likely keep you away from the hospital.

3rd in a Million Ways to Prepare Potatoes

So, I watched Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell a few weeks back and she prepared a potato dish called “Pommes Chef Anne”. It’s funny that this show magically appeared, as I was putting together a post about one of my favorite potato dishes: Potato Pancakes. But Chef Anne’s dish looked so good; I thought I would forgo the potato pancakes this time and try her recipe out.

I ultimately made 2 batches on separate days, but I forgot, with the first one I made, to take pictures and that gave me an excuse to make it a second time. I modified Chef Anne’s recipe on both occasions because I felt I wanted a little more flavor.

The really nice thing about this recipe is it’s between a potato pancake and an au-gratin (without all the dairy and butter). Don’t get me wrong, there is cheese-Parmesan Cheese! One of my kitchen staples. But I rarely think of Parmesan Cheese as a heavy dairy product like Cheddar and other worldly cheeses.

So following the recipe, my first go at it I layered in thin slices of onion. This was absolutely delicious, but my second round I added thin slices of garlic and onion and it made the dish even better! I topped the second version with a drizzle of Serrano cream, which was the ultimate addition to flavor.

Sorry-I did not take pics with the cream on top. I was so hungry when I made this, that I completely forgot.

Here is the Recipe Link: Pommes Chef Anne

Serrano Cream

• 3 fresh serrano chilies or jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine 
• 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt  
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Make the serrano cream:

In a blender or mini food processor blend together the chilies, the garlic paste, and the sour cream until the mixture is combined well. (Be careful not to overblend the mixture or the cream may curdle.) Force the mixture through a fine sieve set over a small bowl. The serrano cream may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and brought to room temperature before serving.

Movies and Meat

I just finished watching the HBO Special Temple Grandin Starring Claire Daines. I’ve known about Temple Grandin for many years now, thanks to a PBS special I had seen. I think she has brought amazing insight to the meat industry and I hope that she will continue to better our national treatment of cattle and hopefully other animals we consume as a nation. BTW-Claire Daines was an amazing portrayal. Kudos to HBO for this personal documentary.

There have been plenty of movies these days and over the years about the food we eat, especially meat. I honestly believe we should listen to the premise of these movies and move forward as a better human race that does care about what it eats.

I do believe that we as a nation have no idea what it means to be with nature. We as a human race, like the matrix, are a virus ready to destroy anything in our way for survival. We lose all perspective of what Nature really is and only a few have interest in sustaining what we should covet.

I am not and will never proclaim myself as a vegetarian, but as I have learned over my years, eating any kind of meat has to come with a price of conscience. There are places in this world that do respect what they eat and what bothers me as a meat eater in the U.S. is that we forget what it means to eat and the respect that animal deserves while we eat it.

The U.S. is such a greedy, unconscionable nation. We expect with all our hard work we deserve anything and everything, no matter how it’s obtained. We claim to be the major morality and political conscience, but we are a nation of fools and fat protagonists. We preach, but don’t practice because we are lazy jerks. We think we deserve respect just because we are a nation that pretends to be of fair justice.

When it comes to the meat eating population, we tend to forget that what we are eating is real, alive and has a purpose in our eco system other than just our stomachs. By Nature, humans are carnivores, but it should not mean that we treat those we eat with disrespect.

Think about the fact that Humans are Carnivores. That would mean in any dire situation we could potentially eat each other. Would you just drown or purposely slain someone without feeling and respect just to have a meal at your expense? That is the philosophical question of the day.

I am tired and sad that I live in a nation that has no heart. That is willing to treat this world like crap. I am not an exception to this either, as I am also responsible for being lazy and not respecting my environment. But, I am willing and want to change.

Although Temple Grandin is still with the major beef industries that are more “industrial” and still do not treat animals with the respect they deserve, we cannot fault her. She has improved this industry to at least be somewhat humane. Although it still could be better, Temple has made more of an impact than the rest of us could and should on the massive beef and meat industry.

Now I truly understand the cost factor in all of this, as I am poor and can’t afford more humanely driven meat in my current circumstances. So, to me what that means is that I will only buy good meat (grass fed and antibiotic free) when I can afford it. That means less meat for me in the long run, but also better for my health and the environment overall.

Let us remember, not only are humans carnivores, but we are ultimately omnivores, which means we also eat greens…vegetables…fish etc…Humans are not exclusive and we are not really supposed to be a part of the overall eco system mother nature intended. Humans are creating havoc among mother earth and that needs to change immediately.

If we as humans were intended to be a part of the eco system, then let us be worthy of it, instead of being a race that destroys everything in its path.  We should not be the cause of the Eco System demise but a part of the revision of it.

For those who can’t forgo meat like I can, at least try to buy locally and buy from a local butcher instead of a supermarket. Buying meat from a supermarket is not a good thing and promotes more mass slaughter and disrespect of the animals you are eating.

Thank you!

Potatoes with Style

Poor in NYC? Need a way to feed yourself and others on the cheap? Well, if you don't have alot of bucks and are willing to put a little time and effort into this next adventure, this meal is for you!

Gnocchi, Gnocchi, Gnocchi, Gnocchi!

Just 3-4 plain old russet or idaho potatoes (depending on size), 1 large egg, 1 cup of flour and a dash of salt will feed a party of 4 or even more! in NYC that adds up to approx $5-$7. I say $5-$7, because you can't just buy 1 egg or just 1 cup of flour. Most traditional recipes don't even need egg.

Yes...Make it homemade! There are plenty of recipes out there on the web that will show you how to make it. There is no special equipment needed except your hands, a fork and a little time. But if you have a food mill or potato ricer, an Gnocchi paddle, these can help but really don't speed up the process.

Now, I'm new to making Gnocchi from scratch, but not new to making my own pasta, so most of the On-line Tutorials were easy for me. Once you get the knack for making any kind of dough, it's a quick process. I recently made my own batch-took me about 60 minutes after the potatoes were cooked and cooled.

Sauce options:

• Simple Marinara Sauce (Cheap!)
• Pesto
• Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
• Alfredo Sauce
• White or Black Truffel Olive Oil and Fresh Sage and Rosemary
• Fresh Sage and Butter (Cheap!)
• Putanesca
• Wild Mushroon or Porcini

...the list can go on and on...just think out of the box

Here are some links to sites that I found extremely helpful in my quest to make homemade Gnocchi:

http://underthetuscangun.com/cookingvideos/cookingvideos.php

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/how-to-make-gnocchi-like-an-italian-grandmother-recipe.html

YUMMY and Satisfying! I encourage anyone and everyone to make Gnocchi from scratch...You know what goes in it. You know who made it and you know it will taste better than if you bought it.

Respect the Chef!

So, since I've been out of a job for way over a year, thought I would go down TV memory lane, since this blog is about food, cooking and the kitchen for the most part.

Not that I watch any cooking shows religiously, I however do have my favorites.  I have grown with many chefs that have come and most regrettably gone to another rhelm or just disappeared from the media.

The following chefs, in no particular order are my most favorite and extremely respected by me.

Food Network:

• Alton Brown-Good Eats
• Anne Burrell-Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and admittatly Worse Cooks in America
• Any and all shows with Mario Batali and Morimoto
• Bobby Flay-Throwdown
• Emeril Lagasse -Wish the food network would bring him back
• Any Iron Chef
• Jamie Oliver

PBS (cooks I grew up with):

• Julia Child
• Jacques Pepin
• Jacques Torres (miss him on the air)
• Lidia's Italy
• Emeril Lagasse
• Jeff Smith
• Martha Stewart (before she went prime)

Travel Channel:

• Anthony Bourdain

No TV Shows:

• Nobu
• My Father
• My Nana
• My Sister
• My Mother
• My Great Nana and Nona

Cookbooks Galore

I was an advid cookbook and magazine collector before the web became a major source of information on food (yeah I might show my age...but I did have overlap-Real Info didn't really start heavily until 2000-HAH!). So all my cookbook collections serve me extremely well to this day.

Here is a list of some of the cookbooks I reccommend to anyone who loves to cook or bake...These books, no matter the resources of the Web are invaluable!  Mind you-The Web is 80% up to date, but if you want to capture some history of recipes, books are the way to go, since eventually publishing stops for some of these publications and even some family Heirloom recipes are lost forever.

I have tons more, but here are a few to get started (In no particular order). Mind you, these are heavy, fat books except for "The Stinking Cookbook".

• The Professional Pastry Chef ISBN: 0-772-01597-6
• Dessert Circus ISBN: 0-688-15654-1
• The Dean and Deluca Cookbook ISBN: 0-679-77003-8
• The New Professional Chef (CIA) ISBN: 0-442-01961-0
• The Joy of Cooking ISBN: 0-684-81870-1
• The Stinking Cookbook ISBN: 0-89087-730-0
• Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts ISBN: 0-13-475732-7
• Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Handbook ISBN: 0-88011-326-X
• Jacques Pepin-Today's Gourmet ISBN: 0-912333-07-3
• The Frugal Gormet Cooks American ISBN: 0-688-06347-0
• The Oxford Companion to Food 2nd Edition ISBN: 0192806815/ ISBN-13: 9780192806819

Magazine Favorites of the Past...

• Saveur
• Food & Wine
• La Cucina
• Cooks Illustrated (Show is on PBS.)
• Gourmet