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Sauces for dipping!

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Instant Saucery… Right from your Kitchen

 

 

 

Everyone is dipping these days.

 

Many fast-food chains and restaurants feature condiment islands set up to accommodate the myriad of tastes out there, be it burgers, tacos or quick pan-Asian.

 

Teens have turned dipping pizza “Brooklyn style” in Ranch dressing into a national ritual. Even onion rings are now offered with blue cheese and ranch dressings on the side.

 

We have always loved to dip at social gatherings; beginning with ruffled chips in onion dip then evolving to tortilla chips and salsa, now the nation’s most popular snack. Even though the concept of the fondue pot dinner goes in and out of popularity every other decade or so, the required dipping sauces are what make it fun and unique.

 

Sauces can be quickly whipped up from ingredients most people have in their refrigerator and cupboard. From any of the following– olives, mustard, mayo, jam, lemons, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice, oil, dried herbs and spices– you can make a killer dipping sauce.

 

 

 

Here are a few ideas:

 

For salmon or shellfish:

Mix mayonnaise, sweet/hot mustard (or Dijon), and curry powder together then add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste. Garnish with a mint leaf.

 

For beef:

Combine sour cream (or crème fraiche), capers, Worcestshire sauce, Tabasco, horseradish sauce and chopped chives.

 

For pork:

Thin fig jam or orange marmalade with brandy, rum or orange juice; add ground cloves to taste. Garnish with grated orange peel.

 

For Asian dishes:

Stir together Plum sauce, soy sauce, hot Chinese mustard, a splash of rum and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.

 

Boosting prepared sauces is also creative fun and you really can’t go wrong.

 

Cocktail sauce:

Purchased cocktail sauces are often too sugary. Empty a jar of prepared cocktail sauce into a bowl. Add more horseradish, Worcestshire sauce, lemon juice and Tabasco. Stir to mix, refill the jar and you will always have “kicked up” cocktail sauce at the ready. This same method can be used to improve bottled barbecue sauce.

 

Even a bottled pesto sauce can be mixed with mayonnaise to create a beautiful and interesting enhancement to grilled chicken or fish.

Dipping sauces displayed on the plate in pretty, tiny condiment dishes make the meal appear more exotic, bountiful and colorful.

So, start experimenting and have fun discovering the wealth of flavors that can be created with the staples you already have on hand.

The Maligned Mushroom

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The Maligned Mushroom

 

Mushrooms have always gotten a bad rap, but it is not entirely unearned.

 

They are, after all, a homely, spore-bearing fungus that, when unearthed, look like something unnatural that probably should have remained in the ground…Just the sound of the name tripping off the tongue is not especially pretty.

 

Indeed, many people feel that raw mushrooms, no matter how clean they are, still taste like dirt.

 

The fungus remains, however, a necessary component to great cooking and the mushroom world is endlessly prolific in the varieties it produces: criminis, whites, enokis, shitakes, portobellos….

 

Massive Portobellos are especially flexible:  they can be grilled like a burger for vegetarian barbecues, stuffed with crabmeat and cheese or sautéed like a steak and drizzled with a creamy green peppercorn sauce.

 

Mushrooms also have a quality of danger about them. That some can be deadly poisonous is part of the equation. So, add dangerous to dirty and ugly and the poor mushroom is constantly fighting for redemption.

 

But…something glorious happens to mushrooms when sautéed gently with butter and herbs. They take on a lovely browned tone and the harsh earthiness is replaced by a soft, subtle flavor. The aroma of mushrooms bubbling in butter is sublime.

 

How to Get Kids and Picky People to Eat Mushrooms

 

The key to introducing any new food is to mince it into tiny pieces so it provides color and texture and in no way resembles its gnarly former self. Kids and picky adults will not notice.

 

Sautéed mushrooms are a splendid topping for grilled steak. These can be sautéed ahead of time with chopped onions and a splash of port wine or Jack Daniels. Freeze ½ cup servings in baggies and you will always have a quick topping to use on a pork chop or chicken breast.

 

Tips

  • Clean whole mushrooms with a damp paper towel or a soft mushroom brush, manufactured just for this purpose. Never soak mushrooms in water. They are like a sponge and will absorb any liquid and lose texture.
  • Rehydrate dried mushrooms in beef, chicken or vegetable broth. When plumped up, remove and drain. Pat dry and chop finely or use whole.
  • Try ordering a pizza with just mushrooms. With the ‘shroom isolated, you will discover a light, lovely, subtle flavor when it is uncluttered by other ingredients.

 

The poor, homely mushroom deserves a chance.

Cooking Tip – In a Pickle: The Hard Boiled Egg Gets a Makeover

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In a Pickle: The Hard Boiled Egg Gets a Makeover

 

This months cooking tip is all about the Hard boiled egg; they are so versatile!

They are healthy, handy, portable, cheap and surprisingly filling; perfect for a light breakfast or lunch snack.

 

At their simplest, they are delightful served halved and sprinkled with celery salt, lemon juice and course black pepper….or with peanut butter, sour cream and raisins. There’s no limit to the range of quirky toppings the bland egg will tolerate.

 

For a beautiful, flavorful option, try pickling hardboiled eggs in beet juice and vinegar. The result is a gorgeous magenta/purple hue that gracefully permeates the inside of the egg and adds piquant flavor. Combining the eggs and pickling mixture while both are still warm allows for better color penetration.

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Eggs

 

10-12 extra-large eggs, hardboiled and shelled

1-15 oz. can shoestring beets

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. pickling spices

Orange peel

3 Tbsp. sugar

 

Hard boil eggs, cool and shell while still warm.

Combine beets, vinegar, pickling spices, orange peel and sugar in saucepan. Heat and simmer 5 minutes. Allow to cool to just warm.

Pour unstrained mixture into container with lid. Place warm, shelled eggs in pickling mixture and refrigerate overnight.

Pickled eggs can be topped with:

  • Guacamole
  • Hummus
  • Chopped tomato
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cottage cheese
  • Salsa

Waste Nothing

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 Part 2

•Jars that once held olives or pickles can be recycled to serve as containers for mixing your own salad dressing.

•Any tin can, (soup, vegetable) and even frozen juice containers can be used for storing pan grease. Freeze and throw away when full.

•Apple peelings can be frozen and added to a finishing sauce for extra flavor when preparing pork loin.

•That annoying, unreachable half-inch of mayonnaise that lies deep in the big jar can be turned into a quick salad dressing by adding lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper and a sprinkling of an herb. The same goes for nearly-empty Dijon mustard and horseradish jars.

•Anything that comes in a jar or can should be rinsed out with some liquid that will add flavor, tossed into whatever you are presently cooking and leave you with a clean container to either keep and reuse or toss: Apple or orange juice for barbecue sauce, port wine for bottled marinara sauce, sherry for cream of mushroom soup.

•Herbs, lemon slices, onions and garlic that are in a decline can be used to create a court bouillon for future fish or chicken poaching. Simply add these to a half-broth/half water mixture, boil five minutes, cool, pour into a clean jar and freeze.

The Holiday Dinner: Consideration for your Chef

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The Holiday Dinner: Consideration for your Chef

As we all know, year-end holidays offer joy and togetherness while creating a unique level of stress.  Sometimes this anxiety occurs in the kitchen while preparing what is often the grandest meal of the year.

A traditional menu can include the following:

  • Appetizer
  • Soup and salad
  • Two vegetables (green & yellow)
  • Potatoes/rice
  • Bread/dinner rolls
  • Dessert

Add to that one or more of the following entrees:

  • Roasted Stuffed Turkey
  • Prime Rib
  • Baked Salmon
  • Stuffed Ham
  • Roasted Loin of Pork
  • Beef Brisket
  • Roasted Goose

For the cook who is preparing the entire meal herself, it can mean a whole different set of pressures, such as getting everything to the table at once, and hot. When you see what a holiday dinner can consist of, you’ll know that to achieve this, one would need a couple of sous chefs and a server.

Even those who gratefully appreciate the meal are often oblivious to the challenges facing the cook (read: wife/mother) in the kitchen. They are busy admiring their gifts, watching the myriad of sports or specials on TV or just chatting with family and friends.

Here are some tips to help the solo home cook pull it all off.

  • Minimize your menu 

Better to produce a spectacular soup or salad rather than doing both for extravagance’ sake.  Old traditions called for both a green and yellow vegetable. One vegetable is sufficient.  Limit starches. If you are serving potatoes or rice, bread isn’t necessary. 

  • Enlist help

Bored teenagers are perfectly capable of prep work such as chopping ingredients; pre-teens can set the table.

  • Take breaks: sit, sip a glass of wine and rest your feet.
  • Plan the main course and ask guests to bring a side dish.
  • Have everyone serve themselves, buffet style, from the kitchen.
  • Use the finest decorative paper plates you can find.

And finally,

  • Have your dinner catered.

The tradeoff is your peace of mind and enjoyment versus some additional cost. Caterers offer delicious seasonal menus that will leave you free to relax and visit with family and friends.

 

And isn’t that really the whole point?

 

Food, Etiquette & Tolerance in the Workplace: Part 2

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Part 2 of Food, Etiquette & Tolerance in the Workplace.

 

Most of us have to work, at least on some level, and all of us have to eat.

 

It’s no secret that eating and work go hand in glove and are directly related to performance.  The truth is that most of us spend a lot of time at our jobs; sometimes more than with our families. Employers have tried to combine the two functions seamlessly.

 

The Lunchroom

 

AKA the break room. Depending upon the employer, this can be anything from a scratched plastic table and a few unstable chairs to an elegant living room-design with overstuffed sofas, big screen TV, games, refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, dishwasher, toaster oven and other amenities.

 

Most lunchrooms will have at the very minimum, a refrigerator and a microwave.

 

The microwave is often old, slow and uneven in its heating capacity. They are sometimes quite dirty inside. So is the refrigerator. Workers have been trained to hoard emergency sustenance items like fruit and yogurt and favorite condiments in the fridge, clearly labeled with their names. Some of these foodstuffs become quite aged, stubbornly hanging around long past their natural expiration dates.

When enough of these items form a sizeable quorum, an odor not unlike methane gas will eventually waft from the fridge. At that point, management steps up to the plate and takes action. A strongly-worded e-mail is sent out to all, or better yet, a large sign is posted on the icebox proclaiming that on Friday, at 3pm, EVERYTHING in the refrigerator will be tossed, containers and all, NO EXCEPTIONS. This includes the tiny, stained bottle of soy sauce and that jar of sweet-hot mustard that some anonymous soul craves. The lofty responsibility of this “search and destroy” mission usually falls to a D-list employee seeking favor, or an unlucky new hire. They are assigned the unpleasant task of locating the fermenting, offending item(s) disposing of it and wiping down the inside.

In Part 3, we will address proper etiquette and tolerance in the lunchroom.

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