It's been a l o n g time since my last post. The beginning of school has shook things up a bit, so I thought, why not share a recipe that is especially quick, versatile, and easy? Surely anything with the words "free-style" in the title should be far from complicated. And pasta? Forget about all-day recipes like lasagna. This is recipe is probably too simple.
I first learned how to make this during my sophomore year of high school (it was actually my first year because my middle school was 6-9; we didn't enter the high school until 10th grade). A friend of mine introduce me to the wonder of herbs. Herbs truly add an almost "spiritual" dimension to preparing foods. They look beautiful, and as you chop or tear them, an amazing aroma surrounds you -- and it happens again when they hit the heat. It was the flavors of thyme, basil, oregano, and occasionally sage or rosemary that I enjoyed for lunch nearly everyday. And truth be told, I made the same thing for lunch every morning before class probably 100 times at least. And class started at 7:30 am. So I will tell you that I made the pasta during the weekend and stored it in the fridge all week. Still, Friday's was nearly as good as Monday's.
OK, so I'm going to go over the basics. Then, I'll let you know different ways I like to change it around. This is more of a method, so I'm leaving out specific amounts. Let me know if you have questions, though.
Whole wheat pasta, cooked (I like penne, bowties, or spirals)
Thyme (dried or fresh)
Other dried/fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, others if you have/like them)
Garlic
Olive Oil
Parimggiano-reggiano
Salt/Pepper
1. Put olive oil, minced garlic (I like 1 clove per serving), herbs (dried or fresh), and salt/pepper in saute pan and heat over low until the garlic is cooked, but not browned. Heating everything together infuses the oil with the flavors of the garlic and herbs. I really like thyme, so I always use it. You could use just oregano, basil, or another herb, but I particularly like them when combined with thyme. Also, you should use just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Otherwise, it will be too much for the pasta later.
2. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning. Add grated parmiggiano and toss evenly.
This is it -- and it's SO delicious. I have one more idea that takes longer, but is just as easy.
You can use both onion and garlic. If you do this, I like to slice the garlic and onions thinly. Heat them in olive oil over low heat so they barely simmer. doing this allows the garlic and onions to caramelize. It's a good idea to use a lot of onions and garlic. Once they are done (and it takes about 20 minutes), you can add the herbs, saute a little longer, and then add the pasta and cheese.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
What you can do with cream cheese frosting...
After my post yesterday, I decided to take my own advice and make something... and decided on carrot cake. Here are some pictures so you can see just one thing you can do with decadent cream cheese frosting.
The caramel drizzle was too cold, so it drizzled, let's say, interestingly. It's amazing I had the patience to get this picture, but even more so for the one below.
Baked in two layers, each layer then was cut in two to make a total of 4. An essential technique for getting a
crumb free presentation is this. Use some frosting for the filling as you layer all of the layers, one on top of the other, and then coat the entire cake in a thin layer, ignoring the crumbs. You don't want to destroy the cake, but don't worry too much about the crumbs. Very lightly frost the top and sides of the cake, just enough to coat. Put this in the fridge and chill (I did this over night). Then, use the rest of the frosting to make the final coat. Because the first coat is cold, it is hard, and you don't have to worry about the crumbs!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Weekly Recipe: Cream Cheese Frosting
The title says it all: this is clearly not a health recipe.
You might think that cream cheese frosting is easy -- you're using such good-tasting ingredients, how could it go wrong? Well, that's a good question, but I've had too many bad cream cheese frostings. And that's the worst. You know what you're eating is absolutely horrible for you (unhealthy, that is), and you're not even enjoying it. When I'm eating something that has butter, sugar, etc.. in it, I want it to taste AMAZING! So, here we go...
OK, so this is another very simple recipe, and more diverse than you might imagine. You can make cookie sandwiches with it (freeze them -- that's one of my favorites). Use any type of cookie, really -- chocolate chip, gingersnaps, but my favorite is cake-y chocolate cookies. It goes on any cupcakes, banana bread, pumpkin or carrot anything (as long as it's a dessert). Not to mention the classic -- as frosting on a layer cake.
It's also incredibly easy (one reason why it's here). All you do is whip butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese together. Lots of frostings call for whipping egg whites, boiling sugar, or melting chocolate -- none of that here -- although in my opinion, most frosting recipes are worth it. Let's talk about the ingredients.
Cream cheese. Very basic -- but it's important that it is at room temperature. You can use the same trick I use for eggs, actually. Still wrapped in it's foil covering, just dunk it in warm water until it is the right consistency. A substitute I've yet to try, but very excited about, is mascarpone cheese. If I had to pick a favorite ingredient, this would probably be it. So amazing in tiramisu, and pretty much anything else. It's a super rich Italian cream cheese, but it doesn't taste at all like cream cheese. Cream cheese has a tang, whereas mascarpone just has a smooth creaminess. Think flavor = whipped cream (with a very subtle, sweet, cheesy hint), texture = cream cheese, but denser and smoother. Think about it next time you want a frosting for cupcakes, something fruit based, or whatever. The classic frosting, of course, requires good old regular cream cheese, because it lends a wonderful tangy flavor. I'll even let you know how, if you add too much sugar by accident and cover up the slight tang, to correct it.
Butter. Very important here: use unsalted. You're not going to add salt to this recipe, so you can't reduce the amount anywhere if you use salted instead. Also, it should be softened. I find if anything is going to cause lumps, it's the butter -- cream cheese is already pretty soft. It's because of this that I cream the cheese and butter together before anything else -- to make sure there are no lumps. Finally -- some recipes DON'T have butter in them. WHAT?! A frosting without butter? And, to me, they taste bad -- no surprise. Use butter. You're already using cream cheese.
Powdered sugar. This is where it gets interesting. I usually avoid powdered sugar in frostings because the corn starch in it adds some weird tangy flavor. There are frostings that use regular sugar, and they taste great, but they're not nearly as easy as this one (the table sugar, because it doesn't dissolve like powdered sugar, has to be in liquid form -- aka cooked in some form -- before it goes into the frosting. This complicates things). The thing is, though, the "weird tangy flavor" is perfect here, because we already have it in the cream cheese, and it's exactly what we're looking for. Alas, powdered sugar also has the power to destroy the frosting's great flavor. Too much sugar is ALWAYS a bad thing -- even in desserts. Add too much sugar and you destroy the wonderful flavor of the butter and cream cheese. I advise starting with 1 cup of sugar for every stick of butter, tasting, and then adjusting. But add it s l o w l y . . . I just made some for a carrot cake, and I accidentally added too much. The solution? Drip some white vinegar into the frosting, stir, and taste, until it is back to the tang you want. Add only a little at a time using a 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon measure, dripping it in.
I think I'm sent to share the recipe -- here it is.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup)
8 oz plain cream cheese
1-3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Have the butter and cream cheese at room temperature, cream together.
2. Add 1 cup sugar, blend in with a whisk, taste, and add more until it is perfect.
3. Add vanilla (optional -- but now that I'm thinking, cinnamon would probably be good, too)
Can be refrigerated or frozen. Enjoy!
You might think that cream cheese frosting is easy -- you're using such good-tasting ingredients, how could it go wrong? Well, that's a good question, but I've had too many bad cream cheese frostings. And that's the worst. You know what you're eating is absolutely horrible for you (unhealthy, that is), and you're not even enjoying it. When I'm eating something that has butter, sugar, etc.. in it, I want it to taste AMAZING! So, here we go...
OK, so this is another very simple recipe, and more diverse than you might imagine. You can make cookie sandwiches with it (freeze them -- that's one of my favorites). Use any type of cookie, really -- chocolate chip, gingersnaps, but my favorite is cake-y chocolate cookies. It goes on any cupcakes, banana bread, pumpkin or carrot anything (as long as it's a dessert). Not to mention the classic -- as frosting on a layer cake.
It's also incredibly easy (one reason why it's here). All you do is whip butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese together. Lots of frostings call for whipping egg whites, boiling sugar, or melting chocolate -- none of that here -- although in my opinion, most frosting recipes are worth it. Let's talk about the ingredients.
Cream cheese. Very basic -- but it's important that it is at room temperature. You can use the same trick I use for eggs, actually. Still wrapped in it's foil covering, just dunk it in warm water until it is the right consistency. A substitute I've yet to try, but very excited about, is mascarpone cheese. If I had to pick a favorite ingredient, this would probably be it. So amazing in tiramisu, and pretty much anything else. It's a super rich Italian cream cheese, but it doesn't taste at all like cream cheese. Cream cheese has a tang, whereas mascarpone just has a smooth creaminess. Think flavor = whipped cream (with a very subtle, sweet, cheesy hint), texture = cream cheese, but denser and smoother. Think about it next time you want a frosting for cupcakes, something fruit based, or whatever. The classic frosting, of course, requires good old regular cream cheese, because it lends a wonderful tangy flavor. I'll even let you know how, if you add too much sugar by accident and cover up the slight tang, to correct it.
Butter. Very important here: use unsalted. You're not going to add salt to this recipe, so you can't reduce the amount anywhere if you use salted instead. Also, it should be softened. I find if anything is going to cause lumps, it's the butter -- cream cheese is already pretty soft. It's because of this that I cream the cheese and butter together before anything else -- to make sure there are no lumps. Finally -- some recipes DON'T have butter in them. WHAT?! A frosting without butter? And, to me, they taste bad -- no surprise. Use butter. You're already using cream cheese.
Powdered sugar. This is where it gets interesting. I usually avoid powdered sugar in frostings because the corn starch in it adds some weird tangy flavor. There are frostings that use regular sugar, and they taste great, but they're not nearly as easy as this one (the table sugar, because it doesn't dissolve like powdered sugar, has to be in liquid form -- aka cooked in some form -- before it goes into the frosting. This complicates things). The thing is, though, the "weird tangy flavor" is perfect here, because we already have it in the cream cheese, and it's exactly what we're looking for. Alas, powdered sugar also has the power to destroy the frosting's great flavor. Too much sugar is ALWAYS a bad thing -- even in desserts. Add too much sugar and you destroy the wonderful flavor of the butter and cream cheese. I advise starting with 1 cup of sugar for every stick of butter, tasting, and then adjusting. But add it s l o w l y . . . I just made some for a carrot cake, and I accidentally added too much. The solution? Drip some white vinegar into the frosting, stir, and taste, until it is back to the tang you want. Add only a little at a time using a 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon measure, dripping it in.
I think I'm sent to share the recipe -- here it is.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup)
8 oz plain cream cheese
1-3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Have the butter and cream cheese at room temperature, cream together.
2. Add 1 cup sugar, blend in with a whisk, taste, and add more until it is perfect.
3. Add vanilla (optional -- but now that I'm thinking, cinnamon would probably be good, too)
Can be refrigerated or frozen. Enjoy!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Weekly Recipe: Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette
So I must admit -- this recipe is ridiculously simple. It's because of that reason that I'm making it a weekly recipe. Quintessentially feel good food is simple, good for you, and delicious. This is it.
I'll start by pointing something out. Salad dressing is often misunderstood. There are TONS of bottled ones not worth looking at because of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and various additives and preservatives. There are a few, however, that are good for you. I don't like sorting through all the bottles, squinting at nutrition facts, and, not to mention, being stuck with the same flavor for as long as that bottle lasts. And, if you're buying the full-fat dressing, it should last a pretty long time...
Just so there's no confusion, I don't ever eat creamy dressings. Maybe once in a while if the circumstances are exceptional (you have to decide on that one), but I like oil-based ones just as much and they are SO much better for you! I'm always one to promote the healthy alternative.
Back to bottled dressings -- so we're stuck with the same flavor. For weeks. For months. For years... no, you should throw the bottle out if it's gotten to be that long. But anyway. It is, like I said before, not only easy, but ridiculously simple to make your own salad dressing. The benefits? Ingredient control, flavor control, quality control, and variety. The cons? The 3 minutes it takes to mix it together. I know it's very, very difficult to compare this list of pros and cons -- so deliberate carefully, making sure to take into account your personal situation before making homemade salad dressing.
I'm simply going to give you my favorite variation, but here's the method behind the madness.
A good dressing contains oil and vinegar. I use olive oil (use the best you can because you will taste it the most here) and balsamic vinegar. You could use red wine, rice, champaign, or cider vinegars. No problem. For an Asian-inspired dressing, you could use a little bit of sesame oil (blend it with others because it is strong), peanut oil might be more appropriate for a Mexican-inspired dressing etc... Really, though -- a good olive oil will work in 99% of cases.
I usually use a 1:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. Lots of recipes call for more oil, but I think it tastes fine with more vinegar. This is up to you, though. You can make your salad milder by using less vinegar, if you want -- something you can't do with the bottle.
Then, there's the flavorings. Fresh herbs, dried herbs, citrus zest, garlic, shallots, onions, ginger, black pepper, etc... I like whatever dried herbs I have on hand -- note that this means prep is really simple: no chopping or anything.
There's also a sweetener -- entirely optional. You can use brown sugar, white sugar, honey, molasses, whatever you want. I use honey -- and you'll see why below.
Finally -- there is the emulsifier. You've probably noticed that oil and vinegar don't mix very well. An emulsifier isn't entirely necessary, but I really like it because it allows the flavors to really blend together -- if you've gone all out with nice olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley and basil, garlic, shallots, orange and lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper, you don't want to waste all that chopping time by failing to let the flavors blend. Popular options include egg yolks and mustard, but there are obvious problems with those. I'm not a huge fan of mustard, so why add it to a salad dressing? Some people aren't comfortable with consuming raw eggs -- and there is a risk of disease.
Not so obvious options include roasted garlic (the soft, pasty stuff that you squeeze out of the bulb), egg substitute, and honey. I like using honey because it sweetens and emulsifies. You could make an egg substitute by heating equal parts of water and flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) until it is egg-like in consistency. Adding this would bind all the ingredients, but it does add more dishes to the whole process, too. I say use honey because it's simple.
So, ignoring everything I just said, this is the recipe for a minimalist-salad-vinaigrette.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
a couple pinches of salt to taste
black pepper to taste
That's all you need! Now, this is what I do when I make my own salad.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon honey
a pinch salt
black pepper
1/4 teaspoon each, dried oregano and dried thyme
1. Mix together.
(I'm usually more verbose in my instructions, but the dearth of words, I think, reveals how simple it really can be!)
I'll start by pointing something out. Salad dressing is often misunderstood. There are TONS of bottled ones not worth looking at because of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and various additives and preservatives. There are a few, however, that are good for you. I don't like sorting through all the bottles, squinting at nutrition facts, and, not to mention, being stuck with the same flavor for as long as that bottle lasts. And, if you're buying the full-fat dressing, it should last a pretty long time...
Just so there's no confusion, I don't ever eat creamy dressings. Maybe once in a while if the circumstances are exceptional (you have to decide on that one), but I like oil-based ones just as much and they are SO much better for you! I'm always one to promote the healthy alternative.
Back to bottled dressings -- so we're stuck with the same flavor. For weeks. For months. For years... no, you should throw the bottle out if it's gotten to be that long. But anyway. It is, like I said before, not only easy, but ridiculously simple to make your own salad dressing. The benefits? Ingredient control, flavor control, quality control, and variety. The cons? The 3 minutes it takes to mix it together. I know it's very, very difficult to compare this list of pros and cons -- so deliberate carefully, making sure to take into account your personal situation before making homemade salad dressing.
I'm simply going to give you my favorite variation, but here's the method behind the madness.
A good dressing contains oil and vinegar. I use olive oil (use the best you can because you will taste it the most here) and balsamic vinegar. You could use red wine, rice, champaign, or cider vinegars. No problem. For an Asian-inspired dressing, you could use a little bit of sesame oil (blend it with others because it is strong), peanut oil might be more appropriate for a Mexican-inspired dressing etc... Really, though -- a good olive oil will work in 99% of cases.
I usually use a 1:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. Lots of recipes call for more oil, but I think it tastes fine with more vinegar. This is up to you, though. You can make your salad milder by using less vinegar, if you want -- something you can't do with the bottle.
Then, there's the flavorings. Fresh herbs, dried herbs, citrus zest, garlic, shallots, onions, ginger, black pepper, etc... I like whatever dried herbs I have on hand -- note that this means prep is really simple: no chopping or anything.
There's also a sweetener -- entirely optional. You can use brown sugar, white sugar, honey, molasses, whatever you want. I use honey -- and you'll see why below.
Finally -- there is the emulsifier. You've probably noticed that oil and vinegar don't mix very well. An emulsifier isn't entirely necessary, but I really like it because it allows the flavors to really blend together -- if you've gone all out with nice olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley and basil, garlic, shallots, orange and lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper, you don't want to waste all that chopping time by failing to let the flavors blend. Popular options include egg yolks and mustard, but there are obvious problems with those. I'm not a huge fan of mustard, so why add it to a salad dressing? Some people aren't comfortable with consuming raw eggs -- and there is a risk of disease.
Not so obvious options include roasted garlic (the soft, pasty stuff that you squeeze out of the bulb), egg substitute, and honey. I like using honey because it sweetens and emulsifies. You could make an egg substitute by heating equal parts of water and flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) until it is egg-like in consistency. Adding this would bind all the ingredients, but it does add more dishes to the whole process, too. I say use honey because it's simple.
So, ignoring everything I just said, this is the recipe for a minimalist-salad-vinaigrette.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
a couple pinches of salt to taste
black pepper to taste
That's all you need! Now, this is what I do when I make my own salad.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon honey
a pinch salt
black pepper
1/4 teaspoon each, dried oregano and dried thyme
1. Mix together.
(I'm usually more verbose in my instructions, but the dearth of words, I think, reveals how simple it really can be!)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Weekly Recipe: Sweet Potato Oven Fries
I learned this recipe from my boyfriend's mom, Brinker. She did this not only with sweet potatoes, but regular potatoes and chicken, too. And, it was all delicious.
I love making oven fries with new red potatoes because they are so easy. Cut, season, oil, bake on parchment, remove, throw parchment away, done. I tried it once with sweet potatoes and they got brown and caramelized, but had a much softer texture and didn't crisp like regular potatoes. I see recipes similar to what I attempted show up on FoodTV.com every once in a while, but am reluctant to try them. So, I just use Brinker's method of making the sweet potatoes crisp on the outside while not nutritionally sacrificing them (i.e., frying). They key? Whole-wheat, dry breading.
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 cup (or more) dry, whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup (1 oz) parmiggiano reggiano cheese
1 egg
OK, so it is very difficult to find one of the ingredients on this list. That is -- whole wheat bread crumbs. I'm not really sure the whole-wheat exist, but I won't use regular Panko (i.e. Japanese bread crumbs made with white flour) because it diminishes the nutritional value of the sweet potato. Here I'll show you how to make quick bread crumbs.
1. Cut pieces of whole-wheat bread (the crumbs will taste like your bread -- pick a milder tasting brand) into 1-inch or so cubes.
2. Place in a coffee grinder (you can probably use a blender, too), and pulse until bread crumbs are formed.
3. Dry on a cookie sheet over night or in a 200 degree F oven until crisp.
4. They are ready to use in the recipe!
Okay, now on to the main recipe.
Procedure
1. Wash sweet potato -- do not skin. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut very end of the long ends off so that each half has three flat faces.
2. Slice each half (keeping then large flat side-down) into slices roughly 1 cm thick. You want the potato to cook before the breading burns. Cutting it too thin, however, and you will only taste the breading.
3. Combine egg and 2 tablespoons water. Whisk together to create egg wash.
4. Combine bread crumbs and cheese. You can add herbs such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Remember, though -- you still want to be able to taste the sweetness of the potatoes. The idea with the cheese is that it will melt and the oils will help brown the breading on the fries.
5. Dip each slice in the egg. Allow excess to drip off, then coat in bread crumb mixture. Try not to allow too much egg to get into the bread crumbs. When they are wet, they will not stick to the fries.
6. Place in one layer on a cookie-sheet lined with oiled parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, watching to make sure the bread crumbs do not burn. They will be very dark around edges and black spots are ok.
7. Let cool for at least 1 minute before removing from pan.
I love making oven fries with new red potatoes because they are so easy. Cut, season, oil, bake on parchment, remove, throw parchment away, done. I tried it once with sweet potatoes and they got brown and caramelized, but had a much softer texture and didn't crisp like regular potatoes. I see recipes similar to what I attempted show up on FoodTV.com every once in a while, but am reluctant to try them. So, I just use Brinker's method of making the sweet potatoes crisp on the outside while not nutritionally sacrificing them (i.e., frying). They key? Whole-wheat, dry breading.
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 cup (or more) dry, whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup (1 oz) parmiggiano reggiano cheese
1 egg
OK, so it is very difficult to find one of the ingredients on this list. That is -- whole wheat bread crumbs. I'm not really sure the whole-wheat exist, but I won't use regular Panko (i.e. Japanese bread crumbs made with white flour) because it diminishes the nutritional value of the sweet potato. Here I'll show you how to make quick bread crumbs.
1. Cut pieces of whole-wheat bread (the crumbs will taste like your bread -- pick a milder tasting brand) into 1-inch or so cubes.
2. Place in a coffee grinder (you can probably use a blender, too), and pulse until bread crumbs are formed.
NOTE: I turn the bread into crumbs when it is soft because it makes a bigger crumb. You could wait for the bread to dry out and then grind it up. The dry bread will offer more resistance to the blade, however, and the result will be a smaller crumb and less crunch in the fries. Letting the bread dry after it has been turned into crumbs results in a larger crumb.
3. Dry on a cookie sheet over night or in a 200 degree F oven until crisp.
4. They are ready to use in the recipe!
Okay, now on to the main recipe.
Procedure
1. Wash sweet potato -- do not skin. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut very end of the long ends off so that each half has three flat faces.
2. Slice each half (keeping then large flat side-down) into slices roughly 1 cm thick. You want the potato to cook before the breading burns. Cutting it too thin, however, and you will only taste the breading.
3. Combine egg and 2 tablespoons water. Whisk together to create egg wash.
4. Combine bread crumbs and cheese. You can add herbs such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Remember, though -- you still want to be able to taste the sweetness of the potatoes. The idea with the cheese is that it will melt and the oils will help brown the breading on the fries.
5. Dip each slice in the egg. Allow excess to drip off, then coat in bread crumb mixture. Try not to allow too much egg to get into the bread crumbs. When they are wet, they will not stick to the fries.
6. Place in one layer on a cookie-sheet lined with oiled parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, watching to make sure the bread crumbs do not burn. They will be very dark around edges and black spots are ok.
7. Let cool for at least 1 minute before removing from pan.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Subscribe!
I added a new feature to my blog -- you can now subscribe to it! My understanding is that when I make a post, it will send you an email the next day. I don't think it will send you multiple emails for multiple posts. I have subscribed just so I can keep track of what it does, as I am not entirely familiar with these things. Just fill in your email address in the box below my picture!
As for the food thought of the day?
"Mmm. Plums, blueberries, and pineapple..."
As part of my lunch, I enjoyed fresh produce, for which I am eternally grateful to summer.
As for the food thought of the day?
"Mmm. Plums, blueberries, and pineapple..."
As part of my lunch, I enjoyed fresh produce, for which I am eternally grateful to summer.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Outgoing at the Grocery Store...
I was at Whole Foods Market today in Evanston, searching for the ingredients to make a key-lime pie. First thing: key limes. Surprisingly, they had some! I grabbed a small bag of about 20 golf-ball size limes.
"Key limes are small..." I thought to myself. "How am I going to juice them?" I remember making key lime pie once with regular limes and it was great. I had done this because I didn't want to risk it on the key limes -- who knows how the juicing would have gone?
Now, however, I had learned several tricks for juicing any citrus fruit. Roll it on the counter before you cut it. This softens the fruit, releasing the juice, so it basically juices the fruit before you cut it open. Another trick was placing the fruit in the microwave -- weird, I know, but successful, nonetheless.
I was sure one of these things was going to work. I was walking around with graham crackers (for the crust), searching for a can of sweetened condensed milk. Would Whole Foods have this quintessentially-artificial-sounding ingredient? Before I found out, and while I was reaching for some kettle corn out for sampling, this extremely nice, older lady asks me question as she maneuvers around me to enter an aisle.
"How are you going to juice those?" she asked.
"Hmmm," I thought. I love talking about food, so I told her about rolling and pressing them. I have to say, very few people I encounter know about this, so I was surprised when she shook her head as if it were common sense.
"Very ripe ones, microwaved, work the best, I've found..." she said, with a hint of resignation towards the end her phrase.
So I asked, "For key lime pie, have you ever used regular limes...?"
She immediately said, with a warm and friendly voice, "Oh, yes -- we love it, too, and regular limes are much easier to juice..."
I smiled and thanked her for the tip, and figured, since I had been wandering around seeking help for at least 5 minutes, I'd ask her my question.
"Do you know, by chance, if they have sweetened-condensed milk here?"
Her reply, as if she were reading my mind, "Oh, I don't think so... They make a great lower fat version, so there's a lot less calories [how did she know this interested me?], but it sounds artificial enough to me that Whole Foods wouldn't carry it..."
My exact thoughts earlier -- all because this woman decided to question me about my key limes, I decided to put the key limes back, get 3 regular sized limes, and search a little bit more for the sweetened condensed milk. I eventually found it, but no low-fat version. I decided to go to another grocery store, Jewel-Osco, and they had it there.
What a great chance experience, though! Next time you see a shopper for whom imminent culinary peril awaits, like myself with my key limes, lend them a hand.
So, I did some research on the difference between key limes and regular limes. It seems key limes are more acidic. When I make the pie (which you will all see here), I'm going to start with too much juice and reduce it to the correct amount by heating it until enough water evaporates, yielding a more acidic juice. We'll see how it goes!
"Key limes are small..." I thought to myself. "How am I going to juice them?" I remember making key lime pie once with regular limes and it was great. I had done this because I didn't want to risk it on the key limes -- who knows how the juicing would have gone?
Now, however, I had learned several tricks for juicing any citrus fruit. Roll it on the counter before you cut it. This softens the fruit, releasing the juice, so it basically juices the fruit before you cut it open. Another trick was placing the fruit in the microwave -- weird, I know, but successful, nonetheless.
I was sure one of these things was going to work. I was walking around with graham crackers (for the crust), searching for a can of sweetened condensed milk. Would Whole Foods have this quintessentially-artificial-sounding ingredient? Before I found out, and while I was reaching for some kettle corn out for sampling, this extremely nice, older lady asks me question as she maneuvers around me to enter an aisle."How are you going to juice those?" she asked.
"Hmmm," I thought. I love talking about food, so I told her about rolling and pressing them. I have to say, very few people I encounter know about this, so I was surprised when she shook her head as if it were common sense.
"Very ripe ones, microwaved, work the best, I've found..." she said, with a hint of resignation towards the end her phrase.
So I asked, "For key lime pie, have you ever used regular limes...?"
She immediately said, with a warm and friendly voice, "Oh, yes -- we love it, too, and regular limes are much easier to juice..."
I smiled and thanked her for the tip, and figured, since I had been wandering around seeking help for at least 5 minutes, I'd ask her my question.
"Do you know, by chance, if they have sweetened-condensed milk here?"
Her reply, as if she were reading my mind, "Oh, I don't think so... They make a great lower fat version, so there's a lot less calories [how did she know this interested me?], but it sounds artificial enough to me that Whole Foods wouldn't carry it..."
My exact thoughts earlier -- all because this woman decided to question me about my key limes, I decided to put the key limes back, get 3 regular sized limes, and search a little bit more for the sweetened condensed milk. I eventually found it, but no low-fat version. I decided to go to another grocery store, Jewel-Osco, and they had it there.
What a great chance experience, though! Next time you see a shopper for whom imminent culinary peril awaits, like myself with my key limes, lend them a hand.
So, I did some research on the difference between key limes and regular limes. It seems key limes are more acidic. When I make the pie (which you will all see here), I'm going to start with too much juice and reduce it to the correct amount by heating it until enough water evaporates, yielding a more acidic juice. We'll see how it goes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
