July 2008
July 2008
Food for Thought
LOCAL WARMING
Regardless of your perspective on the Global Warming Debate, in this month of July you will have to admit that it is pretty hot for much of the USA and if you're a/c is destined to fail it will be now. The conditions of the season prompted us to warm over an essay of a previous day. This is what we said:
As the 20th Century dawned we used many ways to fight back at the oppressive summer's heat. Less inventive methods were: fewer hours spent inside the home or workplace on the hottest days, looking for cool breezes, open fire hydrants, backyard and public pools. More exotic methods for staying cool in the pre-refrigeration days were rare, but we did find on the web site of the Houston, Texas Heritage Society this interesting bit of information: The Lake Breeze hot air fan used alcohol or kerosene in a small burner below a piston which would turn the blades. This fan was used where there was no electricity and is still used today. (Have you seen one?)
Today, we take summertime coolness for granted. Unless we are jolted back to reality when our home or business air conditioner, or that of our automobile, acts up and goes on strike we expect it to be there.
And whom do we thank for our mechanically cooled homes, offices, business places and food storage devices? According to History Channelwe pay homage to many people for developing the refrigerator, including Dr. William Cullen, a Scotsman whose studies in the early 1700s dealt with the evaporation of liquids in a vacuum, Michael Faraday, a Londoner who in the early 1800s liquified ammonia to cause cooling, and Dr. John Goorie of Apalachicola, Florida, who built a machine to make ice to cool the air for yellow fever patients in 1834.
Air conditioning made big strides when Cornell University, in 1901, awarded a Masters Degree to an engineer named Willis Haviland Carrier who went to work, at $10 per week, with a dream of cooling large spaces, and so the rest is history. If you want to delve further go to: STAY COOL
bon appetit
Recipes of the Month
THE FEATURED RECIPE USES MEXICAN OREGANO
Spiedies (Shish Kabob)
The Turks provided us with two words meaning skewer and roast. Naturally, it is one small step to the American grill. Spiedies is one of those words describing a dish adopted from one country and transplanted to a region of the U.S.A., in this instance northern New York State. Mexican Oregano, while not really oregano, gives this marinade a bit of a lift.
1 pound beef sirloin
1 pound boneless chicken breast
Marinade
8 bay leaves
4 tsp Mexican Oregano
8 cloves of fresh garlic
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¾ cup vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Cut the meat into pieces approximately 1-1/2 inches and set aside.
Mince the garlic cloves and then set aside.
Prepare the Marinade
In a large glass dish mix all the remaining ingredients together. Add the meat, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours; stir occasionally. If the olive oil tends to solidify when refrigerated remove the marinating meat once or twice per day to allow the oil to warm, then stir.
When ready to cook prepare charcoal fire. (See the suggested method at the end of the recipes)
Prepare the Spiedies for Grilling
Remove the chunks of meat from marinade. Be sure that none of the bay leaves cling to meat. Skewer the meat and place the kabobs over the charcoal fire turning the skewers occasionally. Meat should be done in about 15 minutes, but test it to be sure.
Serves 6
THIS RECIPE FEATURES DILL WEED
Cuban Tofu Salad
Boned chicken may be substituted for the tofu and mayonnaise for the yogurt in this recipe, but the tofu and yogurt is a wiser choice of ingredients for a salad intended for serving on a hot day.
1 pound firm tofu
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound new potatoes
1 sweet potato (6-8 inches long)
1 Golden Delicious apple
4 hard boiled eggs
½ cup green peas
½ red onion
¾ cup yogurt
2 teaspoons Dill Weed
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 can asparagus tips
salt to taste
pepper to taste
paprika to taste
Cut the tofu into 1 inch squares, ½ inch thick. Coat with nutritional yeast. Add salt and pepper and set aside
Coarsely chop the apple and set aside.
Cut the hard boiled eggs into ¼ inch slices and set aside.
Cook the peas until they are still slightly firm and then set aside to cool.
Finely chop the onion then set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat and then fry the tofu cubes until they are golden brown and slightly chewy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Cut the potatoes and the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Boil them until they are tender. Drain the water from them and set aside.
Mix together the tofu, the potatoes, the apple, 3 of the sliced eggs, the peas, and the onion. Add enough of the yogurt to make the salad creamy. Add the Dill Weed. Add the vinegar and prepared mustard.
Garnish with additional sliced egg and asparagus spears. Sprinkle with
paprika.
Serves 6
THIS RECIPE FEATURES TACO SEASONING
Taco Salad
This is a salad ideal for a quiet patio meal. The ground beef could be prepared on the outdoor grill, for added picnic flair. Hopefully, you can use home grown tomatoes, perhaps from your own vines.
1 head lettuce
4 medium sized tomatoes
1-1/2 pound ground beef
¾ cup water
1 (8 oz) bottle Thousand Island dressing
½ cup sugar
1 onion
8 oz. cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Mary Ann's Taco Seasoning
1 package unsalted corn tortilla chips
Prepare the Salad Ingredients
Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and set aside.
Dice the tomatoes and set aside.
Dice the onion and set aside.
Shred the cheese and set aside.
Brown the ground beef. Add 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning to the meat along with ¾ cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat. Set aside and let cool.
Layer the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, ground beef and cheese. Repeat layers until all is used. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Prepare the Sauce
Mix ½ cup sugar, 8 ounces Thousand Island dressing, and 1 tablespoon of the Taco Seasoning. Set aside until the salad is served.
Just before serving, place a layer of tortilla chips on a serving plate, the cover the tortilla chips with the layered vegetables, cheese and ground beef, top this off with sauce and serve immediately.
Serves 4
THIS RECIPE FEATURES MARY ANN'S SPECAL SPICE PACKET
Spiced Peaches
Summertime is fresh from the tree fruit time. Here is a treat for the picnic crowd, or for keeping for winter fare. Mary Ann's special package for July contains the spices shown in bold type at the end of the recipe. Perhaps you may wish to use this combination of spices from your own supply to prepare the recipe.
5 cups brown sugar
2 cups white vinegar
¾ cup water
Mary Ann's Special Spice Packet
4 quarts fresh whole peaches
6 pint size glass jars with lids that can be sealed
Sterilize the glass jars in boiling water.(See the citation at the end of the recipe.) Have them ready for use immediately after the peaches are prepared.
Tie the spices from Mary Ann's Special Spice Packet into a cheesecloth bag or use a large tea infuser (break the cinnamon sticks to fit inside the infuser).
Cook the sugar, vinegar, and spices 20 minutes. Drop the peaches into the cooking mixture a few at a time and continue to cook them until the peaches are tender.
Pack the boiling hot peaches into hot, sterilized jars, adding boiling syrup to within ½ inch of top. (Leave this space for expansion and proper sealing.) Close the jars immediately.
Makes 6 pints
Spices and portions contained in the special packet
2 2-1/2 inch Cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons Whole Cloves
1 tablespoon Whole Allspice
To Sterilize Jars Wash jars and fill with cold water. Set in a kettle on a trivet, and surround with cold water. Heat gradually to boiling-point, remove from water, empty, and fill while hot. Put covers in hot water and let stand five minutes. Dip rubber bands in hot water, but do not allow them to stand. New rubbers should be used each season, and care must be taken that rims of covers are not bent, as jars cannot then be hermetically sealed. CITATION:Farmer, Fannie Merritt. The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Boston: Little, Brown, 1918; Bartleby.com, 2000
A Word About Using Charcoal
Barbeque experts swear by techniques they have developed over years of grilling. The methods pointed out here are the rudimentary treatment of a basic ingredient in barbecuing: Building the fire.
It all starts with a heat source and that, for most beginners, is a charcoal fire. Charcoal, in itself, is another story. There are many kinds including briquettes and lumps. The argument here ranges from pure products to those including coal dust. Regardless, most amateurs merely buy a bag of briquettes at the closest store. Often, they also purchase, or have purchased, a can of charcoal-lighter-fluid
We suggest that the later step is a mistake. That fluid, in the can, is a petroleum product and while it makes starting the charcoal so easy, it also leaves an unmistakable aroma of automobile crankcase on your grill and, therefore, on your preparations. We suggest that at the very start you visit a nearby hardware, or barbecue specialty store, and purchase a chimney for charcoal starting.
Place the chimney on a non-inflammable surface, such as your grill, and with a sheet or two of newspaper close at hand, place charcoal briquettes in the chimney sufficient for the task at hand. In the space below the charcoal stuff the sheet of newspaper, set the chimney down and light the newsprint. Here is where patience starts. You may think nothing has happened. You may soon be convinced that you need another sheet of paper. Before succumbing to doubt, place your hand above the chimney and don't be surprised if you feel heat, indicating that the charcoal has caught.
Now, with more patience, another beverage and last minute preparations, wait until the flames wrap around the briquettes at the top of the chimney. At this time, using oven mitts or heavy gloves, dump the glowing coals into your fire pan. Using a set of tongs, or suitable device, spread the embers evenly over the pan, to a depth of one coal, replace the grill and wait until each coal is covered with a fine gray ash. Now you are ready to barbecue.
Please note that any of the spices and spice blends shown in these recipes may be ordered from Mary Ann, along with your selection for this month, and you save additional shipping.
Save shipping charges by adding any other spices or teas to your monthly selection. For each dollar you spend for added products you also receive one bonus point which can be exchanged for more spices, teas or membership in the Spice Surprise Club. Details will be included with your order.