Masala Chai Tweetcipe

Masala chai is an old Indian recipe and is translated as mixed spice (masala) tea (chai).  The basic recipe uses Indian spices, milk, sweetener and black tea that are simmered and steeped to make a slightly sweet and spicy hot drink that is wonderfully satisfying.  Like chili, there are lots of recipe variations for masala chai.  I’ve seen recipes that call for black pepper, fresh ginger root, star anise and sweetened condensed milk. Traditionally chai takes 15-20 minutes to make, but as the drink has become popular around the world, so has the need to make it quickly, thus the availability of chai concentrates, flavorings and the ability to order a chai latte from Starbucks.

My thanks goes to my brother-in-law, Rana, who shared his family’s recipe with me, which became my inspiration for creating my own.  This chai recipe takes some time, but the results are worth it!

Masala Chai

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1 4” stick of cinnamon

3 cardamom pods

3 whole cloves

2 cups water
1 tablespoon loose leaf black tea or 2 small bags of black tea
1 qt whole milk or half and half
sugar or honey, to taste

Place the spices between 2 sheets of paper towel.  Using a flat bottom skillet, smash the spices several times to release their aromatic oils.  Place the spices and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, add the black tea and steep for 5-10 minutes.

Put the saucepan over medium heat, add the half and half or milk, and bring to a very low boil.  Stir occasionally.  When the chai is steaming hot, add 1-2 T of your favorite sweetener to taste and stir.  Pour the masala chai through a strainer directly into a mug and serve.  Makes 3-4 servings.

12 Tastes and Aromas of Christmas

Richard Paul Evans wrote in The Christmas Box that the “smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood.” Walk into Grandma’s kitchen during the holidays on a crisp, cold day and, more than likely, you will find yourself transported to a simpler yesterday that was full of mouthwatering sensory  experiences. This is not your imagination.

Research shows that a strong connection exists between smells, emotions and our past experiences, especially those from early childhood. Specific smells can bring about once-forgotten memories. These memories remind us not only of favorite places, family and friends; they remind us of favorite foods.

On the first day of Christmas baking,

Your kitchen spice rack needs

A heavy dose of cinnamon please

Conjure up fond memories with a variety of tastes in your holiday cuisine. Some of the more popular spices you may find in your kitchen (which may be obtained organically if you don’t have them) include cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves.

On the fifth day of Christmas baking,

Your kitchen spice rack needs

FIVE WHOLE CLOVES

4  teaspoons of ginger

3 pinches of  allspice

2 nutmeg sprinkles

And a heavy dose of cinnamon please!

These “warm” spices add delicious flavor to pumpkin recipes, gingerbread, carrot cake and homemade chai tea. However, chai just wouldn’t be complete without the spicy-sweet flavor of cardamom on your palette. I smash a cardamom pod to release the oils when I brew my chai. Native to Scandinavia and East India, ground cardamom can also be used in puddings and cakes, as well as chicken and vegetable recipes. Cardamom pairs well with fruit, too.

The holidays aren’t complete without delicious drinks. Several holiday beverages combine festive seasonings with apple cider, oranges and raisins. Scandinavian glögg (pronounced “glurgg”) combines many of these ingredients with wine and brandy or vodka for a delicious hot drink that will warm your spirit as well as your body. Serve your Glögg with a side of baked breads featuring cinnamon, cardamom and allspice. For me, the mouthwateringly delicious smell of banana nut bread wafting through the house may be one of the most endearing and enduring memories of the holidays.

Perhaps the most popular tastes of the holidays are chocolate and peppermint. With some extra time during the holidays, you can enjoy Alton Brown’s recipe for chocolate peppermint pinwheel cookies. These two tastes may be enjoyed in short order, too, by simply adding bits of a peppermint candy cane or peppermint schnapps to your hot cocoa. Sometimes the simplest tastes and smells – combined simply – impart the most vivid memories.

On the twelfth day of Christmas baking,

Your holiday spice rack needs:

12  peppermint canes

11 mugs of  chocolate

10 banana breads

9 cups of  raisins

8 juicy oranges

7 crispy apples

6 cardamom-infused cups of chai

FIVE WHOLE CLOVES

4  teaspoons of ginger

3 pinches of  allspice

2 nutmeg sprinkles

And a heavy dose of cinnamon please!

This holiday, I hope you will explore and experiment with these flavors to create a variety of festive foods. May your holiday season bring you flavorful food, abundant aromas and myriad happy memories for the coming years.

Until next year, eat well!

Thanksgiving Dressing Tweetcipe

Bread dressing is one of those rare dishes that allows one’s locality, family traditions and imagine create a delicious and unique compliment to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and ham.  Depending on the region of the country, popular additions to the mixture of bread (which might be white, dark and/or cornbread), sautéd vegetables and liquid may be oysters, sausage, giblets, chestnuts, pecans, boiled egg, mushrooms, apple or dried fruit.  Also milk and eggs may be the liquid of choice for a more custard type dressing or chicken stock for a meatier, sturdier textured dressing.

This is the recipe I’ll be serving at my table on Thanksgiving Day.  I’m not throwing anything fancy in it, this time, but rather bumping up the flavor with buttermilk and onions, which will let the giblet gravy ladled on top be the star of the dish.  This recipe can be stuffed in the bird, using Alton Brown’s method of preheating the dressing, but then the chicken broth should be decreased to ½ cup.

1 box of cornbread, prepared, cooled and crumbled Don’t add the sugar if it’s called for in the recipe on the box.  Also, I use buttermilk instead of  regular milk.

1 bag of dried cubed bread, found at Whole Foods

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 medium onions, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

2 stalks of celery, chopped

Handful of fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup chicken broth

Heat oven to 350°. Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornbread and bread crumbs.  In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter; add carrot, celery and onion; sauté until tender. In a medium bowl whisk egg, buttermilk and broth together.  Combine vegetable mixture with crumbs; stir in egg mixture, herbs and seasonings.  Spread in prepared baking pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean.

This Thanksgiving, Tell your Chef to Stuff It

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in 1863 that our nation would observe an official national day of thanks every November. Thanksgiving has become a time when we enjoy the company of our friends and families, and we raise a glass in celebration of that which we are most thankful. Throughout the day, we enjoy a variety of foods: fresh cranberries, freshly-baked breads and homemade pumpkin pie, but the centerpiece of this festive smorgasbord is the holiday turkey.

For decades, the turkey has traditionally been served stuffed with dressing, a side dish potpourri made with bread (sometimes sausage), vegetables and seasonings. Yet rising incidents of food-borne illness have raised concerns about this custom.

Alton Brown – chef, author, food historian and Food Network host – has spoken out against turkey stuffing, saying that “when it comes to turkey, Stuffing Is Evil,” and that the practice of stuffing turkeys is dangerous. Like raw chicken, raw turkeys are carriers of salmonella bacteria. By putting bread stuffing into the bird, the risk of transferring those bacteria to the stuffing is likely, as the contaminated juices soak into the stuffing.

Because of this, the person cooking the turkey must ensure that the stuffing within reaches a temperature of 165 degrees; otherwise, the cook risks making his or her guests sick. While ensuring that the stuffing does reach the proper temperature, however, the turkey – particularly the breast meat – becomes overcooked and dried out. Will you please pass the gravy?

Alton’s followers are crying “fowl,” in protest of his decision to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey sans stuffing. As a result, the chef has given some consideration to how stuffing lovers may continue to enjoy this traditional gastronomy without playing gastrointestinal jeopardy.

Alton has shared a turkey with stuffing recipe that may soothe the ruffled feathers of those who want to enjoy their turkey stuffed. In this recipe, the dressing is a blend of Challah (Jewish egg bread), cherries, pecans, and a variety of vegetables and seasonings. Alton recommends heating the prepared dressing to a high heat, quickly stuffing the turkey afterwards, so that it will take less time for the stuffing to reach 165 degrees. By doing so, your stuffing can be served at a safe temperature, without overcooking the turkey.

Now when someone warns you about the hazards of stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey, you can let them know that they indeed can stuff their turkey and eat it, too. Just remember to serve the stuffing hot, and serve it immediately.

Until next month, give thanks . . . and eat well.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Tweetcipe

I was in Steamboat Springs, Colorado recently and had the good fortune to dine at The Laundry Restaurant. Every dish was tasty, from their contemporary concoction called Laundry Lemonade to the Lemon Gorgonzola Cheesecake. But the dish I had to try to recreate at home was their Brussels Sprout Hash. Executive Chef Chris Randall’s recipe is easy to find on the Web, so what I’m going to share is my streamlined riff on his excellent dish. I know I’ve posted a Tweetcipe for Brussels sprouts already, but I think this under-appreciated fall vegetable deserves a second feature.

Brussels Sprout Salad

1 lb trimmed Brussels sprouts, smaller is better

3 slices bacon or 3 oz pancetta, diced small

Salt and pepper to taste

4 T mustard vinaigrette (recipe below)

Fill a large saucepan about half full of salted water and bring to a boil. Blanch the sprouts for 2 minutes. Drain the sprouts and place them in a cold water bath to stop them from cooking. Drain the sprouts well and cut each in half or thirds, depending on their size.

Cook diced pork in a large nonstick skillet until brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to place the pork on paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 T of grease. Over medium heat, sauté the sprouts in the grease until they start to brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the sprouts in a bowl and stir in the mustard vinaigrette and cooked pork. Serve warm or at room temperature. Optional: add 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts.

Mustard Vinaigrette

2 T of whole mustard

1 T Dijon mustard

2 T cider vinegar

1 T honey

1 ½ cups olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor. While blending on a low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil.

“Dirty Dozen” 2012 – The Battle against Pesticides Continues

A little over two years ago, I shared my concerns regarding the obesity rate in our country as well as the levels of pesticide residue that is often found in or on the foods we eat. As you modify your diet to improve your health, you also have to keep an eye on foods often considered wholesome.  To help you avoid pesticides in food, I shared a list that outlined the “dirty dozen.” 

The annual “Dirty Dozen” report is made available by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and is compiled by collecting USDA and FDA data regarding pesticide residue. The produce samples on this list are tested for levels of pesticide after they are washed and (if necessary) peeled. The “dirty dozen” produce are those that are normally contaminated with organophosphate insecticides, pesticides shown to be harmful to our nervous system.

                                                                                   

The “Dirty Dozen” for 2012 are (in order from most contaminated to least):

• Apples
• Celery
• Sweet bell peppers
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Nectarines (imported)
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Blueberries (domestic)
• Potatoes

While I have always been a strong advocate of organic produce and the patronage of CSAs and local farmers markets, I recognize that the grocery budget does not always allow you to buy the best of the best. The produce on this list, however, represent those items that should be a priority when deciding which organic produce to purchase. If cost is a factor, you can assure yourself of the least amount of pesticide in your produce by patronizing a farmers market, even if you cannot buy organic.

To help stretch the grocery budget and help you consider what you do not have to purchase as organic, a subsequent list has been provided by the EWG, highlighting the “Clean 15,” those produce items with the smallest amount of residue from pesticides. The items on the 2012 list are:

Onions

Sweet corn

Pineapple

Avocado

Cabbage

Sweet peas

Asparagus

Mangoes

Eggplant

Kiwi

Cantaloupe (domestic)

Sweet potatoes

Grapefuit

Watermelon

Mushrooms

Remember, regardless of what produce you purchase or where you purchase it, always wash and (when appropriate) peel your fruits and vegetables. You can take charge of what you eat, your level of health and your future. You can avoid pesticides and eat wisely without sacrificing taste, quality or your budget.

Until next month, eat well!

Cheesy Squash Casserole Tweetcipe

My CSA basket has given up more than its fair share of squash this summer…butternut, patty pan, zucchini, trumpet and yellow squash. I grilled it, baked it, boiled it, sautéd it with onions, made ratatouille with it and stuffed it. I was pretty tired of it in all its culinary forms until I remembered my Mom’s squash casserole. As I recall, the original recipe called for ingredients like Velveeta cheese, canned green chilis and cream cheese. I also recall that it tasted very good!  So I decided to recreate her recipe and update some of the ingredients. Try my version and tell me what you think!

Cheesy Squash Casserole

4 medium sized yellow squash (substitute 1 zucchini if you want), trimmed and cut into chunks

1 medium onion, diced medium

2 T butter

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

¾ cup green chilis, chopped (I used roasted Hatch chilis that I had previously frozen, but canned is OK, or for something different use fresh or jarred roasted red peppers)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a casserole pot sauté the onion and squash in butter. When the squash is partially cooked, remove pan from heat. Stir in the cheese, chilis or red peppers, salt and pepper. Add the beaten egg and stir well. Cook in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The casserole is done when you see a few brown spots on the top.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Note: Frozen squash works well with this recipe. Just sauté the onion in butter, then add the thawed, drained squash and follow the rest of the recipe as written.