operator: Culinary emergency! 911…

caller: I have a sauce that just won’t thicken up!!

operator:  All you need is to whip up a “slurry”. Just quickly mix 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts cold water (or any other cold liquid) and stir to dissolve.  Whisk into your sauce, bring to a boil and it’s fixed instantly!  Feel free to use this slurry whenever the need may arise with sauces, gravies, soups or fruit purees.

caller:  How much of this slurry do I add?

operator:  A good ratio is 1 tablespoon of corn starch to every 2 cups of liquid you need to thicken.

caller:  Thank you culinary 911!!

Rice accounts for half the world’s staple food!!

It can be traced back to 5000 B.C. in China.  Today, it is grown on 6 continents and in 110 countries.
Rice varieties are categorized by the length of their grain (short, medium, long).  There are over 40,000 different varieties that exist.  Wild rice comes from a different type of plant than other rice, and it contains more protein and fiber.  3,000 grains of rice come from just 1 rice seed.

The Mission:  To provide your guests with a refreshing summer cocktail

The Objective:  Spend no time behind the bar

The Procedure: Make a White Sangria by mixing together

1 cup of Peach Schnapps
1 cup Welch’s White Grape Peach Juice
2 (750 ml) Bottles White Wine

Store overnight in fridge.  Before guests arrive add

4 cups Club Soda
1 Peach, thinly sliced
1 cup raspberries
1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
� cup blueberries

Place in a pitcher and allow guests to serve themselves.

This message will self-destruct in 5-4-3-2…….

Mise en Place [MEEZ ahn plahs]
 

How do you get a meal to come together at the same time?  Three little words…Mise en Place or “everything in its place”.

You’ve probably seen TV chefs with all of their little bowls of chopped vegetables and measured out butter and seasoning.  That’s not just for show.  It’s their mise en place - or “meeze” as we call it in professional kitchens.   The more prepared you can be before you get to the stove, the more time you can spend cooking the dish and less time scrambling for missing ingredients. 

Did you ever think making cheese at home would be possible??  With this easy process, you’ll be the envy of all your gourmand friends and they don’t even have to know it only takes 2 ingredients!!

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

6 c. whole milk
1.5 c buttermilk

Line a colander with 5 layers of dampened cheesecloth.  Combine milk and buttermilk in a 4 quart non-reactive saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat.  Stir mixture with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching.  When mixture is warm to touch, stop stirring.
Continue to heat mixture.  When you see curds begin to form, scrape bottom of pan.  Do not stir or break up curds.
When mixture reaches 175 degrees and curds of ricotta separate from whey, remove pot from heat.  With a skimmer or small mesh strainer, lift curds from pot and gently lay into cheesecloth.  Allow to drain for 15-20 minutes.  Do not press curds; rather lift corners of cheesecloth to ensure draining.  When curds have drained, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe ideas:

*sweeten with a little powdered sugar and vanilla - great on toast with jam or with grilled peaches

*season with salt and herbs - for lasagna or stuffed chicken breast

It’s a girl!!!

Eggplants are sexy??

Sure they are!!  Just look at their bottoms - to tell which sex they are, that is…

Male eggplants have a shallow, circular dimple on their blossom end.
Females have a deep, dash-shaped indentationWhy does that matter?  Well, most people are put off by eggplant for its texture, bitterness or both.  Males have significantly less seeds - and considering it’s the seeds that make an eggplant mushy and bitter, it would do you good to pick out a male next time at the grocery!

Today is Summer Solstice!

Almost every country in the world celebrates the solstice. In ancient times it usually involved fire and feasting. Why not continue the tradition with your own outdoor party?
Make the most of the extra hours of sunlight with seasonal food and drink with friends and loved ones! Here is an easy recipe that utilizes produce at the peak of its season.

Farmer’s Market Gazpacho

1.5#     Ripe Tomatoes (diced)
1#        Ripe Peaches  (diced)
1/4#     Blueberries
1           Cucumber      (diced)
2           Shallots or 1 Onion  (diced)
1/4C.    White wine vinegar
1/4C.    Water
1/4C.    Olive oil
1 Tbl.    Tarragon (or cilantro)
Salt and pepper to taste

*Reserve a small amount of the diced fruits for a garnish.

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.  Strain the  puree for a more refined texture, if desired.
Chill and serve!

“No more than three days a week.”  This is what Massachusetts’
prisoners would plead during colonial times.  It was later ruled cruel and unusual punishment to feed lobster to them more than that.  Now a coveted delicacy reserved for special occasions, we would love to eat it every day of the week.
Here is an easy summer recipe to help you do just that…….

1        Grapefruit (sectioned with juice)
1        Avocado (diced)
2 tbl.   Rice wine vinegar
3 tbl.   Olive oil
4 oz.   Lobster meat
8 oz.   Bibb Lettuce
6         Cilantro stems (leaves pulled)
Salt and pepper to taste
*Mix the ingredients in this order.  Gently tossing in the lettuce and lobster.  This is only enough for two, so multiply for additional lobster lovers!

In a pinch for dessert??  Try this simple (but delicious) pie recipe!!

Southern Buttermilk Pie

2 c Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Butter, melted
3 Eggs
1/2 c Buttermilk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine sugar, salt, flour and butter. Once incorporated, add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

America’s first millionaire was Elias Haskett Derby.  He capitalizied on the East Indies pepper trade by importing black pepper.  He later used his fortune to endow Yale University.