Growing up, I thought everyone ate fried green tomatoes in the summer.  Later I found out that they were considered “southern food” and were not served at the likes of Le Cirque or Spago.  But with the food focus shifting to an “anything goes” policy, southern food is sliding right in next to the fancy fare of New York and L.A.
Whether you’re used to eating FGT’s for no occasion at all or you want to impress dinner guests with an unusual new taste, try this recipe.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Serves 4

4-6 Green tomatoes
1 c. All-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. Stone-ground cornmeal
Salt, to taste
Crushed Red Pepper, ground, to taste
Oil for frying, as needed
Butter, as needed

Wash your tomatoes.  Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Discard end pieces.  Set up 3 shallow trays/dishes.  The first is for flour, the second for the beaten eggs and buttermilk and the third for the cornmeal seasoned with salt and red pepper.   Dredge tomato slices  in flour, dip in milk and dredge again in cornmeal.  Lay flat on a sheet tray until all the slices have been coated.  Heat only enough oil to cover the bottom of your frying pan.  I don’t know how big your pan is, so I can’t tell you how much that is.  Lay in coated tomatoes evenly spaced.  Dot the gaps between tomatoes with butter.  Cook until evenly browned on one side, flip and repeat.  When tomatoes are brown and crisp on both sides, sprinkle with a little more salt and drain on paper towels.  You will want to wipe out your pan in between batches and start with fresh oil each time in order to keep the last of the tomatoes from picking up any burnt bits.

quinoa: KEEN-wah

Consider this:
*Machu Picchu, the Incan “lost city” of Peru, was probably built around 1460.
*Incans lived on staples of maize, quinoa and potatoes.
*Three countries (Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru) are responsible for growing almost 80% of all quinoa.

Now think to yourself:
“When was the last time I had a bowl of quinoa?”

If your answer is “not in a while” or “what in the world is quinoa” we understand.  If you had a 550-year old secret grain that was so perfect you could practically live on it alone, you wouldn’t be telling a whole hungry world about it either.  Buuut over the last few hundred years other countries have experimented with growing quinoa.  As recent as 20 years ago, farms in Colorado started toying with quinoa as a main crop.

But what makes it so prized that cultures would keep most of their bounty to themselves?  For starters, it has no cholesterol (like all other plants), high fiber, no gluten, high protein and is full of essential amino acids mostly only found in meat.  This makes quinoa a perfect meat substitute for vegetarians and omnivores alike.  It is also outrageously easy to prepare.  You’ll rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a small strainer and drain.  Just as in cooking rice, you’ll use 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid.  Water, chicken stock or veg stock are preferred. Place in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cover to cook 10-12 more minutes.  Fluff with fork and enjoy.

We love quinoa as an addition to tabouleh, stuffed bell peppers, soups and anywhere you would use a common white rice.

Unless you are a frequent visitor to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/, the site the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services calls home, you probably don’t have the low down on what is and what is not  considered endangered.  Unfortunately, many chefs aren’t paying that much attention either.  Now, we aren’t saying that they’re getting wild caught Coho salmon off the black market.  They may be using a very reputable fish farmer………

ANYWAY!!  If you would like to make an educated decision on which fish to choose from the menu, we have a great new solution for you.  Whether you are concerned with fish sustainability or you or your loved one is pregnant and worried about mercury levels, the answer is FishPhone!!  No relation to the iPhone, this is a text messaging service that allows people to check up-to-the-minute information on fish.  All you have to do is text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question.  Within moments they will text you back with their assessment.  If it’s a negative report, they’ll even send you a short list of better alternatives.  The best part is it’s free (standard text messaging rates apply)!

The mini list of endangered/threatened fish very common in restaurants today is -
-Salmon, Coho
-Salmon, Sockeye
-Tuna, Atlantic Bluefin
-Trout, Brown
-Swordfish
-Steelhead
-Skatewing
-Halibut
-Grouper
-Orange Roughy
-Cod
-Snapper

So tonight when you’re out to dinner, check out what you are eating with the FishPhone.  You may find out some useful information and you’ll get a great excuse not to leave your cell in the car.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found themselves toiling over a sink of running water and a hard boiled egg.  It should be one of the simplest tasks in a kitchen, right?  Put eggs in water, boil, peel….the end.  But what about the times you go to peel the eggs and end up with a hacked-away-at looking white.  Or you finally get all of the bits peeled away perfectly to reveal an undercooked or even worse GREEN RINGED yolk.  Ugh!!!

Save yourself the confidence-spoiling experience of boiling an egg by using eggs that are at least 1 week old.  The little pocket at the big end of the egg called the “air cell” will become larger as the egg looses moisture.  This leaves more room for the white to expand when cooking.

Set your eggs out an hour before cooking.  This will keep them from cracking when the water gets hot.

And the most important process for getting the egg perfectly cooked inside…..

Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with cool water.  Put the pan on the stove and bring to a boil.  As soon as the water boils, cover the pan and remove it from the stove.  Let sit 13 minutes.  Transfer eggs to ice water.  Peel as usual.

Making “French” fries at home might seem like a daunting task.  It doesn’t require anything more than your attention and craving for the final product.   Here is the technique for perfect fries………
1.  Cut the potatoes into fries (thin preferably)
2.   Soak them in cold water overnight.
3.   Rinse off the potatoes and soak in new water.
4.   Pre-heat oil to 300 degrees.
5.   Par-cook the fries in the oil for five minutes.
6.   Remove the fries and drain.
7.   Increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees.
8.   Fry the blanched fries until golden.

Season the fries while they are hot.  Now, close your eyes and imagine your in France.

No store bought mayonnaise or salad dressing can compare to aioli.   It is so easy to make and you can customize it to whatever flavor you want.  Having a salmon club…make dill aioli. Having a steak sandwich….. make horseradish aioli.  Here is the basic “base” recipe for house made aioli.

1  egg yolk
1  egg
1  Tbl. Dijon mustard
1   Tbl. red wine vinegar
1    Tbl. lemon juice
1/2 C. oil (canola to olive)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or with a bowl and whisk, mix together eggs, Dijon, vinegar and lemon juice.  Stir rapidly and drizzle in oil to emulsify.  Season to taste.

Sandwiches, salads, fish , crab cakes, eggs …….you name it……experiment!

Whoever said “easy as pie” clearly never made beer bread.  This has to be the easiest to make baked product EVER!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

1 (12 oz.) beer
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar

Mix together flour and sugar in a bowl.  Add beer to incorporate.  Pour into a greased 9×5 loaf pan.  Allow to rise outside oven for 30 minutes.  Place in oven on center rack and bake for 50-60 minutes.

If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can use 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder and 1.5 tsp. salt.

Once you have mastered this recipe, experiment by adding some chopped olives or peppers and cheese.

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables.  They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.  ~Elizabeth Berry

One of the hottest food trends is the push toward eating local food.  Here are a few reasons why.

*You’re helping your local economy.  Every dollar you spend generates twice as much revenue for local economy.
*Local produce is fresher which is directly correlated to flavor.
*Local produce is less expensive and has a longer shelf life.  Win-win…

“I walked to school uphill both ways, in the snow….barefoot.”

“We woke up before the sun rose and milked cows before most people were awake.”

Now it’s your turn to tell the age-old story of the time you “churned” butter….

6 cups organic heavy cream (I used one pint)
Salt to taste (optional)

1. Pour the cream (58-68 degrees) into the bowl of an electric mixer  fitted with a whisk or food processor.  Start mixer/food processor on medium-high speed. The cream will go through the whipped stage, thicken further and then change color from off-white to pale yellow; this will take at least 5 to 8 minutes. When it starts to look pebbly, it’s almost done. After another minute the butter will separate, causing the liquid to splash. At this point stop the mixer.

2. Set a strainer over a bowl. Pour the contents of the mixer into the strainer and let the buttermilk drain through. Strain the buttermilk again, this time through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl; set aside.

3. Keeping the butter in the strainer set over the first bowl, knead it to consolidate the remaining liquid and fat and expel the rest of the buttermilk. Knead until the texture is dense and creamy, about 5 minutes. Strain the excess liquid into the buttermilk. Refrigerate the buttermilk.

4. Mix salt into the butter, if you want. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Canned or fresh, we love hearts of palm as a summer addition to salads.  They come from the heart of a cabbage palm, Florida’s state tree.  They can be sliced over salad for an artichoke/asparagus flavor.  Once you’ve completed your salad experiment, go crazy and try them fried…..