Rhubarb Shortcake

When spring transitions to summer, that means it's time for rhubarb. When I was a kid, we had a huge rhubarb plant that would grow humongous stalks. Occasionally, my sister and I would pull a stalk and daringly bite into it for the tart rhubarb taste. But they were also pretty good dipped in sugar.

When I saw rhubarb at the St. Paul Farmers' Market, I knew I had to get some. I recently had rhubarb shortcake at a local restaurant so I though I'd try it at home.

Almost any shortcake recipe will do, but this is the one I used. I will say the recipe for the rhubarb is pretty much perfect. A nice tart and sweet rhubarb taste, with only sugar and a little butter. Yum!

Ingredients:

-Shortcake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream plus additional for brushing
• 1 teaspoon Sugar in the Raw

-Rhubarb

• 1 lb rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Also, lightly sweetened whipped cream

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

• Lightly butter a baking sheet.

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in cream just until a dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and gently knead together once or twice on a lightly floured surface.

• Roll or pat out dough into a 6-inch square (about 1/2 inch thick). Trim edges with a floured knife and cut into 4 squares. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with Sugar in the Raw. Bake on baking sheet until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer biscuits to a rack to cool.

• While biscuits bake, cook rhubarb with granulated sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is very tender and falling apart, about 10 minutes.

• Stir together cornstarch, then add to rhubarb mixture and simmer, stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Split biscuits, then sandwich rhubarb and whipped cream inside them.

 

 

Remember, the leaves of the Rhubarb plant are poisonous, although you'd have to eat a lot.

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Peas on the patio with purple flowers?

Peas aren't really meant for container gardening but there's no hurt trying. With that said, I've gotten a few good pods and it's worth a fresh little treat every other day or so. Not to mention my Jardine's parrot loves them way more than the frozen ones thawed with hot water.

I was also surprised by a pea plant with a unique mutation. It has purple flowers!!!

I did a little research online to see what was up, but then I cam across purple-podded peas. I want to grow those!

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A Trip to the St. Paul Farmer's Market

$23 bucks! That's what I spent for a baguette, red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, peas, beets, Chinese spinach, broccoli, and fresh honey. Try getting that at the grocery store!

 

It was my first trip to a Farmer's Market and the one in downtown St. Paul did not disappoint. It was busy and you definitely knew what was in season. Nearly all the vegetable stands had potatoes, tomatoes, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and beets. Almost everything there was picked that morning. You could tell the potatoes were fresh, as they're paper-thin skins were peeling. Obviously they were freshly dug up. And can you believe one bunch of beets was just one dollar?

I'll be going back and I can't wait for peppers, corn and melons to start showing up.

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Snickers Fudge

Talk about sugar shock. I had the fortune of accidentally coming across this recipe at Culinary in the Country, that perfectly replicates snickers. Hopefully you'll have quite a few of guests because this sure makes a lot. That's why I'm taking a bunch to work so I don't become a sugar coma victim.

The nougat and caramel is perfect. The caramel cubes usually only show up around Halloween, so you can just use the caramel bits that are on shelves year-round and put them on scale to measure 14oz (you'll need two bags). The milk chocolate chips are really sweet in this little dessert so I would imagine you could do half semi-sweet or even dark chocolate for that matter.

 

Ingredients:

For the first layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

For the second layer

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

For the third layer

14 ounce package caramel cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the fourth layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

To make the first layer
In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray. Using an off-set spatula, spread the mixture to an even layer and place in the refrigerator until set.

To make the second layer
In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Mix in sugar and evaporated milk. Once it comes to a boil, let cook 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in peanuts. Pour over the set chocolate layer and use an off-set spatula to gently spread mixture in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To make the third layer
Place the unwrapped caramel cubes and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the mixture has completely melted and is smooth. Pour in the pan and quickly spread to an even layer with an off-set spatula. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To make the fourth layer
In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour over the third layer and use an off-set spatula to spread to an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

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Chicken Carbonara Recipe

Yep, it's fattening!

Carbonara comes from the Italian word, “carbone,” which means coal. But there’s a mystery behind carbonara. Some think it was named for coal miners who loved the dish. Others say it was originally made over a charcoal fire, while some say it’s named because of the specks of pepper throughout. Whatever the explanation, just count on loosening your belt.

The core ingredients for traditional carbonara are pancetta, a mixture of cheeses, eggs, and freshly cracked black pepper. We Americans add cream to our carbonara, making it much more rich than the Italian version. There are tons of versions of this recipe. So here’s mine. It’s not exactly the traditional version, as it has no egg, but it’s good and certainly fattening.

I first learned this recipe while working at a small restaurant in Garden Valley, Idaho, called Danskin Station. People traveled 50 miles from Boise to experience the scenic drive and have a nice dinner. From soft-shelled crab sandwiches to Rib-eye steaks on a mesquite grill, it had some great food you certainly couldn’t find at the dive restaurants in the area. I started working there at 15-years-old as a dishwasher and finished until I graduated high school as a cook. The people were fun, and the food was great. What more could you want?

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon, cut in pieces.

About 4 oz. angel hair pasta (1/3 of a 12oz box)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbs. pepper

2/3 c. (heaping) shredded parmesan

1 1/2c. cream

1. Cook pasta according to directions and strain.
2. cut 4 strips bacon into pieces and cook until crispy. Remove from heat and reserve the bacon drippings in the pan. Use slotted spoon to remove bacon and set in a paper towel lined bowl. Set aside. 
3. Cut two chicken breasts into medium-width strips, then cut cross-wise, into thin chunks. On medium heat, add chicken breast to pan and sprinkle with black pepper. Cook until no longer pink. 
4. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Quickly pour cream into pan with chicken breast. Add the bacon and sprinkle with parmesan. And add the pasta.
5. Toss together in the pan, until combined and the cream has thickened.
6. Serve as an entrée for two, or as a side. I could eat the whole thing in two different sittings. Is that bad?

 

 

 

 

 

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Adventures in Butterscotch

So I'll admit, I've never really thought of butterscotch pudding beyond the box. But I decided to try some for dessert at a new restaurant called Brasa Rotisserie on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul, MN. It's actually the second one in the Twin Cities but it's also on my way to work, which is convenient.

I decided to try making it at home by scouring the internet and found a simple enough recipe to try. It's pretty good, but reminded me more of vanilla pudding than butterscotch. After a little more research, it looks like the best recipes carmelize the brown sugar and butter instead of just mixing it in as this recipe calls for. But either way, if you want to ditch the box and try making pudding at home, this is a nice and easy recipe to try.

Butterscotch Pudding:

3 cups whole (full fat) milk

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch (corn flour)

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Garnish: Lightly sweetened whipped cream and butterscotch chips

Directions:

In a large (heatproof) bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until you have a thick paste. Set aside while you heat the milk.

First, rinse a medium-sized heavy saucepan with cold water and then shake out the excess water. Doing this step prevents the milk from scorching or so they say. Then pour the remaining 2 1/2 cups of milk into the saucepan and bring just to a boil. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambled eggs, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract.

Pour into 4 bowls or large ramekins. As you pour there may be lumps toward the bottom of the pan so try to avoid those. The pudding can be served warm or if chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming. If you like the skin, simply leave the pudding uncovered until cooled, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The puddings can be made a day or two ahead of serving. Garnish each pudding with a large dollop of softly whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings. But stay tuned as I plan to try a recipe that requires carmelization of the sugar.

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Coconut M&M's

Sounds like summer is bringing some unique flavored candy. Coconuts M&M's are supposed to hit store shelves this summer. So how do they get the coconut in them? Well don't expect any. It's all flavoring in the solid milk chocolate. You can find an insightful review here.

UPDATE: I had a chance to taste these from my local Walgreens, and I have to say I’m not a fan. It tastes like fake coconut instead of the real thing.

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Toll House cookie dough recalled

Love cookie dough? Don't eat this. Nestle voluntarily recalled the dough after several reported illnesses linked to eating the dough raw. The ever-credible FDA said there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states since March. About 25 people have been hospitalized, but no one has died. It could be E-coli. E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. Lovely...

I don't think you want to eat this raw anyway, it doesn't exactly resemble cookie dough. It's kind of a greasy, plasticy mixture. Of course I've downed a few too many spoons of the stuff before.

All the better reason to make some cookies from scratch.

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fastfood@home: It's Not Delivery it's Homemade

Making pizza at home isn't that bad

Months ago I was searching for pizza recipes. From dough to sauce, I finally combined some recipes to get something to taste like Pizza Hut's pan pizza. The sauce is simple, and to me, it tastes just like Pizza Hut's.

 

PIZZA SAUCE

 

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

¼ c. water

1 tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. dried basil leaves

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 whole bay leaf

½ tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat until sauce starts to bubble.

3. Lower heat and simmer until it is as thick as you like it.

4. Makes enough for 2-4 pizzas.

 

PIZZA DOUGH

I forgot where I found the dough recipe, but I combined it with another recipe that called for oil in the pans. It originally called for 2-3 oz. of oil but that's way too much. I use 2 Tablespoons for a cake pan, and 3 Tablespoons for the big pizza pans.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c. warm water (105° F)

¼ c. nonfat dry milk

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 pkg. yeast

½ tsp. salt

4 c. flour

2 Tbs. oil

Directions

1. You can prepare dough for use one day prior to baking the pizza, or use it later the same day.

2. Combine warm water, powdered milk, sugar and yeast in bowl and allow to proof for 2-3 minutes.

3. Put ingredients in large bowl, then add oil, salt and flour.

4. Stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed.

5. Knead for 10 minutes until it has a smooth consistent texture. Rub a light coating of oil on dough and allow to rise in a tightly covered container for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

6. When the dough has doubled, punch it down, reform into ball shape and set in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. The dough will rise again.

7. An hour before baking pizza, take dough from refrigerator and let warm up.

8. Preheat oven to 475° F Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it fits across pizza pan. Approximately 1/3 pizza dough for small pan. 2/3 pizza dough for large pan.

PAN PIZZA:

In regular size, round cake pan, Add 2TBS. vegetable oil to pan and coat then add dough. Brush edges with garlic and rosemary oil or garlic butter. Let rise for 30 min. then add sauce, cheese and toppings. Remember vegetables go under the cheese; meats go on top of the cheese.

CRISP PIZZA:

Roll out dough very thin and put on large pizza pan coated with 3TBS. vegetable oil. Brush edges with herbed oil or butter, and add sauce, cheese and toppings.

6. Bake pizza for 12-14 minutes or until bubbly.

At least for my oven, you could probably get away with setting the pizza on the bottom rack to make the crust more crispy. But the oil in the pan helps brown the crust, and my rack was second from the bottom. The crust was limp, yet browned, but not doughy. I may try the bottom rack next time.

I learned this fancy-schmancy crust technique when I was teenager working at the local dive-of-a-restaurant. Who knew it'd come in handy again.

 

 

Here's the pan pizza. I just make the dough the size of the inside of the cake pan, and let it rise for 30 min. then add the sauce and toppings. It's almost like a personal pan pizza.

 

QUICK TIP:

You've probably seen the Hormel pepperoni at the grocery store, and it works great. BUT, be sure to microwave the pepperonis for 30 sec. or so. And here's why. You don't want all this on your pizza do you?

 

 

 

 

 

All done, and it tasted great!

PAN PIZZA

LARGER PIZZA

I tried Stuffed Crust Pizza the next day, with some leftover dough. It might work better with half strips of string cheese.

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Hunting for the Elusive Morel

Walking in the woods is relaxing on its own, but with a little luck, you could come across some of the tastiest morsels of the forest. Once you find your first morel, you’ll be poking around in the brush and rustling through last fall’s leaves to find more. Many people enjoy the hunt, and hunting is the right word when it comes to finding morel mushrooms (actually they’re fungi)… because mother nature doesn’t always cooperate.

When you find one morel, chances are there’s more. Like most fungi, they rely on an underground ‘root’ system that relies on the perfect conditions to grow. Moisture, temperature and other factors dictate when you’ll see the first morels sprouting from the forest floor.

When are morels in season?

The "season" for Morel Mushrooms begins sooner in the southern climates and works its way north as the daytime temperatures warm up. Start looking when temperatures begin to climb into the sixties with low’s in the 40’s. This is approximately mid-April for the Central United States.

 

Where in the world do they grow?

It seems morels can grow wherever they want. The picture above is at the edge of a grassy area in a local park. The Great Lakes area seems to be a hotbed for the morel, but their most prolific range seems to be from West to East, Oklahoma to Washington D.C.; and from North to South, Minnesota to Tennessee. But they're can be morel hotspots throughout the West and the Pacific Northwest as well.

Look around downed trees, such as old ash and elms, poplars, aspens and around orchards or even pine trees. Sometimes you’ll see big patches of morels after forest fires or logging operations. The downed trees act as a fertilizer for the morels. Once they start growing they’ll keep coming back until the soil is depleted of the nutrients they need. Many patches will grow for years while others may just appear once.

 

You found a morel!

Use a mesh bag or an old onion bag. Morels spread with spores and once they’re jostled around they’ll release more spores, hopefully for next year’s harvest.

Once you find a morel, you can just pinch it off at the base. You’ll notice the morel begins to darken along the stem and the cap as it ages. The amount of discoloration indicates whether it’s nearly unusable or not. If the morel is 50% “good” then you can pick off the good parts and throw away the bad. With good weather conditions, the morel can last up to two weeks growing out in the wild.

Once you get them home, it’s a good idea to use them within one week. Rinse off any dirt and little critters and then halve them, place them in a bowl and cover with a damp paper towel or cotton cloth and place in the refrigerator.

It’ll take some work and patience, but enjoy the hunt for the elusive morel and it’ll pay off in the end.

 

 

KNOW what you’re picking. True morels are hollow, stem to top. False morels either have a complete stem, or have a connection point between a “cap” and stem.

DO NOT rely on just on this page to identify morels. This page does not contain enough complete information to do so.

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What does "Natural" mean to the FDA?

Here's an enlightening article. You've probably seen the natural claims on various products, and then you try reading the ingredient list. Does corn syrup come from nature? Yes. But is it natural? I think not. It's a cheap, chemical process. Which is why corn syrup is in everything.

You've probably seen 7up's claims of all-natural ingredients. But it's certainly not made with real and natural sugar. It's made with high fructose corn syrup. Thanks science!

From the Huffington Post:

Ready for a back-to-school pop quiz? Here goes:

How does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) define the word “natural” for food products?

Actually, that was a trick question. The agency can’t be bothered to define the term at all.

But that hasn’t stopped manufacturers, eager to bask in the “natural” marketing glow, from shamelessly slapping the word on everything from salad dressing to potato chips. Unlike “organic,” which is legally regulated, “natural,” when seen in the aisles of your local supermarket, can mean pretty much anything the processors like.

Their cynicism, as evidenced during a recent stroll through the fruit juice department of my nearest grocery store, knows no bounds. A citrus drink whose label all but shouted out the word “natural” listed, among its ingredients, caffeine, aspartame, magnesium oxide, potassium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and artificial yellow coloring #5.

Is that natural artificial yellow coloring?

Yet, only a few shelves down, I came across another drink bearing a “natural” label, which did seem to be made from ingredients like lemons, sugar, and water. Same claim, very different beverages. Very, very confusing.

Pointing to surveys showing that 83 percent of American consumers want the FDA to come up with regulations governing “natural” claims, industry groups such as the Sugar Association have been lobbying the agency to do something, if only to stop the marketing free-for-all and level the playing field. In response, Geraldine June, head of the Food Labeling Standards Department told the website Natural News last week that her agency hadn’t seen enough evidence that consumers are being misled by the labels for the issue to become a priority.

Then perhaps she could explain the above fruit juice discrepancy.

Or maybe thumb through her own agency’s archives, which indicate that as early as 1993, regulators saw that there was just such a problem and attributed it to “the widespread use of this term, and the evidence that consumers regard many uses of this term as noninformative.” “Noninformative” is bureaucratese for “blatant lies.”

Fifteen years ago, lack of resources was used as an excuse for inaction, according to Natural News. At least Ms. June stays consistent on this point, saying, “The FDA has a limited budget and must prioritize.”

Fair enough. So, as a public service, I am going to provide the FDA with a well-thought-out and practical definition of natural, guaranteed to clear away the confusion. It even has a nice, official tone, and I’m doing all this absolutely free of charge.

“The product does not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient or chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient; and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed.”

Okay, okay, I plagiarized. That definition was stolen verbatim from the USDA’s Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book. It has been in effect since 2005. But the USDA’s jurisdiction in this area is pretty much limited to meat and poultry.

If Ms. June is really interested in making the best use of her limited funds (not to mention protecting consumers from being ripped off), I suggest she temporarily adopt the USDA’s definition of natural until the lexicographers at her agency come up with their own. Just don’t hold your breath.

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A Walk Through the Forest

You Never Know What You'll Find!

It was a warm Memorial Day Weekend here in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and I usually take my dog for a run every morning. But I  decided to take her for a shortcut through a forest area along the sidewalk. And that's where I spotted some wild edibles and flowers. So I had to head back home and grab my camera.

Here was a nice surprise at the border between our local park's grassy area, and the thick forest you see above. It's a morel mushroom, and they taste great. I left this one alone, so maybe it'll make more next spring.

Not sure what these flowers are, but the white one is on some kind of tree. And the pink flower is on a bush that reminds me of a wild rose.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

These look like some kind of wild honeysuckles based on their flower shape, but I'm not completely sure about that. Either way, they're pretty to look at. 

 

Here are some wild Columbines. It seems mother nature has picked this color, as I've seen the same colors on other columbine plants in different areaas.

 

Here is an edible. It's called stinging nettle. If your bare leg brushes by it, you'll definitely know what you walked through. It feels like prickly stings all over. But just chopping it, or boiling it like spinach will make the stings inactive.

Here's why they call it stinging nettle.

 

Now here's a gooseberry, that obviously doesn't want to get eaten. Here in Minnesota most of the gooseberries turn a deep purple when ripe.

Here's a friendlier strain of gooseberry. Notice it doesn't have the thorny look.

 

A beautiful flower I just happened to find. At first I though it was a wild version of a calla lilly, but I think the flower form is all wrong for it to be that. I'm not sure what it is. The wind had knocked it down when I came back to take its picture, so I had to prop it back up for the perfect picture. UPDATE: It’s a “Jack-in-the-Pulpit”

 

 

A forest wouldn't be complete without ferns!

 

 

 

 

 

Small blackberry bushes grow along the wooded area that borders our local park. On the other side of the park's grassy area you can find blackberries and raspberries when in-season. It's just enough to go on your morning yogurt.

 

 

And finally the spring fruits of the elderberry bush. This particular tree probably won't have many berries as it's really shaded.

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