HOMECOMING: A DICHOTOMY OF LIFE

Saturday with my mother.   We went to Long’s Plant Farm and bought huge bright yellow mums to place on the alter at her church.   Grace, one of the resident farm cats absolutely adored mom and was constantly rubbing up against her leg or hopping up on the flower stands and walking over to nudge mom’s hand for petting and loving.   Mom's laughter at the cat’s sweet attention hung in the air.  It was a young girl's laugh - all light and tinkly – like the music from those old fashioned small rectangle glass wind chimes.  It had been so long since I'd heard her laugh in just that way and it warmed my soul to be with her in that moment to hear it once again.  The day was sunny and bright with just a hint of summer’s warmth left in it.   We headed home and spent a lovely afternoon baking Chocolate Delight and Mississippi Mud Cake for her church’s annual Homecoming Celebration the next day.  This was such a beautiful clip of time that it will remain in my heart’s memory for the rest of my life.  

Saturday with my stepfather.  Pa spent Saturday in the family room, in his recliner.  He slept most of the day.   I checked on him every ten minutes or so.  His bright blue pajamas couldn’t lift the pallor from his skin.   He had pulled the blanket up under his chin to try to get warm, even though it was 73 degrees in the room.   Pa woke up every few minutes to run to the bathroom – a horrifically constant side effect of his third round of chemo in the last two years.   Every once in a while he’d join in the conversation for a minute or two as if he was reminding himself, as well as us, that he was still with us.   I leaned over to kiss his forehead.   He glanced up at me, almost as if he was seeing me for the first time.  His eyes carry a new knowledge.  He's awaiting Homecoming as well.  As we held each other’s gaze for one splintery sharp moment, he nodded his love at me and I nodded mine back to him.   This too is emblazoned in my heart’s memory for the rest of my life.  

Baking with my mother for their church homecoming and watching my stepfather waste away from this damn cancer ~ such a dichotomy of life this weekend. 

I HAVE A STORY TO TELL

The universe has been showering me with blessings. In no particular order, here are some of the gifts that have been raining down upon me:

• My daughter took me on a cruise – my first ever – for my birthday.

• I’m taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course. You can check out my progress at: http://www.ayearofcommoncents.blogspot.com/

• My brain has finally convinced my heart to let go of the pain and shame of years of abuse I suffered throughout my childhood and teen years.

• I realize that not only did I survive, but I’m actually beginning to thrive!

Blogging about food holidays that no except me really cares about ~ and for me, it’s simply the humor behind the day that attracted me ~ is not fulfilling that crazy ‘something’ that resides deep in my soul.

I’ve realized I have a story to tell that can help others who are or have been abused.  I know fear and shame and hiding in plain sight and secrets and ugly truths.  I know hopelessness, and shadows on the soul. I know about baby steps forward and giant leaps backward.  I know the comfort and safety found in oblivion, the faith and trust in no one and no thing.

I have a story to tell. It’s time I write it.

KOWABUNGA!!!!! IT'S NATIONAL TV DINNER DAY

The ubiquitiuos TV Dinner.  Just saying the words: now there's a walk down memory lane whether you want to go or not.  We all have our own memories of mashed potatoes still frozen in the center, mystery meat with some gelatinous glob of goo on top of it, and the most shrivelled peas in the world in that funky metal container that always made the food taste like aluminum.  So, I'll leave you to your sentimental journey and talk today about how that marvelous or murderous, depending upon your point of view, 'dinner' came about and was portrayed in the media in days long gone by.  

1954, Omaha, Nebraska. Swanson introduced the first TV dinner: turkey, cornbread dressing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes packaged in an aluminum tin with dividers for each portion of the meal. While the idea wasn’t new – other companies had sold frozen dinners years before and William Maxson’s (Maxson Foods) frozen meals were served onboard airplanes in 1944 – Swanson launched their product at an ideal time. Americans were viewing their first live, color TV programs. To capitalize on our growing love of the ‘tube,’ the food was arranged and packaged similar to how a 1950s TV set looked: a screen on the left,

                                        speakers and control on the right. 

Although the first Swanson TV Dinners sold for 98 cents, a lot of money back then, the company figured they'd sell about 5000 of these new-fangled things in the first year. Swanson’s marketing gurus definitely underestimated the American public’s desire for the convenience, the speed, the technological novelty of having a complete dinner ready in 25 minutes. Swanson had sold 10 million TV dinners by the following September. There were no dishes to wash so the family could easily get dinner done and plop down in front of the TV to watch shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Dragnet,” “Make Room for Daddy” and “Romper Room.” Celebrity figures from Howdy Doody to President Eisenhower touted the dinners. It’s said that Mamie served Dwight Eisenhower TV dinners while he watched westerns on TV. I’m sure in later years, the ads like this one playing off the popularity of “Lassie” helped to continually boost sales.

TV dinners sure made things easy for the ‘little woman.’ Don’t you just love this ad? I really do like the pink & green combo – my daughter graduated from Sweet Briar College this year and these are their colors.

Notice how happy the woman looks as she’s trying to get dinner together? She hasn’t removed her hat or gloves, and her handbag hangs so delicately from her arm, yet she's delighted to be able to get dinner on the table before King of the Castle finishes his paper (or maybe she's just glowing from cocktails with the girls?). Regardless, ya gotta laugh at the not so subliminal message here.

TV dinners became such a cultural phenomenon that in 1987, a representative tray was placed in the Smithsonian Institution to commemorate their impact on our lives. Does anyone still call them TV Dinners? I can’t remember when or why I stopped but I did. Now, I just refer to them as ‘Lean Cuisines’ or whatever brand of ‘frozen diet food’ I’m buying at the moment. Funny, though….I still eat them while I’m watching TV.

Want to celebrate TV Dinner Day? Stop by your local supermarket on the way home and pick up some Swanson Hungry Man TV dinners for your family!

And for old fashioned entertainment, check out their really retro-cool website: http://www.swansonmeals.com/ to watch old commercials and see some neat advertising pictures.

Happy Frozen Dinner To You and Yours.

Until Tomorrow......

“I personally prefer a nice frozen TV Dinner at home, mainly because it's so little trouble. All you have to do is have another drink while you're throwing it in the garbage.” ~ ~ Jack Douglas

An Open Letter to Pastor Terry Jones on the Eve of 9/11

9/10/10

Pastor Terry Jones
Dove World Outreach Church
Gainesville, FL

Dear Pastor Jones,

Did your mother not teach you that two wrongs do not make a right? Your decision to continue with the burning of Qurans to protest the September 11, 2001 attack by al Qaeda will not 'fix' what happened. Nothing can make that 'right,' Pastor Jones, and your actions will send the wrong message to the terrorists. Do you really believe they will peacefully acknowledge your protest and think, 'Gosh, I'm sorry I hurt your great nation?" In case you haven't noticed, al-Qaeda acts like a bully. Your action will cause an 'I'll do you one-better' action on their part. You are handing terrorists a built-in excuse to punish our innocent citizens, citizens who have nothing to do with your misguided protest.

Your self-aggrandizing actions will, in all probability, cause terrorists attacks to be perpetrated upon our soil in the near if not immediate future; innocent men, women, and children may be maimed or killed because you want to protest what was done to us. A way of life that so many Americans have had to rebuild in one way or another since that fateful day will be shattered.

I have news for you, Pastor Jones. The good citizens of America already protest that horrific event every day. We may not wail and weep and mourn loudly in the public eye for our nations' loss, and the loss of so many families' loved ones, but it is indelibly stamped within our hearts, souls, and psyche. For you to protest in a way that you have acknowledged will stir up radical elements is not only irresponsible but morally reprehensible. You are endangering the lives of our service men and women, and all Americans, around the globe. You are endangering the lives of your family, of those who attend the church right next to yours.

Two wrongs don't make a right, Pastor Jones. I can't figure out your motivation, or why you chose this time to protest. Why now - why not nine years ago? Why not have a Protest for Peace instead of deliberately, knowingly antagonizing terrorists? Why did you feel the need to involve the press in this? Why, when you are supposed to be a man of God, did you choose to intentionally do something so inflammatory that blood will run because of your actions?

I've heard you say that you and your flock are 'praying about it.' I would ask that you quit throwing your voice up to God so that you can listen to Him tell you not to do this incendiary thing.

"Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord." Do you remember that part of the Bible?

Do you not see the big picture? Please, don't do this.

Signed,

Catherine Thorne
Raleigh, NC

Weinerschnitzel Day - Did you know there was a vegetarian option???

OK - I'm not too sure about the validity of this food holiday but what the heck, the name conjured up wonderful memories of visits to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. We loved to eat at Das Festhaus, the 2,000 seat German beer garden replica. Besides fantastic food (OMG - you have to try the Black Forest Cake), great beer and some fantastic German wines, Reislings in particular, there's a wonderful oompah band (polka music and German favorites)that descends from the ceiling on a huge gazebo so you are serenaded by the singers/dancers while you dine. While weinerschnitzel was not on the menu last time I was there (a long time ago - I need to go back again for the food alone), Busch Gardens has something for everyone in the food category.


But back to the food. Weinerschnitzel. I just found out it was named for the city of Vienna in Austria. Weiner means Vienna in German. Hey - Vienna Sausages...little weiners. I'm getting the language connection now. Hmmm. So, it's not an original German dish. OK, learned one new thing today. However, I just can't quite wrap my head around the supposition that the dish had it origins in Italy to start with. Who knew?


One source describes Wiener Schnitzel as a classic Austrian dish made from breaded and fried veal - that's the schnitzel part, traditionally served with a wedge of lemon and potato salad. In Austria and Germany, this dish is quite popular and very easy to find; many nations have their own regional variations ranging from vegetarian Wiener Schnitzel made with celery root to Swedish style Schnitzel with gravy.


Wow - I was way off track on this one. I thought it was some kind of meat drowning in a heavy cream sauce over those spaetzle noodly-thingies.  I have to amend my previous statement: I've learned two new things today.


I'm getting hungry. I can't get to Busch Gardens tonight for some German food - anyone know of a good German/Austrian/Bavarian restaurant here in Raleigh, NC?


Until Tomorrow....


Guten Appetit! ~ The Busch Gardens Williamsburg website

National Date Nut Bread Day

Do you like dates? I think they are one sexy fruit, especially the Medjools (once the pit is removed). Even the name sounds exotic and somehow, slightly naughty. There is something adventurous about eating these luscious gems that glow due to the natural sugar crystals hidden inside. On first bite, the teeth experience a slight sweet stick (think of the old fashioned circus peanuts candy or Turkish taffy). Dates have an intensely ‘honey’ taste to them that lays on your tongue the same way velvet caresses your skin: soft, smooth and supple. Then, you notice that there is a second wave of subtle flavors that linger and warm your palate.  There’s a rich nuttiness that is familiar but not identifiable (no – nothing like peanut butter), there’s the flavor of almost burnt caramel that reminds me of the flamed sugar on a crème brulee, finished off with the impression of some sweet, warm spices. Like a good lover, there is no one particular thing that overpowers all the other equally pleasing attributes in this succulent, sticky, sweet fruit; however, the culmination of all the nuances makes for a potent taste that once experienced, will never be forgotten.


If you think about it on a rational level, date nut bread is a perfect union. The syrupy sweetness of the dates intensifies the warm crunchiness of the nuts. When this happy twosome is discovered burrowed in a warm, moist dense loaf slathered in orange cream cheese, nirvana is obtained.


To whip up something special for your significant other, click here for a fantastic Food Network recipe from Ina Garten. Her Date Nut Spice Bread with the Orange Cream Cheese frosting is delectably decadent but be warned: try it at your own risk as it has been known to cause ‘loafing around’ after dinner.  Could be the dates, could be the Cointreau, who knows?  

Give it a try.  Buy a few extra dates to feed to each other.      Slowly.      Very slowly.      Taste that sugar? Ummm, mmmm.

Until Tomorrow….


“I have long believed that good food, good eating is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure.” ~ Anthony Bourdain

National Acorn Squash Day

Squash of any kind tastes just wonderful to me. Baked or fried, in a casserole or raw as a snack, I'll eat it all. My mother was big on vegetables and I grew up eating squash (looooove summer squash dredged in flour, salt, and pepper and then flash fried in a cast iron skillet!). However, it wasn't until I was doing some research on acorn squash for today's posting that I learned a few interesting facts about squash. Thanks to www.thenibble.com for the following information:

Overview

Amid the melting pot and hodgepodge of cuisines in the U.S., sometimes you have to wonder, “What is American food?” While Rice Krispies treats and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich are uniquely American recipes, squash is something natively grown in the Americas.

The word “squash” ... literally means “a green thing eaten raw.” .... The squash is versatile. While some require cooking, others, like zucchini, can be prepared in every conceivable way: raw, sautéed, grilled, steamed, boiled, broiled, baked, fried, microwaved or freeze-dried.

...squash and gourds are actually fruits! Because they aren’t sweet, they are typically used as vegetables. But by botanical definition, fruits have their seeds on the inside. Squash are fruit, like tomatoes.

Buying and Storing Squash
The terms “summer” and “winter” squash only loosely refer to when the squash is harvested—most are available year-round. The terms more accurately group the squash by durability.

Summer Squash

Summer squash are thin-skinned and bruise easily (think zucchini), so look for firm, blemish-free ones with taut skin. Typically, the smaller ones are sweeter and more tender. Summer squash are moister—they contain more water—than winter squash. Summer squash are good for about a week in the refrigerator before they begin to soften and wrinkle. Summer squash, like zucchini, are thin-skinned and begin to soften in a week or so.

Winter Squash

Winter squash, on the other hand, have hard, thick rinds (think acorn squash). They are so hardy that you may find yourself needing a hammer to tap the knife’s handle when trying to cut one in half. This thick skin puts longevity on their side: You can keep winter squash fresh in cool, dark places for one to three months. Winter squash are drier—they contain less moisture—than summer squash. Winter squash, like acorn squash, have very thick skins that make them more durable.

Squash Tips

Avoid storing squash near apples, avocados or passionfruit, all of which are are natural ripening agents that release ethylene gas. While they are great to throw into a paper bag to aid the ripening process of other fruits like pears, bananas and tomatoes (and to quicken plant flowering), they only discolor and decay zucchini and other dark green squash.

When storing winter squash with woody stems, such as acorn, buttercup, butternut, turban squash and pumpkins, leave a 4-inch (or longer) stem on the fruit. Fleshy or softer stems, such as those found on banana and hubbard squash, can be cut to one 1 to 2 inches. This helps to retain moisture.

I can't wait for the weather to cool down (it's supposed to be in the 90's today here in NC) just a bit before I try to make my sister's truly delicious and easy Squash with Bacon and Onion recipe (thanks Terri!):

Cut acorn squash in half (usual serving is one half squash per person) and remove seeds and pith.

Place squash cut side up in glass or metal baking dish. Add water up to the halfway point of of the squash.

Put 2 slices of uncooked bacon per squash half and 1/8 cup of chopped onion and in the scooped out hollow of the squash. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put in 350 oven for approximately 45 minutes. Carefully remove and serve immediately.

Until Tomorrow.......

Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.

- Author Unknown

National Coffee Ice Cream Day And Biscuits & Gravy Week - Yummy!!!!

Monday, September 6th is National Coffee Ice Cream Day so to celebrate, how about a visit to your favorite ice cream shop for a treat with your family?

Speaking of family, Biscuit and Gravy Week really tugged at my heartstrings. One of my best "growing-up" memories centers around my grandmother making me biscuits and gravy every day before I left for school. While the biscuits (made from scratch) were baking in the oven, she'd make the gravy. Funny, I can still, in my mind's eye, see her standing in front of her stove, a wooden spoon clutched in her left hand - the metal canisters and old fashioned electric percolator burbling away to the left of her and the tiny toaster oven that she used to collect all her orphaned plastic lids and stack all her meds on to the right of her.

G-ma (my nickname for her) would fry up 4 or 5 slices of thick sliced hickory smoked bacon 'til they were crisp then set them aside to cool on a pile of folded paper towels (hey - we weren't too eco-aware in the '70's). G-ma added to the hot bacon grease 1/4 cup of flour, some salt, some pepper, and a pinch of sugar then fried it. Yes, she fried the flour mixture until it had absorbed all the bacon grease and was a beautiful buttery brown color, like the color you see on the bottom of a perfectly baked biscuit.

Next she stirred in 'a little bit' of cold water to cool down the roux and get the lumps out of the flour. Her kitchen was really smelling good at this point! My taste buds always kicked in to overdrive when she'd add the Pet (and only Pet) condensed milk because I knew we were getting close to eating! G-ma would stir, stir, and stir so nothing (much) stuck to the bottom of the skillet. I remember asking her several times how much water, or salt and pepper or sugar she used but she was an eye-baller, meaning she didn't use precise measurements, and would tell me that when I started to make gravy, I'd know how much to use. Unfortunately, this was one of the rare times G-ma was wrong.

Just as soon as the gravy reached the right consistency (thick without being gelatinous), she'd lift the biscuits out of the oven. My grandmother would have me put a dish towel (the terry cloth kind to hold in the heat) on a white Correlle platter that had green swirls around the edges and then put the biscuits on the towel and cover them, tuck in the edges, and put them on the table. It was my job to set the table at this point. The whole time this breakfast dance is going on, we'd be talking about school, or how her sisters and brother were doing in West Virginia, or about her next volunteer assignment with the Book Mobile. It was just family chatter - the beautiful noise that stays with you long after everyone is gone.

G-ma would lift that huge, heavy, OLD cast iron skillet like it weighed nothing and pour that fragrant, steamy gravy into a jade green Fire King bowl (which I now have and use all the time) and plunk it down on the table. Oh, you didn't think I'd forget about that bacon, did you? G-ma would crumble the bacon strips into the gravy, she'd say the blessing, we'd eat then it was off to my junior year of high school.

I still miss you, G-ma.

Until Tomorrow....

I went to a restaurant that serves "breakfast at any time." So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance. ~ Steven Wright

National Cheese Pizza Day

It's Sunday.  Sunday makes a good pizza day.  Then again every other day of the week is also good for this ancient treat.  Thinking about National Cheese Pizza Day makes me think of my friend Franco. 

Franco Licciardi, a native Napolitano, is the chef/owner of San Carlo - an authentic Italian restaurant. Franco makes the best cheese pizza I've ever tasted. By ever, I mean, EVER (all caps intentional).  He honors his patron's tastes and will make the pizza to your specifications; I prefer a thinner, crispier crust with light sauce. I get a confection that's just unbelievable...crunchy crust with the slightest tug to the teeth when you bite into it, home-made sauce (yes, Franco makes it himself) that's so fresh you can still taste the sunshine on the tomatoes, and perfectly melted oooey-gooey cheese.

Cooking is Franco's passion and has been since he was a little boy.  For many years he worked under the direction of chef Raffaele Illiano. At a young age, Franco began working as a chef throughout much of Italy, picking up new recipes along the way. He moved to the US (Atlantic Beach, NC) in 1985 where he opened with his former wife an Italian restaurant called "Trattoria da Franco's."

After eight years he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina and with his business partner opened "San Remo Italian Grill" in Cary, North Carolina.

One year later they opened "San Carlo Italian Bistro." One bite of his delicious cuisine and you can taste both Italy and his devotion to his craft. Throughout Franco's entire life he has believed that the success of a good restaurant comes from having a good relationship with his patrons and serving the freshest, best quality food at a good price.

All of the meals at San Carlo are prepared to order by Franco himself, many of which are old family recipes.

So, Franco, today's blog honoring National Cheese Pizza Day just wouldn't be complete if it wasn't about your pizza! 

You have got to try this place out; tell him Cathy sent you! 

San Carlo Italian Bistro
9660 Falls of Neuse Road
Raleigh, NC 27615-2474
(919) 676-3262


PS:  There is a wine tasting dinner on Septermber 16th that you won't want to miss!  Here's the menu.

See you there!

Until Tomorrow.......

"They eat the dainty food of famous chefs with the same pleasure with which they devour gross peasant dishes, mostly composed of garlic and tomatoes, or fisherman's octopus and shrimps, fried in heavily scented olive oil on a little deserted beach."  ~  Luigi Barzini, 'The Italians' (1964)

National Macadamia Nut Day (and a Side of Spam, Please)

Hello to everyone reading this, and a huge thank you, to my new followers! 

There were many routes I could have taken to write on today’s food holiday; I could have been factual and told you that Macadamia nuts are native to Australia, they are named for John Macadam, and most of the world's macadamia nuts are grown on the island of Hawaii.  However, that stuff was boring to me.

Recipes will always pop up on any search and I kept coming across various iterations of Macadamia White Chocolate Chip cookies.  These are delicious and I considered taking the easy out on this food holiday with an easy-bake way-to-a-man’s heart thing. But ....nah – still not ‘it.’

Next, I considered writing up the ‘trivia’ angle of the holiday when I ran across these little tidbits:

• Macadamia nuts are often fed to Hyacinth Macaws in captivity. These large parrots are one of the few animals, aside from humans, capable of cracking and shelling the nut.
• Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs. Ingestion may result in macadamia nut toxicosis, which is marked by weakness with the inability to stand within 12 hours of ingestion. Recovery is usually within 48 hours.
• Macadamia nuts are often used by law enforcement to simulate crack cocaine in drug stings. When chopped, the nuts resemble crack cocaine in color.
• When Carol Brady meets Dr. Whitehead (played by John Hillerman)in the 1996 movie, A Very Brady Sequel, he offers her a Macadamia nut. Hillerman once was the spokesman for Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts.

I suppose I could have worked with that but still, I wanted some pizzazz (if there is such a thing where macadamia nuts are concerned). I kept drilling down into various links within links and finally found just the punch I needed.  Spam.  No, not of the e-mail kind but the e-ting kind!  Doesn't this picture whet your appetite for macadamia nuts? 

No?  Well, read on and delight in the wacky ingredients in this recipe.  This is pizzazz of e-eeeeuuuuuuuwwwwww kind!

“On [a] trip to Hawaii, Barack Obama grabbed a couple of Spam Musubi at a snack bar on the golf course, sending journalists from all over the world rushing madly to Wikipedia to learn just what the heck he was eating.

“…Hawaiians have long enjoyed this tasty, if somewhat improbable, snack food. It consists of sliced Spam (usually pan-fried; sometimes broiled or grilled), cooked rice (plain or dressed with sushi vinegar), and sushi nori.

“Other ingredients can include furikake, tamago, or oyster sauce.

“Shapes can vary, too. Most often, it resembles a giant piece of nigiri sushi, with a full slice of fried Spam on top of an outsized oval of rice, held together with a strip of nori. Maki-style Spam rolls are a common variation, but there are many creative possibilities.

“Here, the basic ingredients are joined by other Hawaiian flavors in a whimsical take on a multi-layered musubi ‘terrine’ that you can serve as an appetizer or snack.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups medium-grain white rice
3-1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 can Spam, cut into 8 slices
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce (or 1-1/2 Tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp sugar)
1/3 cup sushi vinegar (or 1/3 cup rice vinegar with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt)
2 sheets sushi nori
1/4 cup minced scallion (green parts) or chives
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp finely crushed macadamia nuts (mixed with the sesame for easier sprinkling)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
PREPARATION:
Thoroughly rinse the rice and place in a saucepan with the water and the salt. Bring to a boil, stir, cover, reduce heat to very low and cook for 15 - 17 minutes or until water is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, brush the spam slices with the teriyaki or soy sauce and broil until lightly colored.

When the rice is done, fluff with a fork or wooden spoon to release the steam. Spread on a platter and drizzle the sushi vinegar on the rice a tablespoon at a time, gently mixing it in.

Line a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of overlap on the sides. Take one sheet of the nori and lay it evenly across the bottom and up the two long sides of the loaf pan.

Divide the rice into fourths, and spread one-fourth in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the scallions, sesame seeds, and crushed macadamias onto the rice; spread another one-fourth of the rice on top. Create additional layers in the following order: 4 slices of Spam; rice; pineapple; Spam; rice. Press down evenly with a spatula to level.

Fold any extra nori from the sides of the pan onto the rice. Trim the remaining nori sheet to fit into the pan. Fold the extra plastic wrap over the nori and press down evenly with another loaf pan, block of wood, etc. to firm up the layers.

Allow to rest for 15 - 20 minutes before unmolding. Unwrap and slice using a wet knife. You can serve slices whole (like a terrine) or insert four evenly-spaced decorative toothpicks into the top of a slice and cut down between them, making four appetizer/snack portions out of each slice. “

This original recipe belongs to Doug DuCap who is the co-author of the Knack Fish & Seafood Cookbook: Delicious Recipes For All Seasons

A President, Spam and macadamia nuts – does it get any better than this? 

Until Tomorrow…..

Diet Coke with lemon – didn’t that used to be called Pledge? ~ Jay Leno

National Welsh Rarebit Day (Celebrating the Poor Man’s Meat)

“So, what is Welsh rarebit or rabbit? Isn’t it some rabbit dish that tastes like chicken?”

That’s a logical assumption – the name of the dish is associated with rabbit so one would think that poor little Peter Cottontail would be incorporated into it somehow. But, that’s not the case at all. Wikipedia very graciously gives us the real scoop on what’s in this dish. “The first recorded use of the term Welsh rabbit was in 1725, but the origin of the term is unknown. It may be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor: only better-off people could afford butcher's meat, and while in England rabbit was the poor man's meat, in Wales the poor man's meat was cheese.”

“Cheese? No rabbit?”

That’s right, folks. Cheese. Stout, hearty Welsh Cheddar Cheese in all probability. Welsh Rarebit is simply cheese over toast. Nary a tail twitching thumper in sight.

“So how’d the Rabbit/Rarebit thing come about?”

Good question. There are very few theories out there and even fewer facts that I can get my hands on. How I wish I knew a food historian. *sigh* Anyway, most of the info I could find tended to sway between one of these two ‘explanations.’

It was a tongue-in-cheek thing where the upper-class English were lording it over the Welsh – the Welsh couldn’t afford, shoot, or otherwise get a rabbit (considered a lowly food) – so they started referring to the cheese and toast dish of the peasants as “Welsh Rabbit.”

I also found this next little bit somewhere on the net but I can’t remember where so I’m not able to attribute the source. If it’s copyrighted, I do apologize and will remove it as soon as you let me know.

    This dish was originally known as Welsh rabbit, for reasons that aren’t exactly clear but that most agree were intended to imply rudeness to the Welsh. During the late 18th century, derogatory terms such as rabbit became frowned upon in polite company and the name evolved into rarebit, meaning a choice morsel. Today, rarebit has come to mean tasty morsels of bread covered in a mustardy cheese sauce.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s all well and good but come on, Cath. Melted cheese on toast? That’s it?”

Well, not quite, dear readers. I mean, think about it. If it was just melted cheese on toast it could be an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich. No, this dish, even way back in the “I’m so poor my meat is cheese” days, has always been a flavorful, filling feast. Various combinations of beer or ale, mustard, ground cayenne pepper or ground paprika and Worcestershire sauce were, can be, and still are used to make the Rarebit – these ingredients are considered traditional for the dish. However the sauce can be made into a real money dish by blending the cheese, mustard, and one or two other ingredients into a béchamel or Mornay sauce.

“This is a Welsh dish – why does it have its own US Food Holiday?”

After finding out the cheese on toast part I, too, was curious as to what made it so special to warrant its own holiday. Aside from the obvious ‘bringing our food heritage with us on the boat’ thing (for which I am profoundly grateful that all the immigrants did), I think the answers lie in the actual ingredients of this versatile dish. For example, depending on the amount of cayenne pepper used, it can be mild for toddlers or ‘hotted up’ for the most fiery loving palate. It can be made to taste differently just by the beer or ale used. It can be comfort food for the masses or tarted up for the hoi-polloi (who are they anyway?). It’s familiar and comforting. I mean, who doesn’t like cheese on toast?

I found this recipe at http://www.cooks.com. Why don’t you whip up a batch of this sauce, put it over toast and celebrate the poor man’s meat!

"CLASSIC" WELSH RAREBIT SAUCE
1/4 c. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
Dash of cayenne
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
8 c. (2 lbs.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. stale beer or ale
Melt butter in top of double boiler. Stir in flour, blend well. Add ale or beer slowly. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Add mustard, cayenne, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Add grated cheese, continue to cook until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir eggs while adding a little of the hot mixture to eggs, then stir the cheese mixture while adding the eggs to it. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Until Tomorrow...

"You know I love to talk about food I'm going to eat while I'm already eating."


Grace, on the TV show Will & Grace

It's National Blueberry (Popsicle) Day

How did this food holiday get its start? Who knows? And...does it really matter? Here's a theory that's as good as any other. Since we all went crazy in June during National Blueberry Month and spent tons of money buying fresh blueberries, baking pies and cakes (well - I'm sure some people baked), and freezing the tiny blue blobs of goodness for the dark days of winter, perhaps September was chosen as 'use up all those frozen blueberries before they get freezer-burn month.' Hey - it sounds good on paper. Whatever the reason this month was chosen, we all can celebrate the goody-ness of blueberries. Here's a quick and easy recipe for a frozen treat to cool us as we go through these last long, lazy, gloriously hot and beautiful days of summer:


Intense Blueberry Popsicles (Makes 6-8 popsicles depending on your mold)

• Stir 2C (1 pint) fresh blueberries, 1C water, and 1/2C sugar in a pot on the stove over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring the mix to a boil until the berries pop, about five minutes.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Take the pot off of the stove and let the mix cool.
• Pour into popsicle molds or waxy paper cups and freeze.

If you'd prefer a more grown-up dessert, you can't go wrong with blueberries and chocolate. This recipe serves two people but is very flexible; it can easily be modified to serve as many as you need. Keep this as a go-to recipe because the fruit, yogurt and even chocolate choices (dark, milk, white) can be matched to fit your mood.


Blueberry Delight

• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 8 oz yogurt (plain, blueberry, french vanilla - your choice!)
• 2 oz dark chocolate
  
• Divide blueberries into two bowls
• Top each with 1/2 half of the carton of yogurt
• Top with shaved chocolate or chocolate pieces

While fresh or frozen blueberries can’t be beat in all things sweet – such as cakes, puddings, muffins, and pancakes -- they’re pretty impressive on the savory side, too. Their fresh, fruity flavor perfectly complements pork, chicken and game, and they’re dynamite in fruit salsas and fresh or cooked sauces. Check these ideas from the US Highbush Blueberry Council and click here for more blueberry inspiration:

• Blueberries love spices; try them with cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fresh, ground or crystallized ginger, mace, nutmeg, black pepper and vanilla
• Kick up some new sweet or savory combos with blueberries and herbs such as cilantro, lemon verbena, bay, chives, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, parsley, mint, basil and hot fresh peppers
• Dairy foods are a natural mate for blueberries – heavy cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sherbet, sour cream, mascarpone, ricotta, Brie, Camembert, mozzarella, cheddar and mild blues
• Almost any fruit or dried fruit teams up well with blueberries – apples, apricots, bananas, coconut, papaya, dates, figs, melons, plums, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, mangos, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and all other berries
• All kinds of nuts and seeds go with blueberries: almonds, almond paste, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pignolis, macadamias, cashews, peanuts, and poppy, sesame and sunflower seeds
• Liqueurs, such as almond, coffee, chocolate, melon, orange or raspberry, are good companions; also rum or port
• Add dried blueberries instead of raisins to your next granola mix, oatmeal cookies, scones, rice pudding or quick breads
• Blueberry juice and concentrate add flavor and color to lemonade, hot or iced tea, other fruit juices, smoothies, yogurt shakes, milk shakes and mixed drinks
• Use canned blueberries for velvety-smooth shakes and smoothies

Until tomorrow,

BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe!
You ought to have seen!
Robert Frost

Oyster Season and Wine Harvesting Begins!!!! It's National Cherry Popover Day

Foodies love September. So much is going on this month to ease our tastebuds away from the airy, cool tastes of summer and towards the richness of Autumn's bounty. As the number of daylight hours wane and temperatures drop, the grapes will soon be harvested for wine; they are normally picked between late August to early October but the season can run much longer depending up weather conditions. September usually brings about a few new wines to try; it might be fun to pair a unfamiliar wine with some of this month's food holidays.


Here's a sampling of what we have to celebrate as September is...(cue Alton Brown's 'Good Eats' music):


National Biscuit Month
National Chicken Month
National Honey Month
National Mushroom Month
National Organic Harvest Month
National Papaya Month
National Potato Month
National Rice Month


There are so many flavors to celebrate and talk about and so many recipes to try in the upcoming days. Exciting for this writer...this first day of the month begins Oyster season. Remember the (ongoing) scene in 'Forest Gump' about shrimp? The same can be applied to oysters. Oysters can be eaten on the half shell, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled or used in a variety of drinks. Oysters, especially 'wild', are excellent sources of several minerals including iron, zinc and selenium, which are often low in the modern diet. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin B12. According to the folks at nutritiondata.com, oysters are considered the healthiest when eaten raw on the half shell. While this writer loves them raw with a squeeze of lemon, she's crazy about them just about any way she can get them.


However, let's talk about today's particular food holiday. National Cherry Popover Day. Did you know that cherry pits were found in several Stone Age caves in Europe?  Cherries have been around for ages and bakers couldn't be more happy!  Speaking of baking...do you know what a popover is?  Well, it's not in that can-thingie that you whack on the counter, fold in a triangle and stuff in the oven.  That's called a turnover.  A popover is simply a thin batter, very much like Yorkshire Pudding, poured into a popover tin (smaller holes and deeper than a cupcake tin) which rises to form a hollow shell when baked. Shaped like a mushroom when it's out of the pan, it's a wonderful treat. Click here for an interesting cherry popover recipe. 


This talk of food has made this writer hungry; the time has come to go in search of something-cherry or oyster for lunch.  Then it's off to the library this evening to do some research on honey.


Until tomorrow,


Happiness is a bowl of cherries and a book of poetry under a shade tree. ~Astrid Alauda

Rosemary - Once Again, My Love

What is it about Rosemary?  Rosmarinus officinalis, or The Dew of the Sea as I wrote about in a long ago blog posting, is the kind of herb that one either loves or hates...there doesn't seem to be any in-between 'sorta' feelings.

Me?  I have always been a proponent of this ancient Mediterranean herb.  I was lucky enough to be given a big bag of fresh cut rosemary from Linda's garden.  This was like a giant Christmas gift for me: I have been using it in so many ways. 

*I have sprigs of it under the seats in my car as a natural air freshener.
*It's tucked in all the closets in my apartment. 
*It's great to put a few sprigs inside winter boots and shoes to freshen them up until they are needed again.  
*I stripped a few branches and used my food processor to cut up the needles in a  very fine chop.  This I mixed with some fresh lavender, made little tulle pillows that lay flat, and have put them inside my pillowcases. 
*There's even some in my filing cabinets in my office!
*I've made a facial spray and hair rinse.
*I've made a base infusion and have frozen it in ice cubes so it's ready when I need to make other remedies.

Gotta run for now...more later!

Miss Me? and ..... Un-Wired (Tea)

Hello again. It's been a while since I've blogged here and I've missed talking about herbs and sharing my finds and ideas and thoughts with you. I spent some time yesterday with my dear friend Dalia, buying all kinds of fresh herbs at Harmony Farms. That's my go-to place because they carry Frontier brand herbs in bulk so I know I'm always getting fresh, organic, and whenever possible, wildcrafted herbs. Oh, I can't even begin to describe the scents I inhaled each time I opened a different bottle or jar to scoop out just the amount I needed.  It was like opening gifts on Christmas morning when I was young: each time I opened a container, I ooohhhed and aaaahhhed with the fresh smells - so fresh I could taste the scent.  You know, that's one of the secrets to making all things herbal be they decoctions, infusions, creams, salves, or in my case, teas.  Buy only the amount you need, and buy only the best quality you can afford.  I've found that if I buy too much, and it sits around too long, the herbs go stale on me and using stale herbs is the same as using no herbs at all: there's no flavor and none of the medicinal properties left. Oh, and yes, which company you buy from really does make a difference in the quality of the herb you end up with.


I needed to relax last night. After dinner with the Triangle Women's Social MeetUp where I met a kindred writing soul and future travel gal-pal, my brain was whirling with ideas; I was so wired and inspired to write that I spent an hour working on my story. It's half an hour from midnight by this time and I know that I have to quit and go to bed so I can get to work in the morning. I slowly, reverently opened my bags of earthy, herbal goodness and spent a few moments just inhaling the wonderful aromas.  This small, intentional act of deliberate enjoyment was soothing in and of itself. I proceeded to bring my water just to the edge of boil and removed it from the heat before I dropped in the herbs to steep.


Here's what I used:


Tea:  Loose Lady Grey tea leaves (I prefer the decaf blend when I want to unwind): I love the aromatics of the bergamot.  Smell is a powerful sleep agent...try lavender in your pillowcase.
Scullcap*: Works well against anxiety, insomnia, and hypertension.
Rose Hips: I added rose hips (or rose haws) because they have such a tangy flavor to them. Besides being an excellent source of vitamin C, rose hips also contain vitamins A, D and E, and flavinoids (antioxidants). Known to ease headaches and dizziness.
Chamomile: This is a wonder herb! Not only does it soothe nerves but is also known to settle upset stomachs, relieves muscle spasms and helps with menstrual cramps, reduces inflammation and helps relieve rhumatism. However, the best benefit, besides the mild fruity taste and aroma, is that chamomile boosts the immune system and fights infections associated with colds. Yep...all that from a little white flower that looks like a mini-daisy.
Hops: Used as a treatment for anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia.
Valerian: Used against sleeping disorders, restlessness and anxiety, and as a muscle relaxant.
*Do NOT use scullcap during pregnancy!!!!

I'm trying to lose weight so I didn't add any sugar, honey or artificial sweetner (one little taste of sweet and I crave so much more of it so I have to wean myself off it completely for a while) but you might like some if you prefer a sweet beverage over slightly tangy.  If that's the case, I recommend fresh crushing fresh peppermint or spearmint leaves to release the essential volatile oils and dropping them in the tea after it has steeped.  All natural sweetner! 

So, you can see from the descriptions that by blending the proper amounts of the above herbs, a good night's sleep can be had in a quick, gentle, natural way. 

I hope you give my Un-Wired Tea a try and let me know how it worked for you.

Until next time,

Let thy kitchen be thy apothecary; and,
Let foods be your medicine.
- Hippocratus