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 Thursday, November 18, 2010 WYPR presents Terry Gross at MICA  2010-2011 Baltimore Speaker Series Presented by Stevenson University Sponsored by WYPR |
Radio Kitchen is made possible by: April 6 What all of these salads have in common is the use of mayonnaise as a binder. One of the best ways of improving your salad is to make your own mayonnaise. It's not that hard. Lots of home cooks like to use little add-ons to personalize the recipe. Relish, diced onion, finely chopped celery and fruit often appear with more or less success. Likewise the creative application of various seasonings can jazz up a recipe. Here, the sky is the limit, but personal taste really does dictate how appropriate any particular seasoning might be. One thing most people agree on is this: if you can grill you principal ingredient, it will make for a better salad. So chicken, shrimp and tuna are all candidates for upgrading via the Weber. Here's a helpful little recipe for homemade mayonnaise. A slow patient approach is required, as is the right equipment. We find an electric blender just doesn't offer the proper bowl shape for the blending of the oil and egg yolks, and a food processor is too fast, but your results may differ. HOME-MADE MAYONNAISE 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp mustard powder Pinch of paprika 4-5 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice 3-5 tsp water 1. We like to use an electric hand beater and a medium sized ceramic bowl for this. Beat the eggs and dry ingredients in the bowl until they are well mixed. The sauce should be thick and a light yellow. 2. Alternate adding about a 1/4 cup of olive oil with a teaspoon of your vinegar. Add each very slowly while you continuously beat at low or medium speed. Use the water to alter the consistency of the sauce. 3. The sauce should thicken and you can add as much olive oil as you think it can bear, but beat the sauce continuously. When it is as thick as you like, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, using a little lemon juice to brighten the flavor. 4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. It should keep well for up to five days. Coming up on Radio Kitchen: Endive, pears and white asparagus all add up to a delightful Spring salad; all you need to know about enjoying the tasty artichoke; college students love them, and you can too…a survey course on Asian noodles; the first berries of Spring are in the market, and there's some savory ideas that come with them; it may be humble, but it's also versatile, so get to know the cauliflower; in a hurry to mix up something special for breakfast, then try Jerry's favorite, quick bread. April 13 Al attended a recent meeting of his dining group, the Rump Roast Club. The theme was, believe it or not, "Springtime In Belgium" (he's not making this up) and his assignment was to bring the salad. Belgians eat well, we are told, but there are not a lot of signature dishes that spring to mind. One ingredient did suggest itself, however, and that was the Belgian Endive. Taking that as a point of departure, Al created a very tasty salad. The endive leaves are ideal for stuffing, and that was clue one. Their mild but slightly bitter flavor would be a foil for something slightly sweet. Pears, of course; not a purely Spring fruit, but readily available. To make stuffing easier, he decided to puree the pears. Pears, to port lovers, always suggests blue cheese, and so a blue cheese vinaigrette seemed proper. Doing a little research, Al discovered that white asparagus are a Belgian favorite, so they were in. And since he frequently served white asparagus with prosciutto ham, a cured pork product would be included. Here is the result of this surge of creativity, a very enjoyable salad that would have been right at home in a Brussels café. Endive, Pear and White Asparagus Salad For twelve people 4 fresh, cleaned Belgian Endives 6 bosque pears, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2 " cubes Enough off-dry white wine to cover the pears in a sauce pan, maybe 1 1/2 cups Bouquet garni of fresh rosemary 1 tbs honey 2 dozen white asparagus, cleaned and trimmed olive oil 4 rounds of pancetta 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1 tbs Dijon mustard 2 ounces blue cheese, half of it crumbled 1. For the pear puree: simmer the pear cubes in a sauce pan in just enough wine to cover them. Keep on low heat. Drop in the rosemary and honey. Stir occasionally. When the pears are soft, remove from heat and set aside to cool. If most of the wine hasn't been absorbed, pour off most of the remainder, but keep a little in the mix. When cool, place the pears in a processor and puree. Give them about a minute to achieve a relatively fine texture. Pour out the puree into a bowl and refrigerate. 2. Blanche the asparagus in a skillet until they are just tender. Drain, cool, and then place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus, and then sauté them carefully until they just take on a little golden brown color. Remove and set aside to cool. 3. Carefully peel the endive, and secure as many big canoe-shaped leaves as you can. You will need one per plate. 4. To make the vinaigrette, combine oil, white balsamic vinegar and mustard in a blow, and whisk vigorously. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, if you want to. Take about half the blue cheese and crumble it, and then add it to the vinaigrette. Stir well. 5. Gently fry the pancetta in a skillet until they are well cooked. Remove, set aside to cool, and then crumble. 6. To assemble: place an endive leaf in the center of the plate; spoon in enough pear puree to fill the length of the leaf; arrange two white asparagus alongside; drizzle a bit of the vinaigrette over the asparagus, and puddle some on each side; sprinkle crumbled pancetta over the plate, along with a little blue cheese; cut a thin triangle out of the remaining block of blue cheese, and insert it into the puree as a fan.
April 20 Many of us don't eat the same way now as we did when we were kids. As time has gone by, we have learned to accept more and more foods, often to the point of relishing things that repelled us in our youth. Beets and spinach may be good examples. Not many kids instantly take to artichokes, but once a mature palate encounters the real thing properly made, the conversion is assured. There are virtually no recipes for raw artichokes. They all involve either steaming, boiling, baking or grilling them. The simplest thing is to buy a fresh artichoke, trim the sharp parts off, open it to clean out the feathery "choke", and then steam it. To eat, you simply peel off a leaf, dip it in something good, and pull the fat fleshy end through your teeth. Jerry learned another technique from his mother. The trick is to pull apart the leaves, making gaps in the vegetable that can be stuffed with a mixture of bread crumbs, grated cheese, garlic and olive oil. Bake the artichokes and you will have a ready made sauce to enjoy. One of the best dips is a nice garlicky aioli, with a bottle of cold rose wine. Here is a quick recipe for this fabulous flavored mayonnaise. Aioli for Steamed Artichoke 4 garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed 1/4 tsp kosher salt 3 large egg yolks 1 tbs lemon juice or dry white wine 1 cup high quality, fresh olive oil 1. Place the garlic cloves and salt in a mortar and mash with the pestle. Create a thick paste. 2. Drop the egg yolks into a heavy bowl and stir in the garlic paste. Add the lemon juice and blend well. 3. You will begin to add olive oil very slowly, while you whisk actively all the time. It is not uncommon for two people to work together at this stage. The first bit of oil should go in almost a drop at a time. Exercising great patience, continue pouring in additional oil as slowly as possible. The sauce will begin to thicken and take on a sheen. When you have incorporated all of the oil, set the aioli aside in the refrigerator to cool. April 27 We find the "foreign food" sections of a grocery store immensely entertaining. A couple weeks ago Al was studying the Asian shelves, when he realized that there are a lot of choices when it comes to noodles… an entire aisle. What makes Asian noodles different from Italian pasta, is that not only do you have different shapes, you have different main ingredients in the noodle itself. Noodles were originally defined as a blend of wheat flour, egg yolks and water. You will find that combination in, say, Chinese egg noodles, but many others have quite a different assortment of starches. Interestingly enough the FDA had to change their definition of what a noodle was, to accommodate the popularity of Asian noodles in this country. Here's a sampler of some of the most common types. Rice noodles, which are long, thin noodles, are usually sold pre-cooked and dried. They can be served after soaking, don't have to boil them. The famous "ramen" noodles are made from wheat flour (cheap American wheat flour in post-WWII Japan helped here) this is an iconic Japanese noodles. Used widely in soups, and is often sold dried, in soup mixes (just add boiling water!) A big favorite with college students and bachelors. The Cellophane Noodle is a revelation to people the first time they see it. This noodle is made from the starch of the mung bean, and it is great for a gluten free diet. The noodle can be very thin, or linguini thick, or even broad and flat. It is transparent! There is not a lot of flavor, but a lot of slippery texture. You usually soak and then boil the noodles. Pick up a sauce very well. Japanese Soba Noodles are familiar to a lot of Baltimoreans because of Suzie's Soba in Hampden. This is a hearty buckwheat noodle that is darker in color, round and very long in shape, of various thicknesses. Used in soups, or in stews. They really pick up the sauce flavor. Japanese "Somen Noodles" are wheat based, and made with oil. They are very thin and delicate. Japanese Udon Noodles are a thick wheat noodle, flatter in shape, and very reminiscent of fettucini. Another very healthy noodle is the Japanese "Shirataki", which is made from yam starch. Gluten free, and extremely nutritious, these are often paired with tofu for a high protein meal. There are a lot of Asian noodles that use the Italian word "vermicelli" on the lable. My favorite is the Indian noodle also known as Seviyan. This is more like angle hair pasta, and it comes in nests. Cooked in milk and sugar, it is the basis for quite a few delicious Indian desserts. I also have served it with tomato sauce and tiny meatballs in a children's dish I call Spaghetti Piccolo (little spaghetti). Chinese Egg Noodles look very much like their Pennsylvania Dutch counterparts, and are cooked the same. You will occasionally see shapes like stars or shells. The easiest way to enjoy noodles is to warm up a cup of chicken broth, pop in a few cut up vegetables, and drop in a nest of Asian noodles. Slurp! May 4 For those of us who like to buy local, we're just starting to see some of the first produce. In April salad greens and early mushrooms came out, but now in early May there's also a nice bit of color in the produce stands. Strawberries and blueberries in particular are coming in, with local grown very much n the pipeline. A note about strawberries: late winter grown berries from down south can look gorgeous, and they are meant to. But flavor can be another matter. When shopping, look with your nose. Ripe berries smell great. They also have dark red interiors. If you can manage to cut into a berry and it's white, you've just learned it probably isn't worth buying. We really don't need to tell you how to enjoy berries in salads or in desserts. But we wouldn't mind talking about berries in savory dishes like barbecue sauces, or as a stuffing for a pork tenderloin. Try this: blend strawberries, shredded arugula, and julienned red peppers with breadcrumbs to make a fabulous stuffing for that pork loin that's heading for the grill. Or try this easy blueberry sauce that will go equally well with grilled salmon or grilled pork chops. Savory Blueberry Sauce 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely diced butter for sautéing 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 2 tbs Cointrueau or Triple sec 1 cup cleaned fresh blueberries corn starch for thickening salt and pepper to taste 1. In a sauce pan, sauté the minced shallots briefly in butter, cooking until they are translucent. 2. Add the liquid ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat immediately and add the blueberries. Simmer for about 15 minutes. 3. In a separate bowl, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with three tablespoons of the sauce to make a slurry. Add back into the sauce, and stir thoroughly over low heat until sauce thickens. May 11 Al confesses to having a small but reliable rotation of vegetables: broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Ordinarily he's pretty comfortable with this routine, but every now and then he'll make an effort to bust out of it, and that's when he starts looking at things like cauliflower. Ironically, the cauliflower is a somewhat under-utilized vegetable, but it's very easy to work with and easy to like, and remarkably versatile. This is a very old vegetable, related closely to both cabbage and broccoli. It was perfected in Renaissance Italy, and it was highly esteemed. Today this is a vegetable with a lot of varieties, or cultivars. Most of them are white, but you do see purple and orange (a personal favorite). And then there is the mathematicians delight: the Romanesco, which is a study in fractal geometry. Some of the most popular varieties are"Snowball", "Igloo" and "Mayflower". heirloom varieties include "Early Pearl" "Violetta Italia". When shopping for cauliflower, look for a firm, heavy head, with a pure creamy white color. Do not pick one with brown spots. As for enjoying cauliflower, there are numerous ways to go. This is a standard raw vegetable in crudités platters, and its mild flavor makes it great for dipping. (Remember the aioli we were talking about a few weeks ago?) You can steam it, roast it, grill it, boil it or fry it. Ordinarily you will want to trim the leaves off, cut the stem, and break the head into smaller florets. But you can roast it whole(see below). If you cook the cauliflower and then puree it, it can stand in for mashed potatoes or it becomes the base for a lovely cream soup. You can pop cauliflower into just about any vegetable curry, or grill large florets dipped in olive oil and seasonings. It also is a great choice for tempura batters and deep fat frying. Speaking of seasonings, the cauliflower is such a mild, pleasantly earthy flavor that it goes well with most savory herbs and spices. However in Al's opinion, it may be one of the best partners with simple black pepper. But one of the best accompaniments is a cheddar cheese sauce...just make a béchamel, and add grated cheddar cheese and a little pepper, then pour it over your cooked cauliflower. So easy to like. Roasted Cauliflower This is a simple but effective technique. Clean and trim your head of cauliflower and leave it intact. Place it in a sheet of tinfoil big enough to cover it entirely. Slather the cauliflower with butter and then sprinkle on salt, pepper and any other seasonings that come to mind. Tent the foil around the cauliflower, and leave a vent. Bake it in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. It will be tender and well basted in a nice sauce. Cream of Crab and Cauliflower 2 stalks trimmed celery, diced 1 medium onion, peeled and diced butter for sautéing 1 smallish head of cauliflower, trimmed and broken into small florets 2 cups chicken broth 2 tbs all purpose flower 2 tbs butter 1 cup half and half cream salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste 1 cup cleaned and picked over crabmeat (special or backfin will do) olaroso sherry to taste celery leaves for garnish 1. Sauté gently finely diced celery and onion in butter. Stir in cauliflower florets, as small as you can get them, then add 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer until cauliflower is tender. 2. Make a blond roux with flour and butter. Over low heat, thin it with two cups cream, and stir until it thickens nicely, then pour into the broth and vegetable mixture. Simmer again, adding salt, white pepper and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Keep on low heat. 3. Pick and clean a cup of crab meat. Leg meat will do, but backfin is better. Stir into the soup, and cook for about five minutes. Finish with a tablespoon or so of dry olaroso sherry, and top with finely shredded celery leaves.
Spring is totally installed in our neighborhoods, which means a lot of us with front porches or back decks are going to be taking our morning coffee out doors for the foreseeable future. Jerry loves his big cup of morning coffee and something tasty to go with it…and the easier the better. Which is why he loves whipping up quick breads. Ordinary baked bread requires yeast to expand the dough and build in the millions of little air pockets that give bread its texture. But working with yeasty dough is very time consuming, albeit, rewarding. If time isn't on your side, quick breads may be the answer. These use baking soda, or its fancier cousin, baking powder to lighten up the dough. Baking soda requires an acidic environment to work well, which is why a medium like buttermilk works beautifully. Baking powder can use a wider range of liquids. Whereas ordinary all purpose flour is great for most quick breads, you can experiment a little with whole wheat, buck wheat or rye based flours. Jerry prefers to stick with regular white flour. Where you can get fancy are with some of the flavorings that are available today. Orange, lemon, almond, vanilla, pumpkin and banana are just a few directions you can go. Adding seeds, nuts or dried fruits multiplies the permutations. Here's a nice idea from Jerry's kitchen. Banana Nut Quick Bread 3 eggs 1. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. 2. With a beater, cream the butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and continue beating. Add the milk and beat in. 3. Mix the dry and liquid ingredients in a large bowl, and fold in the banana mash, then the walnuts. Mix thoroughly. May 25 Our resident food scout Adam Borden has been out and around searching for the next big thing in food products, and it's always a lot of fun to get together with Adam, not least because he brings us such delicious samples. This time Adam has coming bearing products that have to do with flour and flowers. The first two are flower flavored beverages, a phenomenon strange to America, but quite common in other countries. Flower #1 is the rose, and in this case it is used as a flavoring for a delightful beverage, Sence Rose Nectar (http://www.sencenectar.com/). Most of us do not have much experience with rose as a culinary ingredient. Those that do usually think of the Middle East with its rose water scented desserts. Chinese medicine recommends rose petal tea for regulating vital energy or "qi", for strengthening blood circulation and a whole series of other bodily ailments. Despite the centuries old tradition, rose has been a relatively obscure flavor in Western cuisine. As bartenders and mixologists are searching the world for more authentic flavors and combinations, rose water soda has come onto the scene. Made in Bulgaria, Sence Rose Nectar comes in a distinctive, pyramid-shaped bottle filled with a light pink-hued liquid inside. By itself, the rose nectar has a peach and honeysuckle flavor; however, it really comes into its own mixed with gin when it picks up the juniper and rye flavor of the liquor. Flower #2 is the Hibiscus, and the products are Republic of Tea Hibiscus Superflower Tea (http://www.republicoftea.com/hibiscus-tea/c/25/) & Ooba Sparkling Hibiscus Soda (http://www.oobabeverage.com/products.html) Hibiscus tea has a multi-continent following, having been consumed in countries as diverse as Egypt, India and Mexico for millennia. All of these cultures have considered hibiscus a source of health and well-being, with more recent research indicating it can help reduce hypertension. Republic of Tea’s Hibiscus line and Ooba’s hibiscus-based sodas are probably the most prominent examples of hibiscus trying to make mainstream inroads in the US. Like the flower, the beverages have a reddish, light cranberry color and similar slight tartness. Republic of Tea encourages three cups daily of its tea for “optimum health.” The Ooba sparkling soda is flat out delicious and truly refreshing. Working the pun, we look at Flour, in this case rice flour which is gluten-free. Riceworks Sea Salt Rice Chips is the product, one of many that are coming on the market much to the relief of folks who have to maintain a gluten free diet. There has been a lot of discussion recently about Celiac disease, an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. Celiac disease is a genetic disorder affecting potentially 2 million people in the United States. With the increasing concern over Celiac disease, many companies are starting to use more non-traditional ingredients like rice, quinoa and seeds. Riceworks Sea Salt Rice Chips look like traditional tortilla chips but without the gluten courtesy of brown rice and sesame seeds. They have a brown color and nutty crunchiness to them that is richer than traditional tortilla chips. And you don't have to be gluten intolerant to like them! June 1 From time to time we like to go back to some of our favorite cookbooks for inspiration for my cooking. One of the best, possibly because it's somewhat exotic is Joyce Goldstein's "Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean". Flipping through the pages, we saw several recipes that called for chickpeas. Now garbanzos, as they're also known as, are a very nice ingredient to work with. Chickpeas are absolutely ancient! They go way back, not least because they are highly nutritious, extremely versatile, and inexpensive to boot. Eaten raw, cooked, ground into a flour, they are one of the world's great staples. Today, you can buy them dried or in cans, ready to use. Here are a few ideas from "Saffron Shores" that you can try out. Homemade hummus: quite properly referred to as a chickpea puree. If you're working with dried chickpeas, you'll want to soak them overnight, and then cook one cup of them for about an hour, until they are soft. Otherwise a can of soft chickpeas is great. This is a food processor recipe, so it's pretty easy. Other than cooked chickpeas, the key ingredients are good fresh garlic and the sesame paste known as tahini. Process your softened chickpeas, two peeled garlic cloves, a half cup of tahini, 4-5 tbs of lemon juice, 2-3 tbs virgin olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt to taste. Process until it is a smooth and lump free as you can make it. You'll want to add just enough cold water to the paste to make it spreadable. You can serve it right away, or you can refrigerate it. Pine nuts and parsley are traditional garnishes. Felafel: in essence, chickpea croquettes. This is a mixing and frying recipe. Use dried chickpeas for this. Cook your chickpeas in plain water for about 45 minutes, until they just start to soften (you want a little firmness left). Coarsely process the chickpeas along with a torn up slice of stale bread, a little flour (1/4 cup), ½ tsp baking soda, one whole egg, several garlic cloves, with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, and ground coriander as seasoning. The texture should remain a little chunky. Next you will roll the mixture in to little one inch balls, roll those in flour, and deep fry in canola oil until they are golden. Remove with a skimmer, drain on paper towels, and serve hot. One traditional technique is to serve two or three in warm pita bread with chopped vegetables, a little humus or tahini. They also can be used in a salad. Imperial Couscous: a lamb and chickpea stew served on couscous. This recipe has been modified to use more locally grown ingredients. You'll be starting this stew with onions, about 2 pounds of cut up lamb, your cooked chickpeas and some chicken or meat broth. Cook these in a little olive oil in a dutch oven sized cooking pot. Replenish the broth if necessary. You will then add your vegetables in order of hardness: carrots, cubed butternut squash, turnips first…then fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes, and cut up baby squash. Being a Mediterranean dish, you will have some nice seasonings to work with. These will include pepper, ginger, cumin, fennel powder, cinnamon, saffron (if you have it, turmeric if you don't), and kosher salt. Final touches will include golden raisins, sliced almonds, and a bit of honey to bring out the stew's richness. These little additions mark the recipe as North African, and are greatly favored by Al. Working on the stove top, allow the stew to slowly cook down and thicken, then serve on a bed of couscous, cooked in chicken broth. Garnish with parsely. June 8 Walking among the great local produce available in the market right now, I was wondering if there were enough ingredients to support something other than our local cuisine. I had just finished browsing through a cookbook that featured recipes from Central and South America, and Chef JP of C&A, I realized that without any effort at all I could be buying local and cooking Latino. I put together a nice menu. I love "Bistro Latino" by Rafael Palomino. In some grocery stores I can find exotic ingredients like yucca and plantain. But at the Farmers Market, I can find a lot of other ingredients that work well. 1. Chicken breasts stuffed with chorizo, goat cheese and scallions. We do have several spicy sausages available from local producers, but you can get chorizo pretty easily. Maryland goat cheese is fabulous and scallions flourish here. This is a great technique that I like. You flatten a chicken breast in between little sheets of plastic wrap. You then spoon on some goat cheese, finely chopped scallions and some coarsely chopped chorizo, roll the whole thing up into a "roulade", and wrap it in plastic wrap...twice, and secure the ends with twine. Then you poach the wrapped up breast in simmering water, letting it cook for about 10-2 minutes. The cheesy stuffing makes a nice sauce. 2. For my starch I'm going to do a version of black beans and rice. This dish is known as "Moors and Christians". Everything gets along quite harmoniously. -this approach calls for sautéing the rice in olive oil briefly, and then adding boiling water to let it cook. Salt it, cover it, and don't stir it! Keep the rice over extremely low heats as it cooks. Between 15-20 minutes. -You will either use canned black beans, or cook up two cups worth. Chop up some onions or scallions if you prefer, add some corn kernels, some seeded and chopped tomatoes, and some diced red peppers. Season with ground coriander, salt black pepper and a touch of cayenne. Pour this mixture on top of the cooked rice in its bowl, recover the pot and keep it on the very low heat for another 15-20 minutes. 3. Stuffed red peppers -This dish takes advantage of the gorgeous red bell peppers we have at the market. To start you will carefully cut the cap of the peppers off, making a little hat, and you will scoop out the seeds and membranes. Blanch the peppers and their caps in hot water for a few minutes to tenderize them. -Your stuffing is a spicy mélange of simple ingredients. Start with two cups of bread crumbs which you will briefly soak in water and squeeze dry. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, a quarter cup of chopped fresh cilantro, 2 medium tomatoes which have been peeled, seeded and chopped, two crumbled hard-boiled eggs, two beaten whole eggs, 1 tsp each of ground caraway, ground coriander, paprika, two tbs lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. -Stuff the peppers, replace the little hats, and place them in a deep baking dish with an inch of water in the bottom. Cover the dish with tinfoil, and bake for about 25 minutes in a 350 oven. June 15 With Father's Day coming up, it's a good time to do some creative thinking about your grill, because there is an excellent chance that Dad will want to fire up his special day with some of that barbecue sizzle. If Dad has a mind to, you should let him preside over the fire, and serve him by providing the ingredients for a memorable meal. Since beef is such a natural choice, it makes sense to look at a few of the cuts that let you move beyond sirloin and new York strip. One cut that Jerry adores is the hanger steak. This cut comes from the diaphragm muscle of the cow. Originating near the kidneys, it is extremely flavorful, but somewhat tough. The steak has a very tough, inedible membrane that runs down the middle of it which should be trimmed out. It really responds to prolonged, overnight marinating, and does best if cooked quickly over a high temperature on the grill and served medium rare. The hanger steak is related to the skirt steak, another portion of the diaphragm muscle. There are two types of skirt steak, the inside and the outside steaks. Both need to be trimmed of their membranes before cooking. Because they are quite thin, they will cook relatively quickly on the grilled, or simmered slowly in a skillet. In either case, the steaks should be marinated for greater tenderness. Skirt steaks are very popular in Latin American cooking. It is the go-to choice for fajitas, so try slicing it across the grain for tasty slivers of meat. The flat iron steak takes its name from its elongated triangular shape. It comes from the shoulder of the cow, and was once merely cut up into cubes along with other meat in the chuck area. The steak is quite often well-marbled, giving it a very pleasant intense beef flavor. It is a relatively tender cut, and can be pan-fried or thrown on the grill. And finally, if you haven't heard of the tri-tip steak, you really need to check it out. This small, triangular steak comes from the bottom sirloin area of the cow, and it is extremely flavorful. However it is a notoriously slow cooker, so that traditional approach is to first braise it, then put it over a cooler part of the grill, and give it some time. June 22 One of the best smells of summer can be experienced as you stroll down the boardwalk at Ocean City. The aroma of hot, fresh cooked French Fries is intoxicating and deliciously tempting. The satisfaction of ambling seaside with a paper cup full of salty, vinegar drenched fries is equal parts guilty pleasure and seasonal ritual. Fortunately, you can recreate the experience in your own backyard (or kitchen, as it were) with a small investment of money and time. The key is to purchase a decent quality deep fat fryer, particularly one with a built in thermostat. A quick look at Amazon turned up a large number of fryers for less that $70. Now, getting down to business. Here are the details. 1. Select good sized Idaho baking potatoes. You have the option of leaving the skin on or peeling it off. Trim the two ends, and cut fries that are about 3/8" in thickness. Wash lightly in cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. 2. Peanut oil may be the best all around oil to use. It has a high smoke point, so you can easily get it to the 375 degree temp you need, it doesn't smell, and it contributes little if any oily flavor. Incidentally, you can re-use your oil if you filter it through paper coffee filters. Put it back in a bottle and cap it tightly. Once the oil is dark brown, it is shot, so re-fill with fresh. 3. You'll want to fry with at least two "dippings". The first, at about 300 degrees for five minutes will blanch the fries. This will cook the inside of the fry, making it tender. The potato will turn from pale yellow to near white as this happens. The second dipping is 6-7 minutes at a higher temperature, say 350 degrees. When the fries begin to take on a golden brown, they are done. 4. Turn out your finished fries after you have hung the basket above the oil box to let it drain. You will want to blot them gently on paper towels. Do not use newspaper, despite the English tradition of serving the "chips" in a newsprint cone. The ink is very bad for you. 5. While the fries are being blotted dry, you can sprinkle your seasonings on them. Salt and pepper to start with, and then perhaps a little cayenne or Old Bay or whatever else strikes your fancy. We love to serve the fries in a 16 ounce paper cup. June 29 Some people might be in a bit of a panic this time of year because they have finally put on their swim suits and they didn't necessarily like what they saw. So dieting springs to mine, and folks scramble to lose a few pounds. One of the first things they're likely to do is start buying yogurt, since just having a few cartons in your fridge will surely melt away a pound or two. Interestingly, buying yogurt is not quite as simple as it was a few years ago. Yogurt today comes in a bewildering variety of styles and flavors. Originally, yogurt was nothing more than fermented, or cultured milk. Lactose-loving bacteria did the trick, transforming the milk into a creamy semi-solid phase and a watery phase known as "whey". The taste of simple yogurt is quiet sour, and so it has long been mixed with other flavors to make it more palatable. Yogurt deserves its healthful reputation. Low fat versions are great for dieting, and are good source of protein, calcium and B vitamins. Many yogurts are also blessed with so-called "helpful" bacteria, such as acidopholus, which are extremely beneficial for human digestion. In cooking, yogurt can often be used as a substitute for heavy cream, particularly if it is bound up with flour to form a batter. Its natural acidity also triggers baking soda, so yogurt is useful in many quick bread recipes. If you are using yogurt to thicken a sauce, you need to let the food cool down to no more than abut 110 degrees before you fold it in. If yogurt gets to hot it will curdle, so easy handling at cooler temperatures is key. Greek yogurt, which has had the liquid whey strained away, is more resistant to curdling, and can be used with warmer sauces. Greek yogurt, which is becoming more popular in this country, has a creamy thickness and a mild sourness that makes it particularly palatable. We like it with a small drizzle of honey and a garnish of berries for a delightful breakfast or lunch dessert. July 6
Beef-Back Ribs: Classic Texas ribs, 8 inches, lean with little meat, but what's there is "cherce". Don't require pre-cooking. A full rack has about 8 ribs, and is a heavy 3-4 lbs.Country-Style Ribs: Pork, sold individually, comes from the upper loin. Fatty, need pre-cooking. One rib per person will do. Short Ribs: Beef, sold 2-3 ribs per piece, with thick layers of fat and meat. About 1 pound per person will do. Definitely needs pre-cooking. May be best braised because of the meat's toughness. Spare Ribs: Pork, from the underbelly or lower rib cage. Not very meaty, but loaded with fat. One rack will be about 13 ribs and weigh 3-4 pounds. Needs to be pre-cooked and can be grilled. St. Louis Style Ribs: Pork, trimmed down spareribs, less fat and cartilage, easier to cook and eat.
Pre-cooking: Although blanching or par-boiling was once popular, it is not a good choice, since it leaches out a lot of flavor. Long slow oven baking is best; say 2 to 2.5 hours at 250 even as low as 225. It's perfectly correct to put a rub on, but do not put sauce on them at this stage. You want to melt fat away and the rub to penetrate. Some people like to place the rack of ribs on a cooking rack over a sheet pan. And cover that with aluminum foil to help retain moisture. Also, some ribs are best braised in a flavorful liquid. Another very popular technique is to use a purpose built smoker which cooks at a low temperature, but infuses the meat with fabulous smoke flavor. Grilling: Add your sauce at the very end of your pre-cooking phase, or better yet, after it's all over. Perhaps the best technique is to work with a low fire on the grill, and brush on the sauce in thin layers. Let it bake on for a few minutes, then repeat until you've built up a nice deep coating of sauce. One thick layer will only slide off, and be unsatisfactory. Let stand for 10 minutes, and then cut the racks into serving sizes. Most people like to keep the bone on and gnaw around it, but some just like to get straight to the meat. Others may prefer you to cut the meat off the bone, and serve it up that way. July 13 In some respects the question is more a matter of what you can't do. Space is limited, there be no electricity to speak of, the cooking appliances may be miniscule. But most importantly, the rolling boat is not exactly a stable platform for food preparation. Things can and will go flying if you're not careful, and it is painfully easy to make a big mess. Here are things to keep in mind.
2. On a rolling boat, keeping pots on the stove, or food in the oven is a challenge. 3. The total lack of space, especially counter space for prep must be considered. 4. There will be limited storage space, especially refrigerator, so you need to think through quantities and packaging very carefully. 5. You will face limited fuel, limited fresh water, so factor that. Here are some strategies to keep in mind.
2. Plan one pot meals, such as chili, stews, or pasta and sauce. You should only have one pot to work with, and just one skillet. 3. Use a pressure cooker as your main cooking pot: it has a lockable lid. And never leave a skillet or pot unattended on the stove. 4. Store knives on a heavy duty magnetic knife rack...a slotted table top knife holder is a real danger. 5. You can buy specialized grills and chopping boards that clamp on to a rail, on deck, and they are great to use. 6. Propane is your main fuel...but use it sparingly. 7. Keep your stuff clean! You can use seawater for washing up. Be sensible about garbage disposal. Be equally careful about accumulating trash and garbage. 8. Get the best cooler you can afford, and plenty of frozen chiller packs. Open and shut quickly to conserve the chill. 9. Extra-strong Baggies make for great storage. Also jars that screw on to lids mounted on the bottom of a shelf. Cabinets need to lock closed, and an internal rig to keep contents from shifting is advised. 10. Paper plates make for more disposal trouble. Use plastic and clean them. 11. Avoid boiling water! Cook pasta and rice on shore, and merely heat it up. 12. If there is an oven, consider strapping it closed with a bungee cord. With a big enough roll, the oven door can fly open and dump whatever is in there. 13. Hand food is a premium solution: sandwiches, muffins, fruit, fried chicken.
July 20
2. Fillets are great, but try going whole fish. You will want something of a manageable size, a medium rock or a full grown bronzini are perfect. Have your fish guy gut the fish, and scale it, if he will. Otherwise do it at home. A useful tip would be to scale the fish underwater in your sink. This will keep the scales from flying all over the room. Once your whole fish is cleaned, cover it generously with olive oil and any seasoning you might want to add. With head and tail intact, place it on the grill and let one side cook through before gently rolling it over with a pair of wide bladed turners. 3. The question of heat is critical. We advocate cooking fish over a relatively low heat on the grill. Find a "cool" corner, or turn your flame down low. You can cover it for gentle top cooking. 4. Smoking the seafood by adding chips of wood is a nice technique. But don't overdo it. 5. You'll want to turn your grill up high after you finish cooking your fish to burn away any fishy residue. Clean it thoroughly before the next use. Also consider using the convenient wire fish baskets for cooking on the grill. They make turning the fish (which is the moment of truth and anxiety). July 27 Here are some tips on picking out ten of our most favorite items in the market.
2. Green beans or yellow wax beans: fresh, green or yellow color, with no dark blemishes. The blemishes come with age. 3. Broccoli, firm, compact tight florets, full green color, not yellow, no worse than a little soft in the stalk. 4. Corn: pearly sheen to the kernels, pale tassels just going brown, creamy juice that comes out of a punctured kernel 5. Eggplant: firm and glossy, with a fresh looking green cap. No soft spots, or wrinkles. The male, with its much smaller bitter seeds will have a pointier end. Females are broad and rounded. 6. Lettuce: any brown, put it down 7. Peppers, firm, shiny, deep color, thick skinned, heavy for size, no blemishes or soft spots. 8. Tomatoes: firm, heavy, no soft or dark spots. Good color…they will darken on a sunny window ledge to a certain extent, but not a whole lot. 9. Melons: dark color, fragrant aroma, heavy weight, no soft spots, but a little browning is OK. Flower end will soften as it reaches its peak...also inner network of seeds will loosen and rattle around. 10. Zucchini: dark color, firm, no soft spots, no wrinkles. If the stem end is very dried out and browned, it’s not as fresh as it could be.
August 3
2. The classic method is to clean them, dip them in milk, dredge them in seasoned flour and then fry them in hot butter in a skillet, turning at least once. 3. Baking is a good alternative, since it doesn't involve disturbing the crab, the way you would shake it while you fry it. Clean it, season it, but don't dredge it in flour, which wouldn't bake properly in an oven. Baking will allow you too make use of the flexible shell and add stuffing of one kind or another. Blends of herbs with bread crumbs make sense. You can also use corn meal as a binder. 4. Another idea is to mix up a sticky, savory coating that you can slather over the shells. One recipe we saw had a coconut, egg white and mustard seed topping. 5. Soft shelled crabs can be grilled, but over a low to moderate heat. You can baste them with combinations of vinegars, citric juices, spices and herbs. Cook evenly on both sides first, then move to a cooler corner and apply the basting sauce. 6. Deep fat frying offers an interesting opportunity. Dip the crab in a tempura batter as if you were going to fry it. Drape it over a wooden spoon, belly side down, so the legs dangle downward. Deep fry it in this manner, and the crab will emerge with its legs rigidly outstretched, forming a cute little nest than can embrace a side vegetable, say lightly fried juliened squash.
August 10 Let's look at the basic ingredients in a salsa. 1. Fresh raw vegetables and fruit. 2. Some cooked vegetables, if the raw is too hard (sweet potatoes come to mind) 3. Citric juice, such as lemon, lime or orange juice. 4. Olive oil 5. Seasonings 6. Nuts, or dried fruit as a bonus ingredient Next, we’ll list some foods that can really work well in salsas. It’s the endless combinations that make this such an entertaining and stimulating idea.Vegetables:
-cooked: tomatillos green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, roast beets...and any of the fresh vegetables you might consider grilling for extra flavor. Fruit: -peaches, apples, firm pears, berries, mangoes, avocados, papayas, bananas, melons, pineapple, orange sections, grapefruit sections -dried: cherries, cranberries, strawberries -nuts (usually finely chopped) almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts. Acidic juices: -The classic citrus juices are lemon, lime and orange. Grapefruit juice would be great. -Vinegars are great also: classic white wine, red wine vinegar. Lighter rice wine vinegar, white and dark balsamic vinegar Seasoning: -Move beyond salt and pepper: premixed curry powders can be fun -chopped fresh herbs, especially cilantro, basil and mint work very well. -honey can be used for sweetening -Asian oils and sauces can also add exotic flavors...use sparingly August 24 We love a success story, especially when it involves somebody local doing something wonderful with food. And one of the most interesting success stories we can think of is Gunpowder Bison and Trading Co., purveyors of real American bison meat, just like old frontier days. Gunpowder Bison is located on Monkton Road, just about a mile and a half east of Hereford. They have a small "show" herd at the farm on Monkton Road, and a larger herd at a second location. They sell their meat regionally, but Baltimoreans are most likely to encounter it at the Waverly Farmers Market, and at Woodberry Kitchen, Corks, The Falls and Gertude's. BRAISED TOP ROUND ROAST 2 to 3lb. Top Round bison roast 2 cups red wine 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups beef broth 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 to 6 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and quartered 4 medium carrots, cut in chunks 2 ribs celery, cut in chunks 3 to 4 small turnips, peeled and halved Directions: Put bison roast in a large food storage bag with wine and minced garlic. Refrigerate and marinate for 3 to 6 hours. Heat oven to 325F. Place the bison and 1 cup of the marinating liquid in a large oven safe Dutch oven with the 2 cups of beef broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and roast for 1 hour at 325F. Reduce heat to 300F and add vegetables. Roast for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, or until the roast is tender. Serves 6 to 8 August 31 It’s almost behind us, this summer of our discontent, and will the first breezes of autumn ever be more welcome? We've got Labor Day coming up, and it's only natural to want to celebrate the end of blazing heat with a cookout! So our resident Grill Meister, Chef Jerry Pellegrino has got a menu worked up for us. JERRY'S LABOR DAY COOK OUT Grilled marinated turkey wings: wash the wings, then marinate in a blend of olive oil, cut up rosemary, sliced garlic, big lemon slices and large green pitted olives. Place everything on the grill, taking the lemons and olives off before the meats, then reuniting it all on a plate. Italian hamburgers stuffed with mozzarella: in a bowl mix your ground beef with fresh cut basil, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Make patties, and with your fingers, poke a little cavity into the side of each, which you will fill with a chunk of mozzarella cheese. Cook the burgers as per usual, making sure to get them grilled enough to melt the internal cheese surprise. Veal hanger steak with onions and peppers: marinate a veal hanger steak in olive oil and grilling seasonings. Grill it along with halved cippolino onions and long Italian peppers, which you will baste with olive oil on the grill. A squeeze of fresh lemon over everything will finish off the dish. Grilled peaches: Take half a dozen large ripe peaches, cut them in half, and de-stone them. Press the open fruit side into a plate of sugar and finely chopped mint. Place the peaches face down briefly on the grill, in a hot spot, and then turn them over. Grill for only a minute or two. Serve immediately with a fresh sprinkling of mint.
We may be into September, but it's still pretty darned warm outside. Fortunately the good farmers of Maryland have a ready antidote to the heat: an ice cold slice of watermelon. We have become very fond of the Mar-Delicious brand of Eastern Shore melons that have been on sale this year. These small oval melons fit nicely into the refrigerator, but the real story is the intense sweetness of these seedless melons. Here's a nice way to use one of these little gems. It's a favorite summer idea of Jerry's. WATERMELON GRANITA 1. Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, cooking them over moderate to high heat, constantly stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. 2. Combine the melon and liquid ingredients in a large deep sauce pan. Process with a submersible blender until all the solids are as finely pureed as possible. 3. Strain the pulp through a fine sieve, forcing the solids through as best you can. Discard any solids that could not get through. 4. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pyrex baking dish. Place on a flat space in the freezer and stir every 20 minutes or so until it thoroughly sets. Garnish with shredded coconut and orange zest. September 14 Here at Radio Kitchen we are big supporters of the "Eat Local" movement, and we watch developments very closely. One of the best and most charming developments occurred earlier this year with the publication of a cookbook called "Dishing Up Maryland" (Storey Publishing, 2010) by Maryland's own Lucie Snodgrass. Lucie was kind enough to join us on the show, and to give us a look at her cookbook. It is wonderful, and should be a must-have for anyone interested in the "Eat Local" movement. The book (288 pages, with photos by Edwin Remsberg) is organized season by season, and is a great guide for market trips throughout the year. She also devotes page after page to the heroes of Maryland agriculture, the farmers themselves. We predict that with efforts like these, our best farms will soon become household names. and our local Foodies will be rhapsodizing about Roseda Beef, Firefly Farms Cheese and Black Rock Orchard. Here's on lovely recipe that caught our eye, and can be cooked entirely with local ingredients (save the spices).
(Excerpted from "Dishing Up Maryland", Lucie Snodgrass, Storey Publishing, used with permission.) 1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the eggplants in half and prick the skins. Place them cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the eggplants cut side up and scoop out and reserve most of the flesh, leaving a 1" shell. Keep the oven at 400. 2. Sauté the lamb, eggplant flesh, and garlic in a large skillet. Add the parsley, pine nuts, cilantro, mint, coriander, cumin cinnamon and salt. Continue cooking and stirring until the lamb is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rice and feta. Mix thoroughly. 3. Mound a quarter of the filling into each eggplant shell. Return the stuffed eggplants to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately. September 21 Like a lot of you we're going nuts in the produce section these days. There is so much in the way of vegetables out there, that it's hard to come away with anything less than an armful of tempting choices. As we've discovered, one of the nicest ways to work with a lot of veggies is to try a little stir-frying. Stir-frying came to the public's attention years ago as an outgrowth of interest in Asian cooking. The wok, that rounded conical stove-top skillet was central to the cuisine, as were all the healthy vegetables you cooked in it. Today we have developed a variation of the wok, generally referred to as a "stir-fry" pan, which keeps the basic shape, but flattens the bottom so that you don't need the little ring that the wok rests on to keep it above the flame. These stir-fry pans are often non-stick, and cost between $30-70. Al got a nice one from Cuisinart for about $35. Three issues dominate the stir-fry discussion: temperature, oil, and food prep. We'll deal with temperature first. We think it is best to pre-heat your pan for about five minutes over a medium-to-high temperature, say an "8" on a scale of "10". Next you add a few drops of oil to test the heat. If your oil smokes, cool the pan down. If it doesn't, you're good to go. As for the oil, we really believe that peanut oil is best. It has the highest flash point, and is a good healthy oil. Safflower oil and canola oil are also contenders. I like to add about 1 ½ tablespoons to my pan, which will cover the bottom and the sides, but will not puddle up too much. You ordinarily will be cooking proteins and vegetables in your stir-fry pan. The first rule is to cut everything up beforehand, and cut ingredients the same size for even cooking. We recommend cooking the protein first. Add only as much as it takes to get one layer deep in the pan, then stir with a wooden spatula (to avoid scratching the pan, and insulating you from the heat). Cook the protein about 2/3 done, then remove it and set it aside, to be added back in later. You can do your veggies two ways, individually or accumulating them. Hard, dense veggies like sweet potato and carrot take more time than a soft zucchini squash. If your goal is to cook everything together, add the densest first, and then the less dense, and the softest foods last. You can carefully replenish the oil if you want to, or toward the end of the cooking, you can add a little water. The water will steam and help cook things (particularly if you cover your pan, which is always an option) and it will collect cooking juices and form the basis for a sauce. Additional flavors can be added with curry paste or powders, traditional seasonings and stir-fry oils such as sesame oil. Once you are cooking, it is perfectly fine to adjust your temperature. If things are starting to scorch, you can lower it. If things are not getting cooked, you can raise it. Here's a simple recipe that Al has been playing with this summer. FARMERS MARKET STIR FRY
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 2 large carrots, trimmed, cut lengthwise, then cut into 1" pieces 1 red pepper, trimmed, and cut into 1" pieces 1 medium sweet yellow onion, trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks 1 head of broccoli, stalk trimmed off, cut to produce small florets 2 chicken thighs, skin removed, boned, and cut into 1" pieces 1 medium sized yellow squash, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces 1 tablespoon garam masala curry powder water 1 tablespoon sesame oil chopped parsley for garnish 1. Pre-heat your stir-fry pan for five minutes over moderate heat. Drop a little peanut oil into it. If it smokes, reduce heat and try again in a few minutes. If it does not smoke, pour a full tablespoon in, and tilt the pan to coat the sides evenly. 2. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots first. Stir vigorously for about five minutes. Next add the peppers, onion, broccoli florets and chicken. Continue stirring. As these ingredients approach tenderness, add the squash, which will cook quickly. 3. Reduce heat, and add the garam masala. Stir it into the mixture evenly. Add a little water, maybe two tablespoons, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan. Give the pan a shake every now and then to keep the ingredients moving. 4. Turn off heat, and sprinkle the sesame seed oil over the mixture. Stir the ingredients well. A thick sauce should have formed, coating the food. Serve as soon as you want, with a bed of basmati rice. Garnish with the parsley. September 28
We invited Kathy Whitehead, President of The Elegant Epicure to be on the show, and she regaled us with four fast but delicious appetizers that you can master quickly;. Here's her contact info if you're looking for a little catering help: Kathy Whitehead, The Elegant Epicure, 410-382-5148, theelegantepicure@gmail.com. Shrimp Salad in Phyllo Pastry Cups (makes 30) 1/2 C. Real Mayonnaise 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 2 tsp. Old Bay 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional) 1/3 C. Finely Chopped Celery 2 tsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon 2 Boxes of Mini Phyllo Cups (in your grocer’s freezer section) 1 Scallion (cut into small strips to garnish) Chop shrimp into small pieces (do not use a food processor) and mix with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for one hour or until you are ready to serve. Scoop a generous teaspoon into each phyllo cup and garnish with a strip of scallion. Recipe makes enough of leftovers. Cucumber Cups with Blue Cheese Mousse & Crunchy Bacon (makes 20) Cook bacon until golden and crispy. Drain and set aside. Break into pieces when cool. Cut cucumber into 20 ¾” slices . Cut each slice with a fluted pastry cutter. Using a melon baller, scoop out centers to make cups, leaving a ¼” layer as a base. Set aside on a paper towel. Beat cheeses until smoothly blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill piping bag with mousse and pipe into cucumber cups. Top with crispy bacon pieces and garnish with scallion strips. Savory Clafoutis (Kla-foo-tee) (makes 48 mini appetizers) Position oven rack to top third of the oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees. Grease or spray mini muffin tins and set aside. In a mixing bowl add cornstarch and slowly mix with ½ C. of milk, whisking steadily. Mix until quite smooth. Whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks, mixing again until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk, cream, salt & cayenne. Place ½ tsp. of the grated cheese and a ½ tsp. of the bacon or sausage into the muffin tins. Add a pinch of the fresh herbs to each muffin cup. Add 2 Tbsp. of batter to each cup and bake until golden brown 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes and then run the edge of a tiny spatula or paring knife around the rim of each muffin cup. Carefully lift clafoutis and place them on a serving dish. Herbed Pita Crisps w/Avocado Lime Cream Dip (serves 20) Pita Crisps 4 Pita Rounds (either white or wheat)
Avocado Lime Cream Dip (makes about 2 cups) 2 Medium Avocados Place avocado, scallions, chilies, cilantro, lime, olive oil, and sour cream in a food processor or blender; pulse until smooth. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled with Pita Crisps. Subscribe to the Radio Kitchen Podcast |
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