Making the Menu

The Great American Bake Sale - Help Feed Hungry Children

The organization, Share Our Strength wants to eliminate hungry children in America. Hungry children are one of the primary targets of the organization. One in 4 children wakes up everyday not knowing if they will have enough to eat. Most of us can't imagine such a thing. The Great American Bake Sale is one way to help put food on those children's plates. All over America, individuals and organizations contributed baked items to sell to support this worthy cause. All proceeds benefit Share Our Strength and their work to help the nearly 1 in 4 children in American that struggle with hunger. 
  

 

Amy Crowell, Director, Great American Bake Sale and a Les Dames member, along with her mom and sons

 

The Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier along with friends offered their services and baked goods to help raise money. I didn't bake, but worked during the sale. (And, it wasn't easy keeping my hands out of the "cookie jar.") We raised a respectable amount for our first time hosting the sale.

 

A collection of pound cakes that were donated

 

 

 

A professionally prepared tart by one of the pastry chef Dames

 

Random Acts of Testing or What's For Dinner Tonight?

Practically every evening (Sun-Thurs) I'm testing a recipe. (The kitchen is usually closed Friday and Saturday nights for dinner out.) I do the testing in the evening because it's what we eat for dinner in real time. Most of my testing is 2 months ahead of when the "7-Day Menu Planner" is published.

 

Generally, the recipes work pretty well and have a good flavor. Not that I'm that smart, I'm just experienced at looking at a recipe and knowing if we'll like and you will, too. That's the number one criteria: flavor. Number two, do I want to cook and eat it and number three, was I right with number 1 and 2?

 

Here are a few testings over the last couple of weeks that I'd cook again (which I won't because I always have to move on to the next recipe).

 

The first one

 

 

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes (Real Simple magazine) passed all tests with flying colors. Look for it in the 7-Day Menu Planner, week of September 4.

 

Number two

 

 

Turkey Enchiladas used leftover cooked turkey and made the grade. It shows up week of September 11. There were plenty of leftovers for another meal. Pure happiness.

 

And, number three

 

 

Lemony Shrimp with Couscous (Real Simple) was a really pretty entree (and, good flavor). I added the broccoli to round out the plate. The recipe uses cooked shrimp and you'll see it the week of September 18.

 

 

Testing: Arctic Char

With food prices ever-increasing with no sign of that changing anytime soon, I'm always looking for something new, different and reasonably priced to add to menus in my column, the "7-Day Menu Planner." As much as I love salmon, tilapia, tuna, halibut, scallops and shrimp and other such water-beings for various reasons, I don't like the price of some of them. Consequently, I've used salmon, shrimp and tilapia often on my menus because of price and flavor. Having had arctic char in a restaurant recently, I thought I'd give it a try and see if it met my criteria of price, ease of preparation and flavor. Yes, it did! You''ll see the recipe in my column the week of August 28.

 

For our piece of mind, experts say that arctic char is sustainably caught. Arctic Char are routinely available and have a flavor somewhere between salmon and trout with a pinkish color. You might have to ask for them, depending on your fish department or you may find them frozen as I did at Trader Joes. Either way, try them.

 

 

Thawed and ready to cook.

 

 

In the skillet

 

 

The potatoes, olives and parsely for the side dish

 

Ready to eat!

 

 

Touring and Tasting: Baltimore and Wilmington DE Area

Last week, I had a terrific time in Wilmington, Delaware, area where I spoke at the Delaware Dietetic Association's annual meeting in Claymont. The hosts took me to dinner at a local spot, Sullivan's Steak House. I skipped the steak and ordered Sea Bass which was good except for the saltiness.

 

Sea Bass with Salty Broth (my name, not theirs)

 

I settled in on the train from Wilmington to Baltimore to meet a friend. (What a civilized way to travel.) Friend and I spent Friday in Annapolis (a short drive from Baltimore) taking tours and walking the "Yard" at the Naval Academy with a few food breaks in between.

 

 

Just so you know where you are, a few steps from downtown Annapolis.

 

 

Officers live here. Must be nice after being at sea for months on end. Many astronauts graduated from USNA but only one president. Do you know which one?

 

On to Baltimore!

 

Naturally, being in Baltimore, I ordered crab cakes every time I could. I do love blue crab.

 

Baltimore performed beautifully on Saturday with perfect weather after many days of rain. I had to go to one of my favorite dining spots, Miss Shirley's, (www.MissShirleysCafe.com) where the corporate chef is the daughter of my friend.

 

 

Corporate Chef, Brigitte Bledsoe

 

Yes, we had good treatment. Even if I didn't have connections, I'd be right there enjoying the food. Miss Shirley's does a good job and has many happy guests to prove it. I didn't see any frowns anywhere. The only person who frowned (once) was yours truly when they said they didn't have Diet Coke, but would go across the street to get me one. That's service! I was a big girl, didn't whine (too much) and drank the other diet drink. I had a yum-yum yummy BLT with Avocado and a side of Coleslaw. I skipped the grilled chicken that's usually added. Of course, I had a side of fries. My name is Susan Nicholson.

 

 

One darned good BLT with Avocado. Miss Shirley gives you thick slices of tomatoes and that makes me very happy. I hate wimpy slices of tomato.

 

 

My friend had a Soft Shell Crab and Fried Green Tomatoes (those tomatoes made me think about Georgia)....the crabs are in season right now, so hurry.

 

Before more food and drink, we walked off a few caloires at the American Visionary Art Museum. Go there when you're in Baltimore. There's no place like it.

 

 

American Visionary Art Museum's entrance (www.avam.org).

 

 

The current exhibit--"What makes us smile?" (and, smile you will)

 

Party Time!

 

We visited the Cat's Eye Pub (www.catseyepub.com) for blues, beer and good will. Those folks know how to have fun (and, drink beer)! I heard they have live music every night.

 

 

Having fun at the Cat's Eye Pub

 

 

View from my barstool at The Cat's Eye Pub in Fell's Point 

 

So, ends my wonderful weekend. I really love Baltimore and could live there except for that pesky winter weather. I'm not a good cold-weather person; that's why I left Virginia in the first place.

 

 

Testing: Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

One of my favorite company entrees is pork tenderoin. The price is usually affordable for a special meal, it's easy to cook and has a good flavor if it's not over-cooked. It's perfectly fine to show some "pink" when it goes to the table. No longer does pork require "battleship grey" as was the criteria for the former Navy cook who ran the food service in the VA hospital where I worked years ago. Your thermomter is your best friend. I aim for 150 to 155 degrees internal temperature when I remove it from the oven. I always tent it with foil and let it stand for 5 minutes. By that time, it's perfect for carving.

 

It's a side-dish-freindly protein, too. You can pair with any starch and vegetable. When I tested this recipe, I added Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans garnished with Sliced Amonds. Sweet potatoes, brown rice or any whole grain would have worked well, too.

 

 

 Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans with Sliced Almonds

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: Part 3 -- Testing Tagine of Salmon with Lemon and Capers

I do love chef-prepared food. Preparing a dish from a chef-recipe is not quite as much fun. I'd enjoyed this salmon recipe presented by Chef Bill Briwa when I was at the CIA's west coast campus in Napa and it looked easy enough for a home-cook. All this has led to including the recipe in my "7-Day Menu Planner" newspaper column to appear some time in July. Chef Briwa gave us a lot of "you-can-do-it's" so I took the challenge.

 

Of course, we home cooks have to remember, we don't have the kitchen assistants that the culinary school chefs do. Those are the student assistants who fetch, chop, clean and generally help the chef-teachers. Nonetheless, I rose to the challenge sans assistants. Yes, I must confess I did grumble about the "work", but when the final product hit my taste buds, I jumped for joy at the fantasitic flavor. In other words, it's worth it if for a company meal. I would not prepare this during the hectic work week.

 

A tagine, by definition is any of various Moroccan stews gently simmered with vegatbles and other seasonings. Often preserved lemons are used. (I used lemon juice which the chef approves.) This recipe required a herb, olive oil coating/marinade for the salmon. I let it sit a couple of hours, refrigerated. Once marinated, I placed it on a bed of vegetables. Both the marinade and the vegetable base included garlic and olive oil in addition to spices.

 

 

The bed of vegetables

 

 

Ready for the oven after covering tightly with foil. Bake 425 for 25 minutes; cool 5 minutes

 

 

Right out of the oven

 

 

Ready to eat over brown rice. Couscous would be good, too.

 

 

Menu Planning: Testing Risotto with Spinach and Peas

We're crazy about risotto--eating it, that is. When it comes to making it, I don't like the blister I get from stirring 20 to 30 minutes to make it perfect. I've tried it the conventional way (with the blister), in the pressure cooker, the microwave and in the oven. All have their benefits. What I usually look for is the method that is as low-maintenance as possible. For Risotto with Spinach and Peas (adapted from Real Simple), I tried the oven method with a little pre-sauteeing on top of the stove. The results were quite good and we both liked the end product.

 

To go along with the risotto, I sauteed some shrimp and added Creole seasoning for extra flavor. That, plus a green salad with sliced avocado, completed our meal.

 

 

The final result of Risotto with Spinach and Peas

 

 

Healthy Kitchens/Healthy Lives in Napa: Part 2

The speakers at the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference are an impressive group. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with many of them. One of these was Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, the Surgeon General of the United States. I had the good fortune of meeting Dr Benjamin formally at a press conference and informally at the San Francisco airport. It's easy to see why she was selected to be the person to provide the best scientic information available on how to improve our health and the health of the nation. Besides her many distinguised qualifications, she's a very charming person.

 

 

Dr Benjamin at the press conference

 

Other presenters at the conference were Helen Delichatsios, MD, SM, a Clinician-Educator at Massachusetts General Hospital. One of her important roles is teaching nutrition to medical students for all four years of medical school.

 

David Eisenberg, MD, is the Bernard Osher Distinguished Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the engine behind the scientific parts of the conference. His credits are far too long to list but suffice it to say, Dr. Eisenberg puts on a mean cooking demonstration! He walks the talk.

 

Kathy McManus, MS, RD, LDN who is Director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Woman's Hospital is a dietitian's dietitian. She has presented her research nationally and internationally. I always learn from her presentations. 

 

If Dr Eisenberg is the engine, Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RD, is the oil that keeps the engine running smoothly. No doubt that she faces many challenges in putting this incredible conference together. She does it in a cool, calm and collected way.

 

Then, last but certainly not least, is Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Just to mention a few accomplishments, Dr. Willett has published more that 1200 scientific articles, a textbook and three books for consumers. Besides all of his many accomplishemnts, he's a really nice guy. Rumor has it that he even eats one doughnut a year.

 

The CIA hosted cookbook and scientific book authors at a book signing where Dr Willet and I shared a table. To show what a good sport he is, we swapped our books for a photograph at the book signing. (He sold more books than I did at the conference! I'm trying to get over that.)

 

Healthy Kitchens/Healthy Lives in Napa: Part 1

The Healthy Kitchens/Healthy Lives (HK/HL) conference is held in the spring at the Culinary Institute of American's (CIA) west coast campus, called Greystone, in the Napa Valley. Greystone along with the Harvard School of Medicine are the two sponsors of the conference. Greystone is in St Helena a town of about 5000. It's a unique conference in that it's a combination of science, cooking demos and hands-on cooking (taught by CIA chefs) experiences that show how to put the science into practical everyday cooking and eating. Lars Kronmark, CWP, led my class.

 

Outstanding chefs (Suvir Saran, Joyce Goldstein and Mark Furstenberg) do many of the cooking demos along with CIA chefs who join in for hands-on and other classes and tastings. The Harvard faculty is headed by David Eisenberg, MD and Walther Willett, MD. Amy M Miller, MSRD is the dietitian leader of the conference.

 

This year over 450 attended the conferece which included MD's, RD's, RN's and other health care providers with a keen interest in healthy cooking and eating for their patients and themselves. The conference has become so popular that it sells out in the fall for the spring event. This is the second conference I've attended, this year as a speaker. The presenters were honored at a dinner in the Board Room at Greystone. I was lucky to attend it.

 

 

The Board Room at Greystone

 

 

Halibut with Cannellini Beans

 

 

With a little dessert of Chocolate Cake and Sorbet

 

California Asparagus or Redwood Trees??

I'd forgotten what real asparagus looks like until a box of the California stalks arrived. Growing up, we had asparagus that came back every year. My mother loved it. Being a dumb kid, I didn't. The last asparagus I cooked was about as thick as a pencil. This was more like a tree. It's "rested" in the sink after I soaked it in ice water upon arrival (as directed on the package).

 

 

Asparagus is naturally low in calories and sodium. It was popular with the acient Romans for it's delicate flavor and elegant appearance (I guess the Romans like these "trees" as much as I did). There are 20 edible varieties of the 300 known ones. Handle asparagus like fresh flowers; trim stems.

 

The recipe I tried was Sweet and Spicy Szechwan Asparagus (below) and it was a hit. Look for it in the 7-Day Menu Planner this summer.

 

 

This asparagus was sent to me by the California Asparagus Commission.