Not All Chili Sauce is Red.

You've seen the Heinz Chili Sauce bottle in the condiment aisle of every supermarket; it might even be a staple in your own home cooking. Its base ingredient is tomatoes and the thickness of the sauce makes it a good enhancement for soups, stews, barbeque sauces and marinades.

However, when dealing with Asian cuisine, tomatoes are not high on the list of ingredients, if at all. The sauces tend to be thin to medium thickness and colors range from yellowish to a deep brown. Seeing many of the ingredients such as garlic and hot peppers lets one know what may be in store for the taste buds.

Thai Chili Sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used for dipping cooked foods into or as a marinade before cooking, mainly grilling. It awakens four tastes within the mouth: sweet, sour, spicy and salty; basically enhancing a food four ways.

Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (if not available, use white wine vinegar)
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup fish sauce (if not available, use light soy sauce)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
dried hot pepper flakes (1 tsp=mild, 2 tsp=medium, 1 Tbsp=hot)
2 Tbsp corn starch

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients, except corn starch, in a small sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until liquid reduces by half.

Reduce heat to low; whisk in corn starch; continue to cook for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken..

Makes about ¾ cup.

When frying foods, use Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) as it holds onto sauces without losing its crunchy texture.

Cut up chicken, pork, vegetables or firm fish like cod or halibut no larger than two inches. Seafood such as shrimp, oysters, clams and scallops can be fried whole.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko
2-3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying
1 lb cut up food items

Preparation:

Prepare dredging station; bowl one is the flour, corn starch and salt; bowl two is the beaten eggs; bowl three is the Panko.

Heat oil on medium-high heat; amount is determined by what kind of pan or skillet being used for frying; oil should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Dredge food into bowl one, shake off excess before coating with egg; thoroughly coat with Panko. When oil is ready (water drops will sizzle), carefully place 6 to 8 pieces in the oil. Cooking time will depend on what foods are being used; chicken takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all food is cooked.

The fried foods can be served with a bowl of the Thai Chili Sauce on the side and dipped at your leisure.

- OR -

You can dip the food into the sauce and serve it up on pieces of lettuce and make lettuce wraps. By the way, the sauce is so good, you might even consider using it as an Asian style salad dressing.

However you serve it up, you'll make a great impression.

Mary Cokenour

Fattboyz Grillin' kicks out the Old Tymer.

Fattboyz Grillin

733 South Main Street
Blanding, UT, 84511

(435) 678-3777

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fattboyz-Grillin/135856886470228

On December 26, 2011, Fattboyz Grillin officially opened at its new location, the former Old Tymer restaurant. First, let me inform you that while the Old Tymer sign is still displayed outside, that will be taken down in due time. Don't bypass that location any longer for Fattboyz has taken it over and are serving up awesome barbeque.

The interior of the building is still the same decor and that will be changing also. The bar area is still going to be a bar - a dessert bar! Unfortunately, Blanding is a dry town, so alcohol cannot be served, but don't pass Fattboyz over on that account; you want to go there for the food. The majority of the menu items are now housemade due to the fact that a larger kitchen facility is available with the take over of the restaurant.

For an appetizer, we ordered onion rings; now don't go by the photo on the amount served. My friend and I lost our heads and drove into those rings before I could take a photo. Even though the rings are purchased from an outside source, the onions were tender and sweet while the batter was crispy with a slight smoky flavor. They came with the infamous "fry sauce" which is a Utah thing, but the rings were tasty with or without the sauce.

Fattboyz has a different lunch special daily costing around $5.

Saturday's special was a cheeseburger loaded down with veggies and a mountain of fries. My friend had that and ended up wishing for enough room in her stomach to have another. It was that good!

Fattboyz has an extended salad bar with many choices available. Whether you choose the one trip for $5.99 or the all-you-can eat dinner for $9.99; you will not be disappointed by their salad bar. Also, with the sandwich and burger items, the choice is 2 sides or one trip to the salad bar. As much as I like the sides, that salad bar is worth foregoing the fries.

Now as much as I like Reed's barbequed ribs, I believe my new favorite is his BBQ Chicken Sandwich. The sauce is sweet, tangy and smoky; the chicken was not swimming in it, so you could get a full taste of the chicken. I don't know what Reed does to the chicken, but it was tender and juicy and oh so delicious...just looking at the photo is making me start to drool for another one.

When you go to Fattboyz Grillin, expect friendly service and a happy atmosphere. Need a party place for a special event, they can do that for you too. Remember, when you are traveling through Blanding, Utah and feeling hungry, you want to stop at Fattboyz and get your grub on. Ignore that Old Tymer sign, there's a new sheriff cooking inside and his name is Reed Sampson.

Mary Cokenour

UPDATE: Reed Sampson has announced plans to expand to Monticello, Utah by opening up a second Fattboyz Grillin on Center Street, located across from the new Maverik Station. The grand opening is scheduled for March 16, 2012.

Yoplait Light - To Crunch or Not to Crunch.

Yoplait Light with Granola

Website: http://www.yoplait.com/

Yoplait Light is a blended yogurt which averages 100 calories per serving. While there are many fruit flavored yogurts to choose from, there are also enticing names such as Raspberry Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately, while you may find bits of fruit in these dessert named yogurts, there won't be any bits of the actual cake or pie. While smooth and creamy in texture, lets be honest, yogurt is boring, so Yoplait decided to make it more interesting.

Yoplait Light with Granola comes in two packs of strawberry, cherry, peach or blueberry. Each serving has two parts to it, the lower plastic cup being the yogurt (fruit blend on the bottom with plain yogurt on top of the cup) and a second plastic cup section containing the granola. Just pour the granola into the yogurt section, mix and enjoy a crunchy mouthful of fruity goodness. The calories do jump from the average 100 to 170-190 per serving, as do the carbs from 14-19 grams to a whopping 35 grams

The prices also take a jump; where you could buy two containers of regular strawberry Yoplait Light from 50 to 99 cents each; adding the granola ups the price from $2.50 a package and maybe more.

My overall opinion is, nice concept Yoplait, but the costs doesn't justify the effect. If you need some crunch in your yogurt, save by buying a package of granola and adding a spoonful or two yourself. Worried about the carbs? Crushed peanuts or some type of nut will give you the crunch you want while keeping the carb count down.

Mary Cokenour

Omelet Making 101

Making an omelet can be terrifying at first, but in this case, practice will make perfect, and so will the right tools.   While a skillet will work in a pinch, an omelet/saute pan has sloped sides making it easier for the spatula to work with the egg mixture, and to slide the finished omelet out of the pan.  Having a long, narrow spatula is a blessing as it slides more easily under the cooked egg mixture to help flip over one side and enclose the ingredients without breakage.

When purchasing your pan, look for a 10 inch heavy duty nonstick brand; remember that this will also work for sauteing, not just making omelets. You also don't want to go too large on the pan, as it will be more difficult to work with the egg mixture; more surface to fold will mean more chance of breakage.

When it comes to ingredients for the omelet, the basics are:

3 large eggs
3 tsp cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter for the pan

When it comes to seasonings and herbs, you have the choice of adding them to your egg mixture, or sprinkling them over the mixture once it's in the pan. Ingredients for inside the omelet can be just about anything you would enjoy with eggs; just make sure that meats and vegetables are at room temperature. Nothing worse than having a nice hot omelet loaded with cold ingredients in the center. Cheese should be thinly sliced or shredded to make sure it melts properly as the omelet cooks.

To get started, melt the tablespoon of butter in the pan over medium-high heat. While doing this, whisk together in a small bowl the eggs, water and salt. The butter will foam when first melting, but once it stops pour the eggs into the pan evenly and let them settle in the pan for about a minute. Gently lift an edge, tilt the pan and allow a little egg mixture to flow underneath and repeat this all the way around. Continue this procedure, lifting a little more of the solid egg each time, until all the egg mixture has been incorporated around the pan.  You are basically allowing the omelet to build up.

On one half of the omelet, begin adding your fillings; cheese first, so it can melt; next meat and finish with vegetables. Only do this on one half as you'll be flipping the other side over the ingredients you added into the pan. Let the omelet sit for two minutes, now gently slide your spatula under the egg only side of the pan and quickly flip it over the filling side. Don't think about it, just do it; otherwise you are giving the omelet a chance to break where the spatula is not holding it.

The above photo is of a Chili Cheese Omelet I made for my hubby. I had about 1 1/2 cups of my Sirloin Beef Chili left over and a cup of shredded Mexican mix cheese. Inside the omelet, I spread 3/4 cup of the cheese and then one cup of the chili over that. After flipping over the egg only side, I spread the remaining cheese and poured over the remaining half cup of chili. Not a bite was left on his plate.

So be a little adventurous and make that omelet you're craving; it might be messy at first, but it'll still taste yummy.

Mary Cokenour

Don't Over Think the Comfort.

You want something to eat that gives you a warm, comforting feeling, but should the recipe be complicated or simple?  Depends on what you believe is a comfort food; while someone believes it's mashed potatoes with butter, someone else is looking for baby new potatoes topped with creme fraiche and caviar.  The one thing you need to remember is that you should be just as comfortable making the dish as you are eating it.

Italian food wraps itself around you like a blanket; while the pasta is your pillow, the sauce massages the aches and pains from the body.  Sounds nice?  Funny though how many folks I have met who are scared to death to make Italian recipes.  "It's too complicated or difficult.", "I'll never find all the ingredients I'll need", "How do I know I'm doing it right if I've never tasted it before?"   Answer to all three questions: "You're over thinking it!"  You can't make comfort food if you're putting such stress upon yourself...relax...do...enjoy.

Making homemade pasta sauce is relatively easy nowadays, especially since almost everyone and their mother owns a crock pot (slow cooker). Now lets make an Italian casserole that is so easy, you'll kick yourself for having self doubts on your ability to make it. Hints: if you cannot find ziti in the pasta aisle, use penne. If you want meat in your dish, grill up some Italian sausage or make meatballs. Please, please don't buy frozen meatballs, they are so full of fillers, that's why they can bounce. Remember, with my sauce and meatball recipes, you can half them, or make the full recipes and they can be frozen for up to six months. Oh, when cooking your pasta up, use a little olive oil in the boiling water instead of salt; still keeps the pasta from sticking together, but adds more flavor.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

1(16 oz)box ziti pasta
6 cups homemade pasta sauce plus 2 extra cups
1(16 oz)bag shredded mozzarella plus 1(8 oz)bag shredded Italian cheese mix

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3 qt baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare ziti according to package directions. In a large bowl, mix together thoroughly the cooked ziti, 6 cups of sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Spread out mixture into baking dish and top evenly with the shredded Italian cheese mix. Bake for 30-40 minutes; until cheese on top is melted and just starting to brown at the edges.  

Serve with the extra two cups of sauce for anyone wanting more sauce with their pasta, or to dip bread (preferably toasted garlic bread) into.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Calphalon - It's All That and Made in the USA.

Calphalon

Website: http://www.calphalon.com/

For the holiday season of 2011, Roy received a very nice bonus from the new company he was now working for.  While he went off to purchase new video games for his PC, I decided to finally buy new cookware that I have wanted for a long time...Calphalon.

The Calphalon company was founded in 1963 by Ronald Kasperzak in Perrysburg, Ohio.  He wanted to make a cookware product that was heavy duty, easy to handle and clean, up to the standards of any professional chef, but affordable by the public.  Calphalon is lightweight, nonstick and the handles stay cool to the touch; how many of us have burned ourselves on pot handles or needed a forklift to take a overly heavy skillet off the stovetop?  Recipes can be cooked at lower temperature settings as the heavy gauge metals used in the cookware distributes heat evenly and more quickly.  Not only does this save gas or electric, depending on your stove type, but it saves on cooking time.

No more using nonstick cooking sprays as they have a chemical within them that makes the cookware remain sticky and discolor.  Basically you do not need to use any oils or butter to keep food from sticking; they can be primarily used for flavor enhancement if needed.  Cleanup is hot, soapy water and a simple sponge; no scratchy pads, harsh cleansers or most certainly do NOT put the cookware into the dish washer.

Is Calphalon expensive?  Yes and no.  Most definitely yes if you're on a very tight budget, but sales and clearance sales can be found just about anywhere nowadays, especially online.  No if you want a product that will last for years and you're tired of throwing out pans that only last 6 months to a year because they were cheap to buy and made even more cheaply.  If you have a passion for cooking and want cookware that expresses that passion, choose Calphalon.

Above is a photo of my kitchen hanging rack with my new pans, and yes, I have a wishlist for further purchases.


Mary Cokenour

Snow on the Driveway, Chowder in my Bowl.

All week the weather here in Monticello had been quite steady; cold at night, but sunny, clear and comfortable during the day.  The weather forecast for the weekend initially called for snow showers, but changed to rain showers.  My friend Heidi and I had made plans for today; I was to come down to her home and finally meet her mother Trish and Heidi's brother.  Trish, Heidi and I are friends on Facebook and we can get quite silly at times.  I had just purchased two Calphalon skillets and I had promised Trish that I would let her touch them.  Like I said, we get quite silly at times.

That was the plan until the snow began; first light flurries which didn't worry me too much.  My car doesn't like wet roads, but a light flurry wouldn't hinder her, yes my car is a her, and me.  Then the snow flakes got thicker and fell more heavily; it was sticking to everything and accumulating.  As much as I would have still liked to go to Heidi's, finding myself down in a canyon was not on my game plan, so had to cancel out on her.

With the wind blowing the snow here and there, it looked, and felt if you ventured outside, like a typical day for soup.  Ah, but what kind; a brothy soup would be nice, but a thicker soup would be more comforting I think.  Looking through the pantry, I find cans of whole baby clams which would go great with the shrimp I had defrosted the night before.  I originally was going to make a Thai dish with shrimp for dinner, but the snow just about changed everything  for the day.  So, to make it all better, I ended up making a shrimp and clam chowder chock full of shrimp, clams, potatoes and other yummy ingredients.  I've already had a bowl, and another bowl seems to be calling to me, so let me finish up and answer that call.

Shrimp and Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1Tbsp salt
2Tbsp butter
½ cup each diced onion and celery
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup sliced mushrooms
¼ cup partially cooked, chopped bacon
1 tsp each fine sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika
½ cup flour
1 (10 oz) can whole baby clams; drain, but reserve juice
2 cups milk
1 cup half n’ half
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
1 lb medium sized, uncooked shrimp, tails removed

Preparation:

Place potatoes in large pot, cover with water, add one Tbsp salt and cook until fork tender; remove from heat. In another large pot, melt butter on medium-low heat, add onion, celery, and carrot; cook until just beginning to soften. Add mushrooms, bacon, sea salt, black pepper and paprika; cook additional 3 minutes. Add flour and mix until fully incorporated; raise heat to medium and add clam juice, milk and half n’half; cook until bubbles begin to form around edges of pot, about 10 minutes.

Drain potatoes and add with clams, thyme and shrimp to pot, cover and let cook for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded white cheddar cheese or sliced green onions.

Mary Cokenour