Taste is a Matter of Balance.

Balance; the equalizing of two items, whether the same or different, so that they are perfectly aligned on a scale.  While that is a simple concept when it comes to a tangible item, not so easy for emotions and feelings.  That is when you have to deal with good vs. bad/evil, light vs. dark, likes vs. dislikes; issues are either black or white.  Balance is a gray area, the mixing of the black and white to form a smooth, even concept.  Some folks are afraid of the negative aspects and try to live a life of "happy, happy, joy, joy"; ignoring the negativity and hoping it will just go away.  Unfortunately, it is not that simplistic.  The holding in creates a pressure that builds up till it explodes, and that is why we need balance in our lives; to keep from exploding.

So, what has this to do with cooking?  Eating, while being a necessity, should be an enjoyment; taste and texture should be a pleasure for the mouth.  However, some folks like their food to be painful, and I often wonder if this is actually how they enjoy it, or is it more for showing off to their peers.  Take "hot wings"; the chiles that can be added to sauces to coat the wings have heat measured by mild, medium, hot, super-hot and atomic.  Personally, I enjoy mild to medium; anything hotter puts my mouth in pain, and I cannot taste the item being eaten.  To me, that is a loss, not a pleasure; the balance between the heat and taste of the sauce is important to me.  But that is me, and when it comes to "hot wings", it is whatever floats your own personal taste boat.

 

The origin of the original buffalo wing recipe began in 1964, at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York.  The bar owner, Teressa Bellissimo, created the dish due to necessity.  However, husband Frank states that this was to get rid of a chicken wing order accidentally delivered to the bar.  Son, Dominic, though claims that, being the good mother Teressa was, made a midnight snack for he and his rather drunk friends who were craving hot snack food.  She deep fried the wings as it would be quicker than roasting, and the skin would become especially crispy.  Covering them in her own special sauce, they were served with a side of blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.  Why?   That is what she had available, and it has well stood the test of time, and many a plateful eaten. Whichever story is true, the wings became a world known appetizer.

The main ingredient, the wings, should always be crispy; mushy, fatty skin just does not have a good mouth feel.  Crispy wings also hold the sauce better.  Always toss the wings in the sauce after frying as the hot oil will only leech the sauce off the wings.  If you want the skin with some type of extra seasoning, do so, but then dredge the wings in flour before dropping into the hot oil.  The skin will still come out crispy, and the seasoning will remain on it.

The traditional dressing served with wings is bleu cheese, but nowadays, ranch is a popular choice.  While the dressing is used as an enhancement by some, most use it to tone down the heat of the hot sauce (raises hand to guilty on all counts).

Remember PJ’s on Center Street, in Monticello?  Now they did buffalo wings the Anchor Bar way, and were the best around. It even had a sweet and spicy version that was out of this world too; oh, and the fries, so good.  Sure do miss that place, and, sometimes, change is not for the best.  Thatzza Pizza, on Main Street, does wings, but baked in the oven, so if you want really crispy, ask them to bake them longer.  However, if you do not mind the drive to Dove Creek, Banger’s Bar and Pizza has one mean selection of wings, with or without bones. The House Bourbon sauce is our personal favorite; they need to jar and sell it; along with their housemade potato chips!

 

Thatzza Pizza Mild BBQ Wings

Banger's Boneless Wings in House Bourbon Sauce.

 

 Traditional Buffalo Wings

 (Original recipe from the Anchor Bar, Buffalo, New York)

Ingredients:

2 and ½ lbs. wings (12-16 whole wings)

½ cup Louisiana hot sauce (Frank's is the brand when sticking to tradition)

½ cup unsalted butter or margarine

1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of salt

Preparation:

Split wing at joint, clip tip off if not done already, pat dry.  Deep fry at 350F for 10-12 minutes, drain on paper towels.  To make sauce, mix together hot sauce, butter, vinegar, cayenne, garlic powder, Worcestershire and salt.  Put wings in bowl, add sauce and toss till wings are completely coated.  Serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

For those of you that have to have the wings baked in the oven, 425F for 45-60 minutes; until thoroughly cooked and crispy. Turn at least once during baking.

Want a different taste to your wings, try these popular alternative sauces:

Barbecue

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. catsup

1 Tbsp. oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp. ginger

Put all ingredients into small saucepan; bring to boil on high heat.  Lower heat to low and let sauce thicken; about 15 minutes.

Teriyaki

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 (12 oz.) bottle Teriyaki sauce

Put all ingredients into small saucepan; bring to boil on high heat.  Lower heat to low and let sauce thicken; about 15 minutes.

Chipotle

1/2 cup chipotle sauce

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. honey

Put all ingredients into small saucepan; bring to boil on high heat.  Lower heat to low and let sauce thicken; about 15 minutes.

Honey Mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

Mix two ingredients together.

Honey Bourbon BBQ

2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp.  apple cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup honey

½ cup bourbon

1 tsp. corn starch

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Mix brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, honey, bourbon, cornstarch, garlic, and Dijon mustard to a medium sized saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes; stir occasionally to keep from burning.

Apologies to all the Super Bowl fans reading this article, I fumbled on getting this out before the game, not after.

Mary Cokenour

 

Cooking Lesson with Two Home Chefs.

In my recent article reviewing Home Chef, the main reason I gave this product a try was due to not always wanting to cook from scratch.  While that was my personal goal, it did not end up being that way. 

It came to pass that I found ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, on sale, at the local market.  This was a great opportunity to purchase a double quantity, and make two trays of lasagna.  One tray would provide dinner, and a multitude of lunches during the week.  The other tray was wrapped up in foil, placed in the freezer, and would be consumed sometime within the next six months.  It took me a good three hours to prep all the ingredients, that includes homemade meat sauce, build up the trays, bake one, and freeze the other.

Lunch time comes around and Roy happens to say the last thing I want to hear, “Are you going to make those flautas you got from that food company?”  Count to ten, breathing in slowly, exhaling slowly, turn to face him and, “No hunny, you are!”  Oh, the look on his face…priceless.

However, I have to give the man credit, without flinching, he actually said, “Fine, but you have to watch me, and make sure I’m doing it right.”  Agreed!  So, while Roy became the home chef, I simply became supervisor, and, of course, demonstrator of technique if necessary.  My knife skills far exceed his, in the kitchen, and on the battle field.  I will leave that last sentence for you all to ponder over.

 

 

 

 

 

While the instruction card stated prep to cooking to dining time was 40 to 50 minutes, the company probably expects “home chefs” to be experienced and fast.  Not so with a beginner, and it took a good 1 and ½ hours before lunch was served.  Yes, Roy did follow the recipe card, but even the instructions, with photos, perplexed him a bit.  I did assist by showing, with half the tomato, how to slice and dice for salsa quality; large chopping for the spinach, and minimal slicing of the green onions.  Adding the seasonings, browning the chicken and making the finishing sauce he did on his own, and quite well.  Rolling the flautas was a challenge at first. He did not understand which end of the filled tortilla needed to be “folded over”.  I explained that, instead of making a burrito, pretend to make enchiladas, and the challenge was overcome!

 

She only had to show me, how to use the knife, once!

Browning the chicken.

"What the heck is this saying!?!"

 

 

Roll up the tortillas.

Place in skillet to brown.

 

Both sides browned.

Now, this recipe from Home Chef, is a fusion of Mexican and Italian tastes.  The pesto and mozzarella cheese are essentially Italian, and, well, we both did not see the point of the mixing of these two cuisines.  Oh, do not get me wrong, the meal was good, but nothing we would ever want to make again.  That is, using the ingredient list provided by Home Chef.  We discussed what flavor over or under whelmed the rest of the dish; what ingredients would have provided a better, tastier, meal.  So, we are keeping the recipe card, but will be playing and creating.

Overall, Roy said he enjoyed the experience, and now has a much better understanding of what I do, in the kitchen, and why I am an excellent home chef.  He will not be trading me in, for meal kits, any time soon.

 

Creamy Pesto Chicken Flautas

(Note: Recipe and directions are from the Home Chef recipe card received with Meal Kit.)

 

 Ingredients:

12 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

6 Small Flour Tortillas

1 Roma Tomato

2 oz. Basil Pesto

2 oz. Baby Spinach

2 oz. Cream Cheese

1 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 Green Onions

¼ oz. Flour

½ tsp. Poultry Seasoning

Preparation:

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Make Salsa.

In medium sized bowl, coarsely chop spinach.  Separate green from white on green onions, and thinly slice green onions.

Core tomato and cut into 1/2" dice. (Note: the tomato in the kit was not ripe and bitter; sprinkling salt over it helped with taste).

Add white part of onions to spinach.   In another mixing bowl, combine tomato, green part of onions, half the pesto (reserve remaining for sauce), a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Set aside.

Step 2: Prep and Cook Chicken

Pat chicken dry and top with 1 tsp. olive oil. Season both sides with poultry seasoning and a pinch of pepper.   On medium-high heat, brown chicken; remove to bowl and shred.

Mix shredded chicken spinach, white part of onions, shredded cheese, and a pinch of salt until spinach begins to wilt.   

Step 3: Assemble the Flautas

Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Place, in center of each tortilla, generous helping of chicken/spinach mixture.

Fold tortilla over filling, tucking long edge under. Roll tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas

Step 4: Cook the Flautas

Place a medium non-stick pan, over medium heat, and add 2 tsp. olive oil.

Working in batches of 3, place flautas in hot pan, seam-side down. Cook until browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Replenish oil if necessary. Gently roll to opposite side and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes.

Remove to plate, repeat with second batch of 3.

Step 5: Make Sauce and Finish Dish

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine softened cream cheese, flour, remaining pesto, and 1/3 cup water.  Microwave, 15 seconds a time and stirring in between, until smooth and heated through, 45-60 seconds.  If too thick, add water, 1 tsp. at a time and up to 1 Tbsp., until desired consistency is reached.

Plate dish as pictured on front of card, halving flautas, if desired, and topping with sauce and salsa. Bon appétit!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

A Home Chef Experiences Home Chef.

This is a review of Home Chef, a meal kit and food delivery company.

Several weeks ago, the Kroger company (we know them as City Market around here) offered an online deal for Home Chef.  For those not in the know, Home Chef is one of those companies that provides meal delivery services.  Meals can be premade to be microwaved or cooked in the oven, or come as kits where you do all the prep work and cooking.  Home Chef hit the market in 2013, and was purchased by Kroger in 2018.  Now we know why Kroger pushes the online site, and also offers meals, ready to cook, in their deli departments.

The offer I went for was $80 towards meal purchases plus free shipping on the first order.  To complete the offer, I was required to pick out three meals, with two servings in each. There are categories of: Meal Kits, Family Meals, Express, Oven Ready, Fresh & Fast plus extra categories of: Lunch, Bundle & Save, and Extras (breakfast, soups, snacks, beverages, drinks, pantry and protein).  

 

Alright, my purpose for trying this out was, well, I do not always want to cook, I want convenience.  Shocking, I know.  Looking at the oven ready selections was a bust as they were already recipes created by myself, such as parmesan chicken or lasagna.  Why in the world would I want to buy someone else’s version of it?  Looks like convenience was not on my to-do list, so ended up with three meal kits: Teriyaki Glazed Yellowtail, Bacon Crusted Trout and Creamy Pesto Chicken Flautas.   Roy and I truly enjoy eating seafood, so the first two were a given, and attempting another Mexican dish sounded like fun. 

 

Servings for each kit start around $7.99 and can get very, very pricey if you select anything from the “Culinary Collection”.  The size of each serving is basically what is recommended by dietary practitioners, and eating only that serving, plus exercise, you will be a runway model in no time.  In our household, my husband considered both portions as a single serving (I did get to taste a few forkfuls), and off to work he went.  I, on the other hand, dug through the refrigerator and found leftovers to have for my dinner.   That is our household, so do not judge by our way of eating which is not always in a healthy manner.

Honestly, this kind of meal service is perfect for, say, a single person who might like to cook, but not the time to shop; or is seeking convenience.  Might work for a couple too; definitely not us, as a couple, though.  Price?  First let me get back to the deal I went for.  The first order received $40 credit, out of the initial $80, but was charging for shipping.  I contacted customer service about why no free shipping on the first order.  A very nice gentleman explained it was an error, corrected my bill, so what would have costed me about $75, ended up costing only $30.  However, the $40 credit that should have still been available, well I got some cow patty excuse that the offer was a mistake.  Excuse me, but what? 

Secondly, on price, this is the kind of service that is for, again, convenience, so you are going to pay for that privilege.  Unless you do not mind spending way more for meal ingredients, than you would at your local market or supermarket, this might be a good deal.  For those who have to live within a budget, this type of service is a way to break your personal piggy bank to smithereens.

My Home Chef account is now on “pause”, you cannot cancel the account unless you call customer service and speak with a representative.  This will be an interesting conversation in the future, let me tell you! (Note: as of Feb 1, I was able to cancel the account via email)

Consider what I have just written as the pros and cons of dealing with a meal delivery service. 

Now, I bet you are wondering, after having to prep and cook the meals myself, how did they taste?  Did we just waste $30 on an experiment, or get three good meals for a bargain?

The measured portions for each meal come in a little baggy, the protein is in a separate baggy, and the directions on a laminated sheet, that can be inserted into a binder, Home Chef includes.  The ingredients are separated into packets or containers, with their name written, so you know what is what.  Following the easy directions (photos included), prep took little time, cooking time was accurate.  The recipe is also printed on the sheet, so if you collect the sheets, you can make the dish if you purchase ingredients from the market.  Each serving took up the space of a smaller, than standard, sized dinner plate.  However, if you place the serving on a dessert sized plate, well it looks like a king-sized meal to enjoy. 

 

Taste wise, the meals were delicious, the seasonings were spot on, and the sides are perfect accompaniments to the proteins.  With the teriyaki glazed yellowtail (aka snapper), there were four portions of rice to only two portions of fish.  Thankfully, some leftover chicken, from the fridge, helped to create two more meals.  In other words, the amount of rice/veggie mixture was, basically, filler.

 

 

 

 

Saute edamame and Portabello mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan cook seasoned yellowtail.

 

Enough rice side leftover to make two more meals.

Single serving.

Two servings.

Live a little, learn a lot, and that is how I am grading our experience with Home Chef.

Mary Cokenour

Chinese New Year of the Wood Dragon

For 2024, the lunar cycles have brought the Chinese New Year to fall on Saturday, February 10^th.  In China, this is a special public holiday, so workers will be given off from February 9^th to the 15^th.  There will be colorful festivals, mind blowing fireworks displays, lion and dragon dancers winding their way throughout the throngs of celebrators, and food delicacies as far as the eye can see, and the stomach can fill.

Of the twelve animals of the zodiac, this is the year of the dragon who represents health, strength, and good fortune.  If one is born in a dragon year (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024), it is believed the individual will have the innate qualities of the dragon (leadership, charisma, and boundless enthusiasm).  If conceived and born within the same year, the chances double, in other words, the child is doubly blessed by the zodiac animal.

Besides the zodiac animals, one of the five elements (earth, wood, fire, metal, and water) is assigned to a year.  2024 is the year of the wood dragon and symbolizes humanity’s aspiration to achieve, progress, grow, and expand.  Perhaps the wood dragon can get the world’s nations to finally grow up, stop acting like spoiled brats, and work together for a united/beneficial-to-all world.  We can only hope.  Also, on this note, I would highly recommend making the effort to read the ancient stories and poetry of China.  While many can explain the basis of a warrior nation (and whose nation was not like that at some point in history?), others tell tales of deep emotions full of love, hope and dreams.

During the feasts, red envelopes, called hongbao, are given out as tokens of good wishes.  The red color symbolizes luck, life and happiness.  These are also given out at weddings, and typically, depending on the occasion, there are designated amounts expected to be given.

Now here comes the menu for this year:

§  Fish and seafood: favorite treats of a fire-breathing Dragon.

§  Red meat (pork, beef): for a rich New Year's table.

§  Poultry (turkey, duck, goose): for wealth and luxury.

§  Spices of garlic, hot red pepper, ginger, cloves, and anise to fire up a dragon’s tongue.

§  Fresh fruits which must include tangerines and oranges.

So, to honor the wood dragon, and appease his appetite, here is my offering of a roasted pork rice bowl.

 

Roasted Pork Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless pork roast, or pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. smoky paprika

¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup soy sauce

2 cups bell pepper strips (mixture of red, yellow and green)

2 cups onion strips

Fried Rice or Jasmine Rice

Preparation:

Score top and bottom of pork with diagonal cuts to create diamond pattern.  Mix together salt, pepper and paprika and rub on all sides of pork.  Mix together oil and soy sauce, again rubbing into all sides of pork.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for six hours.

Preheat oven to 425F; set wire rack into small roasting pan. 

Heat medium sized skillet, on high, and sear all sides and edges of the pork.  Place onto wire rack, and roast pork for 50 to 60 minutes; until internal temperature reaches 145F.  Remove from oven and let pork rest 10 minutes before slicing.

 

 

 

For the bell pepper and onion strips, heat stir-fry oil in large skillet, or Wok, on high heat.  Sauté vegetables until softened, but do not brown or burn; about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

In bowl, place one cup cooked rice, 4-5 thinly cut slices of pork and 2 heaping tablespoons of pepper/onion mixture.

 

Fried Rice

Makes 8 servings.

 

While jasmine rice can be store bought, I have discovered that creating my own version, using jasmine green tea, gives deeper flavoring and scent to the rice.

Jasmine Green Tea Infused Rice

To make rice, in a 3-quart pan, place 8 cups of cold water, ½ tsp. salt, 2 teabags of jasmine green tea.  Set heat to high and bring to a boil.  Remove tea bags and add 4 cups uncooked, medium grain, white rice; stir, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.  Remove lid, let rice rest for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.

Makes 8 servings.

Happy Chinese New Year, and may the year of the Wood Dragon bring us all much good luck, health and fortune.

Mary Cokenour