Pig Heaven.

Finally tried the pork bbq sandwich down at Fattboyz Grillin and it did not disappoint. I piled on that homemade cole slaw that Reed makes; each bite was a mouthful of delicious goodness. If you like bbq, but haven’t tried out anything on his menu yet, well that’s your big loss, and more for the rest of us.

Americans eat a lot of pork products: fresh pork meat such as chops, tenderloin and ribs, or processed or cured: ham, bacon and sausage.

Thank the Chinese for your love of pork; they domesticated the animal around 5000 BC. Poor creature, it provides so much to us, and yet gets little respect for the most part. Being called a pig is an insult; a demeaning term used against people who are overweight, or to indicate that someone is unclean. In some religions, the pig is deemed the equivalent of a demon spawn from hell.

Pigs are cleaner animals than you might think. Sure they roll around in the mud; they don’t have sweat glands, so coat themselves in mud to keep cool in hot weather. You would do the same if push came to shove on the issue. The sows (females) are good mothers to their piglets; they are smart, and can form attachments with their human handlers. Medically, a close relationship has been established between pigs and humans; and some of their parts can be used as transplants in humans. So, be nice to pigs, one might save your life one day.

That being said, they are still a part of human consumption, and being the carnivore that I am, I enjoy a good piece of pork now and then. Pork meat can be bland, so you need to do a little work to get the flavor infused into it. Brining (a salt water bath) and marinating are two ways; also slow cooking gives the meat time to absorb flavors from other ingredients. So, whether you’re roasting, smoking, broiling, frying or whatever technique you like to use; go slow for the best tasting results.

Pork Roast with Caramelized Onions and Marsala Sauce

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork loin roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
Marsala wine: ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp
2 large onions, slivered
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (if unavailable, use ½ Tbsp dry leaves)

Preparation:
Soak the pork roast in a brine (salt and water solution) for four hours; remove and pat dry. This will help tenderize the meat, and allow it to soak in flavors more easily.

In a medium skillet, on high heat, brown all sides of the roast in the olive oil; remove the roast to a 4 qt crock pot, set on low. In the same skillet, deglaze pan with 2 Tbsp of Marsala wine; add the onions and cook till partially softened. Reduce heat to low, mix in brown sugar; cover and let cook for additional 10 minutes.

Add the onions, ½ cup wine and broth to the crock pot; cover and let cook for 6 hours. Remove roast, set heat to high; add in cream, black pepper and thyme and let cook for 15 minutes. Serve sauce over sliced pork roast.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

A “Duh!” observation.

Another ridiculous commercial for 5-Hour Energy drink was on the television, and I wonder why folks can be so gullible sometimes? Basically, it’s the idea of convenience; the quick fix. Why go through the trouble of brewing up fresh coffee when you can just twist off a cap from a small, compact bottle. Let’s see, first off, coffee tastes a heck of a lot better; it has zero calories and carbs if drunk black; it’s the add-ins like sweeteners and creamers that give the boost to calories and carbs. Secondly, a 14 oz. container of coffee contains 164 grams of caffeine, the energy drink only has 135 grams; not the boost you might have been hoping for in reality. Third, a bag of ground coffee can cost anywhere from $5 to $8 a 12 oz bag, unless you enjoy paying more for a fancy brand name, and will last a long while. The energy drink comes in a little bottle, is gone in seconds, and you just paid $3 to $4 for a one shot deal. If you really have no inclination to make coffee at home, buy a container at the local mart for $1 to $2, depending on if it’s regular coffee or those cappuccino brands. Still a bargain and still tastes loads better than the energy drink.

Need a little more inspiration for making coffee? Go to my Feb 17, 2011 post called “Chocolate and Coffee – two lovely food groups”; you’ll find a recipe and more information about coffee, and chocolate. How could you go wrong with that?

If making the cookie recipe is not up your alley, than here’s one for a simple candy, the truffle. How in the world could you resist?

Oh, before I forget, if you’re reading my blog, and I bet you are enjoying it, why not become a Follower? You can sign in using a Google (Gmail) or Yahoo account; just look to the side of this post, and you’ll see where it prompts you to become a Follower. I appreciate it greatly, and thanks!!!

Bittersweet Coffee Truffles

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened, condensed milk
3 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
3 Tbsp espresso coffee
1 cup crushed, roasted hazelnuts

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, medium heat, melt together the condensed milk with the chocolate till smooth and shiny. Remove from heat; stir in Grand Marnier and coffee. Pour mixture into an 8” x 8” pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Using a melon baller, or teaspoon, form 1 ½ inch balls; roll these in the crushed hazelnuts. Place in decorative mini-baking cups. To store, place in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to one week.
Makes 2 dozen.

Mary Cokenour
March 1, 1995

English type weather means English type food.

Snowy, rainy, cloud cover; sounds like typical English weather to me, or so I've heard. Never been to the country, hoping someday to be able to tour England, especially all those haunted castles. Until then though, I'll have to be satisfied with being able to make some of the dishes native to that country. Bangers and Mash, Toad in the Hole, Cotswold Chicken and the ever popular Fish and Chips. The secret to good English Fish and Chips is the batter used to coat the fish; beer or ale give it a flavor boost. However, the carbonation makes the fried batter light and crispy. Once the battered fish, or the chips (oh, that's fries if you didn't know), are in the hot oil; leave them be. Don't be poking and turning; just let the hot oil do its job, and when it's perfect, the fish or chips will float to the top.

Well, it's time to get dinner started, so I'm off to the kitchen. I'll be leaving you with my recipe for English Fish and Chips, so give it a try; and remember, the beer or ale you don't use in the batter you can drink up while you eat. Don't drink while frying, don't want any kitchen disasters happening. Enjoy!

English Style Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, divided in half (1 cup for batter, 1 cup for dredging)
2 eggs
¾ cup beer or ale
¾ cup milk
¾ cup white wine
½ tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
peanut oil
6 large potatoes (red skinned or golden yellow), cut roughly into 1” pieces
2 lbs. cod, or any other white meat fish (pollock, flounder), cut into 4” pieces

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, eggs, beer, milk, wine, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and chill for 1 hour.

Fill deep fryer to maximum line, or large skillet ½ way up, with canola oil; heat to 375-400F. Cook potatoes until just lightly browned; drain on paper towels; season with salt; transfer to cookie sheet. When done frying, place potatoes in oven (set at 200F) to keep warm.

Remix batter; dredge fish pieces into remaining 1 cup of flour; dip into batter and place in hot oil (3-4 pieces at a time). When batter turns golden brown and begins to puff, drain on paper towels.

Serve fish and chips with tartar sauce, malt vinegar or any other desired condiment.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour
October 1, 2002

Another busy Saturday, or the beast was tamed, then eaten.

As usual, the dogs and cats acted as my alarm clock, getting me up at 6am to feed them. They know better than to bother daddy, for he sleeps like the dead. Since I was up so early, might as well get a head start on spring cleaning, and clean I did. Stripping the bedroom first; sheets, pillows, blankets formed a queue for the washing machine. Rugs and towels from the bathroom followed suit. Out came the vacuum, and the rugs that could not fit into the washing machine felt the wrath of the cleaning banshee. The linoleum and ceramic floors were not spared either. Good thing is was a nice day outside, weather wise, as the dogs were not allowed back in with dirty paws to track on my clean floors and rugs.

By 4:30 pm, I was done with all the cleaning I could muster, and began to start dinner. The oven was set to 400F; sweet potatoes were pricked several places with a fork, rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse sea salt, and in they went for a full hour of baking (not wrapped in aluminum foil for this makes them soggy from the steam). A half hour later, I was preparing the Elk to be cooked the way Charlie had instructed me to. First the steak pieces were washed in cold water; then lightly dredged in flour which contained a mixture of my chosen seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, paprika and brown sugar. These are some of the items I usually put in my rub mix; and Charlie said to go with what I know when it came to seasonings. The proportions, for those who wish to know were: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp each of all the seasonings, 2 Tbsp brown sugar; mix all together thoroughly.

I heated my largest nonstick skillet at medium-high heat, with a ½ cup of canola oil and began to cook the Elk. I let the first side of the steaks lay in the pan till blood began to show, about 2 minutes, then flipped them and did the other side the same way; draining the cooked meat on paper towels till all were done.

Then came the gravy preparation; there was about ¼ cup of oil remaining, so I added a ½ cup each of sliced mushrooms and onions and let them cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Then came a ¼ cup of flour and began whisking till a roux was formed. To this, and still whisking was added first 1 cup of warmed heavy cream. When fully incorporated, then 1 ½ cups of beef broth was whisked in; I let the mixture come to a full boil before turning off the heat. There was no need to add extra seasonings, since the oil had been infused with it from cooking the Elk.

The sweet potatoes were done (the skin is a little crispy, and the meat inside is very soft); cutting them open, I slathered on 2 Tbsp of softened butter, a tsp of brown sugar, a dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Dinner was served, and what an awesome meal is was! Everything was so good, and mixed together so well….sweet, savory, salty all came together perfectly. I immediately called Charlie afterwards, thanking him profusely for the Elk. I most certainly will do this again!!!

However, by 8pm, the exhaustion of the day caught up with me, and I was out like a light. Yes, it was another busy Saturday, but I can’t complain.

Anticipating a new adventure with a wild creature.

Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be cooking and eating Elk.  I did attempt deer (venison) once, but it was a disaster.  The person who had given me the deer meat did not give me any instruction on preparing it.   In my ignorance, I killed the poor beast once again.  I expect this new attempt at serving a wild animal to come out much better.  The gentleman, an avid hunter, who had given me the Elk meat, gave me very good instructions on preparing the meat.  I just happen to have a mushroom and onion gravy recipe that I’ll pair with the steaks; making it, of course, in the same pan the steaks are cooked in.

So Charlie, thank you so much for giving me the tools (Elk meat) to jump into this new adventure, and I hope I do you proud.  Of course I’ll be writing about the results in another blog post; that way everyone will know how I did.

Actually, I’m not surprised that I’m going to attempt this; let’s face the truth, I’m a carnivore for the most part.  Vegetables are side dishes that are way off to the side, but I do love potatoes: mashed, boiled, roasted, fried, baked, and any other way they can be cooked up.   Yeppers, a real meat and potatoes woman am I.

One of my favorite meals is either Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie.  Now you may have heard of Shepherd’s Pie which is made with ground lamb, but did you know that its counterpart is actually made with ground beef, so called Cottage Pie?  I have made, and enjoyed both, and can say I do not prefer one over the other.  The origin for both is vague; the Irish, Scottish and English all say they came up with it first, and that is one debate I intend to stay out of.

Traditionally, either pie is made with white or Yukon Gold potatoes, but sweet potatoes can give the dish an entirely different flavor.  No matter which kind of potato is used, Shepherd’s and Cottage Pies will be the quintessential comfort food.

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, while Cottage Pie is made with beef; all the remaining ingredients are the same for both.

Ingredients:

The filling:

2 ½ lbs. ground lamb or beef (depending on which pie is being made)

1 large onion, diced

1-4 oz can mushrooms, diced

2 Tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

2 Tbsp. Worcester sauce

1-16 oz bag frozen peas and carrots

1 Tbsp each crushed dry thyme and marjoram

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup beef stock

The topping:

6 large potatoes, peeled and cut up

4Tbsp butter

1/2 cup milk
6 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Paprika 

Preparation:

In a large skillet, high heat, brown the meat and drain excess oil.  Add the onion and mushrooms, letting cook till the onion softens.  Add tomato and Worcester sauces, frozen vegetables, herbs, pepper, flour and beef stock; mix thoroughly and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.

While meat mixture is simmering, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain and mash the potatoes, add butter, milk, grated cheese and pepper to the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a 3 quart rectangular baking dish, spread 1/2 potatoes on bottom of baking dish; spread out the meat mixture; top with the other 1/2 of potatoes; sprinkle paprika over top.  Bake for 30-40minutes; potatoes should be lightly browned, and the pie heated thoughout.

Makes 8 – 10 servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and now for something completely different~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe was chosen and featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 1999 issue.  It also appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens “Annual Recipes” cookbook, 1999.

Ingredients:

2 lbs sweet potatoes

¼ cup milk

½ tsp each salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg

2 lbs lean ground lamb

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup dry red wine

1 Tbsp snipped fresh savory

1 tsp finely shredded orange peel

½ tsp ground cinnamon  

Preparation:

Peel and cut up sweet potatoes.  Cook in a small amount of boiling water, just enough to cover, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender; drain.  Mash potatoes; add milk, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet, cook lamb, mushrooms and onion together until there is no longer any pink to the lamb meat; drain excess fat.  Stir in wine and savory; cook for 1 additional minute and remove from heat.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Spread 2/3 of the mashed sweet potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of the dish.  Fill center with lamb mixture; top with remaining 1/3 of potatoes, spreading evenly over filling and to edges of dish.  Bake for 20 minutes; sprinkle orange peel and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon over top; bake an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour     December 9, 1995

A Gardener’s Daydream.

Looking out the window, I see the sun shining; the branches of trees swaying with the breeze.  I start to think that spring is just around the corner, and the ground will be softening up for planting.  I begin to daydream about my gardens, the ones I left behind, the new ones I’ll create.

When I lived in Pennsylvania, my home was surrounded by gardens I had designed and created myself.  It took many years, and there were many types: the perennial garden where flowering plants erupted into color each month from March until October; the shade garden filled with Hostas of every size; leaves deeply green or mottled with color; and Bleeding Hearts of pink, white and yellow.  The herb and vegetables gardens were my pride and joy.  I had two herbal gardens; a kitchen garden right outside my backdoor.  I could go outside and pick fresh herbs for a recipe.  Then there was the larger one where I would collect the herbs, dry them, and have them available all year long.  The vegetable garden was abundant, and I made sure to grow vegetables that could be frozen for later use.  I composted and mulched; fed and watered; these were children who I helped flourish.

The people who purchased my home said they loved the gardens, and that is one reason they wanted my home.  Liars!!!  I found out they immediately had all the gardens dug up, the beautiful trees cut down, and the lawn destroyed.  Why?  They needed places to park their motor home, excess vehicles, and…who knows what; they destroyed it all.  The neighbors were shocked at the destruction.  I wish I had known their plans; I would have dug up my rose and lilac bushes; removed all the herbal plants and as many Hostas as I could pack into our moving van.  What a waste of nature; so sad.

At my current home, the ground around the home was very neglected and abused; no one took care of the lawn which is nothing more than weeds; there were no trees, and only one rose and lilac bush which were terribly overgrown.  Last year we planted a Magnolia Tree out front, several rose and azalea bushes; trimmed the already existing bushes which are flourishing once again.  I started a small herbal garden outside the living room window.  However, I really will not know what did, or did not, survive the winter months until spring is officially here, and the weather stays warm.

Ah, but the plans are in the making; a rotor tiller to dig up an area in the backyard for a vegetable plot.   Plans to create a patio, and use the container gardening technique to help beautify the area.  I’ll be playing in the dirt, planning and planting, feeling the dirt on my hands, and hoping my knees don’t give out on me.  Daydreaming over the new gardens that will rise up around the home…it’s that type of day.

Therefore, a vegetable recipe seems appropriate for this post.

Vegetable Stir Fry

This is a basic recipe and vegetables can be changed according to tastes.  Using a Wok is preferred, but if not available, a large nonstick skillet will do.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp sesame oil (if not available, use peanut)

1 small red onion, slivered

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small zucchini and yellow squash, cut diagonally into ¼ inch slices

1 cup snow peas (if not available, use sugar snap peas)

1 tsp minced garlic

½ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup each soy and hoisin sauces

½ tsp ground ginger

Preparation:

In a Wok, or large nonstick skillet, heat oil on high.  Sauté onions and bell pepper till they just start to soften; about 5 minutes.  Add in zucchini, squash, peas; cook another 5 minutes before adding in garlic, tomatoes, sauces and ginger; mix together thoroughly.

Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings; can be served as is, or with rice or Asian noodles.

Mary Cokenour

Deviled Eggs are an evil goodness.

How can an appetizer that tastes so good, be associated with an image that embodies evil; the Devil?  Well actually, it doesn’t; the term “deviled” came about in the 18^th century, when more spicy ingredients, were added to the filling.  The “stuffed” egg originated back in Ancient Rome, and as it was introduced to Europe, ingredients changed depending on what part of the country you were in.  For example, in the Slavic countries, the filling consisted of caviar and remoulade (tartar sauce).

Personal opinion here, but for any Deviled Egg recipe, the most devilish part is the gas they cause.  They taste so good going down, but later on….well, you get the picture.

So, first I’m going to give you a recipe for the typical United States type of Deviled Egg; then I will post my personal recipe which includes the ingredient that makes it truly deviled…cayenne pepper.

Deviled Eggs – United States version

Ingredients:

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
½ tsp dry ground mustard
½ tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Paprika for garnish

Preparation:

Remove the egg yolks to a small bowl, mash with a fork.  Add mayonnaise (or salad dressing), dry mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture; sprinkle lightly with paprika.  When filling the shells, you can either fill them by spoon, or put mixture in piping bag and use a fancy tip.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

Makes 12 Deviled Eggs

Diablo’ Eggs  - my personal version of this recipe

Ingredients:

12 large eggs

2 Tbsp Miracle Whip

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp each ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

Paprika

Preparation:

In large saucepan, cover eggs with cold water; bring to boiling on high heat.  Remove from heat, let stand for 20 minutes; drain, rinse with cold water; peel.

Halve the eggs lengthwise; place the yolks into a medium bowl; mash with a fork.  Add Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, black and cayenne peppers; mix thoroughly until smooth.  Place mixture into a piping bag (or a plastic bag with one corner cut off), and pipe mixture back into the egg halves where the yolks once were.

Sprinkle paprika over whites and egg mixture.

Makes 2 dozen.

Mary Cokenour

March 23, 1996