Parmigiano's Evil Twin; Parmesan.

You go out to an Italian restaurant and order "Chicken Parmigiana" (a strictly Italian-American invented recipe by the way); lightly fried breasts of chicken smothered in a rich tomato sauce and covered in melted, gooey cheeses. Then you open up a cooking magazine, or see a recipe online called "Chicken Parmesan" and think, "Oh, that's what I had at the restaurant, and now I can make it at home". No, no, it is not the same thing; might look similar, but there are big differences. In Italy, the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) is a set of Italian laws enacted in 1955 to protect the names, origins, production methods and characteristics of Italian food and wine; they set the standards. Parmigiano-Reggiano has been produced in Italy over 700 years; it is a complexity of flavors, made from cow's milk, with a hard rind, and aged, crumbly interior. Each wheel of authentic Parmigiano is stamped with a seal which indicates its name, date of creation and a code which specifies where it was made. (see left side photo)  Once the wheel is opened the cheese can be grated, shredded or cut into paper thin slices; the price is high, but well worth the taste, texture and quality.

Then comes Parmigiano's evil twin, Parmesan; you know that cheese, it sits on a shelf in the pasta aisle in a green can, or perhaps a jar; grated and so very, very cheap in price. As you can see in the right side photo, the wheel has no markings on it indicating name, date or origin.  Typically Parmesan is not produced in Italy, is granular in texture and of very poor quality. When you see that recipe for "Chicken Parmesan" which says to coat your chicken in grated Parmesan; now you know what kind of cheese you're actually using, an imitation.   Don't get me wrong, it has its uses, but not as a substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Now we get to, "So Parmigiana stands for Parmigiano?"  Sort of; Parmigiana stands for "cooked in the way of Parma" which is one of the major producers of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  However, Parma is in Northern Italy, whereas this type of meal comes primarily from the South; so it comes back to, "It's all about the cheese!"  Meat or poultry is pounded thin, dipped in egg wash, coated in bread crumbs and lightly fried.  It is then smothered in tomato sauce and covered with, what else, Parmigiano cheese and baked until the cheese is melted and browned around the edges.  Depending on the area in Italy, different versions of Parmigiana use mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese or a mixture of the three.  Those "Parmesan" recipes you see in magazines or online usually tell you to coat the meat or poultry in mayonnaise, coat liberally with the cheese and bake to get a crispy texture; sauce is usually an option or side.

This is all leading to today's recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana, but I'm going to put a real twist on the usual recipe.  Typically I would do the layering of fried eggplant with sauce and cheese; instead though, I'm using a very chunky vegetarian sauce.  Think of it as a vegetable lasagna using the eggplant in place of pasta noodles.

I mixed the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano into my ground bread crumbs, while I used Sargento's new Chef Blend 6 Cheese Italian mixture in the layering and baking processes.

In the making of my Vegetarian Pasta Sauce, I cut up portabella mushrooms, green and red bell peppers, onions and zucchini into one inch chunks; no eggplant was added this time as it was being used elsewhere.   I also added a cup of grated carrot to add sweetness to the sauce.  Once the sauce was done, I left it chunky instead of smoothing it out with my immersion blender.

The size of the eggplant is dependent on how much you intend to make, and what size baking dish. I used an aluminum loaf pan which you might typically use to make a quick bread or pound cake. After removing the top and bottom, I peeled the tough outer layer off and then cut the eggplant into 14 - 1/4 inch round slices. I could have made long slices instead, but felt the smaller round slices would come out more easily from the pan, and be more appealing to the eye.

First I lightly coated each slice with flour; I did this to create a barrier for the frying oil. I then dipped them in an eggwash and coated them with the bread crumb/Parmigiano mixture. Eggplant is basically a spongy vegetable and will easily sop up and retain oil that it is fried in. You want to use an oil that has a high fry temperature, such as peanut or canola oils; the eggplant can then be "flash fried", so the outside is nicely browned and crispy, but the eggplant itself has not been soaked in the oil.

Drain the fried eggplant well on paper towels to make sure any extra oil is drawn out; you want to retain that crispy outer coating without a greasy texture within. When they're all done, time to start the layering process. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Spread 1/4 cup of simply the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place 3-4 slices of the fried eggplant and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over them.  Spread more sauce, but make sure to put a good helping of the chunky vegetables; repeat this layering twice more.

 
But on the final layer, spread 1/2 cup of the cheese overall.

  Cover the pan with aluminum foil; make sure there is space between the foil and cheese, so the cheese doesn't stick to it as it bakes. Bake for 30 minutes; remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes to allow the cheese to brown around the edges.

Allow the eggplant to rest for 5 minutes; the sauce may have stopped bubbling once you removed the pan from the oven, but it's still bubbling internally. You want it all to settle before serving. So there you have it, Eggplant Parmigiana, but done up in a type of "lasagna" style with chunky vegetables in the sauce. The loaf pan I used makes a hefty two portions, or three portions for those petite eaters....it won't make it to three once you see, smell and taste this dish. Enjoy this Italian adventure!

Mary Cokenour

Drying Herbs and Vegetables.

 Today I got my veggie/fruit basket, Italian pack and Hostess pack from Bountiful Baskets and they were chock full of three herbs; Basil, Dill and Rosemary.  While I intend to use some of them immediately, what can I do with the rest, so they won't shrivel and turn bad?  Dry them!  You've seen them in every supermarket or health food store grocery section; whether in bottles or bags there is a big advantage to using dried herbs.  First off, when stored in an air tight container, they can last up to six months; so check the expiration date when buying.  Secondly, when used in cooking, the aroma and flavor is much stronger than fresh; especially helpful when using a slow cooker for a recipe.

A Food Dehydrator is one method of drying herbs by using a system of heat ( average temperatures of 130F to 160F) and vented air to draw moisture out of thinly sliced foods, or herbs. For example, in my Italian pack was a carton of baby portabella mushrooms which I don't have any particular plans for now.  Slicing them 1/8 inch thin, the dehydrator will extract all the moisture, so I can put them in a zippered food bag to be used at my leisure.  The mushroom slices can be easily reconstituted by soaking them in plain water before usage.  I also have some red bell peppers and Roma tomatoes; just slice them up, dehydrate them and store them in an air tight jar with olive oil, or simply in an air tight bag.  Why buy expensive brands of "sun-dried" tomatoes or peppers when you can make your own?  Want to make your own potato or veggie chips?  Season the slices before you place them in the dehydrator; no frying, no oils.

You don't have to go to the expense of a dehydrator to dry herbs. Herbs that are on long stems can be tied together, making sure to leave a loop at the top. A simple "s" ring, or even a paperclip opened up to give it two "hooked" ends will work well as hanging tools. Remember to label your tied bunches of herbs for many will look extremely different dried than they did as fresh; smell might help tell them apart, but why take the chance? Hang the herbal bunches in an area of the home that doesn't have a lot of foot traffic; don't know how many times I've had someone knock them down with a swinging coat sleeve.

Don't want them hanging around the home; another method is to remove the leaves as much from the stem as possible. Lay paper towels on a tray (aluminum or plastic); place the leaves on the paper towels and leave a little room between the leaves. Cover the leaves with another set of paper towels to keep dust and dirt from landing upon them; store the trays in a dry area and the herbs should be dried out from two to three days, depending on their sizes.   This also works for celery leaves; you buy that large bunch of celery full of leaves, well don't throw them away.  Dry the leaves and you'll have them available to be added to stuffing, rice or pasta recipes.

Herbs with small and abundant leaves, such as Rosemary, can be left to dry on their stems. When completely dried out, you can either shake the leaves off which can be rather messy; or grab the cut end of the stem, hold it firmly with one hand while using fingers from the other hand to gently slide the dried leaves off.
 
Whatever method you use for drying your herbs, remember to label and date your air tight containers or bags, so you'll know which is which, and when your six month expiration is up.

One more method for storing herbs, but this concerns a non-drying method; freezing. You can take a single herb, or a grouping for a particular need, chop them up fresh and place a good pinch in the bottom of each section of an ice cube tray. Cover the herbs with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of water and place the trays in the freezer. Once frozen, pop the ice cubes into a freezer safe bag; don't forget to label them, and when you need those herbs for a recipe, they're ready and waiting. Remember to take into account the measurement of water that will be added when you pop those ice cubes in with your other ingredients.

Whichever method you use, or perhaps make use of all of them, you'll be in control of your dried herbal or vegetable stockpile; you'll know where they came from, and what has, or has not, been added.

Mary Cokenour

Strolling Down a White Castle Memory Lane.

White Castle

Locations: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Website: http://www.whitecastle.com/

Back in the 1960's, my family lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York off the Fort Hamilton Parkway.  Typical homes in the neighborhood were brick townhouses and the major ancestry was Italian, with a mixture of Croatian and Norwegian here and there.  I wish I could say that I had an absolutely wonderful childhood in Brooklyn, but I didn't; most of my fond memories are of my maternal grandmother, museums and most especially of food. 

White Castle is one of those wonderful food memories; three mini-hamburgers for one whole whopping dollar.  The "meat patty" was a little square (2 and 1/2 " by 2 and 1/2 "), just about 1/8 inch thick with 5 holes punched into each; this allowed the steam to cook the patty thoroughly and quickly.  A soft square bun (three of those meat patties stacked would equal the height of half the bun) and tiny, diced onions; all prepared on a special steaming table.  The smell was awesome, but the taste sent you to heaven; four perfect little bites for each little hamburger or cheeseburger.  Sliders?  White Castle invented the original sliders!  Enjoyers of White Castle had nicknames for the food; the burgers were "belly bombers" and the thin cut fries were "suicide fries".  Why?   You have to eat them to understand, that's the only way; sorry, can't explain it to a novice, you just have to experience it all.

I've eaten White Castle in Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania; New York always tasted the best, but what do you expect a New Yorker to say, right?  Now down South, they have a similar fast food item called Krystal's; tried them in Florida and Georgia and in my personal opinion, they can stay down South.  They are not the same as White Castle!

White Castle introduced a frozen version of the hamburgers and cheeseburgers to supermarkets when the microwave became a popular home appliance.  Two burgers in a cellophane package steam when "nuked" for one minute; and yes, the onions are included.  I eat them when I crave that particular childhood memory, but they're not as good as the fresh made.  As soon as the heated cellophane is opened, you can see the bun begin to wrinkle up; don't eat it quickly and it becomes chewy.  The meat doesn't cook evenly; a section here overcooked, a section there undercooked.  The onions are, well they just don't look, smell or taste right.  So why buy them?  It's all about the memories; it's all about the memories!

While I'm going to put this blog post under the heading of "Product Review", it's really a trip down memory lane for me.  I hope you enjoyed this walk with me.

Mary Cokenour

Tahini, Hummus and Pita Pizza; Say What!?!

Since the pushing of healthy eating habits and finding alternatives for snacking, many items that used to be a "luxury" have now become an all consuming fad; such is the case with Hummus.  Hummus is a puree of garbanzo beans( a legume) also known as chickpeas in the United States and England, or Ceci beans in Italy.   Their origin can be traced back to the Middle East, and as far back as 3500 BCE; so they truly cannot be called a modern "fad" food item.  The other main ingredient needed to make hummus is Tahini; a sauce made from the puree of toasted sesame seeds and olive oil.  Now the other ingredients that go into the making of hummus; well that has now become a matter of taste.

Tahini has a very nutty scent and flavor to it and can be substituted for peanut butter which is great news to folks with a peanut allergy. If you can eat regular peanuts, then adding a dollop of Tahini to your PB&J brings out an awesome richness of peanutty taste and flavor. For baking, think about adding Tahini to a recipe calling for peanut butter; and don't forget its wonderful addition to Middle Eastern cuisine.   Tahini can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months in an air tight container.  Since oil is used in the process, it will rise to the top and solidify under cold temperatures.  Simply let the Tahini come to room temperature and mix the oil back in until you have a smooth sauce; sort of how you would work with the all natural peanut butter spreads that are on the market now.  Tahini can also be frozen in air tight freezer containers or bags, but after six months it needs to be discarded.

How to Make Tahini

Ingredients:

3 cups sesame seeds
1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spread the seeds onto a clean jelly roll pan (baking sheet with a 1/4 inch around it); place into oven for 5 minutes.  Stir the seeds around and toast for another 5 minutes, but do not allow them to get brown in color.

Put the seeds into a food processor or blender; add 1/4 cup of oil and begin blending on high.  A paste will form; switch off the appliance and scrap down the paste with a rubber spatula.  Turn the appliance back on and slowly add in the remaining oil until a smooth sauce begins to form; sort of like a smooth peanut butter consistency; not all the oil may be required.

Makes 2 cups.

 So now we have our Tahini and can continue on to making Hummus.  I'm going to give a basic recipe that can be used as a dip for toasted pita chips, or even a base sauce on a pita pizza (recipe will be given).  This basic hummus can be a simple canvas for making many types of dips by adding roasted red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced chile peppers, chopped herbs and the list goes on and on.  If entertaining and serving several varieties of hummus, don't just garnish each type with a teaspoon of an ingredient to identify its type.  Place a small bowl of the ingredient next to the bowl of hummus and let guests add to plate with their portion of dip.  A garnish will be gone by the third guest, and how will anyone be able to identify the flavors then?  Also think about having slices of toasted French baguette besides the traditional pita chips, so guests can make their own version of a bruschetta.  Now onto the making of Hummus...

How to Make Hummus

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (16 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup Tahini sauce (or 1/4 cup if using a Tahini paste)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

 

Preparation:

 

Mash the beans slightly and place inside a food processor or blender; add the Tahini, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.  Set speed on puree and blend until desired consistency is achieved (slightly firmer than a sour cream dip is best); add more oil if needed.  Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of the appliance if necessary.

 

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.

 

Note: During the puree process, a tablespoon of a flavoring ingredient can be added such as diced tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, chopped herbs, etc. 

 

I gave you a tease before about making a Pita Pizza, and here's the information I promised to give you.  Normally a pizza dough is made with a leavened bread which rises because of yeast, but it can also be made from an unleavened bread such as a tortilla, Navajo Fry Bread or pita bread. As a base sauce, the traditional red tomato sauce can be used, pesto, and I've found that hummus makes an interesting take on a pizza.  By pureeing tomatoes, red bell peppers or basil into a hummus, you can turn the traditional brownish coloring into the illusion of a red or green sauce; and have the flavoring too.

 

How to Make a Pita Pizza

 

Ingredients:

1 Pita bread (standard size to be cut apart, or single serving size)
1/4 cup Hummus (traditional or flavored), 1/8 cup for smaller pita

Now here's the fun part; the rest of the ingredients depends on what you want on it. If using any meats or poultry, it must be precooked. Don't add too much of any one ingredient, you want just enough that each item will be tasted when biting into the pizza. In the photo above, I have diced tomatoes, diced goat cheese and spinach leaves; just a 1/4 cup of each spread around on a standard sized pita went a long way.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Spread hummus over pita; spread other ingredients over all, but not entirely to the edge.  Place the pizza directly onto the center rack of the oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until edges of pita darken.

A standard pita can be cut into fourths; a small pita eaten as is.

There is my adventure into the Middle Eastern world of Tahini, Hummus and Pita Bread; don't be afraid to have your own adventure.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Breakfast Food Porn to Start the Day.

Even though I have lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and now reside in Monticello, Utah; anyone that knows me well can tell you that I'm still a New Yorker at heart.  Back in the late 1970's, I was living on Long Island and taking the Railroad into New York City to attend New York University.  I graduated in 1980 and began working in NYC, again taking the Railroad back and forth; at least I got some good extra sleep or reading done on those long, tedious trips.

A daily ritual I indulged in was stopping at a deli nearby work and ordering a breakfast sandwich and coffee to have at my desk as I prepped for the day.  In case you'd like to know, I'd had two different jobs in NYC, both for many years....a Controller for a theatrical lighting company associated with Lee International UK (Star Wars, James Bond movies, to name a couple); and then the head bookkeeper for a photographic company that specialized in advertising photos.  I have to admit that the Controller job was my very favorite as I was lucky to be able to meet producers, directors, film and music stars.  Anyway, back to the food talk...

The breakfast sandwich consisted of two fried eggs, cheese and bacon on a buttered roll; if you wanted salt, pepper and ketchup added, you had to ask for it.  You could order scrambled or over easy, but the completely fried eggs made it easier to eat at your desk and not have egg get all over you or the desk.  Coffee was made up for you as you liked it; no going to another counter to add sweetener, cream or milk; and none of those fancy lattes and such.  Coffee was pure, real coffee!

...and so today I'm going to give you some breakfast food porn.  Since I'm at home, I can make those over easy eggs, cut into them and have the luscious yolk ooze out and down along the rest of the sandwich.  The roll, toasted, is firm; dipped into the yolk, it sops up that lovely liquid which then coats the lips of the mouth with eggy goodness.  Hot for a New York Deli Style Breakfast sandwich now?  Lets make one....

The best kind of roll for this sandwich is the Kaiser roll; plain, or with poppy or sesame seeds, doesn't matter as they're all good. Cut the roll open so you get a top and bottom half. Now you can either butter the insides and toast them on a griddle or inside a skillet; or pop the halves in a wide mouth toaster and then butter them. You definitely want a slice of American cheese on both sides though.

Melt a little butter in a skillet, put the eggs in and listen to them sizzle as they give up their liquid to that heat. Fry them up "hard", so the yolk is totally cooked; or go for the "over easy" and those luscious yolky centers. Scrambled eggs tend to squeeze themselves out of the roll, as if they're trying to escape and then require a utensil to capture them off the plate. You want your hands and that entire sandwich to dance together as partners.

Lay those fried eggs down on that Kaiser roll bed and cover them with a blanket of crisp bacon. As your teeth crunch on the bacon, your senses come alive from the released smoky sensation. Oh, don't forget to add salt, ground black pepper and/or ketchup to your tastes, or should I say to what your senses desire?

...and there is your breakfast food porn for the morning.  Enjoy, I know I did.  *wink*

Mary Cokenour

My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, Opa!

My Big Fat Greek Restaurant

3500 E Main Street
Farmington, New Mexico, 87402    
(505) 326-2000                                                    

Website: http://www.eatmoregreek.com/

After reading many mixed reviews of this Greek restaurant in Farmington, New Mexico; we decided to give it a shot anyway.   The exterior is quite impressive and hard to miss; located at the entrance to the Best Buy/Home Depot shopping center.

The building has many windows to allow the bright sunlight to naturally illuminate the interior.  Beautiful Greek decor, including a long mural of the God of the Sea, Poseidon adorns the interior.  We were cheerfully greeted by the hostess immediately upon entering, and taken to one of the many booths in the dining area.  Our waiter didn't keep us waiting at all as he came to take our drink orders, and left us to peruse the menu.   Our entire party of four were definitely in the mood for Gyro, so latched onto that item as soon as we looked at the menu. After ordering and receiving our food, our waiter was very friendly, helpful with questions and attentive to our needs throughout the meal.


We began with a Calamari appetizer served with a mild cocktail sauce and tartar sauce. The Calamari included tentacles as well as the body rings; it was deep fried perfectly; not chewy nor still raw, but just right.

Three people went for the simple Gyro in a pita; two chose the Greek salad as a side while one person chose the Greek Fries. I chose the Award Winning Gyro platter. Gyro is a mixture of lamb and beef that is pressed into a form that can be placed on a spit.  It is roasted in a vertical manner, mildly seasoned and then carved into thin slices, placed in pita bread with veggies and tzatziki sauce.



The Gyro itself came in a soft, warm pita loaded with fresh vegetables and heavenly tzatziki sauce.  The Greek Fries cost extra as a side; they are shoestring fries with Feta and Parmesan cheeses with a lemon Dijon sauce.  The person who had this meal loved the Gyro, but was not impressed with the Greek Fries, "fries are fries" he stated.  Now on many reviews I read the biggest complaint was the Greek salad; however the salads served with the Gyros were excellent in taste, size and texture.  If you're going to go Greek, definitely get the salad; fries just don't have a place with them.

The Award Winning Gyro is a very generous portion of the meat with grilled zucchini, lemon roasted potatoes, wedges of pita bread and tzatziki sauce. I was blown away, and so were the others who tasted my meal...piece of meat, piece of zucchini, dipped in the sauce...absolutely divine! It was so good like that, I kept forgetting about the pita bread. The lemon roasted potatoes were so delicious, the person who had the Greek Fries said he would have paid extra for these potatoes instead of the fries.



The meal portions are very generous, so we decided to purchase dessert to go; and our waiter assured us that all desserts are housemade.  The Baklava Cheesecake is decadently rich and creamy; infused with honey and nuts.  The Baklava is loaded with nuts and honey while the pastry is very flaky.  Do not turn away from desserts at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant; get the full experience.

Overall we gave My Big Fat Greek Restaurant a 9 out of 10 rating, and that is only because we felt that shoestring fries have no place on a Mediterranean menu.  Whether you have had Greek food before, or this is a first time try; definitely try out this restaurant.  Opa!

Mary Cokenour

Jimmers Gets Serious with BBQ.

Jimmers Back Country BBQ
                                                  
                                                                                         439 East Main (across from Burger Boy Drive-In)
                                                                                         Cortez, Colorado, 81321

                                                                                          (970) 516-1227

                                                                                          Website: N/A

Lets get to the gist of it, Jimmers is some of the best barbeque in the Four Corners Area.  Although I have tried the Serious Texas BBQ places in Durango, CO and Farmington, NM; Jimmers has got them beat hands down.

 

Upon entering Jimmers, there is a short, plain hallway with a beautiful antler chandelier.

As you turn the corner, there is a fireplace that is open on two sides; stuffed wild animals are on the wall in their predatory poses.






The main dining area resembles the great room of a hunting lodge; beautiful tables and benches; again wild animals displayed in their glory.

Towards the rear of the building you will see the kitchen area; off to one side, hanging off the back wall, is the menu written on a large chalkboard. Now if you need to know further information about any of the menu items, don't be shy about asking; the staff at Jimmers are very friendly and helpful.

Hubby and I settled on the "Feast For Two", so we would have a good sampling of the meats, poultry and sides. The pulled pork is tender and not dry; usually my hubby will not eat pulled pork unless it is swimming in bbq sauce, but didn't need it for Jimmers. The brisket was tender, yes there is a trend going on here, juicy and pulled apart easily. The turkey melted in your mouth; I made a sandwich with the soft bread and a little bbq sauce and was in heaven. Sides: Baked Potato Salad; chunks of baked potato in a sour cream, chive and bacon mixture...yum nummy! Cheesy Potatoes; diced, roasted potatoes with melted cheddar cheese throughout...very comforting! Baked Beans; beans and shredded beef brisket in a smooth sauce...very satisfying!

There are three types of bbq sauce: Original - mild heat, slightly sweet with a full bbq flavor.  Smoke - mild heat, but more sweetness than original and a slight tang.  Spicy - medium to hot in heat, slightly sweet, a slow burn develops overall in the mouth.  We stuck with the Original and Smoke as we felt these enhanced the smoked meats and turkey, while the Spicy hid their flavors completely.

When it comes to BBQ in the Four Corners Area; Jimmers Back Country BBQ is our new Mecca...try it when you're in Cortez, Colorado and hankering for really great BBQ.

Mary Cokenour