Recipe: Southern-Style Cornbread

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Southern-Stye Cornbread

Southern-Stye Cornbread

No wheat flour is found in southern-style cornbread. No sugar neither. (Though you may drizzle a bit of honey or sorghum syrup over a warm slice.) We just use stone ground cornmeal which is naturally good and sweet. Bob’s Red Mill medium grind, which is widely available, is a decent option. Makes one 8-inch square cornbread, about 16 servings.

Ingredients:
2 c good stone ground cornmeal such as Bob’s Red Mill or Anson Mills
1 ½ t baking powder
1 ½ t kosher salt
½ t baking soda
Niblets from an ear of corn, about 1/2 c (optional)
1 3/4 c buttermilk (full fat preferred)
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs

Method: combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs, add buttermilk then melted butter last (so it doesn’t cook the eggs) and stir well. Mix in niblets if using. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix briefly with a spoon; pour into a 8-inch square baking pan which you have greased with the butter remaining on the wrapper. Bake about 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean. Rest a few minutes then slice into squares and serve warm. Goes great with southern foods like fried chicken and greens.

Variations: you could also cook this in a well-seasoned small cast iron pan which you’ve preheated in the oven. And you could mix in about 1/2 c chopped pickled jalapeños like they do at the Highland Park Cafeteria.

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Best Saratoga track food that’s not at the track

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Roma Italian Mix

Roma Imports Italian Mix sub

We’re better than 1/4  through the 2018 meet, so time to update this post which was published 3 years ago but still has mostly valid info. I’m going to concentrate on Saratoga Race Course food you can buy in town and bring to the track, keeping in mind they’re quite happy to admit your coolers and non-glass containers.

1. Roma Foods Importing Co. on Washington St. (a little west of downtown) makes the world’s best Italian Mix sub, so while you’re here you might as well have one. Fine as it comes with oil and vinegar, but they’ll mod it with fatty cappy, sharp provolone and hot or mild sorpressata at no extra charge. Go early or call in your order to avoid the crush between 11 and 1. (This is true of all the in-town places.)

2. For a tasty vegetarian (and mostly vegan) experience, load up a to-go box from the buffet at Four Seasons on Phila Street. (Their retail store on Henry has nice panini, if you’re down that way.) They have excellent gazpacho, so be sure to include a cup.

3. Classic deli sandwiches such as pastrami, tongue and Carnegie Deli-style triple deckers are available at Ben & Bill’s Deli which, oddly enough, is inside the Price Chopper supermarket on Ballston Ave. Sandwiches come with a small bag of Saratoga chips and half a pickle; sides like potato salad and cole slaw are available. There’s also a new deli on Broadway, in the alley next to Kilwin’s, but they have a smaller selection and are still ironing out the service kinks.

4. Other good takeout choices on Broadway are Putnam Market (sandwiches and a changeable assortment of soups and a hot buffet) and Mrs. London’s Bakery (excellent pastries and light sandwiches). If you’re coming to Saratoga you already know these places so I will simply add my vote.

Hatties Big Daddy

Hattie’s Big Daddy fried chicken sandwich, deconstructed for assembly at the track

5. Want a Hattie’s Chicken Sandwich that’s cheaper and better than the one you get at the track? Go to Hattie’s Chicken Shack in Wilton (it’s in a strip mall next to Market 32 on Route 50) and order a “Big Daddy, deconstructed”. You’ll get two huge pieces of chicken leg (one is enough for the sandwich so you can save the second for a snack around the 6th race), a tub of spicy slaw and a kaiser roll. Get some hot sauce from the bar behind the pickup location, then reassemble the sandwich at the track for a real treat.

6. Thirsty? You can buy beer in a plastic growler (which, unlike glass, is allowed at the track) at the Growler Station inside Market 32 in Wilton. They frequently have $5 off sales so ask when they are filling your bottle; coupons will be available at the station or in the flyer you can grab as you come in the door. For a more esoteric (and expensive) selection, go to EBI on Excelsior where they will fill you a 32 ounce crowler (half growler in a can) for a modest charge.

Of favorite places from past years, the Park Side Eatery and Old Saratoga Brewery sadly are no more. Partially making up for it is Taverna Novo, a fabulous new rustic Italian eatery on Beekman. They don’t seem to be on the radar screen of many concierges yet, so you may be able to get a reservation. This is eat-in food, not to take to the track, and service is leisurely so plan to stay awhile.

The links are all to Google Maps, so clicking them will give you directions as well as additional reviews. Enjoy your stay.

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Cauliflower Curious at Summer Fancy Food Show 2018

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Caulipower Pizzas and flours

Caulipower pizzas and flours

I first became aware of the shape-shifting abilities of cauliflower while practicing Dr. Ludwig’s Always Hungry? diet. His Shepherd’s Pie uses cooked cauliflower puréed with cannellini beans as an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes. Cauliflower is a non-starchy vegetable, making it appropriate for a low carb/keto diet, it fights cancer and is full of useful phytochemicals, and of course it contains no gluten. With all these benefits, cauliflower is finding its way into a variety of packaged foods which are now hitting the shelves and other new ones on display at the recent Summer Fancy Food Show 2018.

The most popular use of cauliflower seems to be pizza and crackery snacks, where it provides some of the bulk replacing wheat flour.

Outer Aisle Cauliflower Pizza Crusts

Outer Aisle Cauliflower Pizza Crusts

Caulipower is the most established brand. You’re very likely to find their pizzas in multiple flavors in the frozen foods section of your grocery. They also make pizza crusts (including a paleo grain-free version) and packaged baking mixes that can be substituted one-for-one for regular flour. The standard mix includes cassava and rice flours and is notably lower in calories and carbs that standard gluten free mixes. The paleo substitutes almond flour for the rice flour. I tried the pizza and it was fine… like good frozen pizza.

Then there is Outer Aisle which crafts a “pizza crust” out of nothing but cauliflower, parmesan cheese, eggs and nutritional yeast. These are more like wraps or tortillas, thin and scaled to individual servings. A carb-averse tester liked the taste but said she would balk at paying the retail price of $6.99 for 2 pieces. Unlike the other pizza items, they’re found in the cold case with deli items.

From The Ground Up cauliflower snacks

From The Ground Up cauliflower snacks

From the Ground Up offers cauliflower snacks—pretzels and crackers. The pretzels add cassava flour while the crackers include rice and potato flours. I tried the pretzels and liked them—the sourness of cauliflower was noticeable in good way and was a nice contrast to the salt. These are gluten free and vegan, but not low carb.

Live Glean sells Cauliflower Goodness Flour & Powder which is pure ground cauliflower, for baking. Their website suggests (without a specific commitment) that they’re making use of leftover crops, which is a good thing. The Cauliflower Flour is not yet on their website but recipes for other vegetable powders suggest they need to be mixed with other flours (like almond) for baking.

Kitchen & Love Cauliflower Lunch Packs

Kitchen & Love Cauliflower Lunch Packs

A second major category is cauliflower rice: if you coarsely grate or finely chop cauliflower florets you end up with something that looks like rice. Path of Life has a premade cauliflower fried rice. Kitchen and Love has cauliflower quick meals where the cauliflower rice is mixed with savory spices and mix-ins; Peruvian Vegetable Ceviche, Moroccan Vegetable Harissa and Indian Vegetable Curry varieties available. You can also buy preshredded cauliflower rice in the freezer case at many stores, though I would hope you would take the few minutes to prepare it at home with a box grater.

Peekaboo makes ice cream with hidden vegetables, including Chocolate with Hidden Cauliflower. I missed this one; the Washington Post correspondent at the show said it tastes like regular chocolate ice cream. This doesn’t seem to be available locally at this point; you can buy a pint mail order but the cheapest shipping charge is $88 for overnight priority.

We also did some testing of cauliflower preps in our own kitchen. We’ll talk about those in our next post.

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Recipe: Mystery Ingredient Fish Chowder

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Mystery Ingredient Fish Chowder

Mystery Ingredient Fish Chowder

I encountered this mystery ingredient in a fish dish twice in the last few months: once at a sumptuous Chinese banquet and the other time at a high end restaurant in my home town. It has a surprisingly delicious effect on mild-flavored fish, adding a complexity and a velvety mouthfeel. And what is it? Concentrated chicken stock.  Which means you can make Mystery Ingredient Fish Chowder in a hotel room microwave, as I did the other night, using fruit from the breakfast buffet and a can of Campbells from the nearest supermarket. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:
2 lbs cod, flounder, halibut or other firm white fish fillets (I used rockfish, aka Pacific red snapper)
2 T butter (mine came from the breakfast buffet)
2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
8 oz concentrated (double strength) chicken stock
8 oz or more dry white wine
¼ c dried goji berries, currants or raisins (I used currants because I had some)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method: melt butter in a large saucepan or microwave. (If using microwave, cover the dish so it doesn’t explode and make a mess.) Add the garlic and sauté or cook on high temperature until fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the fish, chicken stock, wine and fruit. Poach or microwave on high about 5 minutes until the fish begins to flake. Remove the fish to a plate (use a slotted spatula so it doesn’t fall apart) then reduce the stock by about 1/3. Return the fish to the stock and reheat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. (I didn’t add any.) Serve over rice or quinoa or with bread for mopping up the delicious gravy.

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Going nuts over the Southwest Airlines snack box

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Southwest Airlines Snack Box

Southwest Airlines snack box, July 2018 edition

I am probably the only person in the world who obsesses over the Southwest Airlines snack box. This is a tray of individual packaged food items offered on flights over two hours in duration. The flight attendant comes down the aisle and displays the box to each row in turn, and when it gets to you the proper etiquette (sometimes specified by the server) is to take up to two items, but no more. No charge, this being Southwest.

I loved the Cheese Ritz crackers that were originally included in these boxes, along with a package of shortbread cookies. I have thought about having a birthday party where the food consists of nothing but Southwest Airlines snack trays, which the airline would possibly donate as a public relations stunt. I have even been tempted to snatch a box when they are waiting to be loaded, on the jetway outside the plane, but where would I hide it and anyway why steal something you are getting for free?

Lately, however the Southwest snack box has gone downhill. The Cheese Ritz are gone and the flight attendant yesterday told me they aren’t coming back. For a while there were bags of one-bite cheese crackers and chocolate chip cookies, but they were just weaning us from the good stuff. Now the choices consist of a small bag of Fritos (appropriate since Southwest is based in Texas, as is Frito-Lay), peanuts and pretzels, “plane cookies” which are animal crackers shaped like airplanes, and one good item, Belvita breakfast biscuits which promise “4 hours of energy”.

Cheese Ritz at Walmart

Cheese Ritz are available in bulk at Walmart

The peanuts are going away on August 1, as you may have heard, allegedly due to concerns over nut allergies. But the real story is the steady decline of the overall snack box. I fear we’re headed for a world in which you have to pay for your snacks on Southwest.

The good news is that two of the most important items, the Belvita biscuits (in multiple flavors, not just the coconut offered in flight) and my beloved Cheese Ritz are available in bulk at Walmart! Currently an 8 pack of Cheese Ritz is just $2.79 (don’t be tempted by the cheaper but inferior Lance crackers on the next kiosk) and Belvitas are $2.98.

BelVita at Walmart

BelVita breakfast biscuits at Walmart

To insure a classic Southwest experience I brought two packages of each on my current itinerary (one for outgoing, the other for return flight). I advise you to do the same. Maybe you can perform some sleight of hand where you reach for the snack box then produce the Cheese Ritz which you have been hiding in your sleeve. Your seatmates will think they have gone back in time.

Posted in Eating | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Recipe: No-No Caesar Dressing

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
No No Caesar

No-No Caesar Dressing stands up to crunchy kale

Awhile back we took on the challenge of getting rid of the egg in caesar dressing to make it safe on long picnic days. Now we’re going further and getting rid of the anchovies for those who hate our favorite salty fish or just don’t have any around. Makes about 1 cup, enough for 1 large or 2 small salads.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
1 T red wine vinegar
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t Dijon mustard
½ c olive oil
¼ t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
½ c finely grated Parmesan or Reggiano cheese (or a combination)

Method: combine all ingredients except cheese in a mini food processor (you can use this for mincing the garlic as well). Pulse to thoroughly combine, then add cheese and pulse until well mixed. Serve with any robust green salad.

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Best and Hot at 2018 Summer Fancy Food Show

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

The 2018 Summer Fancy Food Show was an excellent adventure, with an international audience gathering to share our love of food and get distracted by the jumbotrons at Javits Center playing the FIFA World Cup. This is the first of several reports.

Casella Prosciutto

Casella American Prosciutto at Food Matters Again booth

Best thing I tasted at the show: Cesar Casella Prosciutto Speciale at the Food Matters Again booth. According to their website, this cured delicacy is “made in America following the time-tested traditions of Italy’s norcini, the itinerant butchers who traveled the countryside preparing, seasoning and aging meat.” It had the ideal degree of saltiness (most prosciuttos and jamon serranos aren’t salty enough for my taste) but more important the meat had a density that allowed the flavor to linger through repeated mastication. Food Matters Again’s distribution range is from New York City to Boston; knowing the background of New England rep Eric Paul I can predict you will find it at the Cheese Traveler in Albany and Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. You can also buy a pound pre-cut via mail order from Heritage Foods.

Sadrah Schadel

No Evil founder Sadrah Schadel at the show

Best food I didn’t expect to like but did: Comrade Cluck from No Evil Plant Meats.  This is controversial stuff: three professional judges voted it down in the Frontburner Pitch Competition, but the audience (including me) voted it first and host Robert Irvine said he wants to invest. It’s the first (in our opinion) acceptable meat substitute that copies the mouthfeel of meat and has that distinctive juiciness when you bite into it. Made with vital wheat gluten (which I’m guessing contributes the mouthfeel: gluten forms strands, much like the fibers in meat), chickpea flour and various spices but no added oils, interestingly enough. Co-founder Sadrah Schadel told us a BBQ place in South Carolina, where they are based, smokes a 2 pound roast with their usual techniques and has excellent acceptance. There’s also a pulled pork and Italian sausage but the chicken really spoke to me. Can be found in upstate NY at Honest Weight (Albany), Healthy Living (Saratoga) and Mohawk Co-op (Gloversville). See here for other stores selling the product.

Outer Aisle Cauliflower pizza

Cauliflower Pizza from Outer Aisle

Hottest food trend: Cauliflower. This crucifer is a keto/paleo/carbophobe’s dream food because when “riced” (i.e. finely chopped) it looks and feels like actual rice, and its elasticity makes it a viable base for a 0% carbs flour when dried and ground. I planned my trip to the show around visiting a number of cauliflower vendors and was not disappointed. Much more on this in an upcoming post.

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Food for Thought: Penzey’s Spice Company

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Embrace Hope

Penzey’s Embrace Hope gift box

I have been a customer and a fan of Penzey’s for a very long time. I first ran across them when I made a foray into selling mail order foods and wanted to suss out the competition, way back in the 1980s. Many a new married couple has received a starter box of Penzey’s spices from me such as this one, charmingly packaged with loose (and entirely usable) bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and nutmegs. More recently Penzey’s has opened retail stores, and it was a favorite activity of my mother to have me drive her to the shop in Inwood Village on the Miracle Mile.

But, what does this have to do with our Food for Thought category, which is about books and blogs? Well, this past weekend Penzey’s gave away a gift box called Embrace Hope that contained an Embrace Hope lapel pin, a Kind Heart refrigerator magnet, a vial of Mexican vanilla, a jar of pico seasoning to make fresh salsa, and this printed message:

America is an immigrant nation. It is the strength of immigration that has propelled us from just another colony to leadership among the free world. One of the greatest gifts America receives from each new wave of immigrants is an ever refreshing sense of hope, that from our Spice travels we can tell you is so rare in most everywhere else around the globe. To see America through the eyes of immigrants is to see an almost magical place where, no matter where or who you were born, your hard work can amount to something, ane even better—a place where your children can receive an honest opportunity to earn a better future.

Each new wave of immigrants brings with it their own unique culture. We are so lucky to live in a time where the traditions of the wave we get to experience are so rich, and so very tasty, too. Please take a moment to celebrate the kindness they bring, appreciate how much they’ve given up to be here, and embrace the hope at the heart of their journey. They are our future. Now is the time to thank them.

On Facebook, Bill Penzey had a much longer and more pointed statement which is available here. I hope you will give it a read. I am not going to turn this blog into a political forum—we have enough of those—but I do want to point out that whether you are drawn here by Pennsylvania Dutch (not Amish!) tripe, hill country smoked brisket, Korean chicken wings or Utica Greens, you are eating immigrant cooking.

The Embrace Hope gift box is still available online, at Penzey’s regular price of $31.95. It is a small enough contribution to support these excellent folks and get some quality goods for your kitchen.

If you prefer to shop in person and are in the Capital District of upstate NY, Penzey’s can be found in Albany’s Stuyvestant Plaza. The Inwood Village store is gone but there’s a Dallas location in the Galleria at 12835 Preston Road. See the store locator page for other areas. 

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Food for Thought: Beyond Kimchee

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Gen-X and Gen-Y Koreans I’ve met (under 45 or so) often have a sly and delightful sense of humor when writing or communicating in English. I discovered this when my kids were going to an immersion school in San Francisco where half the families were first generation Korean immigrants. Perhaps they’re so inundated with American cultural icons that they learn slang and memes almost before they’ve got a good grasp of communicating in English.

The Beyond Kimchee blog is a great place to check out this phenomenon… and more important, an excellent source of authentic but not overly difficult Korean recipes. Easy Korean Pork is a good one to try first, both for the flavor and the language. Holly is “a native Korean mother and a wife whose favorite place in the house is the KITCHEN”. She’s been doing this for awhile and has built up quite a repertoire of recipes. In particular, there are some fresh (in the sense that I haven’t encountered them elsewhere) ideas for panchan (she calls it “pancham”), the tray of appetizers brought to the table at most Korean restaurants. Use this index page to get started with your panchan search.

A funny woman who has a way with words and is a brilliant intuitive cook… it’s sort of like Chrissy Teigen’s retired and much missed So Delushious! blog, but G-rated. Check out Beyond Kimchee.

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Baked Beans for your 4th of July BBQ

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
BakedBeans

Baked Beans (they should look like this when done, with all liquid absorbed/evaporated)

We’re pleased to have been featured in The Daily Meal’s roundup of 15 Best Baked Beans Recipes. With all the recipes on this site, “best” is quite a compliment. Any of the preps would be worth your time, actually, but we stand by ours because it’s, like we say, easy.

We’re probably going to serve these for our 4th of July barbecue, along with Better than KFC Cole Slaw and some Saratoga Chips. My town now has an excellent AYCE sushi place, Wasabi, that gives you a free meal on your birthday* so I’ll probably eat that for lunch and won’t be especially hungry come dinner time. Thus the main course will be good old hamburgers rather than a more ambitious Snow’s-style brisket.

There will also be a parade, and fireworks, and blistering heat. Have a good 4th of July BBQ and happy birthday to you (and me), America.

* There’s another regional spot that will give you one chicken wing for reach year of your age on your birthday but they’re closed on July 4, d’oh!

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