Salad Sensations

As the mercury rises to it’s August peak, appetites seek lighter fare that doesn’t require firing up the oven or wiling away hours on a sunny day laboring over a five-course repast.  The one-pot meals of fall and winter are cast aside in favor of one-bowl meals, salad bowl, that is.  Main dish salads inspire creation as we select unique ingredient combinations and whisk together that amazing dressing.  Salads are also easily portable for contributing to group picnics and backyard grilling events.

Salads are incredibly versatile.  They may be served as an opener to the meal, the most popular choice of presentation all year long.  They can stand in as a side dish to accompany a main entrée; this is especially welcome in the hot summer months when a crisp, cool salad pairs perfectly with grilled chicken or fish.  Salads are an excellent option for sensational, summertime entrée, little else needed in the way of accompaniment besides some bread from the bakery and a refreshing libation.  Also coveted during the summer months when a variety of fruits are abundant is the colorful fruit salad. 

The variation does not stop at course alternatives.  When it comes to versatility of ingredients, the options are boundless.  Originally, a salad was the composition of raw vegetables drizzled with a dressing that typically consisted of oil and an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar.  Today’s salads have welcomed every combination of ingredients into the bowl.  They do not discriminate. The more in the bowl, the merrier.  Chilled, cooked vegetables have joined the ranks.  Croutons, nuts, wasabi peas and sunflower seeds provide crunch.  Berries and sliced peaches or oranges provide a pop of color and sweetness.  Cheeses such as goat cheese, feta, blue cheeses, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella or shredded cheddar-jack add yet another layer of flavor and protein in addition to the incorporation of chicken, beef, seafood, beans or eggs.  For healthy oils, toss a sliced avocado into your southwestern salad or some olives into your Italian dish.  Bottom line, if it’s in your pantry, it will work in your salad.  There are no rules whatsoever when it comes to putting a salad together.

When it comes to main dish salads, the key is to incorporate an entire meal into the bowl: a protein source, a carb and plenty of vegetables.  If you can sneak a complimenting fruit into the combination, even better.  The salad should also seek to satisfy as many facets of dining pleasure, from varying textures to multiple taste sensations.  Ladies, if your guy has proclaimed ‘Men don’t eat salads for dinner!’ that’s because those particular men haven’t been served a salad that met all of the aforementioned criteria.  If I were served a plate of leafy greens with a dressing and the server declared that as dinner, my reaction would be less than enthusiastic.  The rabbit may accept that graciously, if you have one; it is not a complete and balanced meal for a human being, man or woman.

So what would constitute a complete and balanced meal in a salad bowl?  A combination of rotini pasta, celery, red onion and cooked shrimp, crab or lobster tossed in a Louis-style dressing (basically a cocktail sauce-flavored mayonnaise), served on a bed of red leaf lettuce and rimmed by cherry tomatoes would fit the bill.   A palette of cubed chicken, strawberries, mesclun greens, blue cheese, cashews and cucumber would also fit the bill when accompanied by some whole wheat dinner roles.  Try cooked chicken tossed with mesclun greens, sliced peaches, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and pecans, served with a crusty bread from the bakery.

Salads can be artfully arranged on platters.  One example of this would be the French Nicoise salad, which typically includes grilled tuna, hard boiled eggs, leafy greens, tomatoes, green beans, Nicoise olives and potatoes, drizzled with a light vinaigrette.  For a southwestern option, arrange grilled chicken over leafy greens and surround with mounds of black beans tossed with olive oil and cumin, corn mixed with colorful bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado, and drizzle some salsa over the chicken.

If you’re looking to go meatless, try this southwestern combination: green chilies, diced jicama, tomatoes, wagon wheel pasta, pinto beans, cubed cheddar and Monterey jack, avocados and a creamy salsa dressing.  An Italian choice would be cheese-filled small ravioli tossed with wilted spinach, pecorino Romano cheese and a creamy pesto dressing.  Add a touch of Capri to that combination with some cherry tomatoes and little balls of fresh mozzarella, if you want a little more oomph.

A heartier side dish salad is the perfect accompaniment with a grilled salmon filet or a steak.  Try an Italian panzanella, which is tossed homemade croutons (traditionally made by Italian peasants to use up the previous day’s bread) with tomatoes, colorful bell peppers, olives, cucumber, basil, red onion and olive oil vinaigrette.  A southwestern side salad would consist of avocados, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, black beans and grape tomatoes tossed with a lime vinaigrette.  Amp up potato salads by adding more ingredients to the mix, such as nuts, green beans or blue cheese.  Turn a macaroni salad into a main dish sensation with the inclusion of cubed ham, cheddar, peas and halved grape tomatoes.

Now that you have read about way too many dinner possibilities to ponder and your keyboard or mobile device becomes a flood zone as you salivate, I leave you with a couple of actual recipes for main dish salads that embrace the season’s shellfish.

Lobster Potato Salad Aioli

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

½ tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound lobster meat, cut into chunks

1 ½ pounds red new potatoes, quartered, boiled until tender, drained, cooled

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed

4 celery ribs, sliced crosswise into ½ inch slices

1 bunch scallions, sliced crosswise into ¼ inch slices (green part only)

For the aioli dressing, whisk first six ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Toss remaining ingredients together in a large serving bowl.  Add the dressing and toss again to coat evenly.  Serves 2-3.

Asian Shrimp and Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons peanut oil

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, tailed removed, boiled until pink, drained,        

4 ounces spaghetti, boiled until tender, drained, cooled

½ cup carrots, julienned

1 cup cucumber, diced

½ cup snow peas, strings removed

½ cup red bell pepper, julienned

1 cup bean sprouts

3 scallions, sliced crosswise into ¼ inch slices

For the dressing, whisk first six ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

In a large serving bowl, toss the remaining ingredients in combined.  Whisk the dressing again and add to the salad, toss well to coat.  Serves 2.

No, it’s not deja-vu.  The instructions for these recipes are indeed just about identical, even though the ingredients vary.  Salads are just that easy.  Best of all, many of them can be made ahead since they’re consumed chilled.  Note, however, that when making pasta salads, as the Asian one above, keep the dressing separate from the salad until serving time if you plan to make the salad ahead.  Pasta has a nasty habit of consuming all dressings and sauces as it sits.

Food for Thought

Tomatoes are at their peak this month, as will be evidenced when you cut into one just purchased from your local farm stand or farmers market.  Unlike the anemic supermarket versions that lack flavor altogether, fresh tomatoes are stunning when you cut one in half, crimson through and through.  The flavor is amazing and addicting.  Take advantage of these delights while the getting is good.  For the simplest side salad, cut a tomato into wedges, eighths works best.  Use one tomato per person.  Sprinkle the cut tomatoes with chopped fresh oregano, salt and pepper, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a high quality balsamic vinegar. 

For a perfect lunch, combine small balls of fresh mozzarella with whole grape or cherry tomatoes, go with a fifty-fifty ratio.  Add some chopped fresh basil, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve over mixed salad greens.  Accompany with some crusty Italian bread and a glass of pinot grigio, lunch couldn’t be better.

Ingredient of the Month: Limes

Raise your margaritas and mojitos in a toast to a key ingredient in both of these libations, an ingredient that has sublimated its way across the spectrum of culinary courses: the lime.

Limes bear a similar shape to lemons, but are not as thick-skinned as their Crayola yellow cousins and they are a bit rounder and smaller.  The outer skin is green, a shade not that different from the inside of a peeled kiwi.  These citrus fruits, which are an excellent source of vitamin C, are grown in subtropical and tropical climates such as Florida, Mexico, South America, the Caribbean and India. There are two varieties of limes with which we are all familiar.  Persian limes are the limes that we routinely find in our nation’s supermarkets.  Key limes are grown in Florida.  While readily available in Florida, you will have to peruse the specialty gourmet markets elsewhere to find these smaller, rounder, yellowish-green specimens.

Limes made their trek to the New World stowed away on Columbus’ ship.  In subsequent years, the availability of limes in the Caribbean made them the preventative of choice for British sailors and explorers who were at risk for contracting scurvy.  Scurvy results from vitamin C deficiency, which threatened these shipmen who were cooped up at sea for lengthy durations.

Although the ubiquitous Persian limes can be purchased all year around, like most things they too have a season for peak flavor, beginning in the month of May and continuing throughout August.   When selecting limes, choose those that seem heavier than they should for their size.  Those will yield the most juice.  Avoid those with hardened or shriveled skin as well as those with excessive brown patches.  If you intend to use the limes within a week, they can be stored decoratively on the counter in a basket.  If you simply want to keep limes on hand for garnishing or last minute recipes, they can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

My favorite characteristic about limes is the ease of use: they don’t have any seeds!  Granted, I use a citrus juicer when a recipe calls for a significant amount of juice from a lemon or lime, which strains the lemon seeds out for me.  However, when I need a quick tablespoon or two of lemon juice, I don’t bother to pull out the juicer, only to have to hand wash the parts that are not dishwasher-safe after use, and I therefore have to hand pick all of those lemon seeds out of the juice I just extracted.  Not so with limes.  I also find limes to provide that perfect balance of sweet and sour, right in between the sweet oranges and the sour lemons.

The versatile lime is used in an array of cooking projects.  Limes feature prominently in Thai and Mexican dishes.  The juice can be used to marinate seafood for a ceviche.  Limes are used in such cocktails as the Mexican margarita and the Cuban mojito, as well as in a refreshing summer pitcher of limeade for a change of pace from the traditional lemonade.  In desserts, the highly celebrated Key Lime pie has become a sought-after indulgence, particularly in the hot summer months.  Combining limes with lemons and oranges makes a winning triple citrus combination that stars in just about everything, from cheesecakes to pasta sauces.  Here’s a dish I came up with for a summery pasta for two, featuring shrimp, tomatoes and a citrusy cream sauce.

Angel Hair with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Triple Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, very thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup seafood stock (Kitchen Basics makes one)

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

½  tablespoon lemon juice

¼  teaspoon finely grated orange zest

¼  teaspoon finely grated lime zest

¼  teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

4 ounces dry angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, tails removed

1 pint grape tomatoes (red, yellow, orange – use what you like!)

½ teaspoon additional finely grated orange, lime and lemon zests, combined

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for about one minute.  Add the stock, heavy cream, wine, juices and zests.  Stir to combine, allow to boil gently for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the basil.  Set sauce aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the angel hair and stir.  Boil for about five to ten minutes, drain.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp and the tomatoes.  Saute until the shrimp have turned completely pink.  Stir into the sauce mixture.  Stir in the cooked pasta and toss well to combine.  Divide among two pasta bowls, very lightly sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon zest combination.  Serves 2.

Personally, I love freshly made limeade as much as lemonade in the summertime.  It makes for a refreshing change and it’s just as easy to make – just swap out the lemons for limes.  With the help of a citrus juicer, it’s no trouble to make your own.  It only takes three ingredients, and you can actually pronounce, I’ll even daresay spell, every one of them!  Leave those instant powdered mixes on the store shelf.

Limeade

Ingredients:

1 ½  cups fresh lime juice

1 ¼ cups sugar

6 ½  cups water

1 lime, thinly sliced

Vigorously stir the lime juice and sugar together in a 2 quart pitcher, until combined.  Stir in the water, stir for several seconds.  Serve in tall glasses with ice cubes and slices of lime.  Makes 2 quarts.

For lemonade, swap out the limes for lemons.  For that ‘limon’ flavor that a certain soft drink company touted of their product back in the 70s, use a combination of lemons and limes.  Whichever variation you choose for this refreshing summer libation, be sure to taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired.  Also give the mixture a good stir before each pour.

Tools and Tips of the Trade

When you embark on cooking with citrus fruits such as limes, there are a few items of note to keep in mind to make these dealings go more quickly.  Two key tools that every kitchen needs are an electric citrus juicer and a microplane.  The juicer will make quick work of making the limeade recipe above.  There are juicers available for about fifty dollars.  They usually have a nifty little pour spout that shoots the juice right into your measuring cup.  They also have a strainer insert to keep the seeds out of your recipe.  Most have two sizes of reamers to accommodate lemons and limes as well as larger oranges.  As I mentioned earlier, when your recipe calls for more than a tablespoon or two, cut the time and labor dramatically by calling in the juicer for help.  A microplane is a long, narrow grater used to finely grate things like zests or chocolate.  It’s a little more ergonomically friendly to work with than the traditional box grater and it seems to work better for shaving off fine gratings of citrus zest.  A couple of additional tools that you may want to pick up are a handheld wooden reamer, ideal for juicing just one lemon or lime for those times when hauling out the juicer seems like overkill, and a zester.  The zester differs from a microplane grater in that it will peel off strips of the peel.  Unlike a knife, removing strips of peel with a zester will avoid including the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the thin brightly colored skin.  These strips are commonly used in confections, marmalade and for garnish.

When you know that citrus fruits are going to be juiced, take them out of the refrigerator several hours ahead of time.  Room temperature fruits will give up more juice then chilled ones.  Before juicing, roll the fruit back and forth on the counter with your palms, applying gentle pressure.  This will also get the juices flowing, so to speak.  While this next tip should be obvious, you would be surprised how often it gets forgotten until it’s too late: if a recipe calls for both zest and juice, make sure you grate the zest BEFORE you cut the fruit in half for juicing. 

This Month's Flavor: American Grill

It is grilling time once again, with July and August being the peak months for outdoor cooking activity.   Granted, I know at least a couple of die hard individuals out there who insist on standing at a grill just outside a gaping garage door during bone-chilling January just to satiate their cravings for grilled meats sporting braised grids and dripping with sweet and spicy sauce.  In my household, the grill typically gets shrouded and relegated into the shed for the winter months, the last cookout occurring sometime in late October.  By that time, huddling around the warmth of the flames or sipping a glass of merlot around the fire pit while Brian grills is usually requisite.  Whether enjoyed in the crisp and colorful months of autumn or during the hazy days of summer, everyone loves a cookout.  It is the nationwide quintessential American pastime that symbolizes summertime.  In recent years, the fine culinary art of the grill has become more popularized than ever by grilling gurus that include Steve Raichlen and Bobby Flay.

First established in the southeastern United States, four key areas rival for the honor of boasting the best barbecue: Texas, Memphis, Kansas City and North Carolina.  Original barbecue technique called for slow roasting pork over a wood platform for several hours.  The result was tender meat laced with the flavors of wood smoke.  This was barbecue.  Not to be confused with grilling.  Grilling is what most of us outdoor cooks perform.  Grilling basically means cooking food more expediently over a hot grill, and the traditional barbecue flavors are imparted through additives such as aromatic wood chips, cedar planks and flavorful ingredients for seasoning.  Do not, under any circumstances, confuse the two terms.  Those who participate in serious team competitions to strive for the best true barbecue don’t like it!  Food editors won’t like it either.  Many casual cooks tend to use them interchangeably.  If a diehard Texas barbecue chef gets wind of such an uttered grievance, the punishment will be swift banishment to a cell where you will be served exclusively bread and water.  The bread will not be grilled Texas toast, either.

The aromatic tale of hickory smoke, spices and tangy sauce entices and beckons, a mouthwatering invitation for outdoor gathering.  Cooking, dining and socializing outdoors is as casual and relaxing as entertaining can get.  A backyard cookout with a select group of close friends and family is a regular occurrence in most households.  Larger affairs with longer guest lists take to the local parks and beaches.  Either option offers the perfect atmosphere for social scene cookery.  The head chef who swelters at the grill gets a helping hand from a whole crew of sous chefs.  While he or she craftily wields the tongs to turn the ribs, others are relegated to contributing salads, sides, appetizers and desserts.  There is often a designated bar tender who has been drafted into duty as well.  The proper carriage while attending these functions is as follows: mingle and socialize with a drink in one hand; the other hand must remain free to lend assistance in cooking and, of course, nibbling.

All grilling involves flaming action.  However, the most heated topic of debate among grill masters involves how the fire gets started.  Purists like my husband swear by charcoal, insisting that this is the traditional method of grilling and that gas grilling does not impart the same blackened, authentic grilled appeal to the food.  Gas grill enthusiasts tout the instant gratification factor of simply pressing a button and the grill is ready to go.  Perhaps gas grillers are more ravenous and to wait the extra fifteen minutes could purge them into the throes of starvation.  Guess it hasn’t yet occurred to them that you do get to eat while the grill heats up too!  Brian and I always enjoy a homemade dip or a cheese platter or some other appetizer with a cool cocktail while waiting for the coals to glow.

The next topic of debate among barbecue chefs and grill masters alike surrounds the formula for perfect barbecue sauce, and it is a formula that might leave some chemists stumped.  First there is the decision of whether or not to create a tomato-based sauce, a mustard-based sauce, or an Asian glaze.  Then the actual ingredients for each come into the arena.  Even a mustard sauce spurns further discussion: do we want painfully hot mustard sauce or milder variation with sweet nuances of honey?   When it comes to traditional barbecue sauces, sweeteners can mean brown sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup or the incorporation of fruit, as in peach preserves, blackberry jam or grape jelly.  Even beverages sometimes get poured into the mixing pot, including any of the following: beer, tequila, whiskey or bourbon and even coffee.

When barbecue originated, pork was primary meat used.  Southern traditions like barbecued ribs, pulled pork and pork chops all graced the menu.  Beef followed, hitting the grill in the form of hot dogs, burgers, steaks and brisket.  Today, no meat is excluded from the searing grill top.  Chicken, duck, fish and seafood all get their chance to shine.  Grilled vegetables are a healthy side dish alternative, from eggplant rounds to skewered cherry tomatoes to slices of zucchini.  Even fruits have earned a supporting role on the grill, from grilled peaches to garnish a pork chop to grilled pineapple served with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Just as within our kitchens, international flavors have been embraced in our outdoor cooking projects as we welcome the spices and marinades from every continent.  Moroccan spice rubs, Mexican salsas and Asian marinades have all transformed our grilled meats into flavorful entrees. 

The abundance of corn, which grew ideally in the humid southern climate, gave rise to corn bread as the favored accompaniment in the originating barbecue setting.   Today, the traditional outdoor cooking side dish of grilled corn on the cob, slathered with butter, remains a perpetual favorite.  Spiced butters can be mixed to lend the corn an added facet of flavor, tailored to echo the ethnic flavors of the entrée.  Try butter with finely grated lime zest and chili powder for a southwestern flare.

Potato salad, Cole slaw and macaroni salads are traditional outdoor menu standards.  While a basic potato salad containing hard boiled eggs, celery and onion is an old fashioned charm that promises to be satisfying and delicious, potato salads have evolved to include an infinite array of ingredients, from blue potatoes to blue cheese, bacon, nuts, green beans, etc.  For one example, try my recipe for this variation, a Smokey Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Pecans

Cole slaw has been reinvented from the ubiquitous cabbage and carrot mixture to include a host of other ingredients as well.  One of my favorite side dishes for an Asian seasoned grilled meat entrée is an Asian slaw, made with long shreds of broccoli stems and carrots, plus bean sprouts, scallions, red pepper, an Asian sesame vinaigrette and a handful of peanuts, cashews or crunchy wasabi peas.  I have seen fall Cole slaws that contain shredded fennel and apples, plus walnuts and sometimes dried cranberries in addition to the cabbage and carrots.  The longer ingredient lists of most newer Cole slaw incarnations benefit from lighter, vinaigrette type dressings that won’t smother the flavorful salad.

Appetizers can be conjured on the grill.  Examples include bruschetta with prosciutto, peppers and mozzarella, grilled shrimp for plunging into cocktail sauce, and chicken satay served with the traditional Indonesian peanut sauce.

There have been some unexpected new surprises to come off the grill, one of them being pizza.  A couple of years ago I embarked on producing a pizza on the grill.  It was amazingly quick and so good.  Have a tray with all of the toppings ready grill side.  Toss the pizza crust dough on the grill, wait a minute, flip it.  Immediately and quickly arrange all of the toppings on the crust and close the lid of the grill.  The activity level during that thirty seconds of topping the pie is performed at a frenetic pace.  However, once your close the lid, wait one minute, open the lid and voila!  A perfect pizza ready to eat, dinner in THREE minutes!

Next time you fire up the grill, throw another shrimp on the barbie, grab yourself a good cold craft brew, and then whip up Brian’s simple barbecue sauce to paint over chicken, ribs or chops.  Serve that up hot with some grilled corn on the cob and that potato salad in the aforementioned link and you’ve got a winning barbecue dinner to feast off of.

                                       

Brian’s Smoke n Whiskey Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 12-ounce bottles chili sauce

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 6-ounce cans tomato paste

4 tablespoons Jack Daniels Whiskey

4 teaspoons liquid smoke

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Sauce to taste (we like it hot! Brian used about 6 tablespoons)

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.  Makes 3 cups of barbecue sauce.

This sauce is so quick to make, very easy, no chopping involved.  It is the most basic sauce, containing the tomato factor (the chili sauce), the sweetener (brown sugar), the sour facet (the vinegar) and a thickener (tomato paste).  The flavor enhancements for this sauce come from the liquid smoke, whiskey and hot sauce.  This sauce is versatile, it will work on grilled ribs, chicken and pork chops.

Tools of the Trade

Just as a surgeon proudly picks up scalpels and hemostats and forceps from a surgical instrument tray in order to deftly carry out an operation, the devoted grill master welcomes the assist of a good set of barbecue tools.  There are entire sets available, packaged in tool cases of their own, or pieces can be purchased individually.  If you can splurge, it’s actually more beneficial to buy separate tools of better quality, piecing together your own set to suit your needs.  Stick to tools that are made exclusively from metal, they will be more durable in the elements of extreme heat and flame flare-ups.  The tools should be specifically designed for grill use; they will have extra long handles to keep a safer distance between your hands and the food that is being tended.  Basic necessities include a spatula, a meat fork, tongs and at least two brushes for sauces and seasoned oils – yes, there will be meals when you will need more than one.  Tongs should have teeth in the design in order to better grip the food that is being turned; otherwise your hovering and eager golden retriever will end up enjoying the rib that slipped off onto the ground (sorry, puppy, not good for you!).  When it comes to skewers, stick to flat variations so that the shrimp or cherry tomatoes don’t spin every time you go to flip the kebab.  Personally, I like those packages of long, disposable wooden skewers that can be found in most supermarkets in the seasonal section when grilling accessories are displayed.  You simply soak the skewers in a pan of water for the day, thread them with the food to be cooked, toss them away after dinner.  Soaking the skewers prevents creating an additional fire, and the non-slippery wood surface prevents the spinning foods that don’t end up cooking evenly.  If you like to sauté veggies or simmer sauces at the grill, a cast iron skillet and a small cast iron saucepan will also be valuable.

Catch the Summer Berry Berry

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, oh my!  The luscious little gems of summer are back and ripe for your enjoyment.  I recently purchased some fresh locally grown blueberries from our neighborhood farm stand.  Resembling my favorite gemstone, the sapphire hue was as intense as the blueberry flavor.  There is not a summer snack more addictive that a cool, refreshing, juicy and perfectly ripe berry.  

Just gazing upon the headline photo to my blog site, those assorted berries, glistening with raspberry sauce and cascading over the sides of the extra creamy cheesecake, appear to be mimicking a pile of jewels.  The crimson raspberries masquerading as rubies, the sapphire-imposter blueberries and the deep garnet-like strawberries, it’s no wonder that chefs reach for berries more than any other option for luxuriously decorating their pastries.

Berries can be grown in the home garden with ease, provided defensive methods are employed in the form of netting.  The one season when I attempted to grow strawberries without such cover-ups yielded more appreciation by the birds and rabbits than by Brian and I.  Ah well, live and learn.  When opting to grow berries, remember to grow numerous plants in order to reap a significant bounty for enjoyment. Most berry plants are perennials, making them the garden gift that keeps on giving.  For those of you who possess black thumbs, or whose yard is host to voracious herbivores such as groundhogs and bunnies, check out your local farms.  Many of them welcome visitors to pick their own berries.  If there happens to be a wild berry patch nearby, grab some baskets and send the kids on a mission.  Be warned, however, that eating is more fun than picking and hauling: left unsupervised, your kids will likely return with few berries in their baskets, far too many in their tummies, all evidenced by purple tongues.  Think light dinner for them that evening!

Berries can be enjoyed in numerous presentations.  In simplest form, a simple bowl of berries topped with a mascarpone whipped cream is my choice method of berry consumption.  I like to combine strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.  The good news is that with the exception of the strawberries, which need to be hulled and halved, there is no preparation work involved with the others. 

Fruits salads that highlight berries with other summer delicacies are also delicious.  Blackberries pair nicely with sliced nectarines, and strawberries are a nice addition to balls of honeydew and sliced peaches.  Slices bananas, strawberries and orange segments are another winning combination – just ask the Tropicana think tank that released an orange juice emanating that very flavor combination.

Tossing a handful of berries into a morning cereal adds another dimension of flavor and texture, as well as incorporating another component of daily nutritional requirement and thus resulting in a more balanced breakfast.  Berry toppings also add a special splash of color and flavor when ladled over pancakes or waffles.

As one of my longest and closest friends enjoys doing, berries can be cooked down and jarred into preserves and jams.  My friend harvested so many wild blueberries from her property that she had little choice in using them up but to transform them into some of the best blueberry jam I have ever savored!  It was the perfect way to consume an English muffin every morning.

Berries are often baked in such sinfully tasty edibles as muffins, pies and cobblers.  Who would say no to a blueberry crumb cake with their cup of java?  The neutral hue of a creamy palette of cheesecake becomes an enlivened backdrop when bold red raspberries are incorporated.

Berries are also perfect additions for rounding out a salad, adding sweet flavor, bites of juicy texture and eye-popping color to balance the other ingredients, as in my recipe for spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese and pecans: http://cattroianoathomeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/normal-0-0-1-1009-5755-47-11-7067-11.html

That recipe works equally well with blue cheese and blueberries.  Either way, turn it into a main dish salad by adding coarsely chopped, cooked chicken or duck breast, both of which marry well with berries.

Strong flavors that are characteristic of duck stand up well to being paired with berry-studded pan sauces.  Brian recently prepared grilled duck with a raspberry-chipotle sauce that was sublime.  The sweetness of the raspberry was the perfect counterpoint for the spiciness of the chipotle chili, all syncing perfectly with the grilled duck.

Berries are often highlighted in summer beverages.  Such boozy delights as frosty strawberry daiquiris, raspberry rumrunners and blueberry martinis are the perfect summer libation.  Chambord is a sensual raspberry liqueur that can be enjoyed straight up, mixed into cocktails and even added into cooking and baking recipes for an extra kick of raspberry flavor.  Wineries, such as Long Island’s Osprey’s Dominion, play with berries for conjuring lighter sips such as strawberry wine to accompany the lighter, summer fun fare.  When it comes to craft breweries, it seems as though everyone is getting into the blueberry ale act this season, including Long Island’s own Blue Point Brewery.  Then there's one of my personal favorites, Framboise, a raspberry lambic from Lindemans.

One of my summer favorites to highlight raspberries is to make this raspberry sauce and ladle it over vanilla ice cream with white chocolate truffles:

Vanilla Ice Cream with White Chocolate Truffles and Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 1/3 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

3 teaspoons Madascar bourbon vanilla extract

1 package Lindor white chocolate truffles, chilled

8 ounces seedless raspberry jam

¼ cup sugar

1 pint fresh raspberries

3 tablespoons Chambord

Using a hand held mixer, beat the milk and 1 ½ cups sugar until the sugar in well incorporated.  Add the heavy cream and the vanilla and beat on high speed for about three minutes.  Transfer the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s directions.  Coarsely chop enough of the white chocolate truffles to make 1 cup.  When the ice cream has five minutes left to process, stir in the white chocolate.  After five minutes, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe sealed container and store in the freezer overnight.

For the sauce, stir together the jam, ¼ cup of sugar, half of the raspberries and the Chamboard in a medium saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, the jam is melted and the berries have begun to become incorporated into the mixture.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Gently stir in the remaining raspberries.  Scoop the ice cream into dessert bowls and ladle the sauce over each serving of ice cream.

Note that this sauce is delectable when ladled over cheesecake, panna cotta, pound cake, waffles and pancakes.  For a sauce that highlights all of the best-loved berries of the season, use a combination of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, keep the Chambord and choose a strawberry or blueberry jam instead of the raspberry jam, if desired.

Food for Thought

Another great way to enjoy berries is when they’ve been baked into a pie.  Berry pies are perhaps the easiest pies to make, as the berries don’t need to be cut up or peeled.  Easier still, for my fellow Long Islanders, take a leisurely drive along the eastern north fork to Briermere Farms.  They make the most amazing pies, from the traditional strawberry-rhubarb to some other delightful combinations that highlight not only the berries, but other summer fruits as well, such as peach-raspberry, peach-cherry, etc. 

July is National Blueberry Month, so be sure to pick up some blueberries at your local farm stand or famer’s market.  What to do with them?  It just so happens that July 30^th is National Cheesecake Day!  Consider making a blueberry cheesecake crowned with a whipped cream-rimmed blueberry topping like the one pictured above.  Need inspiration?  Read about cheesecakes in my CNN ireport: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-814934

Ingredient of the Month: Liquid Smoke

As July heats up and ushers in a national holiday with backyard cookouts, home cooks abandon the ovens of their kitchen and turn their taste buds toward the grill.  Everyone loves a barbecue; there is just something about the flavors of such fare that defines summer.  Have you ever pondered how smokey nuances manage to permeate even the foods that never touch the grill, such as a potato salad or a pot of beans?  It’s magic, captured in a cute little bottle that can usually be located near the meat displays of most supermarkets.  The substance is called, simply, liquid smoke.  

I love this stuff.  When you want to add just one more facet of summer barbecue flavor to a side dish, or even amp up a homemade barbecue sauce, this is the easy shortcut.  This product is all natural; the ingredient list on a bottle of liquid smoke couldn’t be shorter: water and hickory smoke concentrate.  A little goes a long way; one bottle will last an entire season, as only a minute amount is required to impart the flavor into your culinary project.

The brand most commonly found in markets is called Wright’s, named after its creator, Ernest H. Wright.  Wright was a pharmacist in Kansas City, Missouri, with a lifelong interest in chemistry.  He began to dabble with burning wood in order to collect the liquid from the smoke’s condensation from within the stove’s pipe.  Upon enlisting some friends as guinea pigs to sample a ham that he prepared with this liquid condensed smoke, compliments and requests for seconds led to the bottling and selling of the flavor enhancer in 1895.  

Today liquid smoke is prepared through a method called destructive distillation.  Smoke is produced through a controlled burning process of wood chips, condensed and then combined with water.  While Wright’s Liquid Smoke is enhanced with hickory, other brands may utilize other woods to vary the flavor of the smoke.

The list of culinary uses for liquid smoke is lengthy.  It is essentially a seasoning used to add a smoky flavor to anything.  It can be used in a homemade marinade or barbecue sauce recipe for meats.  It can be added to soups, stews, chilis and even dips.  For those who like to cure their own meats, it is one of the components of a curing solution as is typically used in bacon.  I have added liquid smoke to baked beans as well as a potato salad dressing.  My easy recipe for this potato salad follows.  For another excuse to play with this smoke sensation, see my recipe for Smokey Chipotle Mashed Potatoes: http://cattroianoathomeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/11/savor-spuds.html

Smokey Potato Salad with Blue Cheese and Pecans

Ingredients:   

2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

1 ½  cups mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup pecans

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium high, allowing to boil until the potatoes are tender, about fifteen to twenty minutes.  Drain the potatoes and allow to cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, whisk together the next six ingredients to make the dressing.  Add the potatoes, red onion and celery and toss well to combine and coat.  Stir in the pecans and the blue cheese until combined.  Serves 3-4.

Mr. Wright was definitely onto something.  This entrepreneur with a lust for chemistry experimentation has since inspired a whole population of epicurean chemists, if you will, as we experiment with various ingredient combinations, always striving for the next level of flavor experiences.  A word of caution: it is easy to become obsessed with use of this ingredient, particularly when creating your own recipes and you just want to add that last kick of smoked flavor.  You will begin to covet that little bottle as your own secret weapon in culinary cook-offs.  Once you start this method of smoking, it truly is a challenge to quit!  Then again, why would you want to?

This Month's Flavor: India

Surging in popularity throughout the world is the colorful and flavorful influences of Indian cuisine.  Its tantalizing tapestry of spices, combined with a palette of culinary influences from various regions and cultures, offers a unique dining experience.  Thankfully, rest assured, temples of doom serving up banquet menus of eyeball soup, chilled monkey brains and snake surprise are not among those influences.

A long history of regional and cultural interactions has resulted in the Indian menu that we know today.  Spice trade between this south Asian nation and Europe is often credited with the prompting of Europe’s Age of Discovery – a delicious discovery at that, given the vast assortment of regional Indian spices, vegetables and herbs. 

Religious practices have also influenced the dishes presented from the Indian kitchen.  Hinduism resulted in the prevalence of vegetarianism in India.  While many households will consume poultry and seafood, the sacred standing of cattle among those adhering to strict Hindu culture renders beef taboo from their ingredient list.   Even Indian restaurant menus around the world rarely list beef.

Frequently used spices in Indian cuisine include chili pepper, mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, ginger, ground coriander and garlic.  Garam masala is a mix of five or more spices that usually includes cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.  Every region in India boasts its own unique blend for garam masala.

Among herbs, coriander leaves, fenugreek and mint are all typically used in the Indian kitchen.  Nutmeg, rose petal essences, saffron and coconut are used to infuse another dimension of flavor; and ingredients such as peanuts, cashews, raisins and toasted coconut are often used as garnishes.

Pulses, a group of legumes that includes lentils, chick peas, pigeon peas and mung beans, are another staple of Indian cooking, as well as basmati rice.

It is astounding how many individuals I know personally who have yet to sample Indian fare.  The first statement of trepidation I hear from most of them is “Oh, isn’t Indian food really hot?  I don’t like spicy food!”  While some Indian dishes do indeed rank high on the heat index, not all of them result in profuse perspiration and frantic water consumption.  Indian food is almost always spicy, as in flavored with spices.  Not all Indian food is spicy as in hot, however.  Which leads into the next excuse of “I wouldn’t even know what to order!” Dishes vary dramatically across India, influenced not only by culture, but also by economics, season and geographic locations set by proximity to sea, mountain or dessert.  In other words, there is something on every Indian restaurant menu to satisfy every taste.

Among the popular entrees to be found on the menu in most Indian restaurants within the U.S. are curry, tika masla, korma, vindaloo and tandoori, all of which may be prepared with chicken or lamb.  Korma is my personal favorite; defined as a rich and creamy curry embellished with nuts and raisins.  Korma is a milder curry, one I would recommend for the faint-palated.  If you feel adventurous and want to sample a little more heat, a vindaloo may be the way to go.  Tika masala is tomato-based and contains various spices and fenugreek.  Tandoori is a yogurt-based spice marinade for meats.  Tandoori chicken is an easy grilling dish for home BBQ cooks.  I have prepared most of these at home.  Biriyani, another alternative that I would recommend to those who can’t take the heat, is a rice entrée containing basmati rice, chicken or lamb, mild spices, vegetables, raisins and nuts. 

Side dishes and accompaniments that I would recommend to anyone new to the scene of sampling Indian foods include saag paneer, which is basically cooked spinach with cheese, naan, which is an unleavened bread that is baked in a tandoor oven, sometimes prepared with onion or garlic, and basmati rice with peas or any other rice pilaf whose menu description appeals to your senses. 

Although I am a dedicated wine drinker, I personally prefer beer to imbibe with Indian fare.  For those preferring a non-alcoholic option, the lassi is a traditional Indian beverage that is yogurt based, blended with milk, spices and additional flavors of fruit such as mango.  Tea is a staple beverage in Indian, particularly Darjeeling tea.

Enjoy my version of chicken curry, in which I use ingredients that you can purchase in any supermarket.   The result is creamy and not spicy hot.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 onion, chopped

1 package fresh sliced white button mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons curry powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup chicken stock

1 large apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup peanuts

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

2 cups water

Place the basmati rice into a fine mesh sieve and rinse the rice under running water in the sink for about a minute.  Allow to drain. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until both sides have browned.  Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Add the onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and sautee until the onions are translucent.  Stir in the curry powder, salt and cinnamon.  Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the chicken stock and the apple, then return the chicken to the skillet.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the skillet and simmer for about twenty minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear when pierced with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the rice, reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for twenty minutes or until the rice is tender and all water has been absorbed.  Check the rice periodically.  If the liquid gets absorbed before the rice is tender, add more water.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove the thighs and arrange them on a deep serving platter.  Place the flour into a 2 or 4-cup glass measuring cup.  Add one ladle full of the stock from the skillet.  Whisk vigorously until the flour has been blended smoothly into the liquid.  Add the cream to the measuring cup and continue to whisk until well incorporated.  Gently stir the mixture into the skillet.  Cook and stir until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the raisins and peanuts and then pour the sauce over the chicken.  Once the basmati rice is cooked, transfer to a serving bowl.  Serves four.

For a quick and simple weekday dish with a touch of Indian flare, keep a jar of garam masala spice blend in your pantry.  This cuts time because all of the spices have already been measured and combined.  Then all you need to do is slice some zucchini, maybe some chopped red onion and minced garlic and sautee it all in a skillet with some peanut oil or butter and a couple of teaspoons of the garam masala.  You could also add shrimp or cubed boneless chicken breast or thigh to the mix.  Serve it over some basmati rice and there’s dinner in twenty minutes!  If you make a super market stop on the way home to buy the shrimp, pick up a Naan bread from the bakery or bread aisle.

Food For Thought

Linens beware!  A word of warning about turmeric: this spice is often used in Indian cooking, one of the requisites when preparing a tandoori marinade, it imparts that golden yellow hue to food.  It also imparts a neon yellow forever stain into any material that touches it.  It does not wash out, ever.  It will stain some countertops as well.  Serve that meal on an old tablecloth that you never really liked too much anyway, or on a t-shirt that your young child has been begging you to tie-dye, the splashy-splotchy effect will be even more groovy than that of the traditional method.  Conclusion: if you’re a sloppy cook, get the meticulous neat nick in your household to do the cooking that night, and ban from the kitchen all towels, potholders, clothing (naked cooking, folks, I bet some people do it all the time!) and white cats and dogs who are eager to assume their usual roles as sous-chef.