Category: Book and Product Reviews

Cooking and Eating Well on the Run. Bertolli Soups and Salmon Rillettes Tartines

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I work with Bertolli on occasion and always love to receive new products.  Life has been mainly cooking and eating on the run these days.The fast few months the new range of Bertolli  Meal Soups for Two have saved many meals and situations , as I have been :

  • too tired to cook
  • working  or catering and not able cook
  • Certain Someone has no dinner while I’m away working or zoned out from fatigue.

Even industry people take shortcuts. You know the saying about the cobblers kids having no shoes, the hairdresser having bad hair, etc. While we work for others , we sometimes neglect whats at home. If I had to take a shortcut I love the tasty frozen Bertolli soups. These come excellently packaged with frozen cubes of excellent stock, meat and vegetables. It couldn’t be easier. My favorite was the Italian Wedding. I made this with a quick Kale Caprese Salad of chopped kale, small mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, pesto , balsamic and oil. Dinner in about 10-15 minutes.  Check them out.

Another quick item, stretchable item  to make this winter or even for holiday entertaining, that would pair perfectly with a nice soup , bisque or risotto , is a short cut salmon rillette. I found wild sockeye salmon in cans at Costco that’s far superior than any canned salmon I’ve seen. I purchased a small tub of lox trimmings for less than $3 and made this amazing spread. Try it as a tartine on fresh baguette or on tiny crostini. It’s quite addictive.


Salmon Rillettes Tartines
 
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A quick and easy salmon spread
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 6 oz can Wild Sockeye Salmon
  • ½ cup lox trimmings or any type pf smoked salmon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried chives
  • 1 teaspoon capers packed in salt ( you can use more or less)
  • 1 shallot shaved
  • 1 fresh baguette
Instructions
  1. Combine  both types of salmon, spices, lemon, butter and oil in a bowl .
  2. Pulse with an immersion blender to a paste.
  3. Gently fold in capers.
  4. Shave thin slices of shallot.
  5. Spread salmon paste on bread slices.
  6. Top with shallots and additional chives.
  7. Serve.
Notes
You can use an immersion blender or food processor. Chilling improves the flavor.
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Eros Nests with Green & Black’s Chocolate

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Last year , after my lay off, I interviewed for what sounded as my dream job, as a brand ambassador for a food  marketing project. I didn’t get the gig, but was happy when the agency reached out to me to see if I was willing to sample some Green & Blacks and enter their contest. Of course I said an enthusiastic yes. Who turns down chocolate? In addition to sampling a variety of amazing chocolates , I was asked to enter a contest. The deadline was looming quick, and I needed to put something together. I hesitate with contests, because I never win, and really don’t promote myself and pimp myself out  enough  to get the votes. This contest was great because the Green & Blacks Team would pick the semi finalists, and then the voting would begin. Unfortunately I didn’t make semi finals, but that doesn’t matter as I made a co workers smile and talk about this treat . And that’s really all that matters, isn’t it? Because as my catering slogan goes… “Coco Cooks Food That Makes You Happy”. If you’re wondering what happened to all the chocolate, Certain Someone ate the majority of it , before I could even take a photograph or enjoy them. From what I did partake of,I can conclude,it was that good.

The inspiration behind these  Eros Nests came from a coworker celebrating Ramadan. She was trying to make simple syrup for a dessert made with shredded phyllo to break her fast.  I saw the shredded phyllo in my grocery adventures calling my name and decided to play around with it incorporation the Green & Blacks. I also had plenty of honey on hand that I wanted to infuse with spice. Honey, spices, nuts, and chocolates are all aphrodisiacs , hence the name Eros Nests , as they look like tiny birds nests. On friend on Facebook described it as an amped up deconstructed Nutella Turnover. I lost my original notes on this, but its easy enough to remember without notes and makes a stunning presentation when entertaining.

Eros Nests with Green & Black's Chocolate
 
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Miniature decadent desserts of chocolate, candied hazelnuts, chili infused honey, and shredded phyllo.
Author:
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • .5 lbs of Katafi dough/ shredded phyllo.
  • 4 oz of melted unsalted butter
  • ⅛ tsp of ground cinnamon
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 bar Green & Blacks Baking Chocolate with 72% Cocoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 dried Thai chili
  • 1 cup skinned hazelnuts
  • ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Carefully break apart half a package of shredded phyllo and shred into a bowl.
  3. Add melted butter, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
  4. Take a 12 cup muffin pan and carefully form nests with shredded phyllo. Bake until deep golden and crispy. Approximately 25 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from oven and let cool on rack. Carefully remove after 15 minutes from pan and continue to cool on rack.
  6. In a pot add sugar . honey, water and dried Thai chili. Bring to a rapid boil and reduce. Simmer for 15 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and let cool.
  7. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
  8. Place a baking sheet under cooling rack, where nests are resting. Carefully brush the simple syrup over the nests to. You want the crunch to remain, but you want a good soaking. Let excess drip to pan beneath.
  9. Carefully brush the melted chocolate over the nests interior. Dribble some down the sides for artistic effect.
  10. Let cool until chocolate is completely set. To rush this you can place in the refrigerator until hardened a bit.
  11. In a sauce pan, toast the hazelnuts. Remove from pan and set aside.
  12. In the same sauce pan caramelize  the brown sugar gently over a med high heat. You don't want to burn the sugar. Add hazelnuts quickly when caramelized and bubbly, toss and coat in pan .
  13. Pour onto parchment lined baking sheet or a Silpat to cool and harden.
  14. Break apart pieces of the candied hazelnuts to place inside the nests.
  15. Serve for dessert, with cheese course, wines, cognac, and coffee.
Notes
You will need a Silpat 12 cup muffin tin
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 Disclosure:

 I received free product from Green & Blacks in order to provide my honest opinions.

Taste of Summer…Homemade Root Beer and Floats

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It’s hard to believe summer has come and gone. I sit here on Labor Day grilling a turkey breast and anticipating Fall, yet cherishing the memory of a brief fleeting summer vacation, I enjoyed. All the while driving through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I spied Birch Trees and couldn’t wait to start a home brewing project of root beer. I love the idea of root beer, a natural soda devised as a sort of medicinal tonic from our earliest settlers. I saw an article on Serious Eats while checking my emails on my XYBoard, during lunch, and knew this project was for me. I wasn’t put off  on finding the ingredients. My XYBoard lead me to a  neighborhood herb shop for sassafras, birch bark, and sarsaparilla, as well a local home-brew shop for ale yeast and great advice. I really don’t know how I survived without this nifty new tablet. The smart phones are great , but I get that same ease of portability, clearer larger pictures taking, fonts, voice controlled key board options, navigation, and heaps of smart technology “on the go”. So its indispensable in the kitchen, traveling, and living everyday life. All of the root beer snaps were taken with the XYBoard to record the process.

I brewed up this recipe for root beer  but I tweaked it a little with the addition of a handful of  dried cherries and  a few juniper berries. Rather than spend $22 for a case of plastic bottles for soda, I purchased a case of water which I used the contents of, and saved the bottles for the brew. Because of the carbonation process, the thin  water bottles swelled , and I believe the more expensive bottles would have alleviated that issue. But , next time I know better. Be careful with glass bottles, as the pressure may cause them to explode. I could have pushed my carbonation one more day before retarding the yeast, by refrigeration.

One more note… Commercial root beer these days not contain Sassafras  roots due to safrole, which the FDA has  banned in commercial production  and labeled  as causing liver cancer .However some  extracts are used for culinary purposes with the safrole having been removed.The  safrole oil is used  to make Ecstasy. The consumed amounts needed  to be carcinogenic , would be large. But if we look to history,and the Native Americans, they used it to cure many ills. So the message is everything in moderation. Many soda makers, home brewers and hobbyists aren’t deterred in their use of sassafras.

 

So there you have it. Summer is just about over.  So what better way to go out than sipping on a homemade root beer with a few scoops of vanilla  ice cream to make a float? A Root beer float is  old-fashioned, simple, and the essence of summer.

Thank you Verizon for making my summer a little easier.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Leberkäse with Green Peppercorns… A German Meatloaf of Neither Liver Or Cheese

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Yumm Leberkäse. The first time I ever had some was after a  German class at the Goethe Institute . A bunch of us walked over to the Christkindlmarket  after our final class. Thick slabs of Leberkäse shared space on the  hot grill with bratwurst.In the dead of winter, I bit into my hearty sandwich with sauerkraut  and fell in love.  Certain Someones mother would serve it at times when we visited Essen, a pre made  loaf from a deli, that she heated up. All these years I was under the mistaken impression there was a bit of liver in that meat, that gave it that savory taste. You see Leberkäse breaks down in translation to literally Liver Cheese. It’s a Bavarian specialty . However other regions of Germany add small percentages of liver. So the Leberkäse can vary by region. When I told Certain Someone I was making this, he too thought there was a bit of liver in the preparation as well. Maybe in Essen there is. The final verdict of my Bavarian style Leberkäse passed his tough German expectations. In an ode to Essen and his mother I added some green peppercorns, as that’s how I remembered it served there.

You may ask why am I making Leberkäse in the middle of summer? For various reasons. Certain Someone is home after some travel and I need more things on hand to feed him while I’m working.  A girl has to be organized. It tastes even better the day after preparation. I can slice it cold or hot. Think of it as homemade lunch meat. We like to slice it thick and pan fry it with some onions. Try adding a  fried egg on top , or serve it up like a cold pate with cornichons or salads. The recipe isn’t as hard as you would think. You need either a meat grinder , a food processor or an immersion blender.  I added  pink salt or cure to mine to help it retain its pink color, as opposed to turning grayish in color. One more hint. If you are a bit lazy, use  a good quality ground pork and beef.The bacon still has to be ground in. But using pre ground meat is a time-saving option for those who are not as adventurous or lack all the equipment.

Some tips to remember. As you’re working with ground meats , the colder the better. In my research I picked up a common tip of adding crushed ice to the meat before that final blending emulsification. It also helps with the bubbly smooth airy texture of the final product. Some people add heavy cream. I added just plain  dry powdered ( goats )milk, as I always add that to my meatloaf’s (I  don’t know why, but it works. I believe its something about adding extra nutrients and extending the protein ).  All of this helps the fats stay suspended and the meat emulsify. The mixture needs to chill and rest for a few hours. As I added a cure, it was still baked on the same day only for color retention.

I used my trusty XYBOARD in the kitchen to research Leberkäse ,techniques,and take quick clear photos  while in the kitchen.It saved me  a lot a time going to different rooms for the camera, etc.


Leberkäse with Green Peppercorns
 
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A Bavarian meatloaf
Author:
Recipe type: entree
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs stewing beef cubes
  • 1.5 lbs stewing pork cubes
  • ½ bacon( the fattier the better)
  • 1 small onion minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp cure , pink salt, etc (  scant ¼ tsp per lb of meat)
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp dry powdered milk
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • ½ tsp mace or nutmeg
  • ¾ tsp paprika
  • grated lemon zest ( approx ½ tsp) optional
  • 3 cups crushed ice
  • 2 tbsp green peppercorns ( if you prefer use less)
Instructions
  1. In a meat grinder grind your beef and pork, and bacon.
  2. Place ground meats in a large bowl.
  3. Add your minced onion and garlic.
  4. Add your spices, curing salt and dry milk.
  5. Mix well.
  6. At this point you can place the ground meats in a food processor or use an immersion blender ( the immersion blender needs to be used carefully as to not burn out. Give it a rest if needed.) Mix the meats with the crushed ice until it forms a smooth paste. You don't want the paste to thick but it airy enough. The ice keeps the fats suspended and aides in the emulsification.
  7. Once you get the desired texture (there can still be some clumps of ice and that is fine as it helps form air bubbles in texture).
  8. Add the green peppercorns and mix in with hands( after removed from the food processor)
  9. Chill the meat mixture for 1 to 2 hrs.
  10. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  11. Grease loaf pan or pans.
  12. Pack meat  mixture into pans.
  13. With a knife make a criss -cross pattern on top.
  14. Place pans in a larger pan with water to catch any fat drippings.
  15. Bake for 1.5 hrs.
  16. Remove loaves from pans and drain of fats.
  17. Serve warm or cold.
  18. It tastes even better the day after.
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 “Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

 

Honey Lemon Balm and Rum Ice Cream and How I Develop My Recipes.

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They say its National Ice Cream Month. My friend Louise of Month of Edible Celebrations always has the low down on all the  food holidays. This ice cream was inspired for no special reason other than I got 6 lbs of fabulous  raw organic honey from a friends father who is a beekeeper up in Mundelin and taking advantage of whats propping up in my container garden.What was I going to do with all that honey? I’m a honey fiend these past few years. I use it almost everyday either in my teas or some sort of food.  Our neighbors in Sweden keep bees as well and have the most divine white creamy  raw honey I slather on everything.  My friends father is Russian and is using his Eastern European beekeeping techniques to produce an amazing product. I hope he turns his hobby into a business. It really is a beautiful product with a nice balanced taste.

Honey pairs  well with milk, lemon and even rum. All great soothing ingredients for whatever ails you. Or these can be  just uplifting in flavor. I have  a mint pot with robust lemon balm and chocolate mint coming in. A cups harvest was used ads the as base for my ice cream. I love to infuse herbs into cream.

I used my new XYBoard from Verizon to jot down ideas as the recipe developed in my head and the kitchen. I really love discovering all the  features and apps. I love the sleekness of this tablet and it beats dragging the laptop  or the smaller Iphone into the kitchen. I can take photos,videos, post to my various social media sites, edit,get a clear nice space to work on, and do just about anything with ease.  Here is an example of the sticky note feature I’m using to store my ideas and processes.

Then  just for fun I take it step further when the product is completed and play around with cool apps like PicsArt to turn my ordinary photos into art and post on Instagram.

I can go on and on. Indulge me while I have some fun. So are you ready to cool down with this delightful and pleasant ice cream? The honey works surprisingly well and all the flavors just merge and scream summer.  My honey is more wildflower based, so be conscious on what type of honey you use in this recipe.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

 

Honey Lemon Balm and Rum Ice Cream and How I Develop My Recipes.
 
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An herb and honey based ice cream
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Recipe type: ice cream
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cups runny honey preferably wild flower
  • 1 cup loosely packed lemon balm leaves washed and dried
  • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped open
  • 3 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
Instructions
  1. In an pot carefully heat the cream, milk , honey, lemon balm and vanilla until it begins to simmer. Honey likes to expand and boil rapidly so carefully watch your pot so it doesn't boil over.
  2. Turn off heat , cover with lid, and let the mixture sit for one hour to allow the lemon balm and vanilla to infuse the cream and milk.
  3. Strain out the lemon balm leaves and vanilla pods with a wire mesh strainer.
  4. Gently reheat after one hour on medium high.
  5. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the pinch of salt.
  6. Temper the eggs (adding a little stream of the hot milk and cream liquid to the eggs while beating) .
  7. Take the tempered eggs and add to the milk and cream mixture. Whisk constantly until the mixture just starts to thicken.You don't want to over cook this custard. If the mixture curdles, take a immersion blender while still warm/ hot and smooth out.
  8. Add the dark rum and whisk.
  9. Turn off heat.
  10. Strain through a wire mesh strainer and allow to cool to room temp.
  11. Refrigerate until ready to use, before adding to to your frozen freezer bowl.
  12. Process according to your ice cream makers instructions for 25 minutes or so.
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