Category: Spices

Summer Time Is For Blue Crabs…You Can’t Take the Maryland Out of A Girl

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As many of  you know I moved a few months ago. The moving process is hard and can take a while to clean up, and sort decades of personal mementos and possessions.  Going through many boxes  and files,  all indications were there I was a food  and fashion lover from an early age. Magazine clippings were various assorted recipes and fashion spreads. I recall reading Jeffrey Steingarten at a young age and trying to replicate his recipes for my father  on visitations.I always saved such things as I knew one day, they would be useful. While cleaning out some drawers I came across some wooden crab mallets   from my childhood in the Washington D.C area. While Chicago has been my home for over a decade, and my mothers hometown, essentially I’m a East Coast Girl . They say you can never go home again, and it’s true. But sometimes your taste buds yearn for long forgotten  tastes  of  your past that aren’t always available.

I loved crabs and lobster as a kid. I remember my Mommy and Daddy would take me down to the Wharf in D.C, before it became all gentrified and commercialized, and get bushels of live crabs to cook up for a party. I would ride in fear in the car on the way home to the suburbs  worried those blue crabs would climb out of the bushel and pinch me. I loved going to local crab houses around Maryland laid out with brown paper. With my bib and wooden mallet ready, we all dug into to crustaceans loaded down with salty, spicy Old Bay Seasoning. I was an expert and could easily  crack open and polish off a dozen. If there were leftovers, the one or two would be an after school treat cold from the fridge. The sweet meat more firmed up. Hot or cold they were delicious and my mother loved to indulge her budding epicurean . Time went on, my parents divorced, and we moved. My mother and I lived for a brief spell in Baltimore with my step father, which I hated, but I loved the crabs. Going down to Fells Point for crabs relieved my building tensions and resentment of being in a place I didn’t want to be. Living in Chicago its rare to find Blue Crabs. But it is possible. Here in the Midwest , Alaskan King Crab Legs rule as opposed to the smaller blue crabs. All have to be flown in. I have found  live crabs flown in various places on the South Side, and more specifically Asian Markets. H Mart carries them regularly and I picked up some tongs and grabbed some of the pinchy fighters to go into my brown paper bag. On the way home I remembered my fear as kid while driving, but knew I was in for a treat.  I indulge in crabs and such when Certain Someone is away. He feels such food is too much work. It is. But its a ritual I relish and enjoy, preferably in messy solitude, like when I was a kid. A treat to myself.

In Maryland the crab is always steamed. Elsewhere it boiled. I don’t have a steamer so I boil. My mother used to make me  a quick sauce to dip my meat in consisting  of Mayonnaise and Ketchup, kind of like a remouldae. I modernized her sauce with more modern and available ingredients of today. The Blue Crabs I purchased were on the smaller side, as there isn’t as much choice in size  and there was back home on the East Coast. I got a variety of male and female. The males  have a T shaped apron and blue tipped claws, while the females have a triangular or more mature bell shaped apron with red tipped claws. The females are sweeter and have roe inside, which you can discard or consider it a delicacy and make a sauce with .

I wont give a recipe , but explain my favorite way to cook and eat crabs

  •  1 part of water depending on quantity of crabs to 1 part beer or vinegar. Not to cover but between a steam and boil.
  • Liberal lashing of Old Bay Seasoning or a Crab Boil Mix
  • Boil live crabs for 10 minutes or until the blue shell turns red.
  • Drain and serve.
  • Mix a sauce with mayonnaise, a bit of ketchup for color , some Sriracha, a squeeze of lime juice, and dash of fish sauce.
  • Cover the table with newspaper
  • Get Ready to get messy
  • Be patient, it’s not a race
  • Enjoy and savor the delicacy of the sea

Grilling up Walmarts USDA Choice Steaks

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I confess , when the people of Walmart pitched me to try their new category of steaks, I was skeptical. Honestly I really don’t shop at Walmart, and never for food.  The main reason is that there aren’t many around me.  But Chicago has a few and seems to be expanding.It seems Walmart has done a steak over. It’s about time, as people are getting more selective in the meats they are purchasing. Their previous offerings were a lower priced Select in the white trays. Scott Neal , the VP of fresh meat and seafood is the driving force behind the new range of  Choice T-Bones, NY Strips,Filet, Ribeyes, and Top Sirloin that meet the rigorous USDA standards assuring quality and most important safety. These steaks are different by being packaged in Black trays.

  • Only 1 in 5 steaks qualifies for the Choice program.
  • Walmart USDA Choice steaks are certified by the USDA for quality.
  • Walmart USDA Choice steaks are aged for their tenderness and flavor.
  • Walmart USDA Choice steaks are always packaged fresh.
  • Walmart’s USDA Choice steaks come with a 100% money back guarantee . If you aren’t satisfied  just bring back your steak for a full refund.

In perusing a few threads, I’m finding people like me were skeptical, and actually are giving the new steaks a try and are seeing the definite improvement. So last week I got to participate in a webinar with  award-winning Chef Eric Lackey of The Flamestone American Grill in Olsamar , Florida . He shared a few simple recipes for grilling and  steaks for the  grilling season. It’s all part of the Walmart Choice Steak Challenge. On the menu were:

  • Grilled Beefsteak Tomato with Himalayan Pick Rock Salt Crust
  • Grilled Ribeye with Everglades Rub
  • Coca- Cola Balsamic Marinated Bermuda Onion

You can see Chef here work his magic and walk through the recipes. My favorite recipe was the rub for the steaks. I didn’t have the Everglades seasoning, but used the coffee based rub recipe as a base. The flavor was awesome and really complemented the NY Strips I used in place of the favored Ribeye. I added halved leeks to the Coco-Cola Balsamic Marinated Bermuda Onions. I found the quality of the steaks very good and better than what I was expecting. Nice marbleizing , thickness and tenderness. And the value was  still there. Keep up the good progress Walmart.

Grilled Ribeye with Everglades Rub
 
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Chef Eric Lackeys of The Flamestone American Grill in Olsamar , FL recipe created on behalf of the Walmart Steak Challenge presented by Kingsford charcoal and Coco-Cola
Author:
Recipe type: entree
Ingredients
  • 4 Walmart Choice Premium Ribeye Steaks
  • 1 head roasted garlic ( roast garlic in oven until golden brown and soft to mash)
  • 4 tablespoons Everglades seasoning ( available at Walmart)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon dry thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all dry ingredients . Set aside.
  2. Rub each steak with an equal portion of roasted garlic paste on front and back. To prevent burning, don't let garlic paste get on the bone.
  3. Divide and rub seasoning on the four steaks and cover . Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. This can be done a day in advance.
  4. Preheat the grill until the perfect grilling temperature. ( if using coal until the briquettes are consistently ashed over)
  5. Remove steaks from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
  6. Place steaks on the grill and leave in one position on direct heat for 4-5 minutes, rotating to get nice grill marks and even flavor profile.Follow this timeline for medium rare.
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*Disclosure . Walmart provided two $25 gift cards to try the new Walmart Choice Steaks. My opinions are my own.

 

Kumquat Confit and Kumquat Pistachio Palmiers

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The other day I was in Stanley’s and saw a nice punnet of kumquat’s staring at me. Do you look at some foods and think back to your first taste, which may or may not have been pleasant? That’s how I felt with kumquat’s. I wanted to love the cute miniature citrus fruit , but a distant memory of just eating one raw off someones little tree, as child always held me back. Well I’m a big girl now, 43 years of age, to be exact and it was time to acquaint myself with Kumquats again. Surely if  I cooked them down to a confit , almost candy like, they will go down well? And yes they did. Talk about a burst of sunshine and citrus finished with a hint of bourbon and cinnamon. The kumquats picked me up and tickled my tongue, as I ate it on hot buttered bread and black coffee. Preserved kumquat’s are better than orange marmalade in my opinion.The flavor more pronounced, as it’s really all concentrated in the peel.

Certain Someone is not a big jam , preserve type. He loves his  charcuterie, black coffee , good bread and butter on lazy weekend mornings. So while I made a small batch, I wanted more applications for my confit. I had small sheets of commercial puff pastry in my freezer and nuts in the cupboard.

I took my kitchen shears and cut up a small amount of the candid kumquats  to smaller pieces, as the confit was made from kumquat halves. I spread them over the defrosted puff pastry, added a mixture of pistachios and  raw sugar which had been blended to a coarse crumb, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I then carefully rolled them up on either end, to meet in the middle.  The rolls were sliced and dipped in more of the pistachio sugar crumb and baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 degrees until golden. Careful not to burn the bottoms as the sugars from the confit and  sugar crumb will caramelize. Remove from oven and let cook. You will have a nice tea or coffee time snack.


Kumquat Confit
 
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Candied preserved Kumquats
Author:
Recipe type: condiment, preserves
Ingredients
  • 1 lb of kumquats, washed, halved, and seeded.
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of Bourbon
  • * apple core
Instructions
  1. Halve and seed the kumquats.
  2. Place in a heavy bottomed pot with apple core.
  3. Add sugar.
  4. Slowly bring up the temp and stir and mash the fruit into the sugar until it starts to liquify slight. You don't want to burn the sugar or cook to fast.
  5. Stir in cinnamon.
  6. Cook on med heat until all the ingredients start to liquify and boil.
  7. Reduce heat until the boil is more like a simmer. Stir periodically and cook for several minutes until the fruit becomes more transparent and candied. This may take about 10 minutes more or less.
  8. The longer the cook time, the more candied the fruit. You want to make sure its spreadable and not to thick.
  9. Turn off the heat.
  10. Remove apple core.
  11. Stir in the Bourbon . The confit will sizzle a bit with the addition of the liquor.
  12. Place in clean jars.
  13. Let cool and cover
  14. Keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Notes
The apple core, loaded with natural pectin aides the thickening.
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Spicy Red Clam Soup

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It’s hard to believe October is flying by and we will be into November soon. During this time, the body changes and may get a little run down due to the  seasonal shift.For me there is nothing more enticing these days than exotic spicy soups to rev this old girl up. October has been crazy busy with regular work, social activity, and few catering gigs.  Someone asked my the other day via Twitter where I have been as I have literally dropped on the earth with all my activities. I’m living and working hard. As a result I have been spreading myself thin and fighting the good fight against completely getting ill. So far so good. These days,  stuck  in the affluent North Shore,surprisingly I have been finding some great food shops . My nearby favorite is the Korean Mega Store H Mart, where I find myself doing regular grocery shopping because the meat , fish , and produce is outstanding! While having the fish man wrap up some halibut for me , I saw freshly shucked clam meat for 2.99 a pound. I instantly knew soup was going to be on the menu as I recovered with a rare weekend off and Certain Someone away for a bit.

I’m going to call this creation a soup, as opposed to  a chowder. To save  my waistline from further punishment I used the concept of a red based Manhattan Clam Chowder as an inspiration. The tomato based clam chowder was created by the Portuguese of New England  who decided to omit the cream. That didn’t go well with some and in return it was called Manhattan Clam Chowder to differentiate the chowder styles and as some some sort of insult , because anything New York was insulting. Go figure. There are many types of chowders and I decided to create my own clam based soup. No potatoes or bacon for me. Just lots of spices, tomatoes garlic, bell and hot peppers as a base . Maybe my African roots are waking up. I took some food memories of my Nigerian father sauteing tomatoes, garlic, and peppers in hot  oil to flavor his fish or chicken Nigerian soups/stews. I then thought about hot spicy Szechuan flavors and Hungarian Hot Paprika. I was all over the place. But the end result is oh so good for cold blustery or rainy day. Enjoy. And your waistline will thank you too.

Spicy Red Clam Soup
 
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A spicy red based clam soup
Author:
Recipe type: soup
Serves: 5-6 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs clam meat fresh, canned, or frozen
  • 5-6 plum tomatoes chopped ( can leave skins on)
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 bell pepper minced finely
  • 1-2 hot peppers( Serrano, Korean, Jalepeno, etc) depending on your heat tolerance. Seeded and minced.
  • 5 cups chicken broth or 3 tablespoons chicken soup base with liquid equivalent
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar (milder in flavor)
  • 3 Tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Vegeta ( optional)
  • 2 teaspoons of Thyme
  • ¼ cup Sherry
  • Red Pepper flakes to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste if needed
  • Olive Oil
Instructions
  1. In a pot add a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat .
  2. Add chopped tomatoes , garlic and green peepers. Saute until cooked down and starting to break down.
  3. Add clams and some of their liquid ( about ¾ cup).( If canned there will be more and don't use as much). Cook for a few minutes.
  4. Add the chicken soup base and liquid or broth.
  5. Add rice vinegar, Vegeta ( Optional), Paprika, Thyme, and the minced hot peppers.
  6. Allow soup to come to a boil and reduce heat until a low simmer.
  7. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking flavors. Clams should be tender.
  8. Adjust to your taste. If more liquid needed add more clam juice or broth.
  9. During the last 10 minutes , stir in the Sherry and simmer.
  10. Turn off heat and serve hot.
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Individual Apple Tarte Tatin

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Last week on a rare day off I was watching the BBC America station. Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word was on and I perked up as he made these easy gorgeous individual Pear Tatins studded with Star Anise. I had a bunch of commercial supply puff pastry in my freezer, left over from a event and a few apples left from my solitary apple picking adventure the week before. I was determined to try this stunning simple dessert with what I had and it didn’t disappoint.

The recipe is simple and you just need some fresh hard fruit , peeled and cored, sugar, butter, cinnamon or star anise, and maybe a splash or rum or brandy. Be creative. And of course serve with ice cream or whipped cream to up the indulgence factor. Your guests will be amazed and it saves the terror of flipping over a whole Tarte Tatin.

Here is Gordon’s version

And here is my breakdown

Individual Apple Tarte Tatin
 
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Individual Apple Tarte Tatins
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons of butter
  • 2-3 large apples peeled, halved and cored
  • 4-6 squares of puff pastry
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons Brandy or rum
  • 4-6 whole pods of Star Anise
Instructions
  1. Prep your apples by peeling, halving, and removing the inner core and stem. Squeeze with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  3. In a heavy stainless steel skillet melt butter and sugar carefully and slowly until its starts to caramelize and brown. Be careful not to burn from sugar. You can add a splash or rum or brandy to the caramel.
  4. Quickly stud each apple halve with star anise . Wrap each piece individually with puff pastry leaving the flat half free and exposed.
  5. Place each pastry wrapped halve in the skillet with the caramelized sugar face down.
  6. Sprinkle with additional sugar is optional.
  7. Arrange in pan, and place in oven. Bake until golden .
  8. Serve face up and with ice cream or whipped cream.
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