Cooking and other observations

If you are going to Hawaii...

Do yourself a favor and get some Macadamia Nuts with Sweet Onion and Garlic. This food reduced me to babbling "oh my god! so very good" in the middle of the store the other night.

(We don't carry them at TJ's. A customer brought back from Hawaii for me, which was awfully nice of her. Apparently I did her some sort of favor, which I think involved an adhesive bangage, one time when she came through my line, so she brought me a present from her recent trip to Hawaii.)

This snack is a very nice macadamia, and it's flavored with onion and garlic. The result is like a sublime version of a sour cream and onion potato chip.

It's possible to order these treasures online if you're not bound for the islands any time soon. This packaging is six small cans for $19.99, probably plus shipping and handling.

More great products from Trader Joe's

Since I'm still getting comments on the last post I made about this, I thought I'd do another one. Although products disappear for many reasons--and yes, one of those reasons is that some of our buyers just don't understand the market, I'm afraid--there's always something new. Here's some of it.

1. Pomegranate juice blends, $2.79 for 16 oz. Y'all have probably been aware of the extreme buzz about the antioxidant properties of pomegranate, and the proliferation of pom products in the last couple of years. TJ's introduced its pomegranate juice blends about a month ago in the east, and they're quite good. I've tried the cherry and blueberry blends, both were very satisfying. All juices involved in these blends are good juices, not the apple and grape that you're used to seeing on ingredient labels. They're great cut with either sparkling or flat water.

2. Frozen French Toast, $1.79 in the freezer section. You wouldn't think frozen French toast would work, but it does. Obviously it's not as good as home made, but it's a decent substitute. (Also, for anybody who cares, the multigrain frozen waffles are back in stock after being unavailable for several months.)

3. Cashew Macadamia Butter, $5.99, on the grocery aisle. Mmmmmmm. I love this stuff. It hangs together fairly well after its initial stirring, at least I haven't had it re-separate, the way peanut butters can. Great on toast, and on celery, and I keep meaning to make cookies with it, using a peanut butter cookie recipe.

3a. Peanut Butter, $1.79. One of the better bargains on TJ's shelves. Similar natural style butters cost $2.99 and up in regular stores. This stuff has no added sugar, and is available in salt-free as well. Crunchy and creamy. Makes fantastic peanut butter cookies using the recipe in The Joy of Cooking.

4. Cotswold Pub Cheese, price varies by weight. This cheese, a Gloucester with chive and onion, is delightful. Serve at room temperature on crackers or whatever you want.

5. Gingerbread Crown Cake, $4.99, in the bakery section of the store. Fantastic stuff, in fact, I might have listed this before. The gingerbread stands out from the lemon and chocolate varieties by not being overly sweet. The spicy bite of this confection surprised me the first time I had it. Great with coffee or tea, would be good to take to a pot-luck thing of any kind.

6. Sweet Potato Fries, $2.99 in the frozen section. OK, I haven't tried these, but I think it's great that TJ's has them frozen. It's on my list of stuff to make soon. Sweet potatoes, which are surprisingly low on the glycemic index, are chock full of nutrients, and make lovely fries.

7. Sugar Snap Peas. $1.79 in the frozen section. Sticking with frozen for a bit, because I tend to think that's TJ's strongest section, these are lovely. It's nice to be able to get them year 'round. Try defrosting them in the microwave and eating them cold for a healthy, tasty snack. And while you're in the frozen veggie aisle, check out the Asparagus Cuts and Tips, also $1.79. Defrost and use in a salad; it's not the same as fresh asparagus, but this product is much better than I expected. Perfect for risottos, fritattas, quiches and soups.

8. Tuna Pouches, $1.39 for a single-serving pouch in the grocery section. This comes in red and yellow curry, and they're both good. Pay no attention to the high fat content! This product makes a cheap, satisfying and very tasty lunch. The red is fairly spicy, so if you shy away from spicy food, go with the milder yellow curry. (TJ's also stocks red and yellow curry sauce in bottles, but I have no idea if it's the same sauce as used in these pouches.)

9. Lavender Liquid Dish Soap, $1.89, household products section. You could pay a lot more for dish soap that smells nice from Meyer's or Method, or you could go to TJ's and get the cheap stuff. It smells pretty good, and it will get your dishes clean, which is all that really matters.

10. Chicken Breast with Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary, $4.99, refrigerated section. This is a whole breast marinated, grilled and ready for your serving pleasure. I've put it on several different salads, including one with berries that worked really well. Also nice on sandwiches, and I'll bet it would do well in a cold pasta dish.

Recipe Time

I cooked myself some dinner after what seems like a very long time not cooking.

We're not talking about a huge production number, but I made a couple of discoveries, and I'm preserving the recipe so I can remember it. You might want to try something similar, if the spirit moves you.

Lobster Ravioli in Spinach Sauce
Serves One
Total cooking time about 15 minutes

1 cup fresh lobster ravioli (I got mine at TJ's, obviously.)

Slip raviolis into boiling water; cook about five minutes, or until all raviolis float to the top. Remove ravioli from water with a slotted spoon and set aside. (When cooking for one, you can use a small mesh strainer that fits over your pot of hot water, which keeps the ravioli warm while the sauce finishes. This doesn't work well when cooking for more than two people.)

Sauce:

1/4 orange bell pepper, diced medium
1/2 cup frozen spinach
A bit of olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup mascarpone
salt and pepper to taste
Grind or two of nutmeg

(Note, I used the red salt from TJ's, which is fantastic.)

Heat oil in a skillet and add peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, until edges turn a little brown, about four minutes. Add defrosted spinach; cook another minute or so; add garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low and continue to stir veg. mixture for about another mnute or so to give your pan time to cool down a bit. (I used a regular Calphalon saute pan, which I've had since 1992.) Add the mascarpone, stir mixture until the cheese melts. Remove from heat, toss ravioli with sauce and serve immediately.

(If you think your pan is too hot, remove from heat a couple of minutes before you add the mascarpone. Don't scorch the cheese, because you're not going to deglaze the pan in this version of the sauce.)

Notes: This sauce is not creamy, but it is very rich, possibly too rich. (It does a nice job of sticking to the pasta.) I may substitute a dry white wine and unsalted butter next time I try it. Still want the richness of butterfat, but maybe not as much. The red salt from TJ's has a bit of a spicy aftertaste. If you don't have access to that, a dash of red pepper would provide the same gentle kick. (But if you can get your hands on that red salt, do it. You won't regret it.)

The spinach and orange pepper look fantastic against the orangey-colored pasta in the ravioli and made for a striking dish. Very pleased. I considered pureeing the spinach but since I dined alone, I decided not to--a good decision, I think.

The ingredients in the sauce were things I randomly pulled from the larder. Feel free to make substitutions at will, according to what you have laying around.

Also, I found that I had a bit too much salt for my palate, so I corrected the seasoning with a teensy dribble of grade B maple syrup. You could use a light honey or regular sugar if you needed to do the same thing. ("A teensy dribble is probably about a quarter teaspoon; I don't measure precisely for sauces.)

Top Ten Trader Joe's Products, again

The last time I made this list was a couple of years ago. Things have changed, people.

Also, I work for Trader Joe's now, but I still shop there. As a bit of a bonus, I've told you where to find them if you can get to the store. As per usual, Trader Joe's does not mail order, and if you complain about having to drive a bit of a distance to get to one, I know some people in Florida who will laugh at you.

1. Blood Orange Juice, juices, $3.99 for 32 oz. Damn, this stuff is good. The flavor is about half way between orange and grapefruit. It looks like tomato juice, which takes some getting used to. Fantastic beverage with very dark chocolate.

2. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, grocery, $4.99 for 4 oz. Every foodie must have this. The price beats ordinary vanilla extract, and the rich flavor can't be beat. TJ's other extracts are a real bargain, big bottles of lemon, almond and peppermint for $1.99. Go ahead and stock up; they'll keep.

3. Cheese Enchiladas, frozen, $3.99 for a tray that serves four. (Says three, but it serves four.) This is a pretty tasty approximation of legitimate cheese enchiladas. Cooking hint: defrost in the microwave for five minutes, then bake for about 20 minutes in the regular oven at 350. Let the thing sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Tasty!

4. Chocolate Chips, grocery, $1.99 for a 12 oz. bag. These are not your grandma's chocolate chips. The chocolate in the chips is Callebaut, also known as the world's finest baking chocolate. So keep the recipe for Toll House Cookies on the back of the yellow bag, but bake them with these nummy chips.

5. Single Origin Dark Chocolates, candy, $7.99. What you get is a selection of half-ounce squares of four dark chocolates, all made from cocoa from a single plantation. My favorite is the one from the Dominican Republic. At 75% cocoa, it's surprisingly smooth and light with a true chocolate taste and no fruity overtones. The selection from Ecuador is nice, too. The serving size is perfect for a treat with a cup of coffee, and the presentation makes it a nice gift at a low price point.

6. Wild Blueberry Pie, fresh bakery, $6.99. I love this pie; I'm going to marry this pie. In four hours on a Sunday afternoon, my enthusiasm for this pie helped me sell 60 of them. If you warm it up for 15-20 minutes in a slow oven, it will pass for home made. I am not kidding; it will. Served with heavy cream, it's a slice of heaven. Served without cream, it's still a nice treat that won't break the calorie bank.

7. Chicken Pot Pie, frozen, $3.99. OK, here's the thing. You could bake this at home, but the herbs in the sauce would cost more than the frozen variety. The sauce is what makes this dish, it's so well flavored, and it cooks up in about half an hour. Don't try it in the microwave, but you can use the defrost and bake technique as described in the Enchilada entry. Another easy dinner.

8. Sushi, refrigerated, prices vary. This isn't raw, and actual food reviewers give this pre-packaged sushi high marks. The best deal is the platter, at $5.99 for 24 pieces. Only the lowfat California roll disappoints at all, and I just don't care for those, even when they are fresh. This stuff is shockingly good for breakfast. The rice is appropriately sticky, the fish is fresh, and it comes with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger. My favorites are the spicy California rolls and the salmon rolls.

9. Mediterranean Yogurt, dairy, $2.79 for 16 oz. As good as the Total Greek yogurt, at half the price. It's great in dips, and great with honey and fruit. It's also good enough to eat plain, which is the highest praise for any yogurt.

10. Horseradish Hummus, refrigerated, $1.79 for 8 oz. Now, I'm not a fan of weird hummus flavors, but horseradish seems to be a natural addition. TJ's version is balanced, and it just works. I love this stuff.

Post Christmas Food Thoughts

I'll skip the details about the Dysfunctional Family Christmas dinnner and go straight to the food, which was lovely.

I cooked my first prime rib. It was a bit underdone, but I like my meat bloody, so that was OK. The mushroom sauce I did was amazing, if I do say so myself. It was kind of ad-hoc, so here are my recollections, in case I ever want to make it again.

Remove stems from a pound of Crimini mushrooms. Slice thin. Sweat in a pan for about 10 minutes on high to medium heat. Add two cloves garlic at the end, so you don't burn the garlic. One quarter teaspoon each mace, dry mustard, salt. Few grinds of black pepper. Splash of balsamic vinegar. Set mushroom mixture aside in a bowl.

Mince two shallots. Cook over high heat in 1 tbsp butter for about five minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to deglaze pan. Add mushroom mixture, and more butter. Salt and pepper, and more balsamic vinegar, drop by drop, to taste. If you have pan drippings, add those, too. Serve over rare beef.

Now, impromptu blue cheese dressing. Crumble 4 oz. gorgonzola, place in bowl of stand mixer, flat mixing blade. Add 1/3 c. mayonnaise, 1/4 c. sour cream, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt. Mix for two minutes.

Very thick dressing, may be thinned with water, or used as is as a dip. Best on a salad with mild greens and crunchy veggies, and don't spare the croutons!

Sauces make a meal, people.

Let's hear it for lard

Today's New York Times informs us that lard is good. I call that news that's definitely fit to print.

I grew up with a horror of fat. I wouldn't touch chicken skin, or the fatty part of brisket, or egg yolks. Mayonnaise was the nastiest thing I'd ever laid my eyes on. How butter escaped my notice is a mystery. I suppose I was seduced by the rush of a short stack of pancakes, when you get to the middle part where the butter melts all the way through the stack.

Excuse me while I swoon.

Anyway, animal fat is a boon to cooks and eaters alike.

A few years ago, I finally experienced a piece of fried chicken with the skin on. How was it? Transcendent barely scratches the surface. A well-cooked brisket with a layer of glistening fat? Oh dear, did I just float out of my chair?

There are molecular reasons why lard is great for cooking, but since I am not that well versed in the language of molecules, I'll skip them. Ultimately, fat is about mouthfeel and taste. Triple creme brie slides over the tongue so beautifully that you'll never want to go back to your rubbery low-fat cheese. I'd rather give up cheese than eat that junk.

I'm not promoting a high fat diet, but if you're going to have fried chicken, have it with the skin on. It's just better. If you're having pancakes, have butter, not that nasty margarine. Again, it's better. You feel good while you're eating pancakes with butter, at least I do.

The thing I love about food is that I can enjoy it, otherwise, eating and cooking would be a drag. Animal fats take the drag out of food.

So put down that salad and go get yourself a piece of pie with a nice, flaky crust!

More weird stuff from the supermarket

I'm glad that I find something to amuse me at the supermarket from time to time, otherwise shopping for food would be a real drag.

Most recent findings:

Natural Cheetos, from Frito-Lay. First off, it's the puffy variety of the Cheeto, which is nasty. I think I tried them once, and it was gross. Crunchy Cheetos are much better. Also, this thing is white, and part of the thrill of eating Cheetos is the telltale orange Cheeto dust that stains your fingers.

Besides, there's just nothing natural about Cheetos; they do not grow on trees. No amount of white cheddar pretension will make the product seem any more like it occurs in nature.

Next up is Betty Crocker Pour & Frost^tm. This is ADHD frosting; so if you can't wait and can't pay attention long enough to frost a cake the way normal people do, with buttercream, you're in chocolate or vanilla luck.

It's not like frosting is an unpleasant chore, unless you're obsessing about it, in which case, don't; but if you're using canned frosting in the first place, I feel safe in assuming that you aren't Martha Stewart. You're not going to pipe the score to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on your cake in melted chocolate, or anything like that.

Anyway. postmodern frosting: handy if you're the super-est of supermoms, I guess.

Now available in the Scared of Knives aisle of your supermarket

Spam Singles.

You heard me. It's Spam, hermetically sealed in a foilish pouch, one slice at a time. I have no idea how much this special little trinket retails for, because I haven't actually seen it on the shlves of my local supermarkets, but the tuna fish that is similarly packaged is more expensive than tuna in a can, and as with the spam, there's less actual tuna in the pouches.

So you pay more for less product in packaging that cannot be recycled. Advantage? Um.... I don't know. This fits in the same category as pre-shredded iceberg lettuce, pre-grated cheese, and the ubiquitous juice box. Yeah, yeah, I know. Mom can't be bothered to pour juice into those little Rubbermaid containers, and kids can't keep up with the empty ones, anyway, so why bother? Any why drag out the food processor that's sitting in some cabinet unused, even though you were so glad when you got it as a Christmas/birthday/wedding gift, when you can just as easily buy the cheese already grated or sliced and not have to wash the gadget and put it away.

I'm not against innovation. Hell, I don't even have a land line. I use my cell phone, and I don't bother to have a stereo system because I've got a computer and iTunes, and that works just fine. But I do have knives, and they work great for slicing things like Spam. And cheese, and lettuce. Knives have been around for centuries, and nobody has come up with anything better. (Note that I have no issue with pre-sliced cheese, because to slice softer cheeses for sandwiches at home, you have to freeze the cheese  first, and that requires a bit of foresight. I may be demanding, but I try not to be unreasonable when it comes to making sandwiches.)

Also, slicing is not that hard to do, especially not when the slicee is a food product such as Spam. (Or hard cheese, or lettuce for that matter.) I can shred a whole head of iceberg lettuce in less than a minute, and my knife tehnique isn't that good.  Maybe if you are having 200 people over for tacos, you won't have 15 minutes to shred your lettuce.

But how many of us are really hosting a Taco Fiesta? Or a Spam Fry, for that matter.

So the bottom line is: Velveeta Slices, yes. Best grilled cheese sandwich filling, and Velveeta is a pain in the ass to slice from a block. Spam Singles, no. Funny sounds on the web site aside, this product adds nothing to the culinary firmament. It's just an attempt to sell more Spam. And that's not really a good thing, either.

Pre-shredded lettuce (see also: coleslaw in a bag) is also a big no.

Rant from cooking purist over, as long as nobody gets me started on instant oatmeal.

Are you sitting down?

In browsing the Cook's Illustrated web site, which I may be doing a bit more often if my cable really is out forever, I came across this, and I had to share.

Mayonnaise might not be the most exciting item in the refrigerator, but given that it is a $1 billion industry, one thing is for certain: Americans buy the creamy, white condiment on a regular basis

It's more than a condiment: it's an industry. That's right,  gentle readers. Americans spend one billion dollars a year on mayonnaise. 

A food that any idiot can make in a blender is an economic force.  This frightens me on so many levels, you just don't know.

Adventures in root vegetables

I finally got around to making my carrot cake. I had to scrounge through the remaining carrots to find some that were robust enough to grate, so I'm thinking that the rest may go the way of the passenger piegon.  I may have little choice but to give up on them.

Anyway, the cake looks nice enough. I used a recipe that calls for a lot of ginger instead of the normal junk that goes in, so I'll report back later on the taste. I haven't frosted it yet, but I am going to try my idea of mascarpone in a cream cheese frosting recipe.  I am of the opinion that with mascarpone, nothing bad can happen, so I assume that will turn out well.  If not, I'll pitch the whole thing and sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar.

Yes, I know that's technically cheating, but whatever.

I also made scalloped potatoes, and despite a mishap with the cheese, it seems like that will work out reasonably well. I'm serving this with ham. Glorious ham! I figured that since it's that ham time of year, and since ham is on sale, I may as well get one. I need to put it in the oven after the potatoes come out. And I'll make some nice green beans. That at least passes as a vegetable.

If  this sounds like a proper meal, I guess so.  Rob is coming over, though I had to lure him with pork products, so at least I won't be eating alone.  It happens more often than you'd think that I cook a lovely meal and end up eating by myself because the other people who live in my house are freaks.

But that's a whole 'nother story.