The Fumbling Foodie

A Smoker!

I bought a Bradley Smoker. It is a result of my quest to find ways to cook various cust of meat in ways that add flavor and make them interesting without out the use of a high-fat suace.

So how does it work? The big box is about the size of a small refrigerator. It has racks and a heating element. The small box on the left is the smoke generaor. It used wood chips that have been compressed into the shape of a small hockey puck. You can see the feed tube on top of the smoke generator.

Essentially, you put the food into the big box, a stack of pucks into the feed tube, turn it on and walk away.

While it's running, it is making this wonderfully-smelling smoke that escapes through a vent in the top. The backyard (and probably the neighbors' yards too) are rich with the scent of your favorite smoke. My wife's favorite is Hickory.

 

In Search of Authentic British Bangers

A long long time ago I made frequent business trips to the UK. I still remember the first morning of my first trip. Still suffering from jet lag, I stumbled down the hotel stairs to the room in which breakfast was being served.  It was buffet style.  Amongs the eggs, bacon and other stuff were these big fat sausages that I later learned were called 'Bangers'.

They had a flavor very different from any other sausage I'd ever eaten. Much later I learned that the unique flavor was due to the inclusion of Rusk (a particular kind of breadcrumbs) and a blend of spices. I quickly came to love that flavor.

I am on a quest to find British Bangars that taste the way I remember. It is not an easy task.  There is a British pub near my house that has great bangers.  Most of the bangers I've bought for cooking here at home have not mesured up, unfortunately.

There is an upscale supermarket not far from here that sells bangers but woever makes them seems to think that one of the ingredients is chili powder. Chili powder in a banger??? Even local specialty sausage makers don't seem to know how to make a proper banger. As a result, I've resorted to ordering via the Internet.

Yesterday two packages arrived containing six different brands and styles of bangers.  Over the next few weeks I'll be conducting an extended taste test and recording my results.  When I hit upon the authentic-tasting banger I'll publish it here.

Zucchini Salad With Fresh Herbs

I've finally found a zucchini dish that my Sweet Lady Wife actually likes. (sound of little happy dance.)

Stroll right now on over to Amazon.com and buy a copy of La Tartine Gormande by Beatrice Peltre. I've been following her blog for a long time but acquired her cookbook only a few days ago.

Her cookbook is full of recipes that are easy to make, delicious, and beautiful. Oeufs en Cocette, for example, looks too beautiful to eat.

You may be looking at the photo and saying to yourself, "I don't have a mandoline." I have good news for you. Kyocera makes a nice julienne slicer for about $25. I have one and I used it to julienne these zucchinis. It works every bit as well as a $300 mandoline.

Making this was as easy as julienning the zucchini, tossing with the niniagrette, and sprinking on some fresh herbs. (I used parsley and mint).

I'm not going to give away the whole recipe tough. I want you to buy Beatrice's book. 

Madeleines

It's things like this that remind me why my favorite cuisine is French.

Madeleines are small shell-shaped pastries with a cake-like texture.  Buy a non-stick madaleine pan. It will be worth it.

Madeleines are the perfect combination of dirt-simple to make, unique and tasty for those times when you have guests.  They really are simple.  Here is the recipe I used to make these. It's from The Art of French Baking by Ginette Mathoit:

2 extra large eggs
9 tblsp unsalted butter (melted but cool)
1-1/3 cups al-purpose flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teasp. vanilla
1 pich salt 

Preheat the oven to 400F. Whisk the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until they are a pale yellow and have tripled in volume.  fold in the flour, butter, vanilla, salt. 

Fill each madaleine mold about half full, making sure the entire bottom of the mold is covered. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Simple Pan Sauce Turns Ordinary Hamburger Patty into Something Special

You've just come home from a tough day at the office and you are really too exhausted to cook up something special. You've decided to settle for frying up hamburger patties. How about turning them into Hamburger au Poivre?

You need some dried minced onions, a few grinds of black pepper, and some beef broth.  If you want to take this to the next level you could:

• Substitute demi-glace for the beef broth. 
• Coarsely grind whole peppercorns in a mortar and pestle.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how to fry a hamburger patty (Let's call it saute. it sounds so much more elegant.) When the patties have reached their desired level of doneness remove then from the pan and tent with foil. 

Pour a cup of beef broth into the pan and deglaze it.  Add the minced onion and pepper. Let the broth reduce a bit to whatever consistency you desire. To serve, put the hamburger patty on a plate and pour a little of the sauce on top. 

 

Sautéed Eggplant

In Venice, Italy there is a world-famous restaurant named Harry's Bar. They've published a cookbook. I can't afford a trip to Venice but I can afford the cookbook. What follows is an adaptation of Melazane Al Funghetto (Eggplant Cooked LIke Mushrooms). It is Medifast-friendly. My Sweet Lady Wife could not believe it was eggplant.

1 medium eggplant
minced garlic 
1 plum tomato
italian parsley

Peel the eggplant and dice it into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the tomato. Put a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. dump in the eggplant. Let the eggplant saute for 5 minutes then add the garlic, tomato, and parsley. Let cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

 

The Best Italian Beef Sandwich in Phoenix

I have been on a quest to find the best Italian Beef Sandwich in Phoenix. I have been all over this valley and have eaten many a sandwich claiming to be Italian Beef. I won't hold you in suspense any longer:

Lukes of Chicago

You may not know it but the bun is crucial to a succsessful Italian Beef Sandwich.  A good one is almost dripping with juice, and of course the bread absorbs a lot of it.  The bun needs to hold together under this assault from the juice.  Most buns simply disintegrate.  Luke's understands this and uses a bun that is soft but chewy and the glutens hold it together.

The beef is tasty with a touch of spiciness - probably to accomodate our southwestern tastebuds.

 

No Pink Slime at A.J.'s Fine Foods

With all the talk about major supermarket chains adding Pink Slime to their grand beef, I contacted AJ's Fine foods and asked if they use it.  Their reply was that they absolutely do not:

"Aj’s has never added anything to our ground beef. We grind all our beef daily and use all the trimmings from our steaks and no additives or fillers."

Eggies: Save Your Money

Click on the link to watch a video about Eggies:

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/15235264/does-it-work-wednesday-eggies

Sautéed Spinach and Zucchini - Medifast Style

Sauteed spinach and zucchini is a classic French dish that is not commonly servered in the USA and it's flavor is distinctive.  I've taken the classic recipe (which includes lots of butter) and adapted it for dieters on the Medifast program:

 Ingredients:

•  1 lb zucchini. small ones are the best
• 1/2 lb baby spinach leaves
• PInch of Mrs Dash

Blanch the spinach for about a minute.  Let it drain and cool.  Using your hands, attempt to squeeze as muchwater out as you can. Trim the ends off the zucchinis and peal them.  Grate then in the food procesor. Let them drain and use your hands to attempt to squeeze as much liquid out as you can.

Put the zucchini in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss frequently. Cook until the zucchini begins to get tender.  Add the spinach.  Stir and toss. stir and toss.

Just before removing from the stove, add a 1/2 tespoon Mrs Dash.

Variation: If your 'Lean' portion allows a healthy fat serving then in place of the Mrs Dash try adding two tespoons of 'I Can't Beilieve It's Not Butter' margerine.

This should yield enough for two 'Madifasters'.

Serve each person 1 cup.  This counts as two of your three 'Green' serviings.