This weekend I decided to try a few more dishes for Super Bowl. One of those dishes was Emeril Lagasse’s Salsa from the Food Network site. I really enjoyed this recipe, it couldn’t be easier or quicker. The flavor was fresh and delicious. The jalapenos added a nice little kick. I loved the combination of the lemon and lime juice, it gave the dish a greater depth of flavor than salsas I have tried with just lemon or lime. This dish could be changed up in a number of ways. I chopped my tomatoes, you can feel free to dice them smaller if you like. I really like a chunky salsa. If you aren’t a big fan of cilantro then you can leave it out, cut it back, or trade it out for parsley. Keep in mind this dish is not going to taste like the salsa you get out of the jar. This dish is designed to highlight fresh tomatoes and it truly does just that. So without further ado, here is Emeril’s Salsa.
Salsa
1/2 cup blanched corn
4 ripe Italian plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (you can leave the peels on, if you don’t want to take the time to peel them)
1/2 minced onion
1 tsp. minced jalapeno peppers
2 Tbls. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbls. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the corn, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Mix well. Season the salsa with salt and pepper. Set the salsa aside (for 15 minutes or more). (Emeril serves his with andouille potato cakes - I found it to be a great compliment to quesadillas.)
You can file this one under the “I would do anything for you, my readers” category. This weekend I decided I would start doing a showdown with foods for my blog. I started with ice cream, seems like a logical place to start to me. If you need me to eat two cartons of frozen treats, then I am definitely here for you. This is going to be similar to the Food TV face-off. I take two products that are the same (example - balsamic vinegar) or similar (example - coffee ice cream vs. coffee frozen yogurt) and compare them for you. I am not sure if everyone can get their hands on Gifford’s Frozen Yogurt, I know I couldn’t when I lived on the west coast for a year. I apologize in advance, if you can’t get your hands on Gifford’s Ice Cream and Yogurt, some of their flavors are fabulous.
On to the match up. The two products were Starbucks Coffee Almond Fudge Ice Cream and Gifford’s Cappuccino Low Fat Frozen Yogurt with Cappuccino pieces. I know there is a huge group of people who hate Starbucks. I have to say I am not a huge fan of Starbucks regular coffee, but do enjoy their fancier drinks, although that has nothing to do with today’s challenge. I apologize if you hate Starbucks, but maybe next week I will try something you like so stay tuned. Now on to the challenge.
The Starbucks brand had a smooth, creamy texture with a strong coffee flavor. The chocolate covered almond pieces are divine. I love ice creams with things to pick out. The coffee flavor was rich and delicious and not in any way overpowering. Now for the Gifford’s brand. I have to say this is a frozen yogurt and I often find the texture is pretty different between frozen yogurt and ice cream. I would dare say if you gave this to someone without telling them it was frozen yogurt they would say it was ice cream. The Gifford’s product did not have as strong a coffee flavor and what it did have for coffee flavor tasted more artificial. I am not sure what it was exactly, but there is a funny backnote to this frozen yogurt. The texture was decent and there were chunks of cappuccino candy, but not very big chunks.(I would call them crumbles) I would say for those watching their calories this may be a nice little treat every now and again. While the flavor was not as good as the Starbucks, it was still a pretty good product. The calorie savings between the two was substantial. The Gifford’s came in at 110 calories per 1/2 cup and the Starbucks came in at 250 calories per 1/2 cup. The difference in fat was nothing short of amazing - Gifford’s came in at 1.5 g total fat with 1 g saturated, while Starbucks came in at 13 g total fat with 7 g saturated fat. So, I leave it to you to decide if you want to be good and eat the Gifford’s or if you want to walk on the dark side and eat the Starbucks. (I would highly recommend walking on the dark side every now and again.)
My husband and I went to Boston a couple of years ago for Valentine’s Day. It was one of those bitter cold winters in New England and we ventured out into the -25° temperatures to find breakfast with only one pair of mittens between us. I am not making this up, we lost one of the two pairs of mittens we had along the way, so we both put one mitten on and put our other hands in our pockets. It was quite a visit, but we still enjoyed ourselves. We were staying near Government Center, where Kinsale is located. We were both happy to find a place open for brunch on that blustery Sunday. We got lucky that the restaurant we found was great! In fact, we went back the next day for breakfast again.
Kinsale does a special Sunday brunch with the all the usuals including breakfast sandwiches, omelets, and french toast. They also serve special drinks like mimosas. The french toast was made with brioche bread and served with orange marmalade. I really love marmalade, so this dish was great for me. The french toast wasn’t too eggy, like it tends to be when you order it in restaurants. The pancakes were also excellent with blueberries and ricotta cheese. My husband really enjoyed the restaurant. The pub was built in Ireland and brought stateside. It is truly a beautiful place, warm and cozy with a nice atmosphere. During the summer months you can eat outside at one of the sidewalk tables. You can also catch some live music here.
They serve lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast. The prices are what you would expect in Boston, not really pricey, but not as cheap as you can find in the suburbs.
Vegetarian Options: Yes, although not an extensive list
I recently saw this little bundt pan and just couldn’t resist putting a little blurb about it on my blog. I haven’t tried one of these pans, but I think it’s a great idea. If you have a die hard sports fan in your family and you really love game day eats, this may be the pan for you. It retails for around $30. You can find it at Amazon.com or Williams Sonoma. Click on the photo above to link to Amazon’s page. Both stadium pans are cast aluminum with non-stick coating. Williams Sonoma’s variety has a 9 cup capacity, while the Amazon one has a 10 cup capacity.
Here are a couple of bundt recipes for you to try in your new Stadium Bundt Pan. (Recipes may not be exactly 9 or 10 cup capacity)
I have been thinking about this site a lot lately. I think it’s important to provide you with lots of information on everything from kitchen skills to recipes. I hope these pieces help to make your kitchen experiences more enjoyable.
Today I am going to talk about avocados. I thought avocados were a great ingredient to talk about in the week before Super Bowl. So here’s a little history and helpful information on avocados. Check out the end of this piece for recipes with avocados.
Avocados have long been misunderstood, one of those fruits that most people consider a vegetable and given the notorious distinction of being fatting. Avocados are high in fat, but good fat. This fruit is native to Central and South America, but of course, grown elsewhere now. The most popular variety of all avocados is the dark skinned Hass (also known as Haas) avocado. Another common type in the US is the Florida avocado, which is larger and lighter in color. Avocado has a great creamy texture that works great with spicier Tex-Mex foods. The most common of all avocado dishes is, of course, guacamole. Hass avocados work great in guacamole, with their incredibly smooth and creamy texture.
You can find avocados year round. Avocados are considered ripe when they give slightly to a gentle squeeze. Be very careful when squeezing an avocado, they bruise easily. A couple of things I did realize about avocados is they should be stored in the fridge (for up to a week) once ripened and you can mash avocados with lemon or lime juice and store them frozen for up to five months.
Today I am starting a new video series called Nicky’s Quick Tips. These videos are going to be short, 1 - 3 minutes. Today’s video is on segmenting citrus fruits. I hope you enjoy these little tips. If you have any suggestions for tips or video recipes please email me or leave a comment.
To watch the video please click the play button on the image below:
If you are having trouble viewing this video, please view it at this link.
Finding a good blueberry muffin recipe is sometimes a challenge. This recipe from Ina Garten is delicious. The sour cream really makes the muffins moist. These muffins aren’t dense and heavy, like some muffins can be. Although, I do have to say they are probably pretty dense in calories. The flavor is excellent, I especially like to make them with wild Maine blueberries. I use frozen berries this time of the year. I also liked to modify the recipe a little bit and add a tsp. of lemon zest and a little bit a lemon juice. I find blueberry and lemon really compliment one another.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins - Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa Family Style
12 Tbls. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems (I find 2 cups frozen work fine here too)
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional) and little bit of lemon juice (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
I love the term zest, both in cooking and in life. Citrus zest can punch up any baked good and having zest for life, well that’s just a good way to go. Let’s look at zest in terms of food. Today’s daily definition comes from newitalianrecipes.com.
“The thin, brightly colored outer part of the rind of citrus fruits. The oils make it ideal for use as a flavoring. Remove the zest with a grater, citrus zester, or vegetable peeler. Be careful to remove only the colored layer, not the bitter-white pith beneath it.”
If you ever have the chance to visit the White Mountain region in New Hampshire, then I highly suggest you do. Fall is a particularly beautiful time of year, but all the seasons are great in this area. There are a number of activities including hiking, biking, and skiing. Many tourists visit this area and there are a number of restaurants that cater to them.
Scarecrow Pub & Grill in Intervale is an inexpensive place to grab a bite to eat or a drink. Scarecrow is not a fancy restaurant, hence the pub in the title. This is not to say that the food is not good. The prices are great. They serve a bunch of options including Italian and American dishes. I really enjoyed my baked manicotti’s and garlic bread. The American foods include the typical choices like burgers and fries. They also serve some good old fashioned desserts at a great price. If you don’t want to have to pay the usually high prices in the White Mountains, then this is a good place to visit. A word to the wise, the last time I visited they were only taking cash payments, although that may have changed.
One of the tools I use most frequently in my kitchen is my tapered end wooden rolling pin. I use to have a marble rolling pin. Marble pins are suppose to be great for rolling out doughs and pastry, but I never really saw how it worked any better than this tapered end rolling pin. I love this rolling pin for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons I love it is that it is very light weight. I found the marble pin I had was very clunky. This point also brings me to another reason why I love this little pin, it has no handles. The handles on my old rolling pins often seemed flimsy and gave me little control over the pin. My tapered end rolling pin works great, the dough rolls out evenly with minimal pressure.
The only problem I had with this pin was getting use to flouring it enough to keep doughs from sticking. Once you start adding flour to the pin before you roll your dough and a couple of times during the rolling process there are no problems. This is a great little tool and fairly inexpensive, I think I picked mine up for $12.95.
vs.
This weekend I decided to try a few more dishes for Super Bowl. One of those dishes was Emeril Lagasse’s Salsa from the Food Network site. I really enjoyed this recipe, it couldn’t be easier or quicker. The flavor was fresh and delicious. The jalapenos added a nice little kick. I loved the combination of the lemon and lime juice, it gave the dish a greater depth of flavor than salsas I have tried with just lemon or lime. This dish could be changed up in a number of ways. I chopped my tomatoes, you can feel free to dice them smaller if you like. I really like a chunky salsa. If you aren’t a big fan of cilantro then you can leave it out, cut it back, or trade it out for parsley. Keep in mind this dish is not going to taste like the salsa you get out of the jar. This dish is designed to highlight fresh tomatoes and it truly does just that. So without further ado, here is Emeril’s Salsa.
