COOKING TIP: Panini

Panini (plulal; singular, panino) are Italian sandwiches made on bread, other than sliced bread (eg; ciabatta, focaccio, baguette, etc) that are filled with meats, cheeses and /or grilled vegetables.While the sandwich does not need to be grilled, Americans, generally, are not aware of this. This is because American cafes usually do coat both sides of the bread with butter or oil and  grill them using a  heated grill device that grills the sandwich on both sides on, simultaneously. The device is called a grill press and produces a grilled sandwich with crisp outsides and distinctive grill marks on both sides.. If you want to make Panini but do not have a grill press, wrap a building brick in heavy duty aluminium foil. Butter or oil the bread on both sides of your sandwich(es), place on a grill pan on medium heat, and place the brick on top to weigh the sandwich down. Cook until there are distinct grill marks on the outside of the bread and then turn over and repeat the process on the other side until done. This will give you a perfect Panini every time. This procedure works just as well for making a Cuban sandwich, another great sandwich in which the bread is grilled.

COOKING TIP: All About Rice

ALL ABOUT RICE

Humans started eating rice over 5000 years ago. It has It is the second largest worldwide production after maize (corn). People all over the world eat it and in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America it is consider their premier nutritional source. Therefore, every cook, food lover and Foodie, should know something about it.

Rice is a whole grain containing bran, the germ and endosperm. If you remove the outer hull, the bran and the germ, you are left with a white kernel - white rice. Since much of the nutritional content of the white rice kernel is lost in the preparation process, vitamins are frequently added to make up for this loss. This gives you “enriched” white rice. Colored rice which has its inedible hull removed but retains both the bran and germ, while they take longer to cook, are more nutritious. See below.

Rice is frequently categorized by its size: long, medium or short.

Long grain rice is 3 - 4 times as long as its width. Examples are Jasmine and Basmati which are commonly used in Asian, Indian, and Latin American cooking. *

Medium grain rice kernels are shorter; 2 -3 length compared to width. Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialoni nana for Risotto, Bomba for Paella and sushi rice are examples of medium rice.

Short grained rice is squat, almost round and can be used interchangeably, with medium grains for risotto or rice pudding.

How rice differs in its texture when cooked is determined by the amounts of the two starches - amylose and amylopectin - that are contained in the rice.

Long grain rice has more amylose and, because of this, stays fluffy and separate when cooked.

 Medium and short grained rice are higher in the “sticky starch” amylopectin, so they cook up moist and clingy.

*Long grain white rice should be washed before cooking to remove excess starch on the outside of the kernels which will make the rice less sticky and give you fluffier and more individual kernels. However, if you are using vitamin/mineral added (enriched) rice (most U.S white rice) you may be washing some of the nutrients applied to the kernels. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

 OTHERS

Glutinous (Sweet or Sticky) rice contains only amylopectin and it cooks up super – sticky when cooked, often by steaming. Many Asian dishes, both sweet and savory call for this type of rice.

Wild rice is not a rice, but an aquatic grass largely grown in California and Minnesota which, as brown and other whole grain rice, is very nutritious.

Instant rice is a fully precooked and dehydrated rice that recooks very quickly.

Parboiled rice (e.g. Uncle Ben’s) is rice that has been soaked and steamed before the outer hull is removed. By this process nutrients, which otherwise would be lost, are absorbed and retained. The parboiling partially cooks the grains starch so that the cooked kernels are fluffy but firm

COLORED RICES

Brown rice undergoes minimal processing, thus, most of its nutrients; protein, fiber and healthy Bran are retained. Because of the oil in the bran, however, its shelf life compared to white rice - three to five years to forever - is only six months.

Black or Purple rice, which derive their color from several chemical substances in the inner portion of the bran, add protective antioxidant properties in addition to the other nutrients in their whole grain rice kernels.

Red rice is a special variety of rice, deriving its rich, red color due containing to color producing phytochemicals called anthocyanins. These pigment producing components add protective antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activities in addition to the nutrient contents of the whole grain rice kernel making red rice the most nutritious of all the different rice.

 

 

 

 

 

FOOD HISTORY: Pina Colada

The Pina Colada is one of the worlds most favorite mixed drink. Pina Colada, in Spanish means, "strained pineapple" and it was developed in Puerto Rico.  While the current recipe is from them 1950's, some say the name didn't originate until the 1960's. However, Puerto Rican folklore suggests that a predecessor drink, consisting of rum, pineapple juice and coconut was served by the Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Confesi as a morale booster for his crew but when he was captured and killed in 1825, his original recipe disappeared. Further, at the beginning of the 20th century, a drink called  "Pina Fria" (cold pineapple) was mentioned in the pages of US newspapers as a "Pineapple Aide" drink and in 1952, a recipe consisting of "two fingers of cold, fresh  pineapple juice blended with 1.5 oz. of rum plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar." was published in the NY Herald Tribune. While several versions of a  rum/ pineapple juice containing beverages  appeared between Confesi's version and those  of the early1950's, it wasn't until 1954, when a key ingredient - Coco Lopez - a premade coconut cream -  was invented. Ramon Lopez-Irrizarry, born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was a Professor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico who was given a grant to develop items to boost Puerto Rican agricultural industries. One of his projects was to find an easier way to extract the cream from coconut pulp; the coconut being an important ingredient in preparing many Puerto Rican desserts. The current extraction methods were too long and costly. Lopez-Irrizarry  discovered  an easier method by blending the cream from the hearts of coconuts with an exact proportion of natural sugar. He named his  sweetened, coconut cream product Coco Lopez. It immediately had an impact on the islands culinary scene and became very popular. The invention of Coco Lopez plus a technological advance in kitchen gadgetry - the introduction of the kitchen blender -  gave rise to the Pina Colada that we know it today. The Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the source of  two versions of where and by whom, the  Pina Colada was originally concocted. The first is that a bartender named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero Perez, in 1954,  worked for three months developing this as a signature drink for the hotel and he continued to serve Pina Coladas until his retirement in the late1980's.  However, Ricardo Garcia, another bartender in the same hotel at the same time, claimed that he was the one who added strained pineapple juice to the drink and gave it it's name. Garcia was the first bartender to serve the cocktail in a hollowed-out coconut. To complicate things further, the Restaurant Barrachina in San Juan, also claims to be the place where the Pina Colada was born when the owner convinced a Spanish mixologist from Argentina, Ramon Portas Mingot, to become his head bartender.  The owner  claimed  it was this bartender who first started serving the drink to their patrons in 1963. Putting aside the controversy as to where, when and by whom the first "modern' Pina Colada was developed, the Pina Colada has become the national drink of Puerto Rico, is popular in all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and is enjoyed all over the world.

THINGS I LIKE: Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ever since I was a young man and tasted my first baked, stuffed mushroom, a totally elegant one at what was at that time a very fancy, up-scale NY restaurant, “The Forum of the Twelve Caesars”, which consisted of a large white mushroom filled with half a toasted walnut, topped with a snail and covered with snail butter sauce (butter, chopped parsley and plenty of garlic), I have been a fan of stuffed mushrooms.  Not necessarily fancy filled ones, as described above, but more the “down to earth” kind.  My “go to” stuffed mushroom, has the mushrooms filled with sweet Italian sausage, (my own home-made or store bought), pieces of toasted pine nuts, shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped Italian parsley, fennel seed and oregano, drizzled with Olive oil and baked. This has been a dish enjoyed by my wife Susan and me on a regular basis in our home. However, always trying to find new ways to modify and still enjoy familiar dishes to us, I came up with the following variety on stuffed mushrooms. It turned out to be a success because when I first served it to Susan, she said she really enjoyed them. With feed-back like that, I had to share the recipe with my friends. It follows.

 CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS

1) 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2) 1/2  C shredded, real Parmesan cheese (or Romano)  
3)  3/4 C toasted Pine nuts, coarsely chopped.
4)  1 clove minced garlic
5)  8-10 pieces of sun dried tomato in olive oil, placed in food processor until finely chopped.
6)  2 tsp dried or 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
7) TT salt* and freshly ground black pepper
8) oil from tomatoes plus Extra Virgin Olive Oil
9) 2 pints button mushrooms, medium to large size, stems removed and washed, if necessary.

PREPARATION

 Preheat oven to 375C

1) Mix ingredients 1-6 in a large bowl. Add enough of the sun-dried tomato olive oil to totally coat all ingredients (add Olive oil, if necessary) and mix. Using your clean hands is the best way.
2)  Stuff mixture into mushrooms, mounding slightly until all are filled.  Number will depend on size of mushrooms. Place on  Olive oiled or parchment lined sheet pan.
3) Place in oven and bake until, cheese is melted and mushrooms cooked through; 30-45 minutes.

Serve: individually, as an hors d’oeuvre, 2-3 as an appetizer or with a salad as a main lunch or dinner course, depending on how many you serve as a portion. 

*One should always taste, taste, taste when preparing a dish. In this case, taste stuffing mixture before adding salt since the cheeses used can vary in saltiness. Different Mozzarella cheeses may vary in their saltiness and if you are using Romano instead of Parmesan this is especially true, since Romano is saltier than Parmesan. Adjust the amount of salt to suit your taste.

FOOD TRIVIA: Ten Interesting Facts About Beer

1) California drinks the most beer in the United States.

2 The most popular US beer is Bud Lite.

3) 72 pints of beer makes a Firkin.

4) The word "bridal" comes from the 19th century Englishman's custom of taking his friends out for a final "Bride ale" the day before his wedding.

5) The first brewing of Pilsner beer took place in 1842 in  Pilsen, Bohemia, now The Czech Republic.

6) The oldest active brewery in the world, started by Benedictine monks in 1040, is Weinstephan Brewery in Bavaria, Germany.

7) Saint Brigid is the Patron Saint of beer in Ireland. Why? It is said that while working in a leper colony she ran out of beer, the safe and nutritious drink for her leper patients.
However, her blessed power allowed her to turn her bath water into beer for them.

8) A barrel of beer contains 31 gallons. What American's refer to as a "keg" actually contains 15.5 gallons; only a half barrel.

9) In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria enacted the worlds first consumer protection law. He established a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer only to barley, hops and water.

10) The Scandinavian toast "Skol" derives from "scole", a beer drinking  bowl shaped like the upper part of a human skull. the Vikings actually drank their beer from the skulls of enemies killed in battle.

COOKING TIP: Seasoning

Season food at all stages not just at the end.

When salting a dish, add the salt from a height of several inches above the dish to ensure a uniform "sprinkle".

To "waken" garlic powder, mix in an equal amount of water and saute in a little butter before adding to mashed potatoes.

Store Bay leaves in the freezer. They will retain flavor much more than those stored at room temperature.

Adding one tablespoon of unflavored gelatin to store-bought chicken broth will give the broth a good homemade taste and body.

FOOD HISTORY: The Pina Colada

The Pina Colada is one of the world’s most favorite mixed drinks. Pina Colada, in Spanish means, "strained pineapple" and it was developed in Puerto Rico.  While the current recipe is from the 1950s, some say the name didn't originate until the 1960s. However, Puerto Rican folklore suggests that a predecessor drink, consisting of rum, Pineapple juice, and coconut was served by the Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Confesi as a morale booster for his crew, however, when he was captured and killed in 1825, his original recipe disappeared. Further, at the beginning of the 20th century, a drink called  "Pina Fria" (cold pineapple) was mentioned in the pages of US newspapers as a "Pineapple Aide" drink and in 1952, a recipe consisting of "two fingers of cold, fresh  Pineapple juice blended with 1.5 oz. of rum plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar." was published in the NY Herald Tribune. While several versions of rum/ pineapple juice containing beverages appeared between Confesi's version and those of the early1950's, it was not until 1954, when a key ingredient - Coco Lopez - a premade coconut cream - was invented. Ramon Lopez-Irrizarry, born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was a Professor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico who was given the grant to develop items to boost Puerto Rican agricultural industries. One of his projects was to find an easier way to extract the cream from coconut pulp; the coconut is an important ingredient in preparing many Puerto Rican desserts. The current extraction methods were too long and costly. Lopez-Irrizarry discovered an easier method by blending the cream from the hearts of coconuts with an exact proportion of natural sugar. He named his sweetened, coconut cream product Coco Lopez. It immediately had an impact on the island's culinary scene and became very popular. The invention of Coco Lopez plus a technological advance in kitchen gadgetry - the introduction of the kitchen blender - gave rise to the Pina Colada that we know it today. The Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the source of two versions of where and by whom, the Pina Colada was originally concocted. The first is that in 1954, a bartender named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero Perez,, worked for three months developing this as a signature drink for the hotel and he continued to serve Pina Coladas until his retirement in the late1980's.  However, Ricardo Garcia, another bartender in the same hotel at the same time, claimed that he was the one who added strained Pineapple juice to the drink and gave the drink its name. Garcia was the first bartender to serve the cocktail in a hollowed-out coconut. To complicate things further, the Restaurant Barrachina in San Juan, also claims to be the place where the Pina Colada was born when the owner convinced a Spanish mixologist from Argentina, Ramon Portas Mingot, to become his head bartender.  The owner claimed it was this bartender who first started serving the drink to their patrons in 1963. Putting aside the controversy as to where, when, and by whom the first "modern' Pina Colada was developed, the Pina colada has become the national drink of Puerto Rico, is popular in all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and is enjoyed all over the world, as well.